Liam stared at himself in the mirror, wincing at the sight of his reflection. His face was an array of bruises—one eye slightly swollen, his jaw tender from Jason's punch. The morning after the fight had been rough, and the dull ache from his injuries served as a constant reminder of the mess he'd gotten into.He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Great look for a date night, he thought bitterly.Ava had insisted on a casual dinner together, as if her presence could magically erase the tension that had taken root in his life. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was something more behind her smile—something she wasn't telling him. But whenever he tried to ask, she would just brush it off with a laugh, diverting the conversation elsewhere. It was like she was hiding behind that brightness."Maybe I should cancel..." he muttered, gingerly touching his swollen cheek.Just then, his phone buzzed with a text from Ava:
Ava: "I'm here. Don't keep me waiting, Mr. Bruised Ego! 😘"Liam sighed again. No escape.At the restaurant, Ava was already seated at their usual corner table, waving when she saw him. Despite the familiarity of the scene, Liam felt something off—an odd sensation of detachment in the way she smiled, like her mind was elsewhere."You look better than I expected," she teased as he sat down, eyeing his bruises."And you look like you know something I don't," he said, half-joking, but his voice carried an edge of suspicion. Ava gave him a quick laugh in response, but her eyes shifted away."You and your overactive imagination," she said, brushing it off as she always did. "Let's just enjoy dinner, okay?"Liam nodded, but the unease lingered. It was subtle, but Ava's energy seemed different tonight—distracted, maybe even anxious. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something. She was always good at keeping up appearances, but Liam had known her long enough to notice the cracks beneath the surface.As the evening went on, Liam tried to focus on their conversation, but his mind kept wandering back to the fight with Jason and the tension between them. He wanted to talk to Ava about it, to get her perspective, but every time he broached the subject, she steered them back to lighter topics.Midway through dinner, Ava glanced over her shoulder as if expecting someone to walk in at any moment. Liam noticed the way her hand fidgeted with her napkin, her gaze flicking to the door every few minutes."Are you expecting someone?" he asked, half-joking.Ava gave him a tight smile. "No, just... you know, paranoid habit. You never know who might show up."There it was again—that strange distance in her words. Liam frowned, but before he could press further, Ava leaned in closer, her smile softening."Look, I know you're stressed about the fight with Jason and your career, but don't let it eat at you," she said. "Things will work out. They always do."Liam nodded, appreciating her attempt to comfort him, but her words felt hollow somehow. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was speaking more for her own sake than his. What was going on in her head?They finished their meal in relative silence, and as they walked back to her apartment, the tension only seemed to grow. Liam noticed the way Ava kept glancing around, like she was constantly checking her surroundings.When they reached her door, Ava hesitated, her hand lingering on the doorknob. "Tonight was nice," she said, her voice softer, but with an odd finality to it."It was," Liam replied, but even as he spoke, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong—something beyond their usual banter.Before he could think about it too much, he leaned in and kissed her, a soft, tentative brush of his lips against hers. Ava responded almost immediately, but there was a hesitation in the way she kissed him back, like she was somewhere else entirely.When they pulled apart, Ava smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well... that was unexpected."Liam grinned, but his heart wasn't in it. "Sometimes the best things are."Ava glanced down, her fingers toying with the strap of her bag. "Liam, there's... something I've been meaning to tell you."His stomach tightened. "What is it?"Ava hesitated, her gaze darting away again. "It's... nothing. Never mind. We'll talk later."Liam frowned but nodded. "Okay. If you're sure."Ava gave him one last lingering look before slipping inside her apartment, the door closing behind her with a soft click.As Liam stood there, staring at the closed door, that uneasy feeling gnawed at him. Ava had always been an open book, but tonight, she felt like a stranger.What aren't you telling me, Ava?