Chapter 4

The memories kept coming back, unbidden. Little moments from the past that now looked different, colored by what I knew now. I remembered last year' s school dance. I had been excited, we were supposed to go together, just as friends, like we always did. But then Sarah, a girl from our chemistry class, had a dramatic breakup with her boyfriend an hour before the dance.

Liam had spent the entire night consoling her, bringing her punch, talking to her in a corner while I stood awkwardly with our other friends.

"She' s just really broken up," he had told me later, with that earnest look on his face. "I couldn' t just leave her there crying."

At the time, I had accepted it. I had even felt a little proud of how kind he was. Now, I saw it for what it was: a pattern. He was drawn to the performance of vulnerability, the chance to be the hero. My quiet, steady presence couldn't compete with a damsel in distress.

His promises were always conditional, subject to being overridden by the next person who needed him more dramatically. "You' re my best friend, Ava. You' ll always come first," he' d said so many times. But his actions consistently proved otherwise.

The days after I blocked him were strangely quiet. He tried to get our mutual friends to talk to me. My phone would buzz with texts.

'Hey, Liam' s trying to reach you. He says you' re not answering.'

I would reply with a simple, 'I' m fine. Just need some space.'

Eventually, they stopped asking.

The inevitable confrontation happened a week later, in the school hallway. I was at my locker when his group walked past. He was in the center, laughing at something Mark said. Chloe was right beside him, tucked under his arm, in the exact spot I used to occupy so naturally. The sight was a jolt, a visual confirmation of the new reality.

He saw me and his smile faltered. He stopped, expecting me to come over, to break the silence. Chloe looked from him to me, a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.

I just closed my locker and started to walk away.

"Ava."

His voice was sharp, commanding. I ignored it and kept walking.

In two long strides, he was in front of me, blocking my path. He grabbed my arm. His grip wasn' t harsh, but it was firm, controlling.

"What is your deal?" he asked, his voice low and frustrated. "You' ve been ignoring me for a week."

"Let go of my arm, Liam," I said, my voice dangerously quiet.

"Not until you talk to me," he said, his jaw tight. "Why are you being so dramatic about this? So I changed my mind about college. It' s not the end of the world."

He truly didn' t get it. He saw my pain as a childish tantrum.

"I don' t want to talk about it here," I said, trying to pull my arm away.

"We' re talking about it now," he insisted. "Look, I know you' re probably mad, but you need to get over it. And make sure you check the application portal. The deadline for changing your preference is coming up. Don' t mess it up."

He was still trying to direct my life, even now. He still thought he knew what was best for me.

"Liam, what' s going on?"

Chloe' s soft voice interrupted us. She came up beside him, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, her wide eyes fixed on me with a look of concern that felt completely fake.

Instantly, Liam' s attention shifted to her. His grip on my arm loosened.

"It' s nothing, Chloe. Ava' s just being difficult."

He turned his full attention to her, his voice softening. "Are you ready for lunch? I' m starving."

He had dismissed me, just like that. In the middle of our confrontation, he had turned away, his priority clear. I used the moment of his distraction to pull my arm free and walk away without another word. I didn' t look back. I could feel his eyes on me, but I kept walking, my head held high, even as my insides churned.