Page 44 of Liam

I take a deep breath, the buzz loosening my tongue. “I did something not great yesterday,” I confess, guilt twisting in my gut. “I went to the lab and...”

Diego leans forward, his eyebrows raised. “And what?”

I wince, the words tasting sour. “I piled a ton of work on Aleria. Made her stay late.”

Alex’s eyes narrow. “On purpose?”

I nod, unable to meet their gazes. “She had a date. With some guy named Jake. You know, for the bet? And I just… I couldn’t stand it.”

“Jesus, Liam,” Ryan breathes, shaking his head. “That’s pretty low, man.”

“I know,” I groan, rubbing my face. “It was wrong. But seeing her, thinking of her with someone else… I can’t get it out of my mind.”

Diego snorts, a mix of amusement and disbelief in his voice. “You’re jealous. Straight up, green-eyed monster jealous.”

I open my mouth to deny it, but the lie dies on my lips. “I...yeah. I think I am.”

“Think?” Alex scoffs. “Liam, you sabotaged her date. Face it, you’ve got real feelings for this girl.”

The realization washes over me, equal parts thrilling and terrifying. “I do,” I whisper, more to myself than to them. “God, I really do.”

The guilt intensifies, churning in my stomach. “I messed up. But what do I do now?”

“Wait a minute,” Ryan interrupts. “What happened to Sofia?”

“She was great. We went out twice, but I couldn’t ask her out again when I’d rather be with Aleria.”

Alex sighs, running a hand through his hair. “First, you need to apologize. And then, you need to figure out what you really want. Because if you keep jerking her around like this, you’re going to lose her before you’ve got her and for good.”

“What if she won’t give me a chance? After how I treated her in college, after how I’ve been acting... And with all this family stuff going on...” I wave my hand, nearly upending my empty glass.

“Whoa there, Romeo,” Ryan says, reaching out to steady my arm. “Don’t do anything rash. You’ve got enough on your plate right now without adding relationship drama to the mix.”

Diego nods, his movement exaggerated by the alcohol. “Yeah, plus, you know how you get when things get real. Maybe it’s better to keep some distance for now.”

Their words make sense, but they grate against something raw inside me. I stumble to my feet, pacing. “But what if by the time I’m ready, she’s with someone else? That Jake guy...”

“Liam,” Alex’s voice cuts through my rambling. “Think about what you’re saying. Is it fair to drag her into whatever this is?”

Diego sets his glass down with a soft thud. “Look, man, we get it. You like her. But you’ve gotta go slow.”

Alex nods, leaning forward. “You hurt her before, and if you do it again?—”

“She won’t forgive you,” Ryan finishes, his voice gentle but firm. “And let’s be real, you don’t exactly have the best track record.”

I wince, their words hitting a little too close to home. “This time, it’s different.”

“Maybe.” Alex exchanges a glance with the others before speaking. “You’re drunk. You’ve just had a massive shock with your family. Are you sure this isn’t a reaction to all that?”

I stop pacing, their words cutting through the alcohol-induced haze. Could they be right?

“Look,” Diego says, standing up to put a hand on my shoulder. “We support you, man. If you want to pursue something with Aleria, we’ve got your back. But take some time. Make a plan. Show her you’ve changed before diving in headfirst.”

Ryan nods. “Yeah, like, woo her or something. But sober. And without all this family drama hanging over your head.”

“You’re right,” I admit, the words tasting bitter. “I can’t drag her into this mess. Not until I figure things out.”

Alex smiles. “That’s our boy. Now, how about we focus on processing this family stuff first? One crisis at a time, yeah?”