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Liam shook his head, his grip on my hand tightening. “Not your fault,” he said, his voice rough. “I thought I was ready. Guess I was wrong.”

I snorted, trying to lighten the mood. “Yeah, well, we can’t all be perfect like me, you know?”

It worked - sort of. Liam’s lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. “Asshole,” he muttered, but there was no heat in it.

We drove in silence for a while, my hand still wrapped around his. I wasn’t used to this - this closeness, this vulnerability. Usually, I kept people at arm’s length these days. It was safer that way. Can’t get hurt if you don’t let anyone in.

“You wanna talk about it?” I asked finally, breaking the silence.

Liam sighed, his thumb absently tracing patterns on the back of my hand. “Not really,” he admitted. “But maybe I should?”

I shrugged, trying to keep it casual even as my heart raced. “Up to you, man. No pressure. But I’m here if you want to unload.”

He was quiet for a long moment, and I started to think he wasn’t going to say anything.

“It was like I was back there,” Liam said softly. “At the prom. I could see it all - the decorations, the people, Jake’s face when he outed us.”

I felt a surge of anger once Liam mentioned those things. It sounded so raw and felt like it was just yesterday.

“And then I was running,” Liam continued, his voice shaking slightly. “And I could hear the car coming, could feel the impact… God, Caleb, it was so real.”

I squeezed his hand, wishing I could do more. Wishing I could take away all his pain, all his fear. “It’s over now,” I said, knowing it wasn’t enough but not knowing what else to say. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Liam laughed, but it was a bitter sound. “Safe? In this town? Come on, Caleb. You know better than that.”

I frowned, pulling the truck over to the side of the road. This conversation needed my full attention.

“Hey,” I said, turning to face him fully. “Look at me.”

Liam met my eyes reluctantly, and I could see the pain, the fear, the anger swirling in those blue depths.

“This town?” I said, gesturing around us. “It’s changed. We’ve changed. What happened to us it was fucked up. No doubt about it. But we’re not those scared kids anymore, Liam. We’re grown-ass men. And if anyone tries to give us shit, they’ll have to deal with me. Got it?”

Liam stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a real smile spread across his face. “Look at you, all protective and shit,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes, but I was grinning too. “He met this stubborn asshole who wouldn’t leave him alone. Kinda grew on him, I guess.”

Liam laughed, and this time it sounded genuine. “Yeah, well. The feeling’s mutual.”

We sat there for a moment, just looking at each other. And I felt something shift between us - something warm and familiar and scary as hell.

I went back to driving and my heart was doing this weird flutter thing, caught between excitement and anxiety. This was our first time here together, and I wasn’t sure how this was gonna go down.

“We’re here,” I announced, trying to keep my voice casual. No need to make this a bigger deal than it already was.

Liam nodded, his face still a bit pale. He was putting on a brave front, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his fingers were fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“You good?” I asked, not wanting to push but needing to make sure.

He took a deep breath, then gave me a small smile. “Yeah, I’m good. Let’s do this.”

I hopped out of the truck, circling around to open Liam’s door. He raised an eyebrow at me, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“What a gentleman,” he teased, climbing out.

I shrugged, feeling my cheeks heat up a bit. “Shut up. My mom raised me right, that’s all.”

We climbed out of the truck, and this time, I didn’t hesitate to take Liam’s hand. His fingers intertwined with mine, warm and solid and real.