Stealing Hearts

In the seventh year of my crush on my childhood best friend, Caleb, my own best friend finally gave me the push I needed.
I bought flowers and his favorite cake, took an all-night bus, and went to confess my feelings.
Only to find him at a packed basketball court.
Kissing her.
Caleb had his arm wrapped around my best friend, Lily. His voice was cold when he saw me. "What are you doing here? Can't you see I'm busy?"
Humiliated and a mess from my trip, I was about to stammer out an explanation.
But then his roommate let out a soft laugh from the sidelines.
"My girlfriend brought me a cake. What's it to you?"

1
When I found the basketball court, cake box in hand, Caleb had Lily pinned against the chain-link fence, kissing her.
Lily only froze for a second before wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back just as deeply.
The air was thick and hot.
I stood just outside the court, dizzy and lightheaded after the overnight bus ride. The roar of the crowd felt like it was going to burst my eardrums.
"Dude, I told you! I bet he'd finally make a move on Lily today."
"It's about time. They've been flirting for ages."
"Pay up, pay up!"
The words hit me, and the strength drained from my arms. The flowers and the cake suddenly felt impossibly heavy.
On my phone was the last text Lily had sent me.
"Caleb's at the court! Go get him!"

2
The sky had turned a gloomy gray. A wind was picking up.
Swallowing the lump of humiliation in my throat, I turned and ran.
Behind me, I heard Lily's frantic voice, thick with tears.
"Chloe… it's not what it looks like…"
"Let me explain."
I'd been on a bus for nearly twenty-four hours. I was exhausted and my heart was shattered. I didn't have the energy to figure out why Lily, on the very day she pushed me to confess my feelings, was kissing the guy I was supposed to be confessing to.
But she grabbed the hem of my shirt, stopping me.
Her usually rosy cheeks were pale. She frantically tried to push Caleb toward me, her voice trembling with unshed tears. "Chloe, let Caleb talk to you…"
Caleb just grabbed her hand, his voice a low murmur. "What are you doing? Trying to give your new boyfriend away already?"
Lily stubbornly held onto my shirt, not letting go. But she didn't pull her hand from Caleb's, either.
The three of us were frozen in a horrible tableau.
Seeing the tears welling in Lily's eyes, Caleb's expression darkened. He turned on me. "Who told you to come here?"
"Can't you see I'm busy?"
I had traveled all night, my heart a nervous wreck, only to be met with his icy dismissal. The words I had rehearsed died in my throat.
I pulled my shirt from Lily's grasp, ready to just disappear.
But then a calm, cool voice cut through the tension.
"I did. Is there a problem?"
A tall figure appeared a short distance away. He lazily lifted his gaze to meet mine. "You can't even deliver a gift to the right person. Get over here."

3
I never expected to see Liam Hale again in a situation like this.
The last time we'd met was three years ago, when Liam, as our school's valedictorian, gave a speech at graduation. When I went to hand him his award, I tripped on the stage runner and sent both myself and the trophy flying.
After that, he and Caleb had gone to the same university. They'd even become roommates.
It seemed like every time I saw him, I was making a complete fool of myself.
Caleb looked annoyed. "Liam, stay out of this."
"Just let her go back to wherever she came from."
Liam just let out a soft, humorless laugh. "Are you confused about something?"
"My girlfriend brought me a cake. What business is it of yours?"
And just like that, I ended up at Caleb's birthday party that night as Liam's "girlfriend."
The atmosphere was… awkward.
Lily kept staring at me, forgetting to eat.
"Why are you looking at her?" Caleb frowned. "Eat up. Don't worry, no one's going to hurt you."
Something inside me finally snapped. I stared directly at Caleb.
"Make it clear. How exactly am I hurting her?"
Caleb's face hardened, but he said nothing.
I turned to Lily. "Are you afraid of me? Did you do something to feel guilty about?"
Lily just shook her head, whispering, "No."
Liam slid a glass of watermelon juice in front of me. "If she's this fragile, you probably shouldn't take her out in public," he said, his voice light. He then grabbed a handful of pistachios. "Shell these quietly. You might scare her to death."
A few people at the table snorted, trying to stifle their laughter.
Lily's face flushed. She mumbled an excuse about needing the restroom and fled.
Later that evening, exhausted and sleepy, I decided to leave early. I saw Liam step out to take a call and followed him. I wanted to thank him. I'd come all this way, and at my most vulnerable moment, he'd saved me.
The hallway was dimly lit. Liam was at the far end, his voice low and cool, echoing slightly in the empty space.
I realized then that he was the Student Body President. He had another commitment tonight but had postponed it for this party.
I waited a few feet away for him to finish his call.
When he saw me, he paused. "I'll call you back."
He hung up and turned to me. "What's up?"
"Tonight… thank you."
Liam leaned against the windowsill, just watching me. Just when I was starting to think I had something on my face, he asked, "Want to go to the amusement park tomorrow?"
"With you?"
"Who else?" he asked, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Didn't you post about wanting to go? You shouldn't come all this way for nothing."
The wind from the open window stirred his dark hair, the hem of his white shirt fluttering. The casual way he looked at me made all the hurt I'd been suppressing bubble to the surface.
I quickly looked down, wiping my eyes. "Thanks. I'll buy you dinner tomorrow, then."
Liam was quiet for a long moment. I thought he was going to make fun of me for being a crybaby, but instead, he drew out the words slowly, "Alright, girlfriend."

