School ended like any other day: slow, painful, and full of stares I couldn’t unsee.
People looked at differently now. Not "nerdy guy no one notices" differently — more like, "how is he dating her and still alive?" kind of different.
I didn’t even make it out the building before I saw the car pull up.
A sleek black custom Maybach that cost more than my student loans. It purred when it stopped — like a panther breathing.
And standing next to it?
Lucien.
Sa smirk. Sa velvet energy. Hands in his pockets like he owned the curb.
"Oh God," I whispered.
Celestia spotted him before I did. Practically skipped down the steps toward him.
Then she did the thing that broke :
She hugged him.
Arms around his neck. Full body. Kissed him on the cheek and everything.
I felt like I swallowed a grenade.
I stood frozen on the steps. My brain trying to restart like Windows 98.
Lucien looked right at .
And grinned.
"Hey, Kai," he said casually. "You look like you saw a ghost."
Celestia turned, still clinging to his arm.
"Oh! Silly ," she said. "I never properly introduced you two."
She bead.
"This is my brother."
...
Silence.
My jaw? Unhinged.
Lucien winked. "Lucien Davis Moreau. Big brother. Proud brother. And now very concerned brother."
I blinked, twice.
"...Brother?"
"Mhm!" she chirped. "Only one I’ve got. We fight sotis. But he loves ."
"You... said he was your ex."
She tilted her head like I’d just told her water was wet.
> "Well, technically he is my ex. Ex-roommate. Ex-ride to school. Ex-tutor. You need to be more specific when asking questions, Kai."
I almost collapsed on the sidewalk.
Lucien? He laughed. Like, full belly laughed.
"She’s evil," he said, ruffling her hair.
"You helped!" she grinned.
> "I did."
"Why?!"
They both looked at like I was slow.
Lucien said it first:
"Because I wanted to see who had my baby sister wrapped around their finger like a Gucci belt."
Celestia leaned into him. "I told him all about you. The grades. The glasses. The ’I want to be left alone’ vibes. He didn’t believe . So I asked him to co observe."
"Observe?! That was a psychological hit job!"
> "Please. I was studying your stress responses. You passed. Barely."
Lucien nodded. "I was gonna scare you for fun. But then I realized you’re already terrified of her."
"She is terrifying!"
Celestia gasped, mock-offended.
> "I’m right here, babe."
"That’s the problem!"
She just smiled. Smug and glowing.
Lucien opened the door for her.
She turned back to before getting in.
"Oh," she added, like it just occurred to her. "You’re probably wondering why I do all this."
"You an the stalking, the manipulation, the threat simulations, the emotional terrorism?"
She shrugged.
> "I like what I like. And I always get what I want."
Then she leaned over.
Pressed a kiss to my cheek.
> "I want you."
And just like that, she got in the car.
Lucien gave a two-finger salute.
"Good luck, Kai."
And they were gone.
---
I stood there long after the car disappeared.
Watching the space it left like it might make sense if I stared hard enough.
My girlfriend was insane.
Beautiful, brilliant but insane.
And apparently?
Her entire billionaire family is fine with it.
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