He kept glancing at her, his wide eyes showing disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe she was really there next to him.
Out of the blue, he suddenly stopped, his face serious but his tone light.
"What’s up?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"You didn’t eat anything this morning," he said, a hint of concern in his voice.
She let out a resigned sigh. "Liam...."
"Nope," he cut in, firm but gentle, a smile dancing on his lips. "We’re getting food."
He walked over to a cheerful street vendor, buying a warm simit topped with sesa seeds and a steaming cup of tea, brushing off her playful protests. After a mont’s hesitation, she gave in to the aweso sll and the promise of comfort, smiling as she took a bite of the flaky, warm pastry.
"There, now I can function properly," he said triumphantly.
"You’re such a pain," she replied, shaking her head affectionately.
"You love anyway," he shot back with that unbeatable grin.
She couldn’t help but smile back, unable to deny the truth in his words, her heart swelling with warmth.
At university, they were chilling together at an outdoor table, books piled between them. Everything felt super relaxed and easygoing.
Then his phone buzzed.
Liam took a quick look at it and flipped it over, face down.
Ayla noticed right away.
"Everything cool?" she asked casually.
"Yeah," he replied a bit too fast. "Just... family stuff."
She nodded, believing him.
A few minutes later, his phone buzzed again. This ti, he frowned.
"You sure?" she asked softly.
He paused and sighed. "My mom’s not feeling too great. Dad just ssaged ."
Her expression softened with concern. "Oh... that’s serious. You should go see her."
He shook his head. "No, she’s fine now."
She looked closely at his face, sensing sothing was off.
"You could book a flight," she suggested quietly. "Just to check on her."
"No," he said quickly. "Really, it’s fine."
His response felt a bit rushed.
He got up out of nowhere. "I’ll go grab us so coffee, cool?"
Before she could say anything, he was already out the door. His phone was still on the table.
Ayla couldn’t take her eyes off it, her chest getting tighter. She didn’t want to look. She kept telling herself not to.
But when it buzzed again, lighting up the screen..... She couldn’t resist.
The na popped up for a second.
Laila.
Her breath hitched. She didn’t open the ssage. She didn’t touch anything. She just... saw. Then she noticed the earlier notifications. Sa na. Not his dad. Her heart sank slowly, feeling like sothing heavy slipping away.
"Maybe it’s his sister," she thought quickly. "You’re overthinking it."
But doubt had already settled in her chest.
When Liam ca back, grinning and holding coffee, she smiled back, a practiced, careful smile.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said softly. "I’m fine."
But she really wasn’t. Still, she loved him. And for now... she decided to keep quiet.
After a mont, the courtyard began to clear out for morning lectures. Students scattered in all directions like leaves in a lively autumn breeze, their laughter and chatter fading away. Ayla still felt the warmth from her earlier stroll around campus, but it was slowly being replaced by a tightness in her chest, an uneasy feeling that wouldn’t go away.
They stood at the stone steps where their paths split, hers leading to the old faculty humanities building with its ivy-covered walls, and his heading to the sleek glass IT building, buzzing with energy.
Liam adjusted the strap of his well-loved backpack, its edges slightly worn, and shot her that familiar smile, the one that usually made her heart race and made everything feel a little less heavy, at least for a mont.
"I’ve got my own classes," he said casually, his tone friendly. "Looks like we’re off in different directions for a bit."
Ayla nodded and managed a small smile that didn’t quite reach her heart. "Yeah, I’ve got a packed day with back-to-back lectures."
He instinctively took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles in a way that felt comforting. "Catch you at the gate later?"
"What ti?" she asked, wanting to keep their connection going just a little longer.
"Two?" he suggested, a hopeful tone in his voice. "I’ll be there. Promise."
She hesitated for a mont, just long enough for uncertainty to flicker across her face, but then nodded, deciding to keep her worries to herself. "Okay. Two works."
He leaned in and gave her a quick, gentle kiss on the temple, so soft it felt almost dreamlike, a fleeting touch she wished would last longer. "Don’t overthink today, alright? Just take it as it cos."
She swallowed hard, her mind racing, and whispered to herself, ’If only you knew what I’m dealing with.’
"I’ll try," she replied, hoping to sound more upbeat than she felt.
With one last lingering look, he stepped back, flashed her a final encouraging smile, and turned to blend in with the crowd of students heading to his building, their laughter echoing around them.
Ayla watched him walk away longer than she should have, a bittersweet smile on her lips. Then, gathering her resolve, she turned and headed to her class, her heart feeling heavy but still clinging to a little bit of hope.
*******
The lecture hall was feeling chillier than usual. Ayla eased into her seat in the middle, carefully plopping her bag down on the desk, like too much noise would give away the storm brewing inside her. Students around her were chatting lazily, flipping open their notebooks, and complaining about those early mornings and surprise quizzes catching them off guard.
But she didn’t catch any of that. Her thoughts were stuck on one thing, circling around like a needle on a scratched record.
Laila. The na simred in her mind, igniting a quiet fire of worry.
She stared at her blank notebook, a pen resting uselessly between her fingers.
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