CHAPTER 8. Officially Us
601 Words
The backyard was quieter now, most of the party crowd drifting toward the bonfire or the edge of the yard. Emily sat on the grass, letting the warmth of the fading sun dry her damp hair. Liam plopped down beside her, tossing a half-empty soda can into the grass.
“You’re quiet,” he said, nudging her shoulder.
Emily shrugged, looking at the horizon. “Just… thinking.”
He raised an eyebrow. “About what?”
She hesitated, then shook her head. “Nothing important.”
Liam leaned back, propping himself on his elbows. “Come on, Em. You know I can tell when you’re lying.”
Emily laughed softly. “You’re way too confident sometimes.”
“True,” he said, smirking. “But sometimes I’m right. Like right now.”
Emily looked at him, her chest tightening. She could feel the sun on her face, the wind in her hair, and… Liam. Always Liam, making her heart beat faster than it should.
“You’re… really annoying,” she muttered, trying to sound casual.
He snorted. “And yet, you like it.”
Emily groaned, but her smile betrayed her. “Shut up.”
For a moment, neither spoke. The world around them—the string lights, the fading music, the distant laughter—felt suspended. Liam turned toward her, his playful smirk softening into something gentler.
“Em,” he said quietly, “I’ve been thinking… maybe I’ve been an i***t for… well, for not saying it sooner.”
Emily blinked. “Saying what?”
“That I… like you. More than a friend. I’ve liked you for a while, and I just… I didn’t want to screw up what we already have. But staying quiet… it’s worse than risking it.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “You… you mean… like, like-like?”
He nodded, scratching the back of his neck, suddenly shy. “Yeah. Like-like. I know it’s messy, but… that’s how I feel. And I get if you don’t feel the same.”
Emily’s chest was racing, and for a moment, she couldn’t speak. She wanted to tell him she felt the same, wanted him to know she had been thinking about this too—every little shared joke, every accidental brush of hands, every chaotic adventure.
“I… I like you too,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
Relief washed over him, and his grin returned, bright and unstoppable. “You do?”
“I do,” she said, laughing nervously. “You’re a pain in the ass, but yeah… I like you too.”
Liam leaned closer, just enough for their noses to almost touch. “So… does this mean… we’re… officially?”
Emily rolled her eyes, but her smile was soft and warm. “Yes. Officially. But you’re still a pain in the ass.”
“Best part of me,” he teased, reaching for her hand.
They sat there for a few minutes, hands entwined, watching the sunset together. No chaos, no teasing—just a quiet closeness that felt like it had been building for years. Sparks weren’t loud; they were small, intimate, and unmistakable.
“You know,” Emily said after a while, squeezing his hand, “I have a feeling this is going to be… complicated.”
“Yeah,” Liam agreed, smirking, “but in a fun, chaotic way. Just like us.”
Emily laughed softly, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Exactly like us.”
And for the first time, being with Liam felt right—messy, imperfect, chaotic, and utterly theirs.
- Writer
