12. Lucy
Chapter twelve
Lucy
The clinic feels a little different today. It’s quieter, almost too quiet, like the world is holding its breath. I’m sitting at my desk, flipping through some paperwork when I see them. The flowers. The same flowers Liam brought yesterday, now sitting in a vase on the counter near the front desk.
My heart skips a beat as I look at them. There’s something about them — the way they stand there, bright and beautiful, like a reminder that he’s been here, that he thought of me. It’s the smallest thing, yet it feels like it carries so much weight.
Emma comes into the room, her face lighting up when she sees the flowers. She’s always been so open about her emotions, her energy infectious in a way that makes it hard to stay unaffected.
“Look at those!” she says, her voice full of warmth. “They’re gorgeous! Are they the ones from Liam?”
My stomach tightens, and I quickly look down at the desk. I don't want to look too obvious, but it’s hard to pretend I don’t know exactly where they came from. “Yep, from Liam,” I mumble, trying to sound casual, even though my heart is racing in my chest.
Emma’s eyes sparkle with curiosity, and I can see her stifling a grin. “Ah, your admirer,” she teases, raising an eyebrow.
I shake my head quickly, trying to brush it off.
“We’re just friends,” I say, my voice not quite as convincing as I want it to be.
I can’t stop thinking about the way he looks at me, how he makes everything feel like it’s just us, like there’s no one else in the world.
But I can’t admit that. Not to Emma. Not to myself.
Emma crosses her arms, leaning against the counter, her gaze never leaving me. “Lucy,” she says gently, “you know even a blind person could see the chemistry between you two, right?”
I look up, meeting her eyes, but there’s no escaping the truth in her words. The chemistry is there. It’s been there since the moment we met. But that’s not the problem. The problem is that it’s complicated.
“It’s not that simple,” I murmur, my voice soft. “There’s... a lot going on. Things I can’t explain.”
Emma’s expression softens, and she steps closer, her voice dropping to a more serious tone. “You don’t have to explain everything to me. But don’t let fear hold you back. I see how you are with him, Lucy. You’re holding yourself back, and I think you know it.”
I bite my lip, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn’t realize how much I’d been hiding until Emma’s words hit me.
I’ve been so careful, so guarded, afraid of what might happen if I let myself feel something for him.
But Emma’s right — I am holding back. And the truth is, I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing that.
“I don’t want to mess things up,” I whisper, my eyes dropping to the flowers. “My father... he has this whole plan for me. My life is more complicated than you think.”
Emma listens carefully, not interrupting. I’m grateful for that.
I take a deep breath, shaking my head slightly. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to feel about Liam when I have so much baggage.”
Emma’s hand rests gently on my shoulder, a soft gesture of support. “Lucy, don’t deny yourself happiness because of what you think you should do. If you want to be with Liam, then go for it. You deserve that. You don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
Her words hit me harder than I expect. I’ve been so wrapped up in everything I have to do that I’ve forgotten what I want. I can’t keep ignoring this feeling, this pull between us. But it’s hard to let myself hope for something more, something I can’t have.
I look up at Emma, my voice barely a whisper. “What if I’m just not strong enough to go after what I want?”
Emma gives me a small smile, her eyes kind but firm. “You are stronger than you think. And you don’t have to do this alone. If you want Liam, you should let him in. He’s not going to push you. But you have to let yourself believe that you’re worth it. That you deserve it.”
I nod slowly, my heart pounding in my chest. For the first time in a long time, I feel the weight of everything shift. Maybe Emma’s right. Maybe I am holding myself back.
Emma pats my shoulder before walking away, leaving me standing there with the flowers, my thoughts swirling.
I don’t know what to do next. I don’t know how to take that first step toward Liam, how to push aside the fear and the doubts that have been holding me back. But I know one thing for sure: I can’t keep running from this.
I sit down at my desk, my hands trembling slightly as I look at my phone. I’m not sure what I’m waiting for. Maybe I’m hoping the words will come to me. Maybe I’m hoping that somehow, this all makes sense.
I glance at the message from Liam again, the invitation to the dinner. The chance to be with him. It’s right in front of me. But I’ve been so afraid to take that step, to let myself fall for him.
I take a deep breath and type a quick reply.
Lucy: I’d love to join you for dinner. I’ll be there.
The message sits on the screen for a moment, and I hesitate before pressing send. The words feel like a weight lifted off my chest. It’s a small step, but it’s a step. I’m not sure what will happen next. I don’t know where this will go.
But for the first time in a long time, I’m letting myself believe that I deserve to be happy. That I deserve him.
***
Two days later, I find myself standing outside a beautifully lit house, my heart pounding in my chest. It’s a mix of excitement and uncertainty, and I can’t quite shake the feeling of being out of place.
The invitation was simple enough, just a casual dinner with friends.
But as I look up at the house — warm, welcoming, and filled with the kind of light that makes everything feel soft and inviting, I can’t help but feel like I’m stepping into a world I don’t belong to.
But then again, I’ve been stepping into this world with Liam since the moment we met. And now, I’m here, nervously adjusting my jacket as I prepare to ring the doorbell.
