"LIAM!"
He turned sharply at the sound of the voice. Bella was running toward him—fast. Not playfully like she normally would, not smiling. Panic was etched across her face, her hair flying behind her, her eyes wide and shining. She wasn't just out of breath—she looked like she'd been crying.
He stepped toward her, his instincts kicking in. "Bella? What happened?"
She reached him, chest heaving. "It's my mum," she gasped. "She was in a car accident. Some guy ran a red light and hit her. It just happened—one of her coworkers called me. She's conscious, but they're taking her to the hospital now, and I—I have to go. I have to be there."
Liam stared at her, the words hitting hard like ice water. "Jesus… Bella—"
"She's the only one I have," she said, her voice shaking. "My dad... he won't even answer my calls. I can't do this alone."
Liam's stomach twisted. This wasn't part of the act. This wasn't the naive, trusting girl they were supposed to break. This was something else entirely—her pain was real, and he felt it.
"I didn't want to just leave without saying anything," she added, her fingers twisting in the strap of her backpack. "I needed to tell you."
He reached out without thinking, pulling her close. "It's okay. You don't have to explain. Your mum will be fine, okay?"
She nodded, burying her face in his shoulder for a heartbeat before pulling back, tears at the corners of her eyes. "Call me later?"
"I will," he said, his words soft.
She gave him a fragile smile, kissed his cheek, and turned away, running again—eager to get to the hospital as fast as she could.
Liam stood there long after she disappeared.
The chill forming in his chest had nothing to do with the wind.
---
The hospital smelled like antiseptic, as typical. Bella's shoes squeaked on the tiled floor as she hurried past the reception desk. Her heart had been pounding for twenty straight minutes since she left school—she hadn't even remembered to text Liam that she'd arrived.
"Excuse me," she said breathlessly to the nurse at the front desk. "I got a call. My mum—her name is Carla Rivers. She was in an accident. Can you tell me where she is?"
The nurse checked the screen, then nodded calmly. "She's in Room 203. It wasn't serious, sweetheart—just some bruises. They're running tests to be sure everything's okay."
Bella's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank you."
She rushed down the hall and found the room. Her mother was propped up on the bed with a small bandage on her forehead. Her left arm was lightly wrapped, and her right hand was holding a cup of water.
"Mum!"
Carla looked up. "Oh, honey."
Bella ran to her, throwing her arms around her gently. "Oh my God. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, baby. Really," Carla said, stroking her hair with her good hand. "It looks worse than it is."
"But the call said—"
"My coworker called immediately it happened," Carla said with a tired smile. "I told her not to call you until I knew more, but… well, she panicked. I'm sorry."
"No—don't be. I'm glad she did. I was so scared." Bella stepped back and looked her over again. "They said it wasn't serious?"
Carla nodded. "Just a minor collision. A guy ran a red light and hit the driver's side. The airbags went off. I've got a bruise the size of my head on my hip, but that's about it. They're just doing scans to make sure there's no internal bleeding."
Bella let out a breath. "Jesus. I thought—"
"I know," Carla said gently. "But I promise I'm okay. And I'm glad you're here."
Just then, the door creaked open.
Mr. Rivers stepped inside the room, still in his office suit. His tie was undone. He took one look at them and immediately, his eyes shone with disgust.
Bella's jaw tightened. "Dad."
"Hi, Bella," he said quietly, barely looking at her. His eyes shifted to Carla. "How bad is it?"
Carla offered a calm smile. "Nothing too dramatic, Jonathan. Just a few bruises—nothing broken."
"I got the call from your assistant," he said, his voice flat. "She said you were brought in. Figured I should check in."
"You figured," Carla repeated softly.
He didn't answer. He moved to the far side of the bed and stood awkwardly, like he didn't quite know what to do anymore. His gaze briefly flicked to Bella again. "You left school?"
"My mum could've died," she said, her voice tight.
Jonathan's face didn't shift. "She didn't."
Bella looked away, jaw clenched.
Carla spoke before the silence swallowed the room. "Thank you for coming, Jonathan."
He nodded vaguely. "I'll let you two talk."
He turned and walked out, not sparing another glance.
Bella stared at the door after him. "He didn't even ask if I was okay."
Carla reached out. "You already know how your father is, Bell."
"It's not an excuse anymore."
Carla's hand squeezed hers. "Don't let his actions affect you."
Bella blinked hard. "I hate how little he cares."
"I know," her mum whispered.
Bella stood up and rubbed her arms, suddenly cold. "Do they know how long the scans will take?"
"Doctor said maybe an hour or two. I'll be stuck here till they're done."
"I'll wait."
Carla smiled. "You don't have to. Seriously, I'm fine—you can go back to school."
