Unbeknownst to them, Liam had entered the lounge, pausing just out of sight, he hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but hearing his name made him freeze, he leaned against the wall, listening, and his heart pounding.
"Ooh so it's about him having a girlfriend is it? But you feel something, don't you?" Lara pressed gently. "I've seen the way you look at him, and how he looks at you."
Nova shook her head, her voice strained. "It doesn't matter, even if there's... a connection, it's pointless, he's with Eva, I'm just... a makeup artist, nothing more, like how could a guy like him like someone like me? Girl I'm actually out of his league."
Liam's breath hitched, the sincerity in Nova's voice cut through him, he felt a strange mixture of guilt and longing, his mind racing. 'Why did hearing her deny it hurt so much?'
Lara leaned closer, lowering her voice. "What about that night at the club? The way he looked at you? That wasn't nothing, Nova, you felt it too."
Nova's eyes glistened. "I can't let myself go there, I've been burned before, falling for someone like him... it's dangerous, I need to keep my distance."
She looked at her then proceeded trying to hold her quick tears "I might like him but what about him? Somebody like him can never love me, I'm scared of many things, scared of being played, scared of ruining his career for cheating on his girlfriend just for a makeup artist, Lara I'm scared of breaking his…" She stopped because she couldn't say no more. She just rubbed her tears.
Liam's jaw tightened, a storm of emotions swirling inside him. 'Is that why she's been avoiding me?' He didn't understand why her words affected him so deeply. He wanted to confront her, to demand answers, but what right did he have? Steeling himself.
He walked into the lounge, his footsteps echoing. "Hey… Lara, Nova."
Nova stiffened, her mask slipping back into place. "Hi, Liam." She forced a smile, but her heart pounded in her chest.
Lara glanced between them, sensing the undercurrents. "I'll leave you two to talk, I have something to check on." She gave Nova a supportive look before walking away.
The silence that followed was thick, charged with unspoken tension. Liam crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving hers. "Everything okay?"
Nova nodded, avoiding his gaze. "Yeah, just tired."
He took a step closer. "You sure? You seem... distant."
"I'm fine," she replied quickly, too quickly.
Liam's eyes narrowed. "You don't have to pretend, Nova, not with me."
Her resolve cracked for a moment. "Why does it matter to you?"
He paused, the weight of her question hanging in the air. "I don't know, maybe it shouldn't, but it does."
Nova's breath caught, she forced a laugh, trying to deflect. "You're overthinking… it's nothing."
Liam stepped even closer, his voice low. "I heard what you said to Lara."
Her eyes darted to his, panic flickering. "You were listening?"
"I didn't mean to, but I did, and now I can't stop thinking about it." His voice was rough, almost vulnerable. "Why are you pulling away?" the weight of their emotions could not be ignored.
Nova broke the silence, her arms tightly crossed over her chest. "We really shouldn't be doing this," she said, her voice quiet but firm.
Liam, his frustration evident, stepped closer. "Doing what? Talking? Or are you saying we shouldn't even be in the same room?"
Her eyes narrowed, clearly irritated. "You know what I mean, this... this thing between us, it's wrong."
Liam's gaze softened, but the frustration still lingered. "I don't know what you want me to say, Nova, I thought it was clear enough already, I can't just pretend I don't feel anything when every moment with you feels like something I can't shake."
Nova took a step back, her breath hitching. "You're with Eva, you've always been with Eva… what are you doing? You can't just turn that off."
"I didn't want to be in this position," Liam muttered, running a hand through his hair. "But you don't get it, I don't feel like myself when I'm with her, It's not the same, and I don't know why, you..." He stopped himself, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "You make me feel something different, something I can't ignore."
Nova's heart raced. She turned her back to him, her fingers trembling. "So what? You think it's all just supposed to be easy? That I'm supposed to just fall in line?"
"No," he said, his voice sharp. "But I can't pretend either, I'm not asking you to make this easy, I just need to know why it feels like everything's pulling me toward you and away from everything else."
Nova spun around, her frustration boiling over. "You think I want this? You think I want to be this… distraction for you? It's messed up, Liam, you have a life, you have a girlfriend, and I'm just a... just a fucking complication!"
Liam's expression hardened, but his voice softened. "You're not just a complication, Nova, I don't want you to feel like that, I'm just trying to figure things out, and it's not easy."
