Chapter 4: Blurred Lines

The week passed in a blur, a cascade of late-night study sessions and coffee-fueled conversations. Liam found himself more and more immersed in the project with Dominic, and though he still wasn’t entirely sure how to handle the dynamic between them, something about it made him feel... alive. Unsettling, yes. But alive.

Dominic’s easy confidence seemed to seep into him, pushing him to engage in ways he never had before. They met every couple of days at the café, brainstorming ideas, discussing the play they were analyzing, and always managing to veer into personal territory as well. Dominic was an open book, and Liam often found himself reading between the lines of Dominic’s stories—stories about coming out to his parents, the challenges of being an openly gay student in a conservative town, and his unflinching belief that life should be lived boldly.

But Liam was quieter. He gave nothing away. He didn’t tell Dominic about the late-night phone calls with his mother, where the topic of relationships never came up. He didn’t explain the way his heart hammered every time he thought about being open about who he was. Dominic’s comfort in his own skin was a reminder of everything Liam had yet to face, and though it was inspiring, it was also terrifying.

This evening, however, Liam wasn’t thinking about any of that. He was thinking about the project.

“Okay, so we’re ready to start rehearsing tomorrow, right?” Dominic asked, his tone light, his eyes scanning the notes in front of them.

Liam looked down at his own notebook, trying to focus on the words but feeling the growing weight of the tension between them. They’d been sitting in a quiet corner of the campus library, deep in the middle of an analysis of Blanche’s motivations. It was late, nearly midnight, but neither of them had been willing to stop working. Dominic thrived in the late hours, and Liam had always been a night owl.

“Yeah, I think we’re ready,” Liam said, keeping his voice steady despite the storm of thoughts swirling inside his mind. He glanced up at Dominic, who was smiling at something on his phone.

“I was thinking we should meet in the drama building tomorrow. I know it sounds... dramatic, but I think we’ll get a better feel for the scenes if we’re in a place that actually *feels* like a stage,” Dominic explained, his hands animated as he spoke.

“Drama building?” Liam repeated, his mind suddenly racing. Of course. Dominic was a theater major, he practically *lived* in that building. It made sense, given the context of their project, but the thought of rehearsing in an actual theater space with Dominic made Liam’s heart race for entirely different reasons.

“Yeah, I’ll reserve a practice room. Shouldn’t be too crowded at that time of night. It’ll be perfect,” Dominic added, his eyes lighting up as he spoke. “Besides, I think you’ll like it. It’ll be... fun. Not as intimidating as it sounds, trust me.”

Liam forced a smile. “Sure. I’m in.”

The next evening, Liam found himself standing in front of the drama building, his pulse quickening in anticipation. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into him, agreeing to rehearse in an actual theater space. But as he entered the dimly lit lobby, he felt a shiver of excitement run through him.

The building was quiet, except for the muffled sounds of footsteps in the distance. Dominic had already texted him to say he was upstairs, so Liam made his way to the second floor, his footsteps echoing off the hardwood floors. He tried to calm his nerves, reminding himself that this was just another project. Another assignment. Nothing more.

When he reached the practice room, Dominic was already there, standing by the door, holding two cups of coffee. He looked more relaxed than usual, his easy smile in full force.

“You made it!” Dominic said, grinning. “I was starting to think I might be stuck rehearsing this alone.”

Liam chuckled, though his stomach was twisting in knots. “I don’t think you’d have much trouble doing that.”

“True,” Dominic replied with a wink. “But I think you’ll make a better scene partner than my own reflection.”

Liam blushed, shifting his weight awkwardly. “Let’s just... get started.”

Dominic pushed the door open wider and gestured for Liam to come inside. The practice room was smaller than Liam expected, the walls lined with mirrors and a few scattered props. A stage in the corner, lights above, and the faint scent of old wood made it feel like something out of a dream.

Dominic set the coffee cups down on the table in the corner. “I thought we could start by going over the scene where Blanche and Mitch talk about her past. It’s where things really start to unravel for her, and I think it’s a pivotal moment.”

Liam nodded, trying to focus on the script as Dominic pulled out a couple of chairs for them. They sat across from each other, each with a script in hand, but Liam couldn’t help the nervous flutter in his chest. The way Dominic looked at him—so unbothered, so comfortable—only made his heart race more.

“Okay, so you’re going to read Blanche, and I’ll read Mitch,” Dominic said, his voice playful, yet serious. He picked up his coffee, taking a sip, his gaze still fixed on Liam. “You’re good with that, right?”

Liam blinked, a sudden wave of panic washing over him. Acting. Reading in front of Dominic. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know the lines, but... but this was different. He had to perform. He couldn’t hide behind a textbook or an essay this time.

“Yeah, sure,” Liam said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He picked up the script and cleared his throat. “Let’s just... do it.”

Dominic’s gaze softened, and for a moment, the playful edge to his voice seemed to melt away. “Don’t worry about it, Westbrook. Just let it flow. We’re partners, remember?”

Liam swallowed hard. Partners. That word seemed loaded, especially now, in the quiet, intimate space. But before he could think too much about it, Dominic’s voice cut through the tension.

“Alright, here we go,” he said, settling into the role of Mitch with surprising ease.

Liam hesitated for a beat, taking a deep breath before he began reading his lines as Blanche. And somehow, as the words left his mouth, everything else fell away. For that brief moment, in the safety of the performance, he was no longer the nervous student trying to keep up. He was Blanche, a woman unraveling before the audience, confessing her lies and her pain.

It wasn’t perfect, far from it. But there was something cathartic about it. It was a chance to let go, even if just for a moment. He could feel his nerves slowly fading, replaced by something almost... freeing. Something he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in a long time.

When the scene ended, both of them fell into silence. Dominic’s eyes were intense, but there was no judgment, only the spark of genuine curiosity and admiration.

“See?” Dominic said, breaking the silence. “You did great.”

Liam lowered the script, his fingers gripping the paper as though it might slip from his hands. “Thanks.”

Dominic leaned forward, his expression suddenly softer, more thoughtful. “You know, there’s something about you, Westbrook. You get this... quiet intensity. It’s like you’re holding everything in, but when you let it out, it’s... powerful. I think that’s what makes you interesting.”

Liam’s heart skipped a beat. Dominic had a way of making even the smallest compliment feel significant. His words lingered in the air like a weight, and for a moment, Liam didn’t know how to respond. He wasn’t used to being seen like that. Especially not by someone like Dominic.

“Thanks,” Liam finally said, his voice a little hoarse. “I... I didn’t expect it to feel like that.”

Dominic smiled, his eyes gleaming. “Well, get used to it. I think this is just the beginning, Westbrook.”

Liam looked away, the heat on his face rising again. He couldn’t quite put into words what he was feeling. But as he met Dominic’s gaze once more, something shifted. Maybe he was finally starting to understand why he’d agreed to all of this in the first place.

**End of Chapter 4**

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