Chapter 12 – Chasing Your Smile
Emma couldn't stop thinking about what Liam said the day before.
The words kept replaying in her head.
"Because I like you, Emma."
She sighed as she walked through the school gate the next morning. The campus was already buzzing with students talking and laughing.
But for some reason, everything felt different today.
"Emma!"
She turned and saw Mia jogging toward her.
"Good morning," Mia said, slightly out of breath. "You look like someone who didn't sleep."
Emma forced a small smile.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Very."
They started walking toward their classroom together.
"So…" Mia said, raising an eyebrow. "What happened yesterday? You and Liam disappeared after school."
Emma hesitated.
She trusted Mia, but saying it out loud somehow made it feel more real.
"He told me something."
"What?"
Emma lowered her voice.
"He said he likes me."
Mia stopped walking immediately.
"Wait—what?"
Emma nodded.
"Yeah."
"And what did you say?"
"I told him I was glad he told me."
Mia stared at her.
"That's it?"
Emma laughed nervously.
"I didn't know what else to say!"
Before Mia could respond, someone passed by them.
Sophia.
She walked ahead without saying anything, but her expression looked colder than usual.
Emma noticed it.
"Is it just me," Emma said quietly, "or has Sophia been acting strange lately?"
Mia frowned.
"She's probably just stressed."
But Emma wasn't convinced.
Later that afternoon, Liam sat in the library pretending to study.
His notebook was open, but he hadn't written a single word.
His mind kept going back to yesterday.
Emma hadn't rejected him.
But she hadn't said she liked him either.
"So what does that mean?" he muttered to himself.
"You talk to yourself now?"
Liam looked up.
Emma was standing beside the table.
His heart skipped for a second.
"Oh—hey."
"Hey."
She sat down across from him.
For a moment they both just looked at each other.
Then Emma smiled slightly.
"You look nervous."
"I am."
She laughed softly.
"Relax. I didn't come here to make things awkward."
"That's good," Liam said. "Because I'm already doing that myself."
Emma rested her chin on her hand.
"About what you said yesterday…"
Liam straightened a little.
"You don't have to answer right now," he said quickly. "I meant it when I said there's no pressure."
Emma shook her head.
"No. I've been thinking about it."
"And?"
"I'm not sure what this is yet," she admitted.
Liam nodded slowly.
"But," she continued, "I do know that when I'm with you… I'm happy."
Liam felt something warm spread through his chest.
"That's a good start," he said with a small smile.
Emma smiled back.
But neither of them noticed the phone camera pointed at them from the bookshelf aisle.
Sophia lowered her phone and looked at the photo she had just taken.
Emma and Liam sitting together.
Smiling.
"Perfect," she whispered.