"And leave you here by yourself? No way. Dad couldn't even stay up to ten minutes. Pathetic," she spat.
They sat in silence for a beat, just breathing in the relief.
Then Carla tilted her head. "Was Liam worried?"
"I think so." Bella glanced down. "He was really gentle. He held me, said it was okay. I didn't even tell him where I was going exactly. I just ran."
Carla smiled faintly. "Sounds like he really cares about you."
Bella looked away, guilt scratching at the back of her neck. "Yeah…"
---
The ride home from the hospital was quiet. Bella's mum sat in the front seat, staring out the window, one hand pressed lightly over her stomach. The doctor had said it was nothing serious and there was no internal bleeding, but Bella could still see the fatigue on her face. Once they got home, Bella helped her to the couch, fluffed a pillow behind her back, and draped a blanket over her legs.
"I'll make you some tea," Bella offered.
"No need, darling," her mum replied softly. "Just sit with me a while."
Before Bella could respond, the doorbell rang. She opened it to find Mira, holding a small box of crackers and a bottle of juice.
"I heard what happened. Is she okay?" Mira asked, eyes wide with concern.
"She's resting now. Come on in, you can say hi," Bella said, stepping aside.
Mira greeted Bella's mum with a soft voice, offering her sympathy. After a few moments, she glanced at Bella. "Wanna go to your room? Give your mum some peace?"
Bella nodded, and the two girls padded down the hallway and into her room, closing the door behind them.
---
"So," Mira flopped onto the bed, keeping her legs folded beneath her. "Is Liam still being a weirdo?"
Bella let out a breath, sitting on the edge of her bed. "He's not being a weirdo. He just… asked me to do something I'm not sure about."
Mira tilted her head. "What'd he ask?"
Bella hesitated. "He said he wanted… a picture. Of me. Like… not just a cute selfie."
"Ohhh," Mira said, drawing out the word with a smirk. "That kind of picture."
Bella groaned and covered her face. "It feels wrong. What if someone sees it? What if he doesn't delete it?"
Mira sat up straighter, her tone turning gentle but persuasive. "Babe, it's 2025. Everyone does this stuff. It's not that deep. If you trust him, why not? Plus, you looked bomb in that dress last weekend. Imagine what you'd look like without it."
Bella blinked. "Mira…"
"I'm not saying you should strip on a rooftop," Mira said with a roll of her eyes. "Just... something flirty. You don't have to go full-on unless you want to."
Bella fidgeted with her sleeve. "He said he wants everything."
Mira raised her brows. "And you love him, right?"
Bella nodded slowly.
"Then let's do it together. I'll help you take them, make sure you look amazing. You don't have to send anything you're not okay with."
There was a pause. Bella looked toward the window, then back at Mira.
"Okay. Just one. And only if it looks good."
Mira lit up like a firework. "That's my girl!"
---
Mira helped Bella with the ring light, shifting the curtains to let in just the right amount of sunlight. Bella changed into a loose top first, and they started with a few playful shots—just her shoulders, her neck, nothing revealing yet.
"Gorgeous," Mira cooed, snapping pictures. "Now drop the shirt off one side. Let's tease a bit."
Bella obeyed hesitantly, her fingers trembling. She laughed nervously.
"Don't be shy. You're stunning. You'll make Liam melt."
One by one, Mira encouraged her to go further—until Bella stood with nothing left to cover her. She crossed her arms at first, then slowly relaxed them.
Mira took the final photo and handed her the phone. "Here. You approve?"
Bella stared at the screen. The image didn't feel like her. It felt like someone else. What if Mum sees this picture? she thought.
Hey, what are you overthinking? It's Liam we're talking about here—your boyfriend. And you do trust him, so what's your deal? Are you okay with these pictures or not?
"I guess," she muttered hesitantly.
Mira grinned. "Send it before you change your mind."
Bella hit send before she could think too long. Her hands were cold.
—
Later that evening, the scent of stew filled the air. Bella's mum called from the kitchen, her voice sounding stronger.
"Dinner's ready Bel!"
Mira grabbed her bag. "I'll head out now, my mum would be getting worried. But let me know what Liam says, okay?"
Bella nodded, suddenly quieter. "Yeah… I will."
"Heyy cheer up, this was done from a place of love, you shouldn't be so moody," Mira cajoled.
Bella just managed a small smile to please her, one she didn't really feel.
As Mira stepped out the door and the clatter of plates echoed from the kitchen, Bella sat on her bed and stared at her phone screen. The message had been delivered, but there was no reply yet.
She pulled on a sweatshirt, suddenly feeling cold.
Immediately Mira entered the cab that would take her home, she quickly pulled out her phone and typed:
"We just took the pictures... and guess what? I've got my own copies too."