There's a certain kind of silence that only exists when you're near someone you want to talk to but can't.
Liam knew that silence well. It had followed him like a ghost since the first week of college.
It was there in the lecture hall, when she walked in late with her boyfriend's hand in hers and a soft apology on her lips. It was there in the library, when she passed by him and didn't see the way his eyes followed her. And it was there in the quiet moments—between pages of books, between heartbeats—where his feelings sat, carefully hidden.
Cara Moreno.
The girl who never really looked his way. Not because she was cruel, or distant, or out of reach. But because she simply didn't know.
How could she? He never told a soul. Not Marcus, not Josh, not Kenji or Zack—not even when they teased him about every other girl on campus. He wore his crush like a second skin—invisible, yet always there.
He thought he'd outgrow it. He thought time would bury it under assignments, parties, and other girls.
Then came second year. Ava entered the picture—bold, charming, and far too direct. She liked him, he could tell. And when she leaned in closer, smiled just a little too long, and asked if he ever thought about her…
He told her no.
Because even if Cara had someone else—even if she'd never look at him the way he looked at her—Liam couldn't lie to himself.
He still wasn't over her.
He didn't expect things to change. Not in third year. Not after all this time.
But then it happened.
She sat next to him.
She smiled.
She said his name like it was something familiar.
And suddenly, the silence that had filled his world for so long… cracked.