Page 17 of Shattered Melodies

He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to my lips for a split second. “I think so too,” he murmured.

We stood there for a moment, the air thick with unspoken words and confusing emotions. I didn’t know what I was feeling, didn’t know if it was right or wrong, but I knew I had to do something.

And then, before I even knew what I was doing, I was leaning in and pressing my lips to Liam’s in a soft, tentative kiss.

He gasped, and for a moment, I was terrified that I’d made a huge mistake. But then he was kissing me back, his hands coming up to tangle in my hair and pull me closer.

It was like nothing I’d ever felt before - a rush of heat and desire and something deeper, something that felt a lot like coming home.

When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard, our eyes wide and shocked.

“I…” I stammered, my brain scrambling to catch up. “I don’t know why I did that. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

But Liam just shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Don’t be sorry,” he said softly. “I’m not.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “You’re not?”

He shook his head again, reaching out to take my hand. “No. I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”

I swallowed hard, my mind reeling. “You have?”

He nodded, biting his lip. “Yeah. I just didn’t know if you felt the same way. If you even liked guys, or if it was just me.”

I squeezed his hand, feeling a rush of affection and confusion and something else, something warm and hopeful. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, guy or girl. But what I do know is that when I’m with you it feels right. Like everything just falls into place.”

Liam smiled, his eyes shining in the moonlight. “I feel the same way,” he whispered. “Like it’s always been you, even when I didn’t know it.”

I leaned in to kiss him again, my heart soaring at his words. It felt like a dream, like all the confusion and uncertainty of the past few weeks had finally clicked into place.

But as we broke apart, reality came crashing back in. I took a shaky breath, resting my forehead against Liam’s.

“Liam,” I whispered, my voice rough with emotion. “I don’t know what this means. For us, for the future. I’m still trying to figure everything out, and I…”

I trailed off, feeling a lump rise in my throat. Liam reached up, cupping my cheek in his hand.

“Hey,” he said softly. “It’s okay. I’m scared too. This is all new for me, and I don’t have all the answers either. But what I do know is that I care about you, Caleb. More than I’ve ever cared about anyone.”

I swallowed hard, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “I care about you too,” I said, my voice cracking. “So much. But Liam, I don’t think I’m ready for people to know about this yet. About us.”

Liam’s brow furrowed, and for a moment, I was terrified that he would be angry or hurt. But then his expression softened, and he nodded.

“I understand,” he said quietly. “It’s a lot to process, and we don’t have to rush into anything. We can take things slow, figure it out as we go.”

I felt a rush of relief, mixed with a twinge of guilt. “I’m sorry,” I said, looking down at our intertwined hands. “I know it’s selfish of me to ask you to keep this a secret. But I just I need some time to wrap my head around everything, to figure out what this means for me and my future.”

Liam lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Caleb,” he said firmly. “Don’t apologize for needing time and space to figure things out. This is a big deal, for both of us. And I would never want you to feel pressured or rushed into anything you’re not ready for.”

I felt tears spill down my cheeks, and I surged forward, burying my face in Liam’s neck. “Thank you,” I whispered, my voice muffled against his skin. “Thank you for understanding, for being so patient and kind and just everything.”

Liam held me tightly, rubbing soothing circles on my back. “Of course,” he murmured. “I’ll always be here for you, Caleb. No matter what happens, no matter how long it takes. I’m not going anywhere.”

We stayed like that for a long time, just holding each other and letting our emotions wash over us. It was overwhelming and scary and exhilarating all at once, and I knew that there would be challenges ahead, obstacles we would have to face.

But in that moment, none of it mattered. Because I had Liam, and he had me, and together, we could take on anything.

Finally, reluctantly, we broke apart. Liam reached up, wiping away the last of my tears with his thumb.

“We should probably head back,” he said softly. “It’s getting late, and my parents will be wondering where I am.”

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