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.”
