_Ava Reyes stepped off campus, rain-soaked Portland streets mirroring her turmoil. Finals week, plus Mom's funeral tomorrow—her chest felt hollow. She lit a cigarette by Powell's Books, inhaling numbness._
_A tall stranger collided with her, spilling lukewarm coffee on her sketchbook. "Sorry," he growled, eyes like storm clouds—_ *Liam, her Psych 101 TA, she'd crushed on freshman year. He'd been untouchable, dissecting Freud with piercing smirks.
_He yanked a cramped napkin, scribbled "_We aren't done_" and thrust it into her hand. "Lost my coffee. Lost my patience." Before she spoke, he vanished into gray rain._
_Ava stared at the note, heart thracing. _We aren't done…_ with what? The rejection letter he'd signed freshman year? The way he'd _seen_ her, like no one else? She crumbled the napkin, shoved it into her pocket. "Screw you, Liam," she muttered, stubbing her cigarette._
_The bookstore's neon sign flickered. _Sparks in the silence,_ her therapist once called it—crazy thoughts sparking when grief hit. Tonight, she'd bury Mom. Tomorrow… she'd face whatever.
_Her phone buzzed—text from her best friend, Nina: _Cemetery's ready. Wear the black dress._ Ava sighed. Dress or not, Mom wouldn't care. But pretending to care felt safer._
_Ava pushed into rain, footsteps echoing. Suddenly, Liam's napkin burned in her pocket like a warning. We aren't done.
_She pulled the napkin, reread "_We aren't done_". Scribbled beneath in tiny letters: *"Old house. Midnight."* Her skin pricked. What old house?_
_Ava quickened pace, rain soaking her sketchbook. By Powell's, a stray poster: _Portland Paranormal Reads tonight._ Coincidence?_
_Homeward, she checked her watch—5 PM. 7 hours to midnight. Screw Liam. But curiosity clawed.
She dropped into her apartment, soaked hair dripping on Mom's old photo. Eyes identical to hers stared back. _A journal entry caught her eye:_ "*_You'd see him again," Mom had written, months ago._
Ava tossed the napkin on her desk. _Old house. Midnight._ A dare? A trap? She googled "Liam Psych 101"—nothing. _Guess I'll find out._
_Rain drugged outside. She showered, dressed in black. Funeral tomorrow. Mystery tonight._
She slipped into the night, fog swirling around her black boots like restless spirits. The old house loomed ahead, windows like empty eyes. Ava felt a shiver – or was it just the rain seeping into her bones? She pushed the heavy door open, stepped inside.
_Crick_ The floorboard groaned. Shadows swallowed her whole. "Liam Psych 101," she whispered, testing the silence. No answer. Not a soul. Yet the air pulsed like it was watching.
Ava flicked her phone's torch. Dust danced in the beam. A staircase curled up into darkness. She took the steps, quiet as a ghost.
The creaks and groans of the old house were like a symphony of secrets, each step Ava took playing a note that echoed through the empty halls. She reached the top, phone torch casting eerie shadows on the walls, and found a door ajar – like someone had just walked through it.
She pushed it open, and the beam landed on a dusty old desk, papers scattered like they'd been rifled through in a hurry. A laptop sat open, screen flickering with a cryptic message: "They're closer than you think." Ava's heart skipped. Liam's doing, had to be. She smiled, a thrill creeping in.
Ava's eyes scanned the room, the torchlight picking up on more clues – a torn piece of fabric caught in a drawer, a half-burnt candle on a makeshift altar, and a book lying open on the floor. The pages revealed a passage underlined in red:
"The past is a puzzle, and sometimes you gotta lose yourself to find the pieces."
She smiled, recognizing Liam's handwriting. This was getting intense. He was definitely hiding something – or leading her to it. Ava tucked the book into her jacket, eyes locked on a faint light flickering under another door. Showtime. She moved towards it, quiet as a cat.
Ava pushed the door open, and a warm glow spilled out – candles, lots of them, flickering like fireflies in a dimly lit room. The air was thick with incense, and in the centre, Liam sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, wearing a 'Psych 101' hoodie .
He opened one eye, smirked. "Took you long enough, Ava."
