Between Us

☆ part twenty six ☆

We all had gathered in the living room as we waited for Liam to wake up. The tension in the room was suffocating. Kitty sat in the far corner, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her expression a storm cloud of fury. She hadn't said a single word since breakfast, and the silence surrounding her felt like a ticking bomb. Indi and Oakley, thankfully, carried the conversation, their lighthearted banter filling the awkward gaps. I tried my best to chime in every now and then, though my voice sounded strained I wasn't sure who noticed. Lark's responses were equally sparse, her usual wit dulled by the weight of the morning. "Remember when we tried to roast marshmallows here last time, and Oakley set his shoe on fire?" Indi said, nudging him with her elbow.

Oakley grinned. "Hey, the fire pit was defective. It wasn't my fault!"

"Defective?" Indi snorted. "You stepped on a burning marshmallow."

"It was an accident," Oakley defended with a mock gasp, clutching his chest like he was mortally offended. "And besides, it made for a great story."

Lark let out a soft laugh, and I found myself smiling despite the tension knotting in my stomach. Indi rolled her eyes dramatically, but a grin played at her lips. "I don't know how we've kept you alive this long," Indi teased, shaking her head.

"You secretly like me," Oakley shot back with a wink. "Admit it."

"In your dreams, idiot." Indi chuckled, shoving him lightly.

The faint sound of footsteps broke through the chatter, and everyone turned toward the stairs as Liam came down, his hair messy from sleep and a lazy smile on his face. "Morning," he said, his voice warm as he stretched and made his way over to me, a sleepy yet bright smiles plastered onto his face. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, his hand resting briefly on my shoulder.

"Morning," I  murmured, my voice quieter than I had intended. I couldn't help myself, my gaze flickered briefly to Lark, who was staring intently at the mug in her hands.

"It's about time you woke up," Oakley said with a grin, breaking the moment. "There's a storm rolling in. We should probably pack up and head out before it hits."

Liam blinked and looked toward the window, where the sky had started to darken ominously. "Storm?" he repeated.

"Yeah," Oakley said, leaning back in his chair. "You know, rain, thunder, wind. Big scary stuff. Thought I'd save you the trouble of Googling it."

Indi snorted. "Wow, Oakley being sensible for once. Never thought I'd see the day."

Oakley shot her a playful wink. "Why, do you like it?"

"Get over yourself Mr dick for brains," Indi quipped, rolling her eyes again, though her grin betrayed her amusement.

"Come on, let's get everything packed up before the storm hits," Liam said, his voice cheerful as he clapped his hands together.

The group began to rise from their seats, chairs scraping against the floor as they prepared to gather their things. I stole another glance at Lark, who still hadn't looked up from her mug. Kitty, meanwhile, remained in her corner, her glare sharp enough to cut through steel. I took Liam's hand which stood open waiting for me to grab and he walked me to our bedroom.

Liam tossed a duffel bag onto the bed, the sound of the zipper cutting through the thick silence as we packed up our things. The storm outside was still distant, but I could see flashes of lightning on the horizon through the window. The air in the room felt heavy, but I wasn't sure if it was because of the weather or my own thoughts. Probably both. Liam grabbed a handful of clothes from the dresser, shoving them into his bag with little regard for organization. Typical. "Hey, is Lark okay?" he asked, his voice casual, but the question caught me off guard.

I froze, my hand halfway to folding a shirt. "Yeah," I said carefully, keeping my tone neutral. "Why wouldn't she be?"

He shrugged but didn't look up from his packing. "She's got that look. You know, the one where she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders." He paused, glancing at me. "And I'm guessing Kitty had something to do with it, considering the daggers she was throwing in Lark's direction downstairs."

I sighed, folding the shirt just to have something to do with my hands. "They got into a fight," I admitted after a moment. "Kitty started it, but Lark doesn't want to make a thing of it, so we're just... moving past it."

Liam nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Yeah, okay. That's probably wise. No point dragging it out." He picked up a stray sock and tossed it into his bag. "You seemed quiet down there, though. Are you okay?"

I felt my stomach twist at the question, but I forced a smile, keeping my voice light. "I'm fine," I said quickly. "It just felt awkward being down there. You know how it gets sometimes."

He chuckled, his face relaxing. "Oh, I get it. Those two fight like cats and dogs. Always have, always will."

I nodded along, grateful he'd taken my explanation at face value. But inside, the weight of everything pressed down harder. It wasn't just Kitty and Lark's fight that had left me feeling awkward. It was everything—my feelings for Lark, the way I'd seen Liam's sister differently these past few days, and the guilt that churned in my stomach every time Liam smiled at me like he was doing now. I glanced at him as he zipped up his bag, his expression calm, like he didn't have a care in the world. And why would he? He trusted me. He trusted all of us. The guilt twisted tighter, and I had to look away. "Do you need any help with that?" I asked, motioning to his bag.

"Nah, I've got it," he said easily. "You're better at this packing stuff than I am. I'll just get in the way."

I managed a small laugh, but it felt hollow. "You said it, not me."

He grinned, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "Thanks for not saying it out loud."

As he pulled away, I caught my reflection in the window behind him. My smile looked convincing enough, but my eyes gave me away. They always did.

Liam slung his bag over his shoulder, reaching for my hand as we made our way out of the bedroom and down the creaky stairs. His fingers laced through mine as though it were second nature, but all it did was make the guilt inside me churn more violently. I tried to focus on the rhythm of our footsteps instead of the thoughts racing in my head. When we reached the living room, everyone was milling around with their bags, the storm clouds outside casting a gray hue over the room. Lark was standing near the door, zipping up her jacket, her face unreadable but her movements tense. The sight of her sent a pang through me that I quickly pushed down as Liam stepped forward. "Hey, Lark," he said casually, "I was thinking—since we live in the same house, I'll just swap cars with Indi and ride home with you. Makes more sense that way."

Indi, who was fiddling with the straps on her backpack, looked up with wide eyes. "What? You're separating me from my girls?" she exclaimed dramatically, clutching her chest like she'd been mortally wounded.

Liam chuckled, shaking his head. "It's not that deep, Indi. It's just easier. You've got Kitty and Oakley to keep you company."

Indi pouted, glancing at me and Oakley before letting out a theatrical sigh. "Fine. But only because I'm a selfless, giving person." She pointed at Liam as she grabbed her bag. "Don't mess this up for me. I'm trusting you with my partners-in-crime." Lark rolled her eyes but didn't comment, adjusting her jacket collar as if she was trying to ignore the entire conversation. My stomach dropped as I realized what this meant. It would be just me, lark, and Liam in one car.

I forced a smile, nodding along, but my chest felt tight. This was going to be one long, awkward drive. Liam turned back to me, his hand brushing my arm lightly. "You cool with that, babe?" he asked, his tone soft.

"Yeah, of course," I replied, even though the knot in my stomach said otherwise.

He smiled and gave my shoulder a squeeze before turning to Lark. "Alright, let's load up." This wasn't going to be easy—for any of us.