Liam watched as Emily stormed out of the room, feeling a pang of guilt and regret. He hadn't meant to hurt her, but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

As he sat in class, staring blankly at the professor, Liam's mind wandered back to their argument. He couldn't believe the things he had said to Emily. They were cruel and hurtful, and he knew he would regret them.

But why had he said them? Liam asked himself. Was it because he was trying to protect himself from his growing feelings for Emily? Or was it because he was just a jerk?

Liam didn't know the answer, but he knew one thing - he needed to apologize to Emily. He couldn't let things continue like this.

As the class ended and the students began to file out, Liam caught up to Emily in the hallway. "Hey," he said, his voice soft. "Can we talk?"

Emily turned to him, her eyes flashing with anger. "What's there to talk about?" she spat.

Liam took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was out of line, and I hurt you. That was not okay."

Emily's expression softened slightly, but her eyes still held a hint of wariness. "Why did you say those things?" she asked.

Liam hesitated, unsure of how to answer. He didn't want to admit his true feelings to Emily, not yet. "I don't know," he said finally. "I was just angry, I guess."

Emily nodded, her expression unreadable. "Okay," she said. "Apology accepted."

Liam felt a surge of relief, but it was short-lived. As he looked into Emily's eyes, he saw something there that gave him pause. Something that made him wonder if he had just made things worse.

Emily's words were polite, but her tone was icy. Liam could tell that she was still hurt, still reeling from the things he had said.

"I appreciate the apology," Emily said, her voice formal. "But I need some time to process everything."

Liam nodded, feeling a pang of regret. He had hurt her, and he didn't blame her for needing space.

"I understand," he said. "Take all the time you need."

Emily nodded, her eyes avoiding his. "I will."

The silence that followed was awkward, and Liam didn't know how to break it. He wanted to reach out to Emily, to comfort her, but he didn't know if she would welcome his touch.

Finally, Emily spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need to go."

Liam nodded, feeling a sense of loss. "Okay."

As Emily turned and walked away, Liam felt a pang of regret. He had hurt her, and he didn't know how to make it right.

He watched her go, feeling helpless and unsure of what to do next.