Saoirse & Liam

  The air between them was thick with unspoken words, the kind that never really disappeared, no matter how much time passed.

  Saoirse knew she should have stood up, walked away, left the moment behind before it could turn into something else.

  But she didn’t.

  Instead, when Liam stood and tilted his head toward his room, she followed.

  Neither of them spoke as they walked down the dimly lit hallway. The dorm was quiet—most of their roommates either asleep or out, living the reckless college life.

  When the door clicked shut behind them, reality sank in.

  This was a bad idea.

  A very, very bad idea.

  Liam leaned against the desk, arms crossed, watching her. His gaze was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—a quiet storm, a question he didn’t dare voice.

  Saoirse swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of how small the room felt. Of how familiar this was.

  Liam (low voice): "Why are we here, Saoirse?"

  Saoirse (softly): "I don’t know."

  But they both did.

  Because no matter how much they told themselves they had moved on—No matter how many times they reminded themselves that they were just friends now—The past wasn’t done with them yet.

  Liam pushed off the desk, closing the distance between them in slow, careful steps. Saoirse’s breath caught.

  Liam (quietly): "If we do this…"

  He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to.

  If they did this, it wouldn’t just be a mistake.It would be a door opening to something neither of them was ready to face.

  But maybe, just for tonight, they didn’t need to think about that.

  Maybe, just for tonight, they could forget.

  Saoirse didn’t answer. She just reached up, fingers brushing against his jaw. Liam let out a shaky breath—like he had been holding it in for far too long.

  And then, just like that—

  His lips crashed against hers.

  A kiss that wasn’t soft, wasn’t slow. It was desperate, reckless, familiar.

  Because no matter how much they pretended otherwise—

  They had never really let go.