ʀᴇᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ

17

"So, how was it?" Liv asked me across the kitchen counter as we prepared dinner.

I paused, confused. "What do you mean?"

Her tone shifted to a more teasing one, and I could sense her smirk. "Well, George and I saw it... the romantic evening, you two lovebirds," she said, explaining with dramatic hand gestures that made my face turn red. I laughed nervously.

"It was nothing," I said, trying to play it down.

"Nothing?" she cut me off. "Bro, that was like the sexiest kiss I have ever seen," she exclaimed.

"Oh, shut up, Liv. It was just, you know..." I sighed, unable to find the right words.

"Well, Michael has always been the best... you don't have to worry about anything, you know."

I nodded approvingly. "He is. You know him... the smartest, most understanding."

She smiled. "Yes, he is. Well, what are you two now, can I ask?"

I chuckled. "It's not official, you know... we're taking it slow. Let's see where it goes."

We continued chopping the veggies for our **bibimbap night**. "You'll be fine, don't worry," Liv assured me. "And George and you?"

She laughed. "Oh no! He already has a girlfriend, and I'm not ready to move on," she said, showing me a sad smile.

I quickly went to hug her, understanding her situation. "It's okay, Liv. Take your time. Alex would want you to be happy, but it's okay to grieve and take things slow."

"It's fine, Em. Okay, so as it's our night, what else do you want? Should I order something as well?"she said trying to change the topic.

We continued to chat, transitioning to the living room to watch "Queen of Tears," our favorite K-drama. As we watched, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Michael.

"Hey, are you free tomorrow?" the message read.

I typed back, "Yeah, I'm free. What's up?"

He replied almost instantly. "Great! How about a dinner date? Just the two of us."

I freaked out and threw my phone to the side. Liv looked at me, concerned. "What happened?"

"It's Michael. He asked if I'm free tomorrow."

She was so happy, practically jumping with excitement. "And? What are you going to say?"

I picked up my phone, my hands slightly trembling"Sounds perfect. What time?"

"7 PM. I'll pick you up," he responded.

Liv grinned from ear to ear. "See? He really likes you. This is going to be great, I'm so happy for you."

We continued watching the show, our conversation peppered with giggles and smiles as we discussed Michael and the upcoming date. The night flew by, and before we knew it, we were ready to call it a night.