Liam didn't sleep much that night.
He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling while the sounds of traffic outside his dorm window passed like whispers in the dark. His phone buzzed twice — both from Ava.
He didn't answer.
Not because he was mad.
Not because he didn't care.
But because for the first time in a long time, his heart was somewhere else.
He could still see Cara's face across the café table. The way she smiled. The way her voice dipped low when she said she was glad they were paired. It didn't feel like just words. There had been something there.
Hadn't there?
Liam sighed, rolling onto his side.
He wasn't the type to overthink.
Except when it came to her.
The next morning, campus was busy as ever—students rushing across the quad, backpacks slung lazily over shoulders, coffee cups gripped like lifelines. Liam met up with his friend group at their usual hangout spot by the covered bench near the basketball court.
Zack was already there, tossing a football in the air. Kenji and Josh arrived next, both complaining about back-to-back labs. Marcus came last, earbuds in, still bobbing his head to whatever track he was vibing to.
"Yo, where were you yesterday?" Zack asked Liam, catching the football with a grin. "You ghosted us after class."
Liam shrugged. "Met up with my project partner."
Kenji smirked. "Let me guess—Cara?"
Josh's eyebrows rose. "Wait, you're with Cara Moreno?"
"Yeah," Liam said, trying to keep his tone casual. "For the Lit project."
Marcus gave a low whistle. "Damn. Wasn't she dating that marketing guy? Jared, right?"
"Yeah. They broke up last month," Liam said, eyes narrowing. "Didn't know you all kept track."
Zack grinned. "Bro, we live for campus drama."
Kenji leaned in. "So? How'd it go?"
"It was fine."
Josh raised an eyebrow. "Fine?"
Liam hesitated, then gave a small smile. "Better than fine, I guess."
The guys broke into grins, high-fives exchanged like a team scoring a goal. Even Marcus, usually the chillest among them, clapped him on the back.
"Well damn, about time!" Zack said. "You've been crushing on her since we were literal freshmen."
Liam froze.
"…Wait. You knew?"
Kenji snorted. "Bruh. You think we didn't know?"
"You used to go all stiff when she walked past," Josh added, laughing.
Marcus chuckled. "It was subtle. But not that subtle."
Liam ran a hand over his face. "You guys suck."
"Nah," Zack said. "We just gave you space. Figured you'd say something when it mattered."
Liam paused… and smiled.
This was why he loved these guys.
They didn't always say the right thing, but they showed up when it counted.
Later that week, Liam and Cara met again—this time at the library.
It was quieter than the café. Less distractions. More... tension.
Not the uncomfortable kind, though. It was the kind that buzzed in the air when your thoughts kept drifting to the person sitting across from you. When silence didn't feel empty—it felt full.
Cara leaned on her elbow, scrolling through annotated PDFs. "You know, you surprise me."
Liam looked up from his notebook. "How?"
"You're actually funny."
"I'll try not to be offended by that."
She smiled. "I just mean… you don't talk a lot in class. I expected you to be serious and boring."
"And now?"
"Still serious. But… layered."
"Like an onion?"
"Like a book," she said, nudging his foot under the table. "A slow-burn novel with sad eyes and sharp thoughts."
Liam blinked.
That hit harder than it should have.
"You ever think about writing?" she added.
He nodded slowly. "Sometimes. Never showed anyone though."
"I'd read it."
She said it so naturally. So sincerely.
And Liam felt something shift in his chest. Again.
They worked for a while in silence—notes exchanged, ideas debated—but the rhythm was easy now. Natural.
Until someone cleared their throat behind Liam.
He turned.
Ava.
Wearing a denim jacket, phone in hand, eyes bright with amusement.
"Hey, stranger," she said, voice syrup-sweet. "Didn't know you lived at the library now."
Cara looked up, instantly guarded.
Liam stiffened. "Hey. Just working on a project."
"Oh, I can see that," Ava said, her gaze sliding to Cara. "Hi. I'm Ava."
"Cara," she replied, smiling politely.
Ava's smile grew. "We've met before, haven't we? First year… literature workshop?"
"I think so," Cara said, still polite.
Liam wanted to sink into the floor.
Ava turned her attention back to him. "We should catch up sometime. I feel like you've been avoiding me."
"I've just been busy," he said, trying not to sound harsh.
"I get it," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder—lingering a second too long. "We'll talk soon."
And just like that, she walked away, her perfume trailing behind like smoke.
Liam turned back to find Cara watching him with unreadable eyes.
He cleared his throat. "Sorry about that."
"You two seem close," she said.
"We're not."
Cara arched a brow but said nothing.
They went back to their work, but something had changed. A quiet wall between them that hadn't been there before.
Eventually, she closed her laptop. "I should get going. My next class starts soon."
"Oh. Yeah, okay."
She slung her bag over her shoulder and paused. "Liam?"
He looked up.
"You don't owe me an explanation about her. But just… be careful."
He nodded. "I will."
She gave him a small smile—but it didn't quite reach her eyes—and walked off.
Liam sat there for a long time, staring at the space where she'd been.
Wondering when things got so complicated.
And when his heart started beating this loud.