Between Us

☆ part twenty one ☆

Sophie's pov

The firelight flickered against the shadows of the night, casting warm, dancing patterns over everyone's faces. Kitty had taken control of the music, her phone connected to a small speaker perched on the table. Upbeat pop blared through the space, and Oakley joined her in an exaggerated dance-off. His moves were comically bad, arms flailing wildly, while Kitty mimicked him with even more ridiculous flair. Laughter erupted from everyone, their voices blending with the crackle of the fire and the rhythm of the song. I was with Liam, his hand firmly holding mine as he spun me in a little circle. His grin was boyish, carefree, and his movements were much better than Oakley's—smoother, more confident. I laughed along with him, letting him twirl me again before he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around my waist.

It should have felt perfect. He was warm and safe, his touch familiar and grounding. But something was... off. My eyes wandered, unbidden, across the fire pit. Indiana was sitting with Lark, the two of them huddled close, talking in quiet tones. Lark threw her head back, laughing at something Indi said, and the sound carried over the music, low and rich and entirely too distracting. A sharp, unwelcome spike of jealousy shot through me, curling in my stomach like a snake. I hated it. I didn't have the right to be jealous. Indiana was our friend. Lark could laugh with her, talk to her, share a million private jokes, and it would mean nothing. Yet, the way Lark's eyes softened when she smiled, the curve of her lips, the relaxed, open posture she had with Indi—it twisted something in me.

Liam's voice pulled me back. "You okay?" he asked, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at me.

I blinked, realizing I must have let my jealousy show. I scrambled for an excuse, anything to cover the slip. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said quickly, forcing a laugh. "I just don't understand how they're dancing like that." I motioned toward Oakley and Kitty, who were now trying to one-up each other with increasingly ridiculous moves.

Liam chuckled, completely buying the lie. "You're so cute," he said, his tone warm, and he leaned in to kiss me. His lips were soft against mine, his hands firm on my hips. It was the kind of kiss that should have pulled me under, drowning out everything else. But even as I kissed him back, my thoughts wandered. Or maybe, not wandered—focused. On her.

I broke the kiss for a breath, and my gaze, as if magnetized, found Lark again. She wasn't laughing anymore. She was watching me. Her expression wasn't light or teasing like it had been with Indiana. It was intense, dark, and piercing. The kind of look that made goosebumps rise on my skin. My stomach flipped, a rush of warmth spreading through me. It wasn't the kind of nervousness I felt when Liam flirted with me or the comfort of being with someone who loved me. It was something sharper, more electric, and it left me dizzy. Lark's gaze didn't waver, didn't break. It was as though she saw straight through me—through the excuses, the distractions, the carefully constructed walls I'd put up to avoid thinking about what had happened between us.

I felt Liam's lips move against mine again, pulling my attention back to him. But even as he kissed me, I couldn't stop feeling like Lark's gaze was burning into me, branding itself onto my skin. "Are you cold?" Liam's voice was gentle, laced with concern. His hands rubbed up and down my arms, and I realized I'd shivered.

I nodded quickly, though the truth was I wasn't sure if it was the chill of the night or the weight of Lark's stare. "Yeah, I guess a tiny bit."

He smiled, that soft, easy smile of his, and took my hand. "Let's head back to the fire. That should warm you up." I let him lead me, glancing over my shoulder as we walked. Lark's gaze followed us, her expression unreadable now. Something clenched in my chest, but I forced myself to look away, keeping my focus on the firelight ahead.

We reached the fire pit, and Liam settled into a chair, pulling me down onto his lap. His arms wrapped around me securely, and the warmth of the flames was immediate, chasing away the chill of the night. Kitty had found another song on her playlist, one even more upbeat than the last, and she was trying to convince Oakley to attempt a TikTok dance with her. Indiana cheered them on from the sidelines, her laugh ringing out as Oakley failed miserably at the choreography.

The atmosphere was lively, carefree, and I should have felt happy. But instead, I felt like an outsider looking in, like I was stuck in a haze that separated me from everyone else. Lark wasn't by the fire. She'd wandered off to the edge of the yard, her guitar slung over her shoulder. She leaned against a tree, the flames casting flickering shadows across her face. She looked calm, her head tilted slightly as she strummed a soft melody, but I knew her well enough to recognize the tension in her posture.

Liam rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice low in my ear. "You seem quiet tonight."

I forced a smile, leaning back into him. "Just tired, I think," I said, and it wasn't entirely a lie.

"You've been stressed lately," he said, his tone gentle. "Maybe this trip wasn't such a bad idea after all." I nodded, closing my eyes briefly. His kindness made the guilt twist inside me, sharper than before. He was so good to me, so attentive. And yet, here I was, unable to stop thinking about someone else.

I opened my eyes again, and they immediately found Lark. Her fingers moved deftly over the guitar strings, her focus entirely on the music she was creating. She looked peaceful in a way I hadn't seen in a while, but there was still a weight behind her eyes, a shadow I couldn't ignore. She glanced up, and for a moment, our eyes met again. My breath caught. She held my gaze, her expression softening. It was a look I couldn't describe—like she was trying to tell me something without words, like she was offering me a piece of herself that she'd kept hidden from everyone else.

I looked away first, my heart racing, my chest tight with emotions I couldn't even begin to unravel. Lark turned back to her guitar, her head bowing slightly as she returned to her melody. The notes were soft, melancholic, and they seemed to echo the turmoil inside me. Liam's arms tightened around me, and I forced myself to lean into him, to focus on the warmth of his embrace. But even as I did, the sound of Lark's music lingered in my mind, a quiet reminder of everything I was trying to suppress.

Nothing could stop this feeling.