Vanessa broke the silence first, her voice firm.
"Why did you tell me nevermind?"
The question made Liam raise his eyebrows. He didn't expect her to circle back so quickly. His weight shifted slightly, and he let out a short breath before replying.
"Well, you did say you're a virgin. Most girls wouldn't wanna cross that boundary with a guy they don't like."
Vanessa snorted, almost laughing but more annoyed than amused. "I like you, idiot."
The words slipped out before she even realized. Her eyes went wide as she instantly covered her mouth with both hands, her cheeks burning red. She wanted to rewind time, shove those words back inside, but it was too late—they hung in the air between them.
She braced herself, expecting Liam to burst out laughing, maybe tease her until she wanted to crawl into a hole. But he didn't. Instead, he just smiled—soft, small, but enough to make her chest tighten.
