The hallway buzzed with the usual noise—locker doors slamming, footsteps echoing, voices overlapping in a thousand different conversations. But as always, the moment you and Liam passed each other, something shifted. Eyes followed. Whispers spread.

It had been like this for weeks. A single glance, the brush of your sleeve against his, and suddenly, there were stories. The teacher’s daughter and the golden boy with the sharp green eyes. Admiration, tension, something unspoken.

And the worst part? None of it was exactly wrong.

You hadn’t meant for the late-night texts to turn into something you looked forward to. You hadn’t meant for the stolen glances in class to mean anything. But now, standing outside the school, away from prying eyes but never truly unseen, Liam was looking at you with that guarded expression—the one that meant he cared more than he wanted to admit.

His hands were in the pockets of his jacket, shoulders tense, like he wasn’t sure if he should be doing this. Like he wasn’t sure if you wanted him to.

“So... the rumors,” Liam said, his voice low, careful. “What do you think?”

A breeze cut through the space between you. You could hear the distant chatter of students leaving, but all you could focus on was him. The way his gaze flickered over your face, searching for something—reassurance, maybe. An answer.

Your heart hammered, but you smiled, tilting your head slightly. “What about them?”

He huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “You know what about them.”

And you did.

But instead of answering, instead of confirming what you both already knew, you took a step closer. Close enough to see the way his jaw tightened, close enough that the space between you felt like a question.

One of you would have to answer it.

The rumors were true.

Would you finally prove it?