Nova's chest tightened as she stared at him, the anger giving way to something else... something raw. "I can't keep doing this, I won't be the reason your life falls apart."
"Then what?" Liam took another step closer. "You're just going to walk away? Pretend this doesn't matter?"
"I'm not walking away," she snapped, her voice trembling slightly. "But I can't keep letting you pull me into this mess, you don't get to just..." Her words faltered as his eyes met hers, and the space between them seemed to shrink.
"You can't keep fighting it," Liam whispered, his voice lower now. "Because you feel it too."
Her breath caught in her throat. "I... no, I don't." But even as she said the words, she could feel the pull of him, the truth of it, despite everything.
Before she could say anything more, Liam moved closer, his hand gently touching her arm. The softness of the touch, the way his gaze held hers, seemed to undo the walls she'd tried to build.
"Nova," he whispered his voice thick with something unspoken, "I don't want to fight this anymore, I don't want to fight with you."
Her heart pounded in her chest. "Liam…" she breathed, her voice cracking as her resolve shattered.
And just like that, the argument, the tension, the anger, all of it collided in a moment of sheer emotion, their lips met, hard and urgent, as if the world around them had stopped, the kiss was desperate, hungry, as though neither could wait any longer. They pulled apart slowly, breathless and wide-eyed, the realization of what just happened sinking in. But neither of them could look away, the quiet confession in the kiss saying everything they were too scared to admit.
Nova turned her face away first, her heart racing in her chest. "We can't… we shouldn't…" she whispered.
Liam just stood there, stunned by the kiss, by the raw truth it revealed. "I know," he murmured, barely a breath between them. "But it's too late now."
"No," she agreed, her voice barely a whisper. "This… this was a mistake." But neither of them could deny the truth that lingered in the silence, unspoken yet undeniable.
Just then, the door creaked open again. Ryan's voice cut through the tension. "Hey, what's taking you guys so long?" He paused, looking between them with a suspicious grin. "Did I interrupt something?"
Nova quickly turned away, brushing a hand through her hair.
"No. We were just… talking." Liam forced a smile, nodding. "Yeah, just talking."
Ryan raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but let it go. "Well, come on, we need you both."
Nova walked past Liam, her heart pounding, determined not to look back. But as she left, Liam's eyes stayed on her, the weight of the kiss lingering, the truth of it impossible to ignore.
*****
It's another day and Nova meticulously organized her makeup station, trying to ignore the way her hands trembled slightly, she rushed the decision of not going to the tour, just because of how things are between her and Liam, her decision to step away from the tour weighed heavily on her, but she knew it was the right thing to do, the air felt thick with unspoken emotions, especially whenever Liam was near. She didn't need more complications.
The memory of the kiss had burrowed deep, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't escape it, it wasn't just the kiss, it was him, the way his eyes darkened as they leaned closer, the way her heart raced as their breaths mingled, it wasn't supposed to happen, it shouldn't have but it did.
Ryan approached, carrying a box of sound cables, his eyes twinkled with mischief, as usual, but there was a deeper curiosity today, he leaned casually against the counter.
Ryan grinned. "So, you're really bailing on the tour? Gotta say, didn't see that coming."
Nova shrugged, feigning indifference. "Just need a break, Ryan, things are... complicated."
Ryan's tone softened. "Because of Liam, right?"
Nova's breath caught, and she looked away. "It's not about him, why do you keep thinking that it's always about him?."
Ryan chuckled. "You're a terrible liar, Nova and I kept thinking that it's about him because it is."
Suddenly, Liam's voice cut through their conversation, colder than usual. "Am I interrupting something?"
Both Nova and Ryan turned abruptly. Liam stood in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes sharp. His gaze flickered between them, lingering a little too long on Nova.
Nova tried to sound casual. "No, we were just... talking about the tour."
Liam's eyes narrowed. "Interesting, I hear you're backing out."
Nova met his gaze, her voice steady but quiet. "Yeah, I need some space."
Liam's lips tightened. "Space from what, exactly?"
Ryan, sensing the tension, tried to lighten the mood. "Man, Nova's just tired don't read too much into it."
Liam didn't break eye contact with Nova. "Is that all it is? Because I feel like there is something else"
The weight of his stare made her feel like he could see right through her, her pulse quickened. She hated how he could unnerve her so easily, she just stood up and leave without saying anything.