I’m still not sure what I expected, but I don’t expect the overwhelming warmth that greets me when the door opens.
Emma’s there, of course, her smile wide and genuine.
She ushers me in with open arms, and I immediately feel the difference.
The warmth. The laughter. It’s a contrast to the cold, calculated life I’ve known so far.
“Lucy, I’m so glad you could make it!” Emma exclaims, stepping aside to let me in. “Everyone’s already here. Don’t be shy.”
I follow her into the house, where I’m greeted by the sound of conversation and the clink of glasses.
There’s Nate and Bryan, both smiling when they see me, the familiarity between them instantly apparent.
I feel a little like an outsider, but their easy smiles and open gestures make it hard to stay distant.
“Glad you could join us!” Nate says, offering me a glass of wine. His warmth is almost overwhelming, but in the best way.
I take it with a smile. “Thanks for having me.”
Bryan nods from across the room, giving me a friendly wave. “Emma’s been telling us a lot about you,” he says, and I feel a flicker of unease, but it quickly fades when I see the easy camaraderie between them all.
As the evening goes on, I’m pulled into conversations, some light and others deeper.
We laugh a lot, especially when the subject of my ferrets comes up.
It’s an endless well of jokes, their mischievous antics clearly a source of amusement for everyone.
Nate and Bryan seem particularly fond of hearing about the trouble Pip and Nibbs get into, and Emma adds her own stories of her pets from back in the day, making me feel more at ease than I thought I would.
But still, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m not quite a part of it.
I’m on the outside, watching this warm, familiar group as they share their inside jokes and histories.
I’ve never been good at letting people in, and the more I hear about their lives, the more I feel the weight of my own separation from it all.
Later, after dinner, Liam pulls me outside for a walk. It’s cool now, the evening air crisp, and the stars are starting to twinkle in the sky above us. The moonlight bathes everything in soft light, making everything feel surreal, like this moment is too perfect to be real.
We walk side by side, the silence between us comfortable but charged.
Liam is casually asking me questions about my life, about how I grew up, about the things that matter to me.
It feels easy, like we’ve known each other for years instead of a few short weeks.
But even as I answer him, there’s a part of me that holds back.
“I don’t have much to share,” I say, my voice quiet. “I’ve always been more comfortable in my own space, you know? My whole life’s been kind of... small. But I like it that way. I like the quiet.”
Liam glances at me, his expression softening. “I get it,” he says. “I think I’ve always been the same way. There’s something nice about just... being. Not needing to be part of something bigger.”
His words settle over me, and I can’t help but wonder if he understands me more than I’ve let on. We’re both so alike in the ways we keep to ourselves, in the ways we hide parts of ourselves from the world.
We keep walking, the conversation flowing easily between us, until I notice something in the sky. My heart skips a beat.
“Look,” I say, pointing up. “A shooting star.”
Liam follows my gaze, and I can feel the magic of the moment before I even say the words. “Make a wish,” I whisper, half laughing, half serious. “Quick. Before it’s gone.”
Liam’s laughter fills the air, light and warm. “You’re serious?”
“Of course I’m serious,” I reply, teasing. “It’s a shooting star. You’ve got to make a wish. It’s tradition.”
He smiles at me, shaking his head as if he’s not sure whether to believe me or not. But then, with a slight shrug, he closes his eyes and I do too, both of us caught up in the moment.
We stand there for a few seconds, the night air cool against our skin, the quiet of the world wrapping around us like a blanket.
When he opens his eyes, I glance at him, half afraid of what I might see, half curious. “What did you wish for?” I ask, almost shy.
Liam’s expression turns teasing. “I can’t tell you,” he says with a grin. “That’s the rule.”
I roll my eyes, trying to hide my smile. “Come on, you can’t keep a wish secret forever.”
He laughs, a low sound that makes my heart skip a beat. “It wouldn’t be a wish if I told you.”
We fall into a companionable silence as we continue to walk.
The night seems endless, the moonlit path stretching out before us, but neither of us speaks.
There’s a certain tension between us now, a magnetic pull I can’t quite explain.
I want to reach for him, to close the gap between us, but I hold back. I always do.
We stop walking, and Liam turns to face me. The space between us is small, but it feels like a chasm. I can feel his breath on my skin, the intensity of his gaze, and it takes everything in me not to close the distance.
And for a moment, I think—no, I know—he’s going to kiss me. And I want him to. My heart beating rapidly against my chest as the urge to kiss him fills me.
This time, he does.
He reaches out, his hand brushing a strand of hair from my face, and his touch lingers against my cheek. His eyes search mine, like he’s looking for permission. I give it, silently, in the way I lean in just slightly, in the way my breath catches.
And then his lips are on mine.
It’s slow at first — tentative, almost unsure — but then he deepens it, and everything else falls away. The weight I’ve been carrying, the walls I’ve built, the guilt, the fear, the doubt — all of it disappears in that moment.
All I feel is him.
His hands slide to my waist, pulling me gently closer. I grip the fabric of his shirt like I’m afraid to let go. The kiss is tender but charged, full of everything we haven’t said, everything we’ve tried to deny.