CHAPTER 7: Karaoke
The karaoke place continued to buzz, the sound of off-key singing mixed with laughter and chatter. I was finally beginning to feel like I could breathe again when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Groaning internally, I pulled it out and saw Mom plastered across the screen. Perfect timing, as always.
“Hello?” I answered, trying to sound casual even though my heart was still racing from earlier.
“Where are you?” she asked, her voice carrying that tone of concern that usually meant she was gearing up for a lecture.
“Karaoke,” I replied, keeping it short. I wasn’t in the mood to explain the sudden change in my personality or why I wasn’t holed up in my room as usual.
“Karaoke?” she repeated, like I had just told her I was skydiving off a cliff. “Since when do you go to karaoke?”
“Since now,” I said, rolling my eyes even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m out with Tessa. Just hanging out.”
There was a pause on her end, and I could practically hear her trying to decide if she wanted to argue about it. “Okay… when will you be back?”
“Probably late,” I said quickly, hoping that would end the conversation.
“Camila, don’t stay out too late,” she said, her voice softening a little. “You know how—”
“Got it, Mom. Gotta go. Bye,” I cut her off, hanging up before she could launch into one of her “safety first” speeches. I didn’t want to hear it tonight.
Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I turned to Tessa. “I’m going to grab a drink. Be back in a bit.”
“Alright,” she said, grinning. “Get me a soda or something, would you?”
I nodded and made my way through the crowd toward the small bar area at the back. The lights were dim, and the smell of popcorn and cheap beer filled the air. I wasn’t planning to drink anything crazy—just something fizzy to keep my hands busy.
As I waited in line, I felt a hand on my shoulder. My heart jumped, and my stomach did a weird flip. Ethan. Of course, it had to be him. Who else would sneak up on me like that? I stiffened, turning around slowly, ready to tell him to back off.
But it wasn’t Ethan.
It was Liam, a guy from school who I sort of knew but wouldn’t exactly call a friend. He was one of those people who was always around but never really in my circle. We had exchanged a few words in class, nothing more.
He was dressed in a perfectly put-together outfit that screamed effortless cool. He had on a crisp white shirt tucked into tailored chinos, paired with a lightweight bomber jacket that gave off just the right mix of casual and polished. His sneakers were spotless, somehow managing to look both trendy and understated. Honestly, Liam could probably walk into a fashion show straight from class and fit right in—he’s easily one of the most stylish people I know.
“Hey, Camila,” he said, giving me a casual smile. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Oh, uh, hey,” I said, relaxing a little. “Yeah, it’s… kind of a last-minute thing.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “Did Tessa drag you out? You don’t seem like the karaoke type.”
“Wow, way to call me out,” I said, crossing my arms with a small laugh. “But yeah, she kind of did. Needed a change of scenery, I guess.”
He nodded, leaning against the counter. “Fair enough. So, what’s your go-to karaoke song?”
I blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Go-to? I don’t think I have one. Tonight was my first time singing, actually.”
“No way,” he said, his eyes widening as he straightened up. “And you survived? Impressive.”
I let out a soft laugh, the kind that wasn’t meant to grab attention but somehow still turned heads.
“Barely. Pretty sure I butchered the song.”
“Nah, I bet you nailed it,” Liam said, his smile warm and easy. It felt strange, having a conversation with him like this. He was being… unexpectedly nice. Not that he was ever mean to me or anything, but this? This felt different—almost like we were friends or something.
The bartender finally handed me my drink, and I grabbed it, turning back to Liam. “Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. Anyway, I should probably get back before Tessa starts thinking I ditched her.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said, stepping aside to let me pass. “See you around, Camila.”
“See you,” I said, giving him a small wave as I walked away.
As I made my way back to the table, I couldn’t help but glance around the room, half-expecting to see Ethan lurking somewhere. But there was no sign of him. Maybe he had left. Maybe I was overthinking everything, letting my paranoia get the best of me.
“Hey, you were gone forever,” Tessa said as I slid back into my seat.
“Ran into someone from school,” I said, handing her the soda she’d asked for. “Liam.”
Tessa raised an eyebrow. “Liam? As in, tall, kind of cocky, cute and fashionable, sits in the back of class Liam?”
“Yeah,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. “He’s… nice, I guess.”
“Hmm,” Tessa said, giving me a look. “Well, that’s interesting.”
“What’s interesting?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
“Nothing,” she said, smirking. “Just saying, you’re full of surprises tonight.”
I rolled my eyes, letting her have her fun. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the day wasn’t over yet. And as much as I tried to push it away, Ethan’s voice—his word—still lingered in the back of my mind. Mate.
Whatever that meant, whatever he thought it meant, I wasn’t about to let it define me. Not tonight. Not ever.