4
Liam had to leave early for his student government meeting.
When I came out of the restroom, I ran into Lily. There was a fresh bite mark on her lip. The second she saw me, the tears started falling.
"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I never meant for any of this to happen. Can you please forgive me?"
I just felt sick. I pushed her hand away and took out my phone. "How much was the hotel room? I'll transfer you the money."
Lily froze. "Chloe… I'm sorry. I forgot to book you a hotel."
Her voice sounded distant, like it was coming from underwater. I thought I must have misheard.
Was this really the best friend I had trusted completely? She had insisted on booking the hotel for me, telling me to just worry about getting here. And now this.
"Lily, you did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"I'm sorry," she said, looking pained. "All the rooms near campus were booked, and Caleb was being so persistent… I just forgot. You can stay in my dorm tonight, if you want?"
I didn't want to hear any more. I turned to leave.
But she grabbed my arm. "Chloe, wait. Liam has a girl he likes. He… he was just helping you out tonight. I don't want you to get the wrong idea and get hurt again."
I looked at her, at this carefully crafted, innocent victim act, and I was just done. I yanked my arm free.
Lily, caught off guard, stumbled and fell to the floor with a dramatic, "delicate" thud.
A sarcastic smile twisted my lips. "What, are you a mind reader now? You know what Liam is thinking?"
Lily kept her head down, but her breathing was suddenly ragged.
Caleb appeared out of nowhere, shoving me aside to help her up. "Does that cake you brought have mango in it?" he demanded.
I just stared at him coldly.
His anger flared. "Don't you know Lily's allergic to mangoes? Are you trying to kill her?"
For the first time, I noticed the purplish tint to Lily's lips.
I knew she was allergic.
But the mangoes… Lily was the one who told me to add them.
"It's Caleb's favorite," she'd said.

5
At one in the morning, Lily was admitted to the university hospital.
The doctor sighed. "If you know you're allergic, why would you eat it? Do you have a death wish?"
Caleb whipped his head around, his face dark as he glared at me. "She's in there because of you. Are you happy now?"
I took a deep breath. "Caleb, are you an idiot?" I shot back. "Lily knew there were mangoes in that cake. She's the one who couldn't control herself. What does that have to do with me?"
His gaze turned to ice. "Stop pretending, Chloe."
"Don't think I don't know why you really came here."
"Does it bother you that much that she and I are together? Did you have to bring a poisoned cake just to hurt her?"
Looking at this man, so blind and unfair, I felt a sharp, clear pang of regret.
Regret for all the times he'd stayed after school to tutor me in math. Regret for when he'd encouraged me to apply to the same university. Regret for when he'd joked about how lost I'd be without him. I shouldn't have ever thought he liked me.
I hadn't slept in over a day. The exhaustion was making my heart pound erratically.
I closed my eyes for a second, then took out my phone and dialed 911 without a second thought.
Just before the call connected, Caleb snatched the phone from my hand and smashed it on the floor.
"Enough! How long are you going to keep this up?"
I stared at the shattered phone, then slowly crouched down and began to pick up the pieces. Then, I stood up and threw them all in his face.
I had a crush on him for seven years. That didn't mean I didn't have any pride.
"Doctor," I said, my voice shaking. "Could you please call the police for me?"
I was at my limit. Black spots danced in my vision. As I started to fall backward, a pair of strong hands caught me, steadying me.
The clean scent of soap and mint filled my senses.
Liam's cool, clear voice came from above me.
"She didn't eat much for dinner. It's probably low blood sugar. Doctor, could you please take a look at her?"
Through the haze of my fading consciousness, I thought I heard him dialing a number. His voice was a distant, cold murmur.
"Hello, I'd like to report an incident."

