Between Us

☆ part forty three ☆

Sophie's pov

I felt Lark's hand still on my thigh, grounding me in a way nothing else could right now. The buzz of conversations and clinking utensils in the cafeteria felt distant as I turned to her, needing to show her how much what she'd done for me meant. Leaning into her, I wrapped my arms around her in a quick hug, mumbling into her ear, "Thank you."

She hesitated for only a second before hugging me back, her arms warm and steady. "It's nothing, blondie," she murmured, her voice soft and low. But it wasn't nothing—not to me. I'd known Lark long enough to understand that causing a scene like that wasn't something she'd typically do. She was the type to shrug things off, let them slide, and avoid unnecessary drama. But today, she'd done it for me. She'd made sure I knew those rumors were lies, that everyone around us knew they were lies. It made my chest ache with this overwhelming mix of gratitude and love for her. When we pulled apart, I barely had time to process my emotions before the rest of the table broke into a chorus of exaggerated "Awwwws." "Shut up," Lark said, rolling her eyes at them, though her lips twitched like she was fighting a smile.

"I can't help it!" Indi declared, grinning widely. "You two are so sickeningly sweet. It's adorable."

Oakley, ever the drama queen, wagged his finger at us with mock authority. "Alright, girlies, spill it. I'm the only one at this table who didn't know about you two. What happened? When was this? Why was this? How was this? I need details."

My face flushed red, and before I could think, I ducked my head, burying it into Lark's shoulder. I could practically feel Oakley's amused grin boring into me, but I stayed where I was, trying to disappear into the fabric of Lark's hoodie. Lark chuckled softly and placed a hand on my back, rubbing slow circles there. "Calm down, Oakley," she said, her voice laced with amusement.

"Calm down?" Oakley gasped dramatically. "No, I will not calm down! I feel betrayed. Betrayed and deceived. How dare you keep secrets from me?"

"Fine," Lark said, letting out a soft laugh. "But you're going to regret asking. This story's not that interesting."

Oakley folded his hands and rested his chin on them. "Try me."

Lark looked down at me, her voice lowering slightly. "You okay with me telling him?" I hesitated, my cheeks still burning, but then I nodded. If we were going to be open about this, we might as well start now. And Oakley was, well, Oakley—he'd find out one way or another. Lark gave me a quick squeeze before turning her attention back to the others. "Alright," she began, her voice steady. "It all started at the lake house."

Indi rolled her eyes, sitting up straight. "The lake house? Are you serious? Old news, I knew this!"

Oakley raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Go on," he said, gesturing for her to continue.

Lark smirked at Indi's excitement and leaned back slightly in her chair. "So, we were out by the lake alone, just the two of us. We'd been talking for a while—about all kinds of stuff. It felt... different, you know? And then, I don't know what came over me, but I leaned in and kissed her."

Indi clasped her hands together. "Oh my god. That's so cute."

Oakley blinked in surprise. "Wait, you kissed her? Lark, that's... bold. I didn't see that coming."

Liam, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, a small smirk on his face. "Yeah, I kind of saw that coming, you would have to be blind to miss it.."

Lark rolled her eyes but didn't argue with him. "Anyway," she continued, "I kissed her, and for a second, I thought I'd ruined everything. But then she kissed me back."

I felt my cheeks heat up again, but this time, I managed to lift my head slightly. "I wanted to kiss you, too," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lark smiled softly, her eyes meeting mine. "Yeah?"

I nodded, feeling a little braver now. "Yeah." Indi let out another exaggerated "Awww," and Oakley smirked knowingly.

Lark turned back to Oakley, her tone growing a bit more serious. "After that, we didn't want to rush into anything. We wanted to make sure it was real before telling anyone. So we kept it quiet for a while."

"And now?" Oakley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Now it's real," Lark said simply, her hand still resting on my thigh. "And I don't care who knows." My chest tightened at her words, and I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face.

Indi grinned. "You guys are so gross. I love it."

Liam's expression shifted slightly, and his brows furrowed as he looked between the two of us. "Wait a second," he said, sitting up straighter. "We were still dating when you kissed, right?" I froze, my stomach dropping as the question hung in the air. His tone wasn't angry, but there was a quiet tension in it that made my throat tighten.

Lark's hand on my back tensed, and she glanced at me before answering, her voice careful. "Yeah, but it wasn't like that, Liam. It wasn't intentional." I swallowed hard, guilt twisting in my chest as I watched his expression darken slightly. This wasn't how I wanted this conversation to go.

Liam sat back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck, and gave a weak laugh that didn't quite reach his eyes. "No, it's fine. It's fine," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "I just... didn't know this was going on while I was dating Sophie." His words hit me like a dull ache in my chest, and I glanced at Lark nervously. Her hand on my back was still, and I could feel her grip tightening on my top slightly, like she was bracing herself.

Lark shifted in her seat and looked directly at Liam, her voice quiet but firm. "I'm sorry, Liam. I kissed her. It was all me—I shouldn't have done it. It was stupid and impulsive, and I'm sorry." I looked at her, surprised at the way she owned it completely, taking all the blame even though she wasn't the only one involved. My chest tightened further, a mix of guilt and gratitude swirling inside me. I reached for her hand under the table and began playing with her fingers, needing something to ground me.

Liam's expression softened a little, but I could still see the hurt behind his eyes, even if he was trying to mask it. "No, really," I said softly, my voice shaking slightly as I looked up at him. "I'm sorry it happened like that, but I promise... nothing else happened. We waited until—" I paused, my words catching in my throat. "Until you broke up with me."

Liam stared at me for a moment, his jaw clenching briefly before he let out a breath and nodded. "It's fine, honestly," he said, his voice quieter now. "You guys wouldn't be like this—" He gestured vaguely between me and Lark, his weak smile flickering. "—if it wasn't real. I'm... glad you two are happy." I could feel the sincerity in his words, even if they were laced with something heavier, something unspoken. It made my heart ache.

Oakley, ever the one to break tension, clapped his hands together dramatically. "Alright, well, that was sufficiently awkward. Moving on!" Lark let out a small chuckle under her breath, and I squeezed her hand gently, grateful for Oakley's attempt to lighten the mood.

Indi, who had been watching Liam closely, reached out and grabbed his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're a good guy, Liam," she said softly, her voice full of meaning. "Really."

Liam gave her a small, appreciative smile, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Thanks, Indi," he said quietly.

The table fell into a more comfortable silence after that, the storm of emotions settling into something calmer. I leaned a little closer to Lark, resting my head briefly on her shoulder, and felt her shift slightly to press a kiss to the top of my head. Whatever had just happened, I knew one thing for sure: I wasn't letting go of this. Not now, not ever.