The next morning felt heavier than the last.
Eliza stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes swollen and red from a night spent crying. Her chest still ached, but the tears had finally run dry, leaving behind a hollow, tired numbness.
She wasn't sure what hurt more — the fact that he chose Lily or the realization that she had let herself believe he never would.
But she was done crying. Done hoping.
This was just friendship. Nothing more. It had to be.
She repeated it to herself like a mantra, over and over, until it felt more like truth than a lie.
Today, she was going to face him. Pretend nothing happened. Pretend she wasn't falling apart inside.
Her heart didn't get a say anymore.
---
The halls felt louder than usual. The buzz about prom was everywhere — laughter, whispers, and gossip filled the air. It all felt distant to Eliza, like she wasn't really there.
She barely made it to her locker before she heard his voice.
"Eliza!"
Her heart betrayed her, skipping a beat before she could stop it.
Lucifer.
He grinned when he saw her, his usual carefree, easygoing smile — the one that used to make her feel warm inside. Now it just hurt.
"Where were you yesterday?" he asked, falling into step beside her. "You never skip. Thought maybe you were kidnapped or something."
Eliza swallowed the lump in her throat. "I wasn't feeling well." Her voice came out quieter than she meant it to.
Lucifer tilted his head, concern flickering in his eyes. "You okay now?"
No.
"Yeah. I'm fine," she lied again.
He studied her for a moment like he didn't quite believe her, but he didn't push.
Her heart thudded painfully. She didn't want to ask — she already knew the truth. Lily made sure of that. But she needed to hear it from him.
"Luc," she began, her voice soft and unsteady. "Why didn't you come to the café that night?"
Lucifer blinked, caught off guard. "I texted you. My cousin came into town, and Lily... she wanted to hang out. I figured I'd see you today."
Her throat tightened.
She never got a text. But that didn't matter.
He still chose Lily.
It didn't even seem like a hard choice.
Eliza forced a nod, pretending it didn't hurt. Pretending it didn't feel like her heart was being ripped apart all over again.
"Yeah. It's fine," she said quickly, her voice wavering despite her best efforts to hold it together. "I gotta go — I forgot something in my locker."
She didn't wait for his response. She turned and walked away, fast enough that he wouldn't see the tears burning in her eyes.
---
The rest of the day blurred by. Eliza felt like a ghost, drifting from class to class without really being there.
Lucifer noticed. Of course, he did.
During English, he leaned over, nudging her arm like he always did.
"You're quiet today, Princess. What's up?"
Eliza forced a smile, even though it felt wrong on her face.
"Just tired," she said again, her voice hollow.
He stared at her for a moment longer, like he wanted to say something. But then the teacher started talking, and the moment was gone.
By lunchtime, she felt like she couldn't breathe.
She needed air.
She needed space — from him, from Lily, from the ache in her chest that wouldn't go away.
So, she didn't sit with him.
She sat outside instead, headphones in, pretending to scroll through her phone while her heart splintered inside her ribcage.
It wasn't fair.
But life wasn't fair, and she was done waiting for it to be.
She wasn't going to let herself hope anymore.
Lucifer wasn't hers to hope for.
---
By the end of the day, Lucifer found her again, his voice quieter this time.
"Eliza…" he hesitated, his brows furrowed. "Are you mad at me? For not showing up to the café? If you are... I'm sorry. I should've told you sooner."
Her heart twisted painfully. She wanted to be mad. It would be easier if she was.
But she wasn't angry — she was broken.
She wanted to scream at him, tell him how badly he hurt her. Tell him that she wasn't mad — she was broken.
But what was the point?
She couldn't force him to feel something he didn't.
So, she forced another smile. This one hurt worse than the last.
"No… I'm not mad," she said, her voice barely steady. "Why would I be? I told you — I'm just tired."
Lucifer didn't look convinced, but he didn't push.
"Okay. But… if something's wrong, you'll tell me, right? You always do."
Her heart felt like it was splitting in two.
She wasn't sure she could do this anymore.
To be continued....