6
The doctor gave me a glucose packet, and the world slowly came back into focus.
Liam had finished his call and was now staring at Lily with a flat, unreadable expression.
Lily flinched and burrowed deeper into Caleb's arms. "I… I only had a little taste. The cake was just sitting there, it was meant to be eaten."
"The doctor seems to think you had more than just a little taste," Liam said, his face impassive. "I think it's best if we get the security footage and clear this all up with the police."
I knew from high school that Lily was terrified of authority. Just seeing a cop on the street made her walk funny. Now, with the police actually on their way, she was frozen to the spot.
I explained everything, from start to finish.
The officer pointed to the security footage on his monitor, which clearly showed Lily eating three large slices of the cake. "You knew you were allergic, and you ate three pieces? You couldn't taste the giant mango filling?"
Lily was pale with fear. All she could do was apologize over and over. "I'm sorry… I just have a sweet tooth. It won't happen again."
She hung her head, silent tears tracking down her cheeks.
Caleb, of course, softened. "Alright, just try to control yourself next time." His tone was a world away from the venom he'd directed at me.
Lily's eyes reddened, and she was about to lean on him for comfort.
But I took Liam's phone and held up the payment app's QR code to Caleb.
"Lily ate my cake, and you broke my phone. In front of a police officer and a doctor, it's time to pay up."
Liam, suddenly brought into it, chimed in smoothly, "I can confirm. My girlfriend has indeed suffered a financial loss."
Caleb's face was a mask of thunder. "Chloe, are you really going to be like this with me?"
"You told me to get lost. Should I be thanking you for smashing my phone?"
With the police present, Caleb quickly transferred the money. But as he watched Liam help me out of the hospital, his expression turned dark and stormy.

7
I walked out of the hospital and down a small alley, my pace getting faster and faster.
When I turned a corner onto an empty street, I finally collapsed, crouching down and burying my face in my knees.
The summer night was silent.
A sea of purple lilacs spilled through the bars of an old, wrought-iron fence from a nearby apartment complex. A breeze rustled through them, sending petals drifting to the ground.
The streetlight was dim, casting only two shadows on the pavement.
Mine, crumpled on the ground.
And Liam's, standing a few feet away.
"It's okay," he said. "Go ahead and cry. I won't tell anyone."
The dam broke. A sob tore from my throat, echoing through the empty street, lost in the scent of the lilacs.
Before I came here, I had prepared myself. Rejection was fine. At least I would have Lily. On the bus ride, we had chatted excitedly about everything—food, sights to see, which bar we'd hit if the confession was a disaster.
But in the span of a single day, I'd been humiliated by Caleb and betrayed by Lily. I couldn't hold it in anymore.
Liam stood a short distance behind me, giving me space, shielding me from view.
After a long time, I finally stood up, my eyes swollen.
"Thank you, for today."
Liam didn't look at me. He was staring at his phone, his voice casual. "It's three hours till sunrise. Get some sleep. We can do the amusement park the day after tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," I croaked.
Just then, a police car pulled up beside us. The window rolled down, and the officer inside greeted Liam like an old friend. "Liam, this is your friend?"
"Yeah," Liam said. "She couldn't get a hotel. My aunt said she could stay at her place tonight. Could you give her a ride?"
"Sure thing. Hop in."
Seeing my confused expression, Liam explained quietly, "My uncle. I figured you'd feel safer if he was the one to drive you."
It clicked. He was worried I wouldn't trust him. So he had his police officer uncle take me to a safe place for the night.
I opened my mouth, but I'd already said "thank you" too many times tonight. So I said something else instead.
"The day after tomorrow… I'm buying you dinner."
Liam smiled, as if he knew what I'd been thinking. "You already said that, too."
He opened the car door for me, saving me from my embarrassment.
"Alright, see you in two days."
The door closed. Before I could say goodbye, his figure was already shrinking in the distance, a dark silhouette against the fading streetlights.

