Between Us

☆ part nineteen ☆

The morning started slow, with the soft creak of floorboards and muffled voices drifting through the house. I woke up to the faint smell of coffee and the sound of pots clanging in the kitchen. Liam was still asleep beside me, his breathing deep and even, so I slipped out of bed quietly, pulling on a hoodie over my pajamas. 

The hallway was cool, and the house felt peaceful in that early-morning way. By the time I made it to the kitchen, Indi was already there, perched on the counter with a mug of coffee in her hands. She was still in her sleep shirt, her hair a wild mess. Oakley stood by the stove, flipping pancakes, while Kitty leaned against the fridge scrolling through her phone. "Mornin', sleepyhead," Indi said, grinning as I walked in. "We thought you'd never wake up."

I smiled back, grabbing a mug from the cabinet. "Liam's still asleep," I said. "Figured I'd let him rest."

"Liam, rest? That boy is a human golden retriever. He's gonna wake up with more energy than any of us," Oakley said, tossing a pancake onto a plate. Kitty snorted but didn't look up from her phone but there was a genuine smile on her face.

I poured myself some coffee and leaned against the counter, letting the warmth of the mug seep into my hands. The kitchen smelled like syrup and butter, and there was a comfortable hum of chatter as everyone slowly started waking up and filtering in. Lark appeared next, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail and her face still a little puffy from sleep. She was wearing an oversized hoodie that looked like it might've belonged to Oakley at one point. She walked straight to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup without saying a word. "Morning, sunshine," Indi teased.

Lark gave her a sidelong glance, her lips quirking into a faint smile. "Good morning, my dear" she teased back.

When Liam finally wandered in, looking rumpled but grinning, the room felt complete. He immediately walked over to me, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," I replied, smiling up at him.

"All right," Oakley announced, clapping his hands together. "Everyone grab some food, because we're heading to the lake as soon as we're done." There was a collective groan at his enthusiasm, but everyone moved to grab plates. I noticed Lark quietly piling extra pancakes onto a plate for Indi, who was still half-asleep on the counter.

As we ate, the conversation drifted from plans for the day to teasing Indi about how much she packed. "I mean, seriously," Oakley said, gesturing toward the stack of bags in the living room. "You're here for two nights. Why do you have more stuff than the rest of us combined?"

"It's called being prepared," Indi shot back, yawning. "I like having options."

Lark smirked, sipping her coffee. "Yeah, but it's not like you're actually gonna wear half of it."

"Excuse me," Indi said, mock-offended. "You brought a guitar. You don't get to judge me."

Lark shrugged, unbothered. "The guitar is a necessity." The banter continued as we finished eating, and soon enough, we were all heading out to the cars. The energy was lighter now, everyone's sleepiness replaced with excitement for the day ahead.

And then we were on the path to the lake, the morning sun casting long shadows on the dirt trail. Lark, Liam, and I walked together, their conversation weaving around me as I got lost in my thoughts. The walk to the lake felt like it stretched longer than it should have, though it probably wasn't the trail's fault. Liam and Lark were locked in an easy conversation about some band they both liked, and I trailed between them, nodding along when Liam turned to include me. But my mind was elsewhere, tugged in directions I didn't fully understand.

Lark walked a little ahead of us, her hands shoved into the pockets of her hoodie, her voice calm and confident as she argued with Liam about which album was better. Every so often, she'd glance over her shoulder at me, her green eyes catching mine for a second before flitting back to Liam. I was trying—really trying—to focus on Liam's words, but there was this constant pull, this quiet awareness of Lark's presence. I hated how I couldn't just shake it off, couldn't just focus on my boyfriend and leave all these confusing feelings behind. "Right, Soph?" Liam asked suddenly, nudging my arm.