How Paris Changed My Life

15

James's voice cut through the otherwise quiet room, filled with a mixture of concern and frustration. "Where have you been?!" he demanded, rising from his seat with a sense of urgency.

I tried to offer a casual explanation, though I could sense the tension in his tone. "I just went to the store," I replied, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"But why did you stay out for so long?" James's voice was tinged with worry. "I was getting anxious. What if Aiden was bothering you again?"

I couldn't help but laugh nervously at his concern, though his worry was touching. "Honey, calm down. I'm perfectly fine. In fact, look who I brought with me," I said, stepping aside to reveal Liam, who had been standing quietly behind me.

James's eyes widened in surprise as Liam stepped forward. "You can't be serious," he said, disbelief evident in his voice. Liam walked over to Mike, who was seated nearby.

"Mike?" Liam asked, approaching him with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "How did you find him?"

"I was at Starbucks," Mike explained, "and he came in later and started talking to me. It was no problem." He then pulled Liam close and gave him a gentle kiss, a gesture that seemed to melt away any lingering tension.

Liam, still somewhat taken aback, turned to Mike with a hopeful look. "Actually, there's something I've wanted to ask you for a while," Liam began, his voice betraying a hint of hesitation. He took a deep breath before continuing, "Will you be my boyfriend?"

The room fell into a stunned silence as everyone absorbed Liam's question. His cheeks flushed a deep red, a stark contrast to his usual composed demeanor.

"Oh, look at that, we've got a tomato here!" Max teased, his voice dripping with mockery. Olivia, sitting beside him, gave him a gentle shove, clearly annoyed by his comment.

"Ouch!" Max exclaimed, rubbing his side as he poked Olivia back playfully.

I turned my attention back to Liam and Mike, who were now wrapped in a warm embrace. "Yes, absolutely," Liam replied, his voice filled with emotion. He leapt into Mike's arms, his excitement palpable.

At that moment, Olivia's cell phone buzzed with a notification. "It's my mother," she announced, glancing at the screen. "I think I'm going to head home." She turned to Max. "You should come along too."

"Why?" Max asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Maybe you don't want to come?" Olivia responded, her tone carrying a hint of offense.

"Of course, I want to come with you. But is there a specific reason?" Max inquired.

"Yes, my parents want to meet you," Olivia explained. Max sighed, resigned to the situation. "Alright, I'll see you all tomorrow. Have fun." He winked at us before following Olivia out the door.

With Olivia and Max gone, I turned back to James, who had settled comfortably on the bed. To my surprise, he was already asleep. I found myself awake and wide-eyed, unable to join him in slumber. He looked so peaceful that I couldn't bring myself to wake him. Instead, I reached for my cell phone, which had just buzzed with a message from my brother.

I opened the snap to find a text that read, "When are you going to properly introduce your boyfriend?"

I smiled and, lying down next to James, decided to take a selfie with him. I added a caption: "Is this good enough?" and pressed send. While waiting for my brother's response, I turned on the TV, contemplating what to watch. Should I go for Do Revenge or indulge in a marathon of Elite? I opted for Do Revenge, primarily because Maya Hawke was in it and I wasn't up for a marathon session.