Chapter 23: The Unwanted Eavesdropper

Elijah had always considered himself a man with quick reflexes and a natural sense of balance, a master of his environment. But apparently, fate, or perhaps the universe itself, had a way of humbling even the best of them, of revealing the limitations of even the most confident of individuals.

He had only meant to retrieve his phone, a simple task, from Killian's office, a brief detour. After his rather heated exchange with Luna earlier, he had stormed off, his mind consumed by anger and frustration, completely forgetting the device, leaving it behind in his haste. Now, as he neared the door, he heard voices—Luna's and Killian's, their tones laced with an intensity that stopped him in his tracks.

His initial instinct, his usual approach, was to walk in, grab his phone without a word, and leave, avoiding any further entanglement. But something in Luna's tone, a raw vulnerability that he hadn't expected, made him pause, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

"I don't understand why you won't tell him the truth," she said, frustration laced in her voice.

There was a brief silence, then Killian exhaled, his voice quieter than before. "Because it won't change anything."

Killian sound so...defeated? That's new.

Elijah leaned just a little closer, pressing his ear near the crack of the slightly ajar door. He was not eavesdropping, he told himself—just making sure they weren't plotting something ridiculous.

"I was the one left behind, Killian," Luna continued, her voice shaking slightly. "Yet, somehow, I'm the one who gets treated like I was after your money. Do you even know what it was like for me?"

Elijah's breath hitched. He had assumed Luna had walked away from Killian, not the other way around. His fingers curled into a fist as he listened.

"Luna—" Killian started, but Luna wasn't finished.

"You let everyone believe whatever they wanted. You never corrected them. Not even Elijah."

Elijah, who had been so focused on listening, shifted his weight slightly. The old office floor betrayed him with a loud creak. Before he could react, his foot slipped, his shoulder hit the door, and he stumbled right into the office, practically flailing as he tried to regain his balance.

Time froze.

Luna's eyes widened in shock. Killian just stared at him, his expression unreadable.

Elijah straightened himself, dusted off his jacket, and cleared his throat. "Uh. So. This is awkward."

Luna folded her arms, her gaze sharp as a dagger. "Were you eavesdropping?"

Elijah forced out a chuckle. "Me? Eavesdropping? No, of course not! I just...uh...tripped."

Killian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Elijah."

Elijah held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I swear I was just coming to grab my phone. But uh, it seems like I overheard something I wasn't supposed to." He turned to Luna, his tone softer than before. "Is it true? You didn't leave him?"

Luna's lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't look away. "Yes. Killian left."

Elijah blinked. He looked between them, his mind trying to reconcile the information. Then, after a long silence, he sighed dramatically and plopped into the nearest chair. "Well, damn. This is a plot twist I did not see coming."

Luna rolled her eyes. "This isn't some movie, Elijah."

"Could've fooled me." He exhaled, shaking his head. "Alright, so let me get this straight. You two had this big fallout, Killian walked away, and yet, somehow, I spent years thinking you were the one who did the leaving?"

Killian's jaw tensed. "It's complicated."

Elijah scoffed. "Oh no, it sounds pretty straightforward to me. You, my dear best friend, are an idiot."

Killian shot him a glare, but Elijah wasn't done. "You let me hate Luna for years when, in reality, you were the one who disappeared on her?" He let out a low whistle. "Man, you really are the worst."

Killian ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated, but Elijah wasn't about to let this go. "You know what, Blackwell? For someone so damn smart, you sure are dumb when it comes to handling emotions."

Luna, despite herself, snorted at that. Killian shot her a look. "Don't encourage him."

"I don't have to," Luna said dryly. "He seems to enjoy this all on his own."

Elijah grinned. "See? She gets me." Then, his face turned serious again. "But seriously, Killian, you should've told me the truth."

Killian exhaled sharply, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Would it have changed anything?"

Elijah considered that for a moment. "Probably not. I still would've been mad that she hurt you. But now? Now I'm just mad at you both for being stubborn idiots."

Luna let out a sigh, rubbing her temples. "So what happens now?"

Elijah smirked. "Well, I could demand a dramatic apology from Killian, preferably on one knee with some heartfelt speech about how wrong he was."

Killian shot him an unimpressed look. "That's not happening."

Elijah shrugged. "Worth a shot." Then, he turned to Luna. "But on a serious note, I guess I owe you an apology too."

Luna blinked in surprise. "You?"

"Yeah." Elijah rubbed the back of his neck. "I judged you without knowing the full story. That was wrong of me."

Luna studied him for a moment before nodding. "Apology accepted."

Elijah grinned. "See? That wasn't so hard."

Killian sighed, looking between the two of them. "Are we done?"

Elijah smirked. "For now." Then, he grabbed his phone from the desk and stood. "Well, this has been a rollercoaster of emotions, but I'll leave you two to continue your dramatic tension without an audience."

He strolled to the door, pausing just before stepping out. "Oh, and Killian?"

Killian raised a brow. "What?"

Elijah smirked. "Try not to mess this up even more, yeah?"

With that, he was gone, leaving Luna and Killian in the thick, awkward silence that followed.

Luna let out a deep sigh, shaking her head. "Your best friend is impossible."

Killian exhaled. "Tell me about it."

But despite himself, a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his lips.