The day of the Psychology project presentation arrived. Tasha felt a mix of nerves for the presentation itself and a strange tension about working with Liam one last time.
She met Emily and Liam in the lecture hall a few minutes before class started. Emily was smiling, looking ready. Liam was already set up at the front, plugging in his laptop, his face serious.
"Okay, is everyone ready?" Emily asked, a little nervous herself. "Tasha, your examples are great. Liam, your research is incredibly detailed."
Tasha nodded, looking at Liam. "Yeah, I made those changes you suggested."
Liam glanced at her. "Good." Just one word, but this time, it didn't feel rude. It just felt... like Liam.
Dr. Evans called their group up. Tasha felt her heart pound as they walked to the front of the room. Emily started with the introduction, calm and clear. Then it was Tasha's turn.
She talked about the real-world examples of confirmation bias, showing the social media posts and explaining how people tended to believe information that fit what they already thought. She spoke clearly, pointing to the slides. She even felt a little confident.
When it was Liam's turn, he took over smoothly. He talked about the scientific parts of confirmation bias, using bigger words and pointing to complex diagrams of brain activity. He explained how the brain sometimes worked to protect existing beliefs. He was incredibly articulate, even for an intro class. He made complicated ideas sound easy to understand, even for Tasha.
Tasha found herself watching him. His eyes scanned the room, making eye contact with students, and he looked completely in control. He wasn't arrogant when he was explaining things; he was just... brilliant. It was hard to deny.
After Liam finished, Emily wrapped up the presentation. They answered a few questions from Dr. Evans and the class. When they were done, Tasha felt a huge sense of relief. They had done it. And, surprisingly, they had done it well.
As they walked back to their seats, Dr. Evans smiled. "Excellent job, group five! Very well-researched and presented. You clearly put in a lot of effort."
Liam nodded slightly, but Tasha felt a thrill of pride. An "excellent job" from Dr. Evans meant a lot.
When class ended, students started leaving. Emily packed her bag. "That went well! Good job, guys!"
"Yeah," Tasha agreed, looking at Liam. "You were actually really good, Liam. Your part was impressive."
Liam paused, his hand on his backpack strap. He looked at Tasha, a flicker of surprise in his dark eyes. Then, a small, almost invisible curve touched his lips. It wasn't a full smile, but it was closer than she'd ever seen. "You didn't stumble over your words either, Hayes."
Tasha blinked. He had just given her a compliment. A backhanded one, but a compliment nonetheless. She actually felt a strange warmth in her chest.
"Well, thank you, Carter," she replied, a small smile appearing on her own face.
Liam held her gaze for another moment, then turned and walked out of the lecture hall without another word. Tasha watched him go, feeling confused but also... something else. Something lighter. The project was over. No more forced meetings. No more group chats. Yet, a part of her wondered if she would miss their strange, combative interactions. This new, more human Liam was certainly a lot more interesting.