The apartment was unusually silent, the faint ticking of the clock on the wall marking the seconds as if time itself had slowed. Liam lay in his bed, his face pale and glistening with sweat. A damp cloth rested on his forehead, replaced every so often by one of the three girls who hovered anxiously in the small room.
The doctor had come and gone, leaving behind a somber diagnosis that echoed in their minds.
"He's exhausted," the doctor had said firmly, his brow furrowed with concern. "This level of overwork is not sustainable. It's taking a toll on his body, and now he's burning out. He has a fever, which is his body's way of forcing him to rest. Make sure he gets plenty of sleep, stays hydrated, and avoids stress for the next few days."
The weight of those words hung in the air long after the doctor had left.
Lily sat on the edge of her chair, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. "This is my fault," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Emily looked up from her spot near the window. "What are you talking about?"
Lily's shoulders sagged as tears filled her eyes. "I'm the one who kept him up all night. I made him talk to me instead of letting him rest. And it's not just that—I'm always asking him to help me study, to explain things. I never realized how much I was adding to his stress."
Emily's gaze softened as she approached Lily. "You're not the only one to blame," she said quietly, guilt creeping into her voice. "I invited him out when he was clearly tired. I should've noticed he wasn't okay." She paused, her hands clenching into fists. "Instead, I pushed my feelings onto him when he needed care, not pressure."
Avery, who had been leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, stepped forward. "Enough, both of you," she said firmly. "This isn't just about last night or the outing. Liam has been running himself ragged for ages. He'd be like this even if none of us were around."
Both girls looked at her, startled.
Avery sighed, her expression softening. "He's the type of guy who puts too much on himself. He's got that crazy need to be perfect all the time. Yeah, maybe we've added to his workload a bit, but he'd still be overworking himself even if he didn't have us." She glanced toward Liam's sleeping form. "This is on him, too. He needs to learn to slow down."
Lily sniffled, nodding slowly. "Still, I should've noticed..."
Emily crossed her arms, looking down at the floor. "We all should've noticed," she admitted.
After a few moments of silence, Emily excused herself, retreating to her room. She sank onto her bed, her mind replaying the confession in the park over and over.
Why did I do it then? she thought, burying her face in her hands. He was clearly unwell. What was I thinking?
Her chest tightened as she thought about his response. He hadn't rejected her outright, but his exhaustion had made it impossible to gauge what he truly felt. And now, with him lying sick in bed, she couldn't help but feel selfish.
What if I made things worse for him? What if he doesn't want to see me after this?
Her thoughts spiraled, each one heavier than the last, until she finally shook her head. No, I need to give him space. He needs to recover. I can't push him any further.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Lily sat curled up on the couch, her knees drawn to her chest. Avery sat beside her, scrolling through her phone, though her attention remained on Lily.
Lily broke the silence. "What if he… What if something bad happens to him because of all this?" Her voice trembled, fear evident in her tone.
Avery set her phone down. "Hey, don't go there," she said firmly. "Liam's tough. He'll bounce back from this."
"But what if he doesn't?" Lily pressed, her voice cracking. "What if he's not around anymore? I don't think I could handle that, Avery."
Avery frowned, leaning back against the couch. "You're stronger than you think, Lily. But, honestly? If you're this scared of losing him, maybe you should think about what he really means to you."
Lily's cheeks flushed. "He's my best friend," she said quickly.
"Sure," Avery replied with a smirk. "But is that all?"
Lily hesitated, her heart racing. She opened her mouth to respond but found she couldn't.
Later that evening, the girls regrouped in Liam's room to check on him. His fever had gone down slightly, and he stirred awake briefly, muttering something incoherent before falling back asleep.
As they watched him, a quiet determination formed within each of them.
Lily resolved to be more mindful of Liam's well-being, promising herself that she'd do whatever it took to ease his burdens.
Emily decided to put her feelings on hold, at least for now, focusing instead on being a supportive presence in his life.
Avery, watching the two of them, felt a surge of protectiveness for Liam. She'd always seen him as the strong one, but now she realized he needed someone to be strong for him.