Ava rolled her eyes. "What's the setup, Liam? What's with the cryptic stuff?"
Liam grinned, gesturing to a spot beside him. "Welcome to the experiment. Sit. It's about what you _don't_ see."
Ava raised an eyebrow but dropped down beside him, curiosity piqued. Liam handed her a small, antique-looking box with a weird symbol carved into it .
"Open it," he whispered.
Ava hesitated for a split second before lifting the lid. A soft hum filled the air, and the candles around them flared bright for a heartbeat. Inside lay a vintage photo of their whole Psych 101 class – but it was taken years ago. Everyone wore old-school clothes .
Ava's eyes widened. "What the...? We didn't take a class photo."
Liam leaned in. "Exactly. _They_ did. Decades back. And we're part of it now." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Ava, this house… it's a nexus. A link to _the thread_ – the one Psych 101 prof talked about. The one that ties past and present."
Ava's mind races as she stares at the photo. Liam's eyes lock onto hers, the air thick with something unspoken. Suddenly, the candles flicker, and the room seems to shrink.
"Ava," Liam says softly, his voice low and smooth. "I brought you here for a reason."
He takes the photo from her hands, his fingers brushing hers. Sparks fly.
"This house, the thread... it's about connections. People who were meant to cross paths." He leans in, his breath on her skin. "We were meant to find each other."
Ava's heart skips. Is this the start of something real?
Ava's heart was racing, her lips inches from Liam's. The room seemed to hold its breath as he leaned in, his eyes locked on hers. The air was electric, the tension between them palpable.
"Ava," he whispered, his voice sending shivers down her spine.
She felt her eyes flutter closed, her lips parting slightly. Liam's lips brushed against hers, soft as a whisper. The world around them melted away, leaving only the two of them, lost in the moment.
The kiss deepened, and Ava felt herself getting lost in the sensation. She was vaguely aware of the candles flickering, the soft hum of the box in the background. It was like the whole universe had narrowed down to this one moment, this one kiss.
Liam's arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer. Ava felt like she was home, like she'd been waiting for this moment her whole life. The world outside receded, leaving only the sound of their hearts beating as one.
As they broke apart for air, Ava's eyes fluttered open. Liam's gaze was intense, his eyes burning with emotion.
"Wow," she breathed.
Liam smiled, his lips quirking up. "Yeah," he whispered back.
The moment hung between them, electric. Ava knew things were about to change, that this was just the beginning.
Liam's fingers brushed against her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. "I've wanted to do that for so long," he admitted, his voice low and husky.
Ava's heart skipped a beat. "How long?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Liam's smile grew. "Since the first day of Psych 101."
Ava's eyes widened. "You're kidding me."
Liam shook his head, his eyes cring with sincerity. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to ruin our friendship."
Ava's heart melted. "I think it's safe to say that's worth the risk," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Liam's face lit up with a smile, and he leaned in, his lips meeting hers once more. The world around them melted away, leaving only the two of them, lost in the magic of their first kiss.
As they kissed, the candles flickered, and the box hummed softly in the background. The thread, whatever it was, had brought them together, and now it was up to them to see where it would lead.
The room was filled with a soft, golden light, and Ava felt like she was glowing from the inside out. She knew this was just the beginning of something special, something that would change her life forever. But there was a doubt.
Liam pulled back, his eyes shining with emotion. "I love you, Ava," he whispered, his voice trembling with sincerity.
Ava's heart trembled. "I love you too, Liam," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. But something kept tugging her in her heart, because she knew she didn't love him back.
The words hung in the air, filled with promise and possibility. Ava knew that this was just the start of their journey together, and she couldn't wait to see what the future held. There was fear and doubt, like she didn't really love him, but there was this feeling deep down, even when she was scared, she still felt love, deep love that she can't even think of a life without him.
But still, she didn't have time to think of love, he mom died, she was supposed to be mourning her, she pulled away from his arms and smiled.
"I'll take my leave now" she said with a smile and turned to leave.
"If I'm chanced I'll be at your mom's funeral" he said to her she turned and smiled,nodding her head slightly.
"Bye" she said and waved, walking out of the door.