Valerie's POV
Valerie sat at her desk, staring blankly at the textbook in front of her. She had been trying to study for the last hour, but her mind kept drifting back to the kiss. No matter how hard she tried to push the thought away, it kept returning, her emotions swirling in a way she wasn't used to.
She still felt the press of Liam's lips, the way her heart had raced when their eyes met. It wasn't just the kiss—it was the way he looked at her, as if she was the only person in the world. No one, not even Julien, had ever made her feel that way.
And then there was the guilt. I kissed someone else, she thought, biting her lip. Julien wasn't a bad guy. He was polite, charming, and stable—everything her mom wanted for her. But that was the problem, wasn't it? Everything mom wants. Her entire life seemed to be moving according to someone else's plan. College, the engagement, the upcoming wedding... none of it felt like her choice.
Valerie picked up her phone and scrolled through the texts from Julien, his sweet words feeling hollow. She knew deep down that she didn't love him—not the way she was supposed to. But breaking it off? That felt impossible. Her family had so many expectations, and her mom had already told half the world about the engagement. Everyone thought she was lucky to be with Julien.
But when she was with him, it felt like she was playing a role in someone else's story.
With Liam, though... everything felt raw, unfiltered. He didn't hide behind fake smiles or carefully rehearsed lines. He said what he wanted, even if it annoyed her, and somehow that made things more real. But he was also complicated, and they'd never exactly been close. He frustrated her, challenged her, but maybe that was part of why the kiss had been so intense.
I kissed him back, she reminded herself. She hadn't been caught off guard or pushed into it. She had wanted it, even if she wasn't sure why.
Her phone buzzed again, interrupting her thoughts. This time it wasn't Julien. It was a text from Emily:
"Hey, you okay? You looked a bit out of it in class."
Valerie hesitated before typing back:
"Yeah, just tired. A lot on my mind."
She tossed the phone onto the bed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She needed to figure this out. She couldn't keep leading Julien on, but she also wasn't sure if things with Liam meant anything more than that impulsive kiss. It was like her whole life was suddenly up in the air, and she had no idea how to bring it back down.
The door creaked open, and her mom's voice floated into the room. "Valerie, are you ready for tomorrow? Julien's parents are expecting us for dinner."
Valerie groaned inwardly. Another formal event, another round of pretending everything was perfect. She forced a smile. "Yeah, Mom. I'm ready."
But she wasn't. Not really.
Tomorrow, I'll have to face Julien and act like nothing happened. How am I supposed to do that after everything that just went down? Valerie sighed and sat back on her bed. She knew the longer she waited, the harder it would be to unravel the mess her life was becoming.
She needed to talk to Liam, and she needed to figure out what she really wanted. Because if she didn't, someone was going to get hurt—whether it was Julien, Liam, or herself.
