Eliza sat at her desk, tapping her pencil against her notebook. The teacher's voice blurred into background noise as her eyes drifted — like they always did — to Lucifer, who was sitting next to Ava.
He wasn't paying attention either. He was hunched over his notebook, doodling something, completely relaxed.
For a second, she missed him so much it physically hurt.
The way things used to be. The way he used to feel like hers — not officially, but in a way that felt close enough.
But he wasn't. Not anymore.
She shook the thought away, forcing her gaze down.
Focus on the assignment, Eliza.
She glanced at the board, where the teacher was still droning on about their new project partners.
Ryan.
Her brows pulled together. Who even is Ryan?
She never paid attention to anyone else in class. Her focus had always been on Lucifer — his voice, his laugh, his everything.
But that was over now.
Taking a steady breath, she scanned the room.
Her eyes landed on a boy sitting near the back by the window, scribbling in his notebook. His hair was a little messy, like he didn't care how it looked, and his shirt sleeves were lazily rolled up, revealing a worn leather bracelet around his wrist.
He looked quiet. Unbothered.
That had to be Ryan.
Swallowing her nerves, she got up and walked over.
"Hey… Ryan?" she asked cautiously.
He looked up, surprised. His eyes were a warm, soft brown — the kind of eyes that felt familiar, even though she didn't know him.
"Yeah," he said, tilting his head. "You're Eliza, right?"
She blinked. "You… know me?"
Ryan smirked, resting his chin on his hand. "Kind of hard not to. You're always with Lucifer. Everyone knows you guys."
Her stomach twisted at the mention of his name, but she forced a tight smile. "Yeah… well, we're not partners this time."
Ryan leaned forward, resting his elbow on the desk. His voice was light, playful. "Guess that makes us the new dream team then."
Eliza nodded slowly. "Looks like it."
The silence that followed wasn't awkward — just unfamiliar.
Ryan broke it first. "So… what's this project even about? I kind of zoned out after the teacher said 'partners.'"
A small laugh escaped Eliza before she could stop it. "Same. I think we're supposed to do a presentation on a historical event or something."
Ryan groaned dramatically. "Oh, great. Public speaking. My worst nightmare."
Eliza chuckled again, and for the first time in a while, it didn't feel fake.
"Don't worry," she said, relaxing a little. "I'll do the talking if you handle the research."
Ryan's grin was lopsided and easygoing. "Deal. You talk, I hide behind the slides. Teamwork at its finest."
She smiled, and for the first time in days, the weight on her chest lifted just a little.
---
Across the room, Lucifer glanced up from his notebook.
His conversation with Ava faded into background noise as his eyes found Eliza at the back, talking to someone.
Ryan.
He didn't recognize the guy — hadn't really noticed him before. But now, he couldn't stop watching them.
Eliza laughed at something Ryan said. It wasn't loud, but it was real — the kind of laugh he hadn't heard from her in days.
His stomach twisted uncomfortably.
He didn't know why. He didn't understand why it bothered him so much.
Maybe it was because she wasn't sitting with him.
Maybe it was because they'd always been paired together — in class, in life, in everything that mattered.
But not this time.
And for some reason, it felt wrong.
He looked back at his doodle, but the lines blurred together, his mind somewhere else.
He didn't like this feeling.
Not one bit.
To be continued....
💬Author's Note:
Heh heh… do we smell something burning? 😌
Because someone's getting roasted in his own jealousy stew, and he doesn't even realize... the smoke is coming straight from him.
Lucifer, our charming boy... you okay over there? Doodling won't put out that fire in your chest 🔥💔
Eliza's laughing again — just not with you.
And Ryan? Ohhh, he's entering the chat with soft eyes and lazy smirks like a walking temptation.
Tick tock, Lucifer.
Realize it before she slips through your fingers…
Stay tuned, lovers — 'cause the game just got interesting.