“Yeah. I love pink.”
“But you wear red lipstick all the time.”
I glance at him, surprised he’s noticed that. “So?”
“So…” He trails off, but there’s something thoughtful in his tone now. “Red’s bolder. Louder. Pink’s… softer.”
His voice dips just a little on softer, and my stomach does a slow, dangerous roll. I look out the window again, hoping he can’t see the heat rising in my cheeks.
“Maybe I wear red because it’s easier to pretend I’m braver than I am.”
Liam doesn’t say anything right away.
But when he finally speaks, his voice is quieter. “You’re braver than you think, Olive.”
I shake my head, turning toward him with a smirk. “Alright, smart guy. What was my first pet’s name?”
He scoffs. “Trick question. You never had a pet growing up because Opal was allergic.”
I blink. “Correct.”
I can’t believe he remembered that.
I think for a second, then ask, “Okay. Who was my prom date?”
Without hesitation, he says, “Your cousin.”
My mouth drops open. “What?!That is absolutely not true!”
He laughs, the sound echoing through the cab, rich and unfiltered. It makes something stupid and soft twist in my chest.
“I know,” he grins. “I just wanted to mess with you. Your prom date was that guy… you know, the same one you lost your virginity to.”
I hum under my breath, a little flustered. “Wow. Maybe we’ve shared too much over the years.”
He just shrugs like it’s nothing. “That’s what best friends do, Olive.”
Best friends.
He says it so casually, like he didn’t just toss me into the friend zone, tie a bow on it, and smile while doing it.
And yet, he glances over at me with that same damn grin, eyes flicking down to my legs for just a fraction of a second too long before he returns his gaze to the road.
I still feel the sting, though. Because no matter how many stories we’ve shared, or how well he knows me…
He doesn’t see me the way I wish he did.
I shift in my seat, angling my body slightly toward the door as I turn to stare out the window. The highway from Broken Heart Creek to Sheridan stretches out empty and unbothered, just two dark lanes cutting through endless fields and silence.
But the sky?
The sky is stunning.
The sun has just dipped below the horizon, leaving behind a soft smear of lavender and gold, like someone painted the edge of the world with delicate fingers. And above it is stars.Tiny, flickering diamonds scattered across the velvet dusk, just starting to blink to life.
It’s the kind of sky that makes you feel small and hopeful at the same time. Like maybe the universe is trying to remind you there’s more out there than what hurts.
I let my forehead rest lightly against the cool glass, blinking up at the heavens like they might have an answer for the question I haven’t dared say out loud.
