The Camgirl

Part XXVI: Steak and the Truth

XXVI Blake

A week passed before Blake saw Liam again after her talk with Chloe. Really saw him, at least. She saw him in classes but neither of them talked much during lectures, and Liam actually seemed busy for once to the point where he rushed off after class rather than walking with her to wherever they would split off for the next things on their respective schedules. Though most of his midterms were around the same time as hers due to their shared classes, it seemed his music classes scheduled theirs over a separate week. Blake was sure that all that got her through the week without being a total mess whenever she thought of him, however, were the smiles Liam always greeted and left her with. His face would light up when she sat down next to him and take on a regretful cast when he had to run off. She had caught him before he could go on Monday, squeezing him in a tight hug, and he hadn't questioned it, just hugging her back and smiling before he left for his next class.

Though she missed Liam, Blake found herself feeling strangely grateful for the period of conversational absence. She'd had no indication of whether or not Marie had told Liam what they had done, so she hadn't wanted to spend any time alone with him. It also gave her the excuse to be a shut-in and keep herself from interacting with Marie too much. She went to the gym every day and even did a few extra shows just to fill her spare time.

Liam surprised Blake on a Friday night as she was thinking about what to make herself as a compliment to her earlier protein shake. She had just gotten back from the gym and was still dressed in yoga pants and matching sports bra under a zip up hoodie—hair pulled back in a loose bun to hide in her hood while she was out in public—when she heard the door open. For a moment, Blake froze, thinking it was Marie.

Marie's out at a sorority thing, she reminded herself, must be Sophie. Still, she leaned back on her heels to look into the hallway leading to the door. Her eyes widened when she took in Liam's tall figure closing the door behind him, a few grocery bags slung over one arm.

Rather than say hi, however, Blake bit her lip and ducked back into the kitchen. She hadn't been avoiding Liam during the week, and he hadn't given her any reason to think that he was mad at her, but Blake was still unsure how to act. Had Marie not told him yet, or was he simply that understanding? If anyone could be, it would be him.

Blake's thoughts stopped cold as Liam rounded the corner, a smile spreading onto his face as he saw her, eyes blinking in surprise.

"Hey."

Blake couldn't help but smile back, "Hey." For a moment, that was all she said. Until she realized how stupid it made her sound, "Um, what are you doing over? Marie's out."

As soon as Blake said the words, she remembered why he had stayed over last time, and she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She didn't know if she could handle joking about that with him right now. He would know something was off.

Liam held up the grocery bags, "I get tired of having dining hall food all the time—figured I would take advantage of the fact that my girlfriend has a kitchen. Marie gave me her key earlier and said I could use it as long as I made enough for there to be leftovers." He grinned at her, "And I figured you wouldn't mind having a home-cooked meal."

Blake grinned back at him, both in relief at the topic, and at the prospect of Liam's cooking, "Yessss. I was struggling to choose between quick, easy and yummy, and healthy. What did you get?"

"Hopefully I'll be able to help you out with that," Liam laughed, "I was thinking of making a kind of Asian dish that I made over the summer. Well, Asian spices and stuff, at least. You like steak, right?"

Blake realized her mouth was open and very close to letting some drool fall out.

"Steak?" She breathed.