~
The guests began to arrive, dropping off gifts for both of them.
Camilla stood at the front of the huge, beautifully decorated hall in a royal blue, sleek-cut gown that reached her thighs.
Vivian had helped with her makeup, and she loved how her chin curve stood out perfectly.
A few friends from her school were invited, even some she wasn't very familiar with.
Several of Liam's schoolmates from Height were also present.
Briana joined her a few minutes later, and the two hugged excitedly.
Her boyfriend soon followed, and Briana introduced him to Camilla.
"Does Eric know you have another boyfriend?" Camilla whispered to her.
After Briana broke up with her last boyfriend, she and Eric had continued their intimate relationship.
They seemed serious, but Eric wasn't the type to stay with one woman for long.
"It's none of his business," Briana whispered back before dragging her boyfriend, Leo, away to get a drink.
Camilla checked the time, wondering why Liam was taking so long to come downstairs.
She glanced at her phone and realized twenty minutes had passed since she finished getting dressed and started greeting guests.
She smiled politely at a guest who tried to make conversation, then excused herself to go find him.
"Wow!"
She heard girls giggling behind her and turned to see Liam walking toward her with Eric beside him.
He wore a royal blue suit that perfectly matched her dress, but his hair was styled differently than usual.
As she stared at him, it felt like she was looking at someone else entirely.
Camilla felt herself blush as he approached.
His keen eyes settled on her, and for the first time, she noticed his sculpted chest and how sharp his jawline was.
She had never paid attention to how well his muscles stood out beneath a suit jacket.
Hearing the girls praise his looks made Camilla pause and really look at him, at all the features she had ignored for years.
Maybe it was because they were adults now, but somehow, her little best friend had turned into a tall, strong, and handsome man right under her nose.
If he was getting this much attention, she wondered how many girls must be throwing themselves at him at school.
It seemed she had underestimated him after all.
Wanting the girls to enjoy gawking at him, Camilla turned to walk away, but Liam caught her before she could leave and called out to her with a wide, happy smile.
Camilla swallowed and pressed her lips together, surprised to find his smile charming for the first time.
The girls' giggles only grew louder, and she rolled her eyes, feeling inexplicably annoyed.
"Who the hell is he trying to seduce with that smile?" she murmured and refused to wait.
Liam followed after her, still mesmerized by her new look.
He took her hand firmly in his and complimented her appearance.
Camilla's heart skipped in an unfamiliar way, and for the first time, she noticed how striking his grey eyes were.
She cleared her throat noisily.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Liam asked, confused by her sudden silence.
"I'm just surprised that someone has grown so much he's attracting every girl's attention," she replied, brushing aside the strange feelings bubbling inside her.
She then turned to Eric.
"Did you delay him?" she accused.
"I'll go get a drink," Eric said quickly, walking away while shooting Liam a look that clearly told him to man up and confess.
A group of girls from Liam's school approached and wished them both a happy birthday.
Camilla remembered how they had ignored her earlier and responded casually.
One of the girls stepped forward and hugged Liam, catching Camilla off guard.
"Happy birthday," the girl said.
Liam gently pulled away and nodded politely.
"This must be the girl he has a crush on…"
"Oh, you must be..." Camilla cut in, assuming she was the one Liam liked.
She glanced at him, not wanting to embarrass him.
Liam realized she had misunderstood and tried to explain, but Camilla thought he was just shy and turned back to the girl.
"I'm Camilla. It's nice to meet you," she said, intending to continue the conversation, but Mrs. Anderson approached and informed them it was time for their dance.
Every year, depending on the party theme, they danced together. Since this year's celebration was formal, they had chosen a slow song.
Camilla's father arrived just as they stepped onto the dance floor and nodded apologetically, signaling he was late.
Since her mother passed away years ago, Camilla had grown used to Mrs. Anderson handling everything for her.
She rarely felt her parents' absence during events like this.
Often, Mrs. Anderson would even leave Liam to attend to Camilla instead.
The music began to play softly, and guests stepped aside to give them space.
They were supposed to practice the dance together, but conflicting school schedules had made it impossible.
Camilla feared she might make a mistake and ruin everything.
"I might step on your shoes. You'll have to endure it," she whispered.
"Don't worry about it," Liam whispered back near her ear, his voice unexpectedly soft.
Camilla wondered what was wrong with her.
Ever since that drunken mistake a year ago, she had been overthinking everything.
She smiled, and they began dancing flawlessly as he guided her with ease.
She leaned into his embrace and turned her back to him as they danced closely.
His breath brushed her neck, and Camilla closed her eyes at the unfamiliar but sweet sensation.
When she turned again, their eyes met briefly before she looked away, trying to steady herself.
She wasn't sure why her stomach felt so unsettled, and she silently prayed for the dance to end, but it seemed to drag on endlessly.
"What are you thinking about?" Liam asked. She had been distracted since the dance began, constantly avoiding his gaze.
"That… that girl you were talking about—is she the one? She's beautiful," Camilla said, grasping for a topic.
"She's not," he corrected immediately.
Camilla didn't believe him.
"She really isn't. I don't like her at all," he insisted.
"Why are you so defensive? I was just curious," she replied.
"She looks just like you," he said.
Camilla stopped dancing and stared at him, startled. Her heart began to race.
"What are you saying?" she asked nervously, forcing a laugh.
Liam expected her reaction and felt a sharp sting at her expression.
He had thought things were truly over between her and Tyler after all their fights, but it seemed she wasn't as detached as he believed.
Bracing himself, he quickly corrected himself.
"I mean… she's beautiful, just like you," he said.
Camilla nodded slowly, unsure why disappointment washed over her.
"If you like her so much, why didn't you invite her?" she asked, surprised by her own curiosity.
"Camilla, actually, I have something important to..." Liam began, but before he could finish, the music abruptly changed, and others rushed in to dance.
"This is more like it!" Briana shouted as she pulled Camilla away to join her on the dance floor.