Page 46 of The Dating Coach
"We shouldn't..." I whispered, but my hands were already fisting in his shirt.
"Probably not," he agreed, voice rough, but his thumb traced along my jaw anyway.
And then somehow we were kissing, soft and desperate and full of everything we'd never said. His hands tangled in my hair, mine pressed against his chest where I could feel his heart racing as fast as mine.
The kitchen door burst open, Mia rushing in, radiant with joy. Liam and I sprang apart like guilty teenagers, faces flushed, both of us staring anywhere but at each other.
"I'm sorry," she gasped, seemingly oblivious to what she’d interrupted. "I just... I needed... They sang 'Happy Birthday,' and everyone looked at me with so much love, and I couldn't..."
She threw herself at us, arms wrapping around both of us in a three-way hug. "Thank you. Both of you. For saving me. For giving me this family. For everything."
"Always," Liam and I managed, our voices overlapping awkwardly.
"Okay," Mia pulled back, wiping her eyes. "I'm done being emotional now. Frank says it's time for karaoke and I fully intend to destroy Henry at Broadway ballads."
"That's my girl," I said, smoothing her hair and desperately trying to act normal. "Go show them how it's done."
She practically skipped out, leaving Liam and me in charged silence. We stood there for a moment, the weight of what had just happened settling between us.
"We should..." he started.
"Get back to the party," I finished quickly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Yeah."
We straightened our clothes, fixed our smiles, and stepped back into the warmth and laughter, carrying our secret moment between us like something fragile and unnamed.
The rest of the afternoon was a blur of terrible singing, competitive board games, and the kind of laughter that came from people who'd chosen to be family. Dr. Sarah shared resources for LGBTQ+ students navigating college admissions. The GSA kids made Mia promise to text them regularly.
As the sun set and the party wound down, I found myself on the back deck with Liam, watching Mia through the window as she helped Frank clean up, both of them dancing to music only they could hear.
"She's going to be okay," I said, more statement than question.
"More than okay," Liam agreed. "She's going to be extraordinary."
"Thank you," I said quietly. "For all of this. For seeing her potential. For the meetings and recommendations and—"
"Gemma," he interrupted gently. "You don't have to thank me for caring about your sister. She's family. This is what family does."
Family. The word settled around us like a blanket, warm and certain. Not the family we'd been born into, with itsconditions and cruelty, but the one we'd built from chemistry tutoring and midnight swims and terrible movie nights.
“I should warn you,” I said, nudging him with my hip as we walked. “If you care about me, you’re going to have to care about my sister too.”
“Lucky me,” he grinned, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on my temple. “I happen to be a fan of both Spears sisters.”
“Oh?” I quirked an eyebrow. “And why’s that?”
He chuckled. “Well, Mia’s cookies are legendary, but you…you’ve got this move when we kiss that’s—”
I slapped his shoulder. “Liam!”
“What? I’m just saying,” he shrugged, eyes glinting. “You’re a natural. Probably all that breath control from swimming.”
Before I could protest, he caught my hand and tugged me close. His lips met mine in a surprise kiss that certainly put that whole “breath control” theory to the test. When we finally pulled back, I was breathless and blinking in disbelief, while he looked different. Electric.
"I was right," he said, his thumb brushing across my lower lip. "Definitely talented."
Chapter 22: Liam
The locker room buzzed with pre-game energy, but I couldn't focus on any of it. My phone lay face-up on the bench beside me, set to vibrate the moment Gemma's organic chemistry exam results came through. She'd find out during warm-ups, right when I needed to be focused on the game that could determine our playoff chances.
