Chapter 41 Something Real
Mia's POV
I had just stepped out of the kitchen, a pitcher of water in my hand, when I froze mid-step.
The moment I saw Liam and Josh talking, everything showed on my face. My breath faltered as my eyes widened in shocked. The tray almost slipped from my grasp.
I could not hear what they were saying from where I stood, but I could see them clearly. Liam was leaning forward slightly. Josh was grinning in that familiar, carefree way of his. The two of them were talking like they shared something I did not.
Something that made my stomach twist.
I turned away quickly, ducking behind the counter and pretending to rearrange the cutlery. I focused on the clink of metal, on breathing steadily, on pulling myself back together before anyone noticed.
When my shift finally ended, I stepped out of the kitchen, only to be stopped by Josh just outside the door.
"Mia," he said gently. "Liam is waiting for you outside. I told him everything about us."
I froze.
"What?" I whispered, stunned.
Josh smiled softly, his eyes warm and sincere. "Come on. You like him. Anyone with eyes can see that. And I did not want you holding back because of me."
I stared at him, confused and wide-eyed. "But... why?"
"Because I care about you," he said simply. "And I do not want to be the reason you miss out on something real. I did not tell him my secret, but I did tell him the truth. That you are not my girlfriend. That we are just best friends."
Heat rushed to my face, and I felt my cheeks burn.
I bit my lower lip and took a slow breath, trying to calm myself, but my heart was already racing too fast to ignore.
I did not want to expect too much. But I felt it anyway.
The warmth spreading through my chest. The quiet, hopeful flutter of a heart that had already started to believe.
As I stood there, knowing Liam was waiting for me outside, I realized this moment mattered. For the first time in a long while, I felt light. Relieved. Happy in a way that made my chest ache. My secret was finally out.
I did not have to lie anymore. I did not have to twist the truth or hold myself back around Liam. Josh had already told him everything, and knowing that felt like a weight lifting off my shoulders.
I was no longer hiding. I was no longer pretending.
And the best part was that Liam now knew the truth not from me hesitating or stumbling over words, but from someone who cared enough to set things right.
The thought made my lips curve into a small, genuine smile. Because now, when I walked outside to meet Liam, I would be doing it honestly. And whatever happened next, it would be real.
I stepped out of the restaurant into the hush of evening, where the city lights flickered like scattered fireflies and the breeze carried the distant scent of rain. The cool air kissed my bare arms, but it was not the wind that made me pause.
It was Liam. He was leaning against a sleek black car parked just beyond the curb, the soft glow of the streetlamp catching in his dark eyes. His hands were tucked into his coat pockets, his shoulders tense despite his casual stance, and his usually polished hair was slightly tousled by the wind. He looked like a scene out of a dream I had not dared to admit I still had.
The moment he saw me, he pushed himself off the car and stood straighter, like he suddenly did not know what to do with his own posture. And for the first time in forever, the boy who always looked untouchable looked uncertain.
"Hey," he said, his voice lower than usual, almost hesitant. "I... I am sorry if I did not ask permission first."
I stopped in my tracks. My fingers curled tighter around the strap of my bag as the steady rhythm of my heartbeat suddenly stuttered. The sound of my own breathing felt too loud in my ears.
"I waited for you," Liam added, taking a cautious step toward me. "I just... I wanted to drive you home."
His voice cracked slightly at the edges, and I felt it in my chest how sincere he was.
"You did not have to do that," I said softly, my gaze dropping to the pavement. "It is late. You should have gone home."
"And so should you," he replied, his voice gentler now. "But I could not. Not until I saw you." His words were not grand, but they struck me like a quiet truth long buried.
No words came out of my mouth, but my smile said enough. It was soft, but unmistakably real.
Liam stepped forward and opened the car door for me. His hand brushed the edge of the frame, then hovered, as if he almost wanted to reach for mine.
I slid into the passenger seat, the leather cool against my skin, my heart somehow warmer than it had been in days. Liam gently closed the door behind me, then walked around and slid into the driver's seat beside me.
For a few moments, neither of us spoke. The hum of the city faded behind the windshield, and inside the car, it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of us and the silence that ached between our glances.
Then Liam cleared his throat, both hands gripping the wheel even though the engine was still off.
"There is something I have been meaning to ask," he said, his eyes fixed on the street ahead instead of on me. "Josh. He told me about your arrangement."
I froze, my fingers tightening slightly around the strap of my bag.
"He said it was not real. That you were not really together."
I turned my head slowly to look at him. "It was not," I whispered. "We just pretended... for a while."
Liam nodded, a slow exhale leaving his lips, like he had been holding that breath for weeks.
"I figured," he said quietly. "Still... hearing it from him... I cannot lie. I was relieved."
My breath hitched when he finally turned to look at me, his gaze steady and sincere.
"I know it is not my place to say that. I never really made anything clear between us, and maybe that is on me. I just—" He broke off, running a hand through his hair. "I did not want to assume anything. Or push."
"You are not pushing," I said softly, my voice almost drowned out by the wind outside.
Liam gave me a crooked smile, something tender hiding behind it. "I guess I am trying to say... I am glad you are not with Josh. I am glad you are still free."
My chest fluttered with something that felt dangerously close to hope. But when he did not reach for my hand, did not take that last step across the space between us, a quiet disappointment settled in my ribs.
I nodded once, masking it with another smile.
He noticed, but instead of calling it out, Liam started the engine. His voice dropped low as he murmured, "Just because I am not making a move now does not mean I will not."
I turned to him, startled, but he was already focused on the road, the corner of his mouth tugging up ever so slightly.
"I am taking you home tonight," he said, "but next time... I would like to take you somewhere else."
"Somewhere else?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
"A proper date," Liam said simply, glancing my way for just a second. "No pretending. No confusion."
My heart stumbled. And even though I tried to play it cool, the smile that bloomed across my lips was too wide, too bright, to hide.