(Elle’s POV) The note lay on the counter, mocking me in its crooked letters. My pulse hammered as I read it again, then again, like maybe the words would change if I stared long enough. They didn’t. But admitting what they meant? No. I wasn’t ready. With a shaky laugh, I crumpled the paper in my fist and shoved it deep into the trash. “Some stupid prank,” I whispered to the empty kitchen. “People have too much time.” Even as I said it, my hand wouldn’t stop trembling. The next morning, I acted like nothing happened. I plastered on my smile, teased Liam the way I always did, even let him copy off my notes because he’d been half-asleep in class again. And for a while, it worked. I almost believed it myself. Almost. Except every time my eyes wandered, I looked for Aiden. And when he wasn’t there, the ache grew heavier, sharper. He’d been slipping further away, his silence stretching between us like a canyon. And instead of chasing him like I probably should have,
Aiden was pulling away. Not in the obvious ways—he still passed me in the hallway, still sat at the dinner table when I stayed over, still existed like he always had. But it was in the details, the ones I couldn’t unsee once I noticed. The rooftop door stayed closed more often. His chair across the living room was empty on nights when it used to feel like he lived there. Even his silence, which once felt charged and heavy, was just… absent now. And it shouldn’t have mattered. It shouldn’t have mattered to me. I told myself that every night. But it did. I caught myself listening for his footsteps when I climbed the stairs. I found myself searching the halls when classes let out, my chest tightening when I didn’t see him leaning against a wall like he used to. I didn’t ask Liam where his brother was. I couldn’t. Because what right did I have? Still, the ache was there, sharp and strange, like a bruise I didn’t remember earning. The first whisper came at lunch. “He’
The cafeteria buzzed louder than usual, trays clattering and voices overlapping in the way that made it almost impossible to think. I was halfway through my fries, idly stabbing at them, when the door swung open. Liam walked in, laughter spilling from him as he talked with two of his classmates from economics. His hair was ruffled, his sleeves rolled halfway up, and there was that same boyish grin that always knocked the air out of my lungs. He didn’t notice me right away—he rarely did in crowded rooms. But my eyes found him instantly, like they always did. He grabbed a tray, still talking animatedly with his friends. The way he leaned his head back when he laughed, the easy tilt of his shoulders… God, sometimes it felt unfair how effortlessly he could light up a room. “Earth to Elle.” My best friend, Maya, waved a fry in front of my face. “You’re staring again.” I shoved her hand away, cheeks heating. “I’m not.” “You so are,” she sing-songed. “At this point, I’m startin
Elle’s POV The rooftop air felt different tonight. Maybe it was the season changing, or maybe it was just me, shifting in ways I didn’t quite understand. Liam stretched out on the blanket beside me, his head propped up on his arm as if the stars belonged to him. “You’ve been zoning out a lot lately,” he teased. “Don’t tell me you’re falling asleep on me again.” I laughed softly, hugging my knees. “I wouldn’t dare. Who else would keep you humble if I weren’t here to remind you you’re not actually that funny?” He gasped dramatically, clutching his chest like I’d wounded him. “Wow. Brutal. Right here under the stars, too.” I nudged his shoulder, grinning despite the ache in my chest. It was so easy with him. Too easy. And maybe that was why I held on, even when I shouldn’t. Silence slipped in, not awkward, just… full. The kind of silence where you know the person beside you understands without words. I told myself that’s what made Liam mine in ways no one else could touch.
The rest of the morning blurred into small, ordinary moments that felt bigger than they should’ve. Liam cracking eggs into a pan, humming some half-forgotten tune. Me setting the table, pretending not to notice how the sunlight caught in his hair. Him stealing a bite of toast from my plate, grinning like a kid. I told myself not to read into it. But my heart… my heart was a terrible liar. “Want to do something later?” Liam asked, his eyes still on his food. My pulse tripped over itself. “Like what?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. We could go for a drive. Hit that trail we used to bike. Just… hang out. Like old times.” Old times. He didn’t realize those were the moments I lived for. “Yeah,” I said quickly. “I’d like that.” His grin widened, warm and effortless, and for a second, I thought maybe—just maybe—this was how it began. Maybe we were finally shifting into something more. The sound of a chair scraping broke my daydream. I looked up just in time to see Aide
By the time we finally left the rooftop, my hands were numb from the cold but my chest felt too warm, heavy with words I couldn’t say. Liam held the door open for me, his usual crooked smile tugging at his lips. “Ladies first.” I stepped past him, trying not to let my heart trip over something so simple. It was always like this with him—ordinary gestures that felt like confessions if I let them. We made our way down the stairs, our footsteps echoing softly in the quiet building. My stomach gave a low, traitorous growl, and Liam chuckled behind me. “Hungry?” “Maybe just a little,” I admitted, pressing a hand to my stomach. “Come on then,” he said, ruffling my hair as we reached the kitchen. “Chef Liam is on duty.” I swatted at his hand but couldn’t hide my grin. Watching him pull open the fridge, rummaging through like he lived here, felt so normal it almost hurt. “Let’s see…” he muttered, pulling out eggs and bread. “Classic breakfast, no complaints allowed.” I lea