The warmth of the morning sun streamed through the partially open window, casting soft light over the room. Liam sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers nervously drumming against his knee. Lily was still beside him, her presence comforting yet stirring a nervous excitement in him. The kiss they shared had been passionate and intense, leaving him with a feeling of vulnerability that he wasn't used to.
As much as he had been hoping for this moment, he wasn't prepared for the awkwardness that followed. He felt a rush of emotions he wasn't sure how to handle, and a small part of him was still unsure about what had actually happened the night before.
"So…" Liam began, his voice a little shaky as he tried to put his thoughts into words. He cleared his throat. "What exactly happened last night?"
Lily turned her head to look at him, an amused smirk tugging at her lips. "What do you mean, Liam?" she teased. "You don't remember?"
Liam flushed, feeling his heart race as his eyes widened. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not sure if he was embarrassed or just confused by the whole situation. "I—I remember parts of it, but not… not everything. Did we—did we just sleep together?" His voice faltered slightly, and his gaze dropped to the floor.
Lily couldn't help but laugh softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. She leaned closer to him, her hand gently brushing his arm as she spoke. "No, Liam," she replied softly, her tone teasing. "You collapsed in the library, remember? You were pushing yourself too hard, again. I had to bring you home. You were exhausted, and I ended up falling asleep beside you. Nothing more happened."
Liam blinked, processing her words, and let out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. "You fell asleep beside me?" he asked quietly, his heart still hammering in his chest. He looked at Lily, trying to gauge her expression. Was she teasing him? Was she being serious?
Lily smiled warmly, her fingers brushing against his hand as she gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah, you were unconscious, and I didn't want to leave you alone. But…" She paused, her smirk returning. "I know you were awake. You were pretending to sleep, weren't you?"
Liam's face turned beet red, and he looked away, flustered by her words. "I… wasn't pretending. I just didn't know what to do." He cleared his throat again, trying to salvage some of his pride. "I didn't want to make things awkward, you know?"
Lily chuckled softly. "It's okay, Liam. You don't have to hide it from me. I knew you were awake, but I didn't mind. It felt… nice."
Liam swallowed hard, his heart pounding as he stared at her. The warmth in her voice made his chest ache. The awkwardness from before began to melt away, and in its place, a tender connection bloomed.
For a moment, there was silence between them, both of them sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in their thoughts. Liam couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them, something that he couldn't ignore. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and for the first time in a long time, he felt… happy. Not just the forced kind of happiness he had learned to mask, but the real, raw kind of happiness that came from simply being with someone he cared about.
After what felt like an eternity, Liam finally found the courage to ask the question that had been on his mind. He turned to Lily, his gaze serious but vulnerable.
"Lily," he began, his voice softer than usual, "I've been thinking a lot lately. About us… about what we are."
Lily's heart skipped a beat, and she met his gaze, her lips parting slightly in anticipation. She could feel the shift in the air, the tension that had been building between them for days.
Liam took a deep breath, his hand trembling slightly as he reached out to hold hers. "I… I want you to be my girlfriend. But… I don't want anyone else to know yet. Not Emily, not Avery. I don't want to make things uncomfortable for them. It's just… I don't know how they'll react, and I don't want them to feel awkward around us."
Lily's eyes softened, and she squeezed his hand in return. She felt a flutter of happiness in her chest, a warmth spreading through her as she realized what Liam was asking. He was opening up to her in a way that no one else had ever seen, and it meant the world to her.
"I agree," Lily said, her voice gentle. "We'll keep it between us for now. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable either. But, Liam…" She hesitated, her fingers gently brushing against his. "I really want this. I want us."
Liam's heart skipped, and a genuine smile broke out on his face for the first time in what felt like forever. He leaned in closer to her, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, his thumb caressing her cheek.
"I want this too, Lily. More than anything."
Later that day, Liam couldn't stop thinking about Emily. He knew he needed to address her confession from weeks ago. He hadn't been able to shake the memory of her vulnerable words, and he felt guilty for not having said anything sooner. Emily deserved to know the truth, and he owed her an honest answer.
He had started to open up to Emily and Avery about his past, about the things that had caused him to act cold and distant. He explained how he dealt with Joe, how he was the one who made the cold coffee and brought the chocolates, he also told them that he was hiding behind Avery so that they wont realize that he still cared for them and why he had kept everyone at arm's length for so long. But there was one thing left to do—something he hadn't yet addressed.
As he sat on the couch, his phone buzzed with a message from Emily. She wanted to meet up and talk. Liam's heart sank. He knew what this was about, and he couldn't put it off any longer.
A few minutes later, Emily walked into his room, her face marked with both determination and uncertainty. Liam gestured for her to sit, and after a brief silence, he finally spoke.
"Emily," he began, his voice softer than usual. "I need to be honest with you. When you told me how you felt before… I didn't know how to respond. I've been thinking about it, and I've realized that I really care about you. But not in the way you want me to."
Emily's eyes searched his face, a flicker of hurt flashing in them before she quickly masked it with a neutral expression. "So… you don't love me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Liam shook his head, feeling a deep sadness settle in his chest. "I don't. I care about you, Emily. But you're like a little sister to me. I value our friendship, and I don't want anything to ruin that."
A tear slipped down Emily's cheek, and she wiped it away quickly, trying to keep her composure. "I just thought… I thought maybe there was something more. I don't know why. Maybe I was hoping you'd feel the same way."
Liam's heart broke seeing her like this, and without thinking, he reached out to pull her into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, feeling her tremble against him as she let out a quiet sob.
"I'm so sorry, Emily," Liam whispered. "I never wanted to hurt you. I didn't know how to handle this, but I want us to stay friends. I really do. I just want you to be happy."
Emily's sobs quieted as she clung to him, her body shaking with the release of her pent-up emotions. "It's just… hard, Liam. I care about you so much. But I'll get through this. I just need time, I guess."
Liam squeezed her gently, his own chest heavy with regret. "I'm always going to be here for you, Emily. Nothing changes that. I promise."
They stayed like that for a few moments, Emily silently crying into his chest while Liam comforted her as best as he could. When she finally pulled back, her face was red from the tears, but there was a small, sad smile on her lips.
"Thanks, Liam," she whispered. "I think I just needed to hear you say that."
Liam smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "We're going to be okay, Emily. I'm here for you, always."
After Emily left the room to gather herself, Liam felt a strange sense of peace. He had been honest with her, and that was all he could do. But he knew things wouldn't be the same between them now. And while it hurt, he hoped Emily would find the happiness she deserved.
The next day, as Liam and Lily walked to school together, holding hands, Liam couldn't help but feel at peace. The walls he had built around himself were finally crumbling, and with Lily by his side, he felt whole. The connection between them was undeniable, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn't alone anymore.
He looked at Lily, her smile lighting up his world, and realized that everything he had been searching for had been right in front of him all along.
"I love you, Lily," he whispered softly, his heart full of emotions he never knew he had.
Lily looked at him with surprise, her eyes wide for a moment before a smile spread across her face. "I love you too, Liam. Always have."
And in that moment, as they walked side by side, hand in hand, Liam knew that this was just the beginning. There were still many challenges ahead, but with Lily by his side, he felt ready to face whatever came next.
They had each other. And that was enough.
THE END OF VOLUME 1. I WILL START WORKING ON VOLUME TWO AFTER A BREAK FOR A WEEK OR TWO