Arthur stood there with his takeaway cup, the steam rising between them like a thin wall. Liam smiled weakly, trying to act normal, but something in Arthur's expression made his stomach twist—an expression he couldn't decode yet.
"Hey, Arthur," Liam said softly.
Arthur stepped closer, keeping his tone polite and casual. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Blake straightened up, suddenly stiff as stone. "Yeah… same."
Liam glanced between them. Blake's jaw was tight, eyes avoiding Arthur's. Arthur's fingers pressed a little too hard around his cup. The silence between them wasn't just awkward—it was charged. Heavy. Familiar.
Something was going on.
Arthur cleared his throat. "I was just passing by. I, um… brought you a coffee, Liam. Your favorite."
He held it out, smiling lightly.
Liam blinked. "Oh—thank you. That's really sweet."
Blake's eyes flicked to the cup, then quickly away.
Arthur finally looked at Blake. "Didn't know you two were close."
"We're not—" Blake started too quickly, almost defensive. "We were just talking."
Liam frowned slightly at Blake's reaction.
Arthur nodded slowly, but his eyes softened in a way Liam didn't understand. "Right. Talking. Sure."
Blake's shoulders tightened even more.
The tension between them was obvious now. Too obvious.
Arthur gestured back toward the path. "Anyway… I'll let you guys finish." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "See you in class, Liam."
"Yeah… see you," Liam replied.
Arthur gave Blake the quickest, coldest nod before walking away without looking back.
The moment Arthur was out of sight, Liam turned to Blake immediately.
"Okay," Liam said. "What was that?"
Blake didn't answer. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. "This is… complicated."
"Clearly," Liam said. "You both acted like you knew each other."
Blake stayed silent.
"Blake," Liam pressed gently. "Talk to me."
Blake leaned back on the bench, eyes closing for a second as if preparing himself for something he didn't want to admit.
"Arthur and I…" Blake paused, searching for the right words. "We used to date."
Liam froze.
"What?"
"Yeah," Blake whispered. "He's my ex."
Liam blinked in disbelief. The awkwardness suddenly made sense—the tightened shoulders, the quick defensiveness, Arthur's expression.
"But why didn't you tell me?" Liam asked.
Blake sighed. "Because it ended badly. Really badly. We agreed not to tell people. And I didn't think Arthur and I would ever have to be in the same space again."
Liam felt the weight of the situation settle on him. "Does he know we're… talking?"
Blake shook his head. "He doesn't know anything. And I want to keep it that way until I figure out what I'm feeling."
Liam swallowed.
"But there's something else," Blake added quietly. "Arthur seeing us together… it might bring up old drama. And I didn't want you dragged into that."
Liam sat back, processing everything.
"So your ex," Liam said slowly, "is the first friend I've made here."
Blake winced. "Yeah… I'm sorry, Liam."
Liam wasn't angry. Just… overwhelmed.
Because now, everything had gotten a lot more complicated.
Blake looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please don't pull away from me. Not because of him. I want to move forward with you… slowly… carefully. But with you."
Liam exhaled shakily.
And somewhere in the distance, hidden behind buildings and students and a half-finished coffee cup…
Arthur stood watching them.
Expression unreadable.