Austin invited Mia to come over for a quick dinner..
The soft knock on the door sent a sudden ripple down Mia's spine. She smoothed down her dress, took a deep breath, and looked at herself in the hallway mirror. "You're just here to chill. Be normal," she whispered to herself. She wasn't even sure why she was nervous. Maybe because she knew Liam would be there. Maybe because of the way he'd looked at her that night at dinner — as if he'd seen right through her. As if he knew something she wasn't willing to admit.
Austin had invited her over for dinner again, a casual Friday hangout. He'd promised it would be low-key — pizza, Netflix, and drinks. Nothing serious. But Mia had dressed like it was serious. Just a little. Her lips were glossy, her hair in soft curls, and the neckline of her blouse slightly lower than usual. Not too obvious, but not invisible either.
Austin swung the door open. "Hey, babe! Took you long enough!" He wrapped her in a tight hug, kissed her cheek, and pulled her inside.
Liam was already seated on the couch, a beer in hand, wearing grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt that clung to his body in all the wrong — or maybe right — ways. He looked up. Their eyes met. Her breath caught. His lips twitched slightly, like he was about to smile but stopped himself. Then he nodded. "Hey, Mia."
"Hi," she replied, her voice tighter than intended.
Austin seemed oblivious to the tension in the room. "I've got to take this call real quick — one of the guys at the office messed up a contract. I'll be back soon," he said, already pulling out his phone and walking toward the balcony.
Mia stood awkwardly near the arm of the couch. Liam reached for the remote. "You can sit. I don't bite."
She let out a soft laugh and sat, leaving a respectable distance between them. "Noted."
The silence between them stretched. The TV played some action scene neither of them was watching. Mia could feel the weight of his presence — his scent, the casual flex of his muscles as he leaned forward to grab a slice of pizza, the way his eyes occasionally flicked toward her.
"So… you and Austin. Everything good?" Liam asked, his tone light but his eyes too serious.
She turned slightly to face him. "Yeah, it's good. He's… sweet."
"Sweet? That's the best you've got?" he teased.
Mia smiled. "Okay. He's kind, thoughtful, loyal."
Liam raised a brow. "You're describing a golden retriever."
She burst into laughter. "Stop it! He's a good guy."
"Yeah, he is. That's why I feel like I shouldn't be sitting this close to you right now."
The laughter died from her lips. Her smile faded slowly as the air between them shifted. Heavy. Intimate.
"Liam…" she started.
He didn't let her finish. "You feel it too, don't you?"
Her throat tightened. "We shouldn't."
"I know," he said, voice low. "But damn, Mia… you're everywhere in my head lately. And I hate it. I hate that I want you. That I think about you more than I should. That when I close my eyes, I see your face instead of anyone else's."
"Stop," she whispered, her eyes burning. "You can't say these things."
He leaned closer, his voice barely audible. "I shouldn't. But I do. And I think you feel the same."
She looked away, heart pounding, lips trembling. He reached out and gently brushed a curl from her cheek. His fingers lingered.
"Don't," she said again, softer.
"Say you don't want me, and I'll stop."
She didn't respond. Her silence was a confession.
Liam leaned in — slow, cautious, like he was giving her every second to pull away. But she didn't. Their lips brushed. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't desperate. It was soft and searching, like the answer to a question neither of them had dared to ask before.
Her hand found his chest, and for a moment, time stopped. No Austin. No rules. Just this heat — this madness — between them.
Then the balcony door creaked open.
Mia jumped back, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. Liam leaned away, jaw tight, fists clenched.
Austin walked back into the living room, unaware of what he'd almost interrupted. "Crisis averted! Where's my drink?"
Liam stood up abruptly. "I'll get it for you."
Mia couldn't look at either of them. She picked up her phone and pretended to check a message. Her hands shook.
Later that night, when she got home, she stood in front of the mirror and whispered to her reflection, "Mia, what the hell are you doing?"
But she already knew. She was crossing lines. And it felt terrifyingly good.
MIA'S POV
That night, Mia tossed and turned in her bed. Her pillow smelled like her shampoo, the same one Liam had complimented during dinner that night weeks ago. She could still feel the heat of his breath against her lips. The kiss haunted her like a forbidden melody.
Her phone buzzed. 12:49 AM.
Liam:I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.
She stared at the message for what felt like an hour. Then she typed:
Mia:But you did.
And then: And I let you.
She deleted both messages. Locked her phone. Threw it across the bed.
"I'm not this girl," she muttered to herself. "I don't ruin things."
But her heart didn't listen.
LIAM'S POV
Across town, Liam sat on his balcony, beer bottle in hand, shirtless, staring into the dark city skyline.
"F*ck," he groaned.
He had kissed her. And it had been perfect. Dangerous. Addictive.
He rubbed his hands over his face. "What are you doing, Liam? You want your best friend's girl now? What kind of man does that?"
But no matter how much he tried to hate himself, the truth was there. Raw and gnawing.
"I felt something. So did she. It wasn't in my head."
He stood and paced the floor.
"I need to forget her. I need to focus on Zara."
But the guilt tangled with desire. It wasn't just lust. That was the problem. If it were only sex, he could push it away. But this was different. Mia wasn't just beautiful. She was kind. She was smart. She laughed with her whole body. She cared about people. She looked at him like she saw the good under his mess.
He remembered the kiss — her fingers trembling against his shirt, the soft gasp when their lips met. The way she tasted like fear and longing.
His phone buzzed.
Zara:Hey stranger. Thinking about you. Or maybe about the way you made me beg for mercy.
He should reply. He should shift focus. Redirect the chaos.
But he didn't.
He turned off his phone and let the silence devour him.
BACK TO MIA'S POV
Across the city, Mia whispered the quote she didn't dare say aloud earlier:
"Even if I know your heart belongs to someone else, I still find myself wanting to be the reason it skips a beat."
And with that, she turned off the lights. Tomorrow, she'd lie again — to Austin, to herself, to the world.
But tonight, she let the truth sit in the dark.