The air hung thick with surprise the moment Damien stepped into the dining room. Cole's hand was draped casually over his cousin's shoulder, a grin tugging the corners of his lips as he said,
"Guys, allow me to introduce you. This is my cousin, Damien!"
The name rolled into the room like thunder after a flash of lightning. Damien's eyes locked with Maya's instantly -- steady, unreadable, as if a thousand unsaid things lived behind that stare.
Maya blinked, her fingers tightening around her fork.
"Damien," she breathed.
He tilted his head slightly. "Maya."
Cole's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait, wait..you two know each other?"
The silence that followed was thick enough to chew on.
Damien eventually took a seat beside Cole, the faint scrape of his chair breaking the silence. Cole leaned back, curiosity sparking in his tone.
"I'm really interested in knowing how you guys know each other," he said, smirking. "Because Damien here rarely socializes. I used to call him the Phantom."
Tessa chuckled softly. "We all attend the same college."
Cole's brow arched. "Come on, there's gotta be more to it. What are the odds that Logan's ex knows Damien?"
Logan's foot shot out under the table, landing a not-so-subtle kick to Cole's shin.
"Ow!" Cole yelped, squinting at Logan. "Okay, okay, sorry...I wasn't supposed to say that."
Maya's lips twitched, and she cleared her throat. "Damien and I are coursemates," she said quickly.
But Damien's calm voice cut through her attempt to settle the tension.
"We're more than just coursemates."
Cole's grin widened. "Now it's getting interesting."
Tessa jumped in before the tension could harden. "Why don't we all eat before the food gets cold?"
Plates clattered softly. Forks scraped against china. The air felt like a waiting storm.
Then Cole, in his natural lack of filter, spoke again. "So, Maya...do you have a boyfriend?"
The question hit like a dart. Maya froze mid-bite, her fork slipping, nearly choking as she coughed uncontrollably.
Tessa immediately handed her a glass of water, patting her back. "Breathe, Maya. Breathe."
Cole lifted his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry! I just meant...you're beautiful. I'm sure after you and Logan broke up, you had plenty of suitors."
Tessa mumbled under her breath, "Not many. Just one." Her eyes flickered toward Damien.
Maya wiped her mouth and composed herself. "No," she said firmly, "I don't have a boyfriend."
Damien's voice, cool and deliberate, slid into the air. "That doesn't mean she isn't taken." His gaze shifted toward Cole.
Cole blinked. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you two...?" His eyes bounced between them.
Maya jumped in sharply, "No. I'm not taken. I am perfectly single."
Logan, who had been quiet for too long, muttered, "For now."
That earned him a glare from both Maya and Damien.
Tessa, desperate to stop the growing friction, leaned forward with an overly bright tone. "Oh wow, this...this pasta is amazing! Everyone should try it!"
But the storm hadn't really cleared.
The doorbell rang.
Tessa shot up instantly. "I'll get it!" She practically sprinted away, relief flooding her steps.
When she opened the door, her eyes widened. "It's Sophie!"
Sophie crossed her arms. "I know you haven't seen a celebrity before, but that doesn't mean you need to scream my name like that."
Tessa leaned in, whispering, "You don't know how glad I am you're here."
Sophie frowned. "What's going on?"
Tessa whispered back, "A storm's brewing. You need to get Maya out before it swallows her up."
Sophie walked in with a bright smile. "Hello!"
Cole turned toward her, polite as ever. "Hi. You are?"
"Sophie," she said. "Maya's sister." Her gaze found Maya's, and with a subtle lift of her brow, she said briskly, "Maya, let's go. The kitchen pipe broke."
Maya blinked, confused. "But we just got it fixed..."
Then she caught Sophie's pointed look. Her expression shifted. "Oh, right! The kitchen pipe broke." She stood abruptly. "I have to go, guys. It was nice meeting you, Cole."
Logan rose from his chair. "Wait...I can help you fix it."
Maya immediately raised her hands. "No! We'll handle it. It's not that serious."
Damien added calmly, "If it's not that serious, then I can fix it in a minute. I'll come with..."
"No!" Maya interrupted, voice sharp, nervous smile plastered on. "You don't have to. Our kitchen pipe is, um, very picky when it comes to fixing. Only we can fix it."
Cole chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Well, if you ever need help, you know where to find us."
"Of course," Maya said, backing away.
"Wait," Cole called out, walking toward her. "I'm throwing a housewarming pool party this Saturday, so…"
Maya cut in before he could finish, "We'll be there."
He smiled, satisfied. "Good. I'll walk you out."
The walk home was silent until the door shut behind them.
Then all three girls exhaled at once.
Tessa flopped onto the couch. "World War Three. That's what just happened."
Maya threw her head back with a groan. "Why did you come anyway?"
Sophie crossed her arms. "I got bored. Came to call you so we could go to the arcade."
Maya blinked, then shrugged. "Alright, let's go."
Sophie frowned. "Wait...just like that? You agree?"
Tessa stood, grabbing her bag. "Girl, you wanna go or not?"
Sophie smirked. "I'm going."
The rhythmic tapping of keys filled the quiet office. Linda sat hunched over her computer, glasses slipping slightly down her nose, eyes fixed on the glowing screen.
A voice broke the silence. "Hey."
She looked up to see a man leaning against the cubicle wall, a coffee cup in each hand. He extended one toward her.
"Coffee," he said with a small grin.
"Thanks," she murmured, taking it gratefully and sipping.
"You need to take a break before that computer eats you alive," he teased, sliding into the chair beside her desk.
She smiled faintly. "Can't. I was gone too long, and now there's a mountain of work waiting for me."
He shrugged lightly. "Still...you should come up for air once in a while." He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck before adding, "There's this new restaurant that just opened nearby. Everyone's saying their seafood is amazing. You like seafood?"
Linda's lips curved into a small smile. "Yeah, I love seafood."
"Perfect," he said, straightening. "Then we should totally try it out. Together."
She leaned back, swinging slightly in her chair, her gaze playful. "Are you asking me out, Nathan?"
His ears reddened slightly. "Would you come with me if I said yes?"
She thought for a beat, then smiled. "Okay."
Nathan's face broke into a nervous grin. "Great. Then this Saturday?"
"It's a date," she said, her tone teasing.
He echoed softly, "It's a date," before walking off, hands shoved awkwardly in his pockets.
Linda watched him leave, a soft chuckle escaping her lips before she turned back to her screen...though the smile lingered a while longer.