Lost In Your Words

Chapter 3: The Sound of Silent Feeling — Noah’s POV

I notice it before anyone says a word.

Not because it’s obvious—it’s not. It’s the kind of thing most people would miss if they weren’t looking for it.

But I am.

Liam’s leaning against the edge of the stage, script in hand, staring at the same page like it’s going to rewrite itself if he waits long enough. He hasn’t moved in a while. Hasn’t turned the page. Hasn’t even blinked much, actually.

Across the room, Luna’s sitting on the floor, legs crossed, highlighter in hand. She looks focused.

She’s not.

Every few seconds, she pauses. Just briefly. Just long enough to glance up—

At him.

And every time, without fail—

Liam looks away first.

I let out a quiet breath, something between a sigh and a laugh. “Wow,” I mutter under my breath. “That’s rough.”

“What is?” Eric asks beside me, not even looking up from his phone.

I tilt my head slightly toward the stage. “Them.”

He follows my gaze. It takes him a second. Then another.

Then he exhales. “Oh.”

“‘Oh’?” I glance at him. “That’s it? That’s your takeaway? This is painful to watch.”

He shrugs, like this isn’t the most obvious thing in the room. “They’ll figure it out.”

I shake my head. “No, they won’t. Not like this.”

Because it’s not just the glances.

It’s everything else.

The way Liam subtly shifts the second Luna gets closer, like he suddenly remembers how to exist in his own body. The way Luna suddenly becomes very interested in literally anything that isn’t him the second he talks to her directly.

And the conversations?

They never go far enough.

It’s like they keep stopping right at the edge of something real—like they both see it, both feel it, and then just… back off.

Careful.

Too careful.

I cross my arms, watching as Sofia drops down next to Luna and immediately fills the space with noise. Luna laughs—easier now, more relaxed—and for a second, Liam looks up again.

Not at Sofia.

At Luna.

There it is.

That look.

I’ve seen it before. Plenty of times.

Just never this restrained.

“Okay,” I say, pushing myself off the wall. “I’m intervening.”

Eric finally looks up. “Please don’t.”

“I’m not going to make it weird,” I tell him, already walking away. “I’m going to make it less weird.”

“That’s usually how it becomes more weird,” he calls after me.

I ignore him.

I don’t go straight to them. That would be obvious. Instead, I take my time, like I’ve got nowhere to be, like this isn’t intentional.

I stop near Liam first.

“Hey.”

He looks up immediately, straightening like I just caught him doing something he shouldn’t be. “Hey.”

I nod toward the stage. “You running that scene again?”

He hesitates. Just for a second.

“Yeah. Probably.”

“Cool,” I say casually, then raise my voice just enough—“Luna, you in?”

Sofia’s grin is instant.

Luna blinks, caught off guard. “Oh—uh—yeah. I guess.”

There it is again. That hesitation.

Not reluctance.

Awareness.

Good.

I step back, lifting my hands slightly like I’m backing out of it. “Go for it. I’ll just watch.”

Sofia stands up immediately. “Oh, I’m definitely watching this.”

“Of course you are,” Luna mutters, but she’s already getting up.

Liam moves to the center of the stage. Luna follows.

And just like that, everything shifts.

It always does when they’re in the same space.

The air tightens—not in a bad way. Just… charged. Like something’s sitting there between them, unspoken but very much there.

I lean against one of the seats, arms crossed, watching.

Liam starts the scene.

His voice is steady. Controlled.

Luna answers a second later, just as steady.

But I can see it.

In the pauses that are just a little too long.

In the way Liam looks at her for half a second more than he should before snapping back to the script.

In the way Luna’s voice softens without her even realizing it.

They’re not just acting.

They’re holding back.

Like there’s a line neither of them wants to cross—even though neither of them has actually said where that line is.

“They’re going to drive me insane,” Sofia whispers next to me.

I smirk a little. “Give it time.”

“You’re enjoying this.”

“A little,” I admit. Then I tilt my head slightly, studying them. “But mostly I’m curious.”

“About what?”

I don’t take my eyes off the stage.

“Which one of them breaks first.”

Sofia hums. “My money’s on Luna.”

I shake my head slowly. “No. Liam.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” I nod slightly toward him as he stumbles—just barely—on a line before recovering. “He’s already halfway there.”

On stage, Luna looks up at him—really looks this time.

And this time?

Neither of them looks away.

I smile to myself, just a little.

Yeah.

This is going to be interesting.