The knock on the door was loud and uneven.
Inside the living room, Alaric frowned. "Who the hell-"....
Before he could finish, Adrian pushed the door open, half-carrying Raya.
Her hair was messy, her cheeks flushed, and she was clearly drunk.
"Found her outside the bar," Adrian said with a sigh. "She refused to go home."
Raya lifted her head slowly, blinking at the bright lights. Her eyes landed on Alaric.
"Alariccc..." she slurred, pointing at him like she had just discovered something important.
Alaric stiffened. Chloe, who was sitting beside him, looked between them curiously.
Adrian adjusted his grip on Raya as she leaned heavily against him.
"You should take care of her," Adrian said. "She kept saying your name."
Alaric's jaw tightened. "Why is she hanging on you like that?"
Raya giggled, completely unaware of the tension in the room. She poked Adrian's cheek.
"He's nice," she said loudly. Then she looked back at Alaric with glassy eyes.
"But you..." she mumble swaying slightly, "... you're the worst."
Chloe, who was sitting beside you're the worst."
Chloe raised an eyebrow.
Alaric crossed his arms. "Then why were you calling my name?"
Raya stared at him for a long moment, her expression suddenly soft.
"Because..." she whispered, words slurring together, "...I hate that I like you."
Alaric's jaw tightened.
He stepped closer, his voice sharp. "Weren't you with him at a coffee shop earlier?"
Raya blinked slowly, clearly trying to understand what he said.
"Huh...?" she mumbled.
Adrian sighed. "She's drunk, man. This isn't the best-"
"I asked her," Alaric cut in coldly.
"Ohhh... the coffee shoppp," she slurred.
"Yeah... we had coffee."
Alaric crossed his arms. "So you were with him."
Raya pointed a wobbly finger at him.
"Why do you care?" she said, her words slightly messy. "You have Chloe."
The room went quiet.
Alaric didn't answer right away.
Raya leaned forward a little, looking at him with drunken honesty.
"You looked jealous," she whispered, smiling
Adrian muttered under his breath, "This is going to end badly..."
Raya tilted her head at Alaric.
"You hate me," she said softly. "So why does it matter who I drink cotice with?"
Raya swayed, still leaning on Adrian, laughing like nothing mattered.
Alaric's jaw clenched. His eyes darted between Raya's flushed, glassy gaze and Adrian's smug smile.
"You've got a lot of nerve," Alaric said through gritted teeth.
Adrian smirked. "Relax, man. It's just coffee-"
Before Adrian could finish, Alaric's fist shot out. The punch connected with a sharp thud. Adrian stumbled back, clutching his jaw, surprise flashing across his face.
"Don't touch her!" Alaric growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Raya swayed, still leaning on Adrian, laughing like nothing mattered.
Alaric's jaw clenched. His eyes darted between Raya's flushed, glassy gaze and Adrian's smug smile.
"You've got a lot of nerve," Alaric said through gritted teeth.
Raya gasped, almost losing her balance, and Alaric instinctively caught her. Their faces were only inches apart. Her scent, her warmth -it made his anger twist into something confusing and undeniable.
Chloe jumped up, horrified. "Alaric! What the hell are you doing?"
Adrian wiped blood from his lip, glaring. "You -You're insane!"
Alaric didn't answer. His eyes never left Raya's, and she blinked at him, completely stunned, caught between embarrassment, fear, and... something else.
"Why... why did you do that?" Raya whispered, her voice shaky.
"Because I can't stand seeing you in his arms"
Raya froze. Chloe's mouth dropped open. Adrian's glare sharpened. And the tension in the room became almost unbearable.
Silence.
The room stilled.
Raya froze.
Completely.
Her mind-foggy just seconds ago-suddenly too aware.
Too sharp.
"What"?! she whispered.
Alaric exhaled sharply, like he already regretted it.
But it was too late.."
"Its irritating" ....
The words didn't match.
Not with the tone.
Not with the way he was looking at her.
Raya frowned slightly, trying to understand.
"What irritating"???
Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, no. That's not what that sounded like."
Alaric's jaw tightened.
He took a step back now.
Putting distance between them.
Putting walls back up.
"Dont over think"!
Raya's expression shifted
Just slightly.
"Then explain it," she said, her voice steadier now despite the way she swayed. "Because that didn't sound like nothing."
For a second-
He almost said it again.
The truth.
It flickered across his face.
Dangerous.
Real.
Then it disappeared.
"I don't have feelings for you"
There it was.
Clear.
Cold.
Expected.
And yet-
Raya didn't move.
Didn't react.
Because something about it felt... wrong.
Like it didn't match what she'd just heard.
Or what she'd just seen.
"Right," she said slowly'
But she didn't look convinced.
Not even close.
Alaric ran a hand through his hair, annoyed now-at himself more than anything.
"Your not that special raya".
That should've fixed it.
That should've ended it.
That should've pushed her right back into enemy territory.
But then-
He said something else.Something he didn't mean to let out.
"If I did... it would ruin everything."
Raya's breath caught.
That-
That wasn't part of the act.
That wasn't cold.
That wasn't careless.
That was honest.
And she knew it.
Her eyes locked onto his.
Really locked this time.
"What does that mean she asked, barely
Alaric stilled.
He hadn't meant to say that.
Didn't want to explain it.
Couldn't.
So he didn't.
"It means nothing."
But it didn't.
And now-
Raya knew it didn't.
above a whisper.
She didn't argue and she didn't speak.
_she turned back and glanced at him
_Just once_
Only thing left in that room was confusion and something far more dangerous between them.....