8
I never would have guessed that Liam's aunt lived in the residential quarters right next to the police station.
I felt so safe that I slept for a full day and night. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw a text from Liam.
"Text me when you're awake."
I stared at the message for a moment, then shot out of bed. I had a date with Liam at the amusement park, and I was going to be late.
I rushed to the park, arriving out of breath.
Liam was sitting on a park bench, his long legs stretched out in front of him, looking relaxed and at ease. Sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling him in gold.
"When did you get here?" I panted.
He placed a sunhat on my head, his voice laced with a smile. "Just now. Not too early, not too late, girlfriend."
Then, he casually took my hand.
My entire body went rigid.
Liam leaned in close, whispering, "Don't look now. Caleb's behind us."
Sure enough, I heard Lily's voice. I cursed my luck. Why did they have to be everywhere?
I deliberately leaned closer to Liam, pressing against his arm. "Let's go to the haunted house."
Lily was a coward. She'd avoid a place like that.
But as the park attendant was sorting us into groups, I saw her, clinging to Caleb's arm, walking right in.
"Chloe, I was calling you… you didn't hear me."
Caleb's gaze lingered on my and Liam's clasped hands for a second before he looked away, his expression cold. He said to Liam, "Wanna team up?"
Liam looked at me.
"I don't mind," I said.
So, of course, Liam didn't mind either. The four of us were sent down the same path.
The moment we stepped inside, the world went dark.
Lily immediately shrank into Caleb's arms. "Caleb, I'm so scared."
Honestly, so was I. But I was too proud to cling to Liam. I just gripped his hand tightly, my steps quick and nervous.
Sensing the sweat on my palm, Liam squeezed my hand. "Slow down. We'll get out."
I nodded, but a cold draft on the back of my neck made me hurry anyway.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream from Lily echoed from around a corner. I jumped, and Liam pulled me back, into his arms.
The chilling cold vanished, replaced by the solid warmth of his body.
"Shh…"
His warm breath grazed my ear. I think his lips might have brushed against my skin.
"The 'ghost' is over there. You almost ran right into him."
Lily was sobbing hysterically now.
I forgot all about being proper and just clung to Liam's waist. "Don't let him come over here, please, don't let him come over here…"
I think Liam might have chuckled. "Okay."
The sound of rattling chains seemed to be getting closer. Liam gently pressed my head against his chest and said to the actor, "Hey man, can you give us a break? My girlfriend's a little scared."
The actor let out a frustrated roar, then dragged his chains away, muttering under his breath.
Even after he was gone, Liam didn't let go.
I could hear the frantic beating of both our hearts, mingled with our soft, warm breaths.
I finally realized how close we were.
"Can you walk?" Liam's voice was a low murmur, almost a whisper.
My face was burning. I started to let go. "I'm sorry… I…"
He tightened his grip. "Nothing to be sorry about."
His words were like a feather, settling gently on my heart. His palm felt impossibly hot against mine.
I looked up and met Caleb's eyes across the narrow passage. His expression was dark, unreadable. Then he looked away.
The rest of the way, the actors left us alone, but Lily's screams continued to punctuate the darkness. Liam led me out, shaken but unscathed.
I had some dust on my arm, so I went to the restroom to clean up. Lily followed me in.
"Chloe, why have you been ignoring me?"
In the bright light of the restroom, I saw that she had dressed up today, wearing a cute, photo-ready dress. She was looking at me with big, wounded eyes.
I dried my hands and turned to leave.
Suddenly, her voice rose. "Chloe, were we ever really friends?"
"I thought you would be happy for us."
That hit a nerve. I turned back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Lily, have you lost your mind?"
She looked stung. "I know you have a crush on Caleb, but you didn't get into the same university as us! I had to watch him for you every day. Of course I was going to fall for him…"
"Then why did you push me to confess?"
"Because I couldn't hold my feelings in anymore! I never meant for us to get together, but he just came over and kissed me, and you know I can't say no—"
"Enough!" I cut her off. "You're innocent, you're weak, you can't say no when someone confesses to you, you can't resist a piece of cake you know will hurt you. And in the end, I'm the one who has to deal with the consequences. How dare you ask me to be your friend?"
Lily just stared at me, her eyes red, silent.
We heard Caleb's voice from outside. "Lily, are you ready?"
She wiped her tears and whispered, "It's all my fault. I'm sorry for everything. I'll break up with him, okay?"
Then she pushed the door open and ran out.

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