Between Us

☆ part four ☆

Saturday night had arrived, and I was already running late. My room looked like a tornado had swept through it, clothes tossed on every available surface. I sat on the edge of my bed, tugging at the hem of my pink sweater, debating for the hundredth time whether it was cute or just plain boring. Paired with blue jeans, it felt simple, but maybe too simple for tonight. I sighed and glanced at my phone. A couple of texts from Lark stared back at me, unread. My stomach twisted when I realized she'd been texting me to say she was already here. Before I could grab my phone to apologize, I heard a soft knock at my bedroom door. My heart jumped in surprise. "Come in!" I called, expecting it to be my mom.

The door creaked open, and I froze as Lark stepped inside, looking casual and effortlessly beautiful in a fitted dark green sweater and black jeans. Her hair was loose, the soft waves brushing her shoulders. For a second, I just stared at her, my face heating up. "Hey," she said, her voice low. "Sorry to barge in—your parents let me in. I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," I cut in quickly, standing up and smoothing my sweater down. "I didn't realize you were here."

Lark's green eyes scanned my room, taking in the clothes scattered everywhere. Her brow raised slightly. "Wow. Your room is never messy. What's going on here?"

I let out a frustrated groan, throwing my hands up. "I can't find a good outfit. I want tonight to be perfect, and I can't even figure out what to wear." I gestured to the piles of rejected clothes. "It's stupid, I know, but we haven't all been together as a group in forever, and I just... I want it to feel right."

Lark didn't say anything at first. Instead, she stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her. Her gaze shifted from the mess to me, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Are you kidding?" she said, laughing softly as she reached for my wrist. Her fingers were warm against my skin, sending a spark up my arm. "You look gorgeous, Soph. Seriously."

I stared at her, the sincerity in her voice making my chest tighten. "You think so?" I asked, my voice quieter than I'd intended.

She nodded, her thumb brushing my wrist for the briefest moment before she let go. "Yeah. So can we please go now? Indi's going to kill us if we're late, and Oakley's already texting me about how much pizza he's eating without us."

I felt my face heat up again, and I nodded, looking away to avoid her eyes. "Okay," I mumbled, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Let me just grab my bag."

Lark stepped back, leaning casually against the doorframe as I grabbed my small purse and slipped on a pair of shoes. My hands felt clumsy, and my heart wouldn't stop pounding. "Ready?" she asked, her tone light and teasing.

I nodded again, refusing to meet her gaze. "Yeah. Let's go." As we walked out of my room and down the stairs, I tried to shake the blush from my cheeks, but Lark's words echoed in my head. You look gorgeous, Soph. I didn't know what tonight would bring, but for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe everything might actually be okay.

The car ride to Indi's house was quieter than I'd expected. Lark drove with her usual calm focus, one hand on the wheel, the other resting casually on the gear shift. Liam was in the backseat, his phone lighting up his face as he scrolled through whatever nonsense he was always laughing at. I sat in the passenger seat, still replaying the moment in my room over and over in my head. The way Lark had grabbed my wrist, the softness in her voice when she'd called me gorgeous. My stomach flipped every time I thought about it.

"So, are we taking bets on how many drinks it'll take before Oakley starts making a fool of himself?" Liam said from his seat in the back, breaking the silence.

Lark smirked, her eyes briefly flicking to the rearview mirror. "I'm guessing three. Two if Indi's playing bartender."

"Bold of you to assume he's not already pre-gaming," Liam joked, and I couldn't help but laugh.