Between Us

☆ part forty seven ☆

The ride back to Lark's house was filled with easy conversation and laughter, the kind that made my chest feel light and warm. Lark had the windows rolled down just enough for the cool night air to brush against our faces, and every so often, her hand would leave the steering wheel to rest on my thigh. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make me feel grounded, like everything in the world was perfectly fine. By the time we pulled into her driveway, I was practically buzzing with happiness. The glow from the aquarium, the warmth of her touch, the laughter we'd shared—it all left me feeling like I could float. As soon as we stepped out of the car and walked up to the door, we were already joking around, something silly about the stingray incident earlier. "Seriously, Lark," I teased, nudging her arm as she unlocked the front door. "You flinched like it was a shark trying to drag you in."

She rolled her eyes, shoving the door open and gesturing for me to step inside. "I didn't flinch, Sophie. I reacted. There's a difference."

"Oh, sure," I said, grinning as I walked in. "Your reaction definitely didn't involve splashing half the water onto the floor."

Her laugh was low and warm, and she shut the door behind us, shaking her head. "Keep it up, blondie. We'll see who's laughing when you're the one face-to-face with something slimy." The sound of voices drifted from the living room, faint but unmistakably familiar. I paused, tilting my head toward the sound. Lark noticed too, her brows furrowing slightly as she grabbed my hand and led me toward the source.

We stepped into the living room, and there, sitting on the couch, were Liam and Indi. The two of them were perched awkwardly close, their eyes glued to the screen of a half-forgotten movie. I had to bite back a grin as Lark cleared her throat. The reaction was immediate. Liam and Indi jumped apart like they'd been electrocuted, scrambling to put a respectable distance between them. Indi's face turned bright red, and Liam looked like he was desperately searching for an excuse to explain the situation. "Oh my god," I said, laughing as I leaned into Lark. "You two look guilty as hell."

Liam ran a hand through his hair, trying to play it cool. "I didn't think you'd be home tonight."

"Well, I am," Lark said, her tone teasing as she leaned against the doorway. "What're you two up to? Sharing popcorn and... feelings?"

Indi practically choked. "No! No, it's not like that!"

I grinned, stepping further into the room and folding my arms. "Sure, Indi. Whatever you say." My gaze flicked between the two of them, and I couldn't help but add, "You know, though, you've got yourself a good one there, girl . Liam's a catch."

Indi's face somehow turned even redder, and she waved her hands frantically. "It's not—seriously, it's not like that!"

Lark shot me a knowing look, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Hmmm. Sure." She pushed off the doorway and gestured toward the stairs. "Anyway, we'll leave you two to... whatever this is. Don't let us stop you."

"We're not doing anything!" Indi blurted, but I was already following Lark toward the stairs, laughing under my breath.

Once we reached her bedroom, I couldn't help but let the laughter bubble over. "Oh my god, did you see their faces? They looked like we'd caught them committing a crime!"

Lark grinned as she shut the door behind us, leaning against it for a moment. "Indi's gonna deny that until the end of time, but come on—there's no way something's not happening there."

I flopped onto her bed, kicking my shoes off and stretching out. "Absolutely no way. Did you see how close they were sitting? And the way Indi panicked?"

Lark chuckled, crossing the room to sit beside me. "Guess we'll just have to keep an eye on them. See if they fess up."

"Or we could just torment them with it forever," I suggested, grinning up at her.