The Nerd, The Tease, and The Jealous Husband
The café was lively, filled with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the low hum of conversation.
Celeste sat beside Adrian, her arm occasionally brushing his as she reached for her drink.
Across the table, Ethan, Mia, and Lucas filled the remaining seats.
Lucas wore his usual nerdy ensemble—big glasses, tousled hair, and an oversized knit sweater that swallowed his frame.
Mia, who had been staring at him curiously, suddenly smirked. "Lucas Hale."
Lucas blinked behind his thick glasses. "Uh... yes?"
"I just remembered something from college," Mia said with a teasing glint. "Didn't you have the biggest crush on Celeste back then?"
Lucas, mid-sip of his coffee, choked and spluttered. Ethan howled with laughter as Lucas grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth.
"W-Who told you that?!" Lucas stammered, his face flushing deep red.
Mia gasped, eyes wide in mock shock. "So it's true!"
Celeste raised her brows in surprise. "Wait—Lucas, you liked me?"
Lucas groaned, hiding his face with both hands. "I was young and foolish. We all have regrets."
Adrian's hand, which had been resting calmly on the table, twitched. He set his cup down—just a little too hard. The faint clink of porcelain on wood did not go unnoticed.
Mia, grinning like a cat who found milk, leaned closer. "He was totally into you, Celeste. He used to follow you around campus."
Lucas leaned back with a sheepish smile and turned slightly toward Celeste. "It wasn't stalking. I just happened to be where you were. A lot."
"Like the library?" Celeste teased, laughing softly.
He nodded. "Exactly. Because it was the only place I could study."
He added the last part with a slightly conspiratorial smile, eyes lingering just a second too long on Celeste's face. Just long enough to make Adrian's jaw tick again.
Ethan chuckled. "Sure, buddy. That's totally believable."
Lucas shrugged, then subtly shifted his chair a little closer to Celeste—close enough that Adrian noticed, but not close enough to draw attention from anyone else.
Adrian, growing more irritated by the second, finally spoke. "That's enough." His voice was calm, but his mood was anything but.
Mia grinned at him. "What's wrong, Adrian? Jealous?"
Adrian didn't answer. Instead, he casually slipped an arm around Celeste's waist, pulling her closer. "Why would I be jealous of something that never stood a chance?"
Lucas dramatically clutched his chest. "That was uncalled for."
Ethan laughed. "Damn, man. That was brutal."
Lucas sighed and pushed up his glasses. "This is why I didn't confess. Celeste had a thing for jerks."
Celeste choked on her drink. "Excuse me?!"
Lucas shrugged. "I mean, Adrian wasn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy back then."
Ethan grinned. "Still isn't."
Mia nudged Celeste. "You really do have a type."
Mia and Ethan burst into laughter. Adrian didn't even flinch. He just tightened his hold on Celeste's waist.
Lucas smirked behind his cup, thoroughly entertained.
Adrian rolled his eyes. "Enough. This conversation is stupid."
"Says the guy acting like a clingy boyfriend ever since we sat down," Ethan added, nodding at Adrian.
"He's not acting," Lucas muttered, barely audible, but the sly smile on his lips betrayed him.
Adrian's glare could have burned holes through Lucas's sweater, but Lucas only gave a small, smug shrug.
—
After ordering dessert, the conversation finally shifted to more serious matters.
Emily.
Ethan leaned back, drumming his fingers against his cup. "We still don't have solid proof she set Celeste up."
Celeste's smile faded. "So... we can't do anything?"
Adrian exhaled sharply. "Not yet. And with who her father is, we can't afford to act recklessly."
Mia frowned. "Her father?"
Ethan adjusted his glasses, voice flat. "Senator Emilio Navarro. One of the most influential politicians in the country. The man practically owns half the judiciary and media in this city."
Celeste blinked. "She never told me that."
"She doesn't have to," Adrian muttered. "She's used to being untouchable. If we accuse her without solid evidence, she'll make us look like the villains. And with that kind of backing? She can bury anything."
Ethan nodded. "Exactly. Unless you have something undeniable, you're walking straight into a trap."
Mia scoffed. "So we're just supposed to sit and wait?"
Lucas, who had been quiet for a moment, pushed up his glasses and tilted his head. "What if she didn't do it?"
Everyone turned to him.
Ethan scoffed. "Oh, come on. Who else would it be?"
Lucas shrugged. "I don't know. But if you're going to accuse someone, wouldn't it be better to make sure first?"
Celeste bit her lip, considering it.
Then he glanced at Celeste, his tone softening. "And you? You're smart, Celeste. You don't need to follow everyone else's lead. Make your own judgment."
The comment might've sounded supportive—but to Adrian, it was a subtle suggestion that she shouldn't trust him blindly.
Adrian's eyes darkened. His grip on his coffee tightened until his knuckles turned white.
Mia, sensing the tension crackling between the men, jumped in. "Okay! That's enough drama for one coffee break. I want cake. Chocolate. Lots of it."
Lucas chuckled and leaned back, satisfied. "Sweetness to balance all the bitterness."
Celeste offered a weak smile, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Adrian didn't say a word.
But Lucas noticed the way Adrian's thumb was tracing circles on Celeste's hip like a silent claim. He also noticed how Adrian hadn't taken his eyes off him once in the last ten minutes.
And Ethan, who had been quietly observing the whole exchange, simply smirked.