A Moment of Realization

Elara fidgeted with the straw in her iced latte, the ice clinking softly against the sides of the cup. Damien was still watching her, his dark eyes calm yet unreadable. The weight of his gaze made her feel oddly self-conscious.

"You're being weird today," she said, attempting to lighten the mood.

Damien smirked slightly. "You're one to talk."

Elara rolled her eyes but couldn't fight the small smile tugging at her lips. "I mean it. You're usually the one who's cool and composed. But now you're just… staring."

"I can't look at you?"

The question was so simple, yet it sent a wave of warmth up her neck. She cleared her throat, trying to act unaffected. "I didn't say that."

Damien's smirk widened, but he didn't press further. Instead, he took a sip of his coffee, his gaze shifting out the café window. A comfortable silence settled between them.

Elara had never been the type to overanalyze her friendships, but with Damien, things felt different lately. There was an underlying tension—something neither of them had acknowledged yet.

"So," Damien finally said, breaking the silence. "What's really on your mind?"

Elara hesitated. "Nothing."

"Liar."

She groaned. "Again with that? Do I really suck at lying that much?"

Damien chuckled. "Yes."

Elara sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Fine. If you must know… I just feel like a lot of things are changing, and I don't know how to keep up with it."

Damien tilted his head. "Like?"

Elara took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. "Like friendships, relationships, my own feelings about things. It's confusing."

Damien was quiet for a moment before he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Change isn't always a bad thing, you know."

"I know," she admitted. "But that doesn't make it any less scary."

He nodded, his fingers tapping lightly against his coffee cup. "True. But sometimes, change brings good things too."

Elara studied him, her heart beating just a little faster. Was he talking about them? Was she just overthinking everything?

Before she could say anything, her phone buzzed on the table. Mira's name flashed across the screen.

Mira: [Hey, emergency! Call me when you're free!]

Elara frowned and quickly typed back.

Elara: [Everything okay?]

Mira: [Just call me!]

Damien noticed her expression. "Something wrong?"

"I don't know. Mira's being dramatic as usual. I should call her."

He nodded. "Go ahead."

Elara picked up her phone and stood, stepping outside the café for some privacy. She hit the call button, and Mira picked up immediately.

"Oh my god, finally!" Mira's voice was frantic. "You will NOT believe what just happened."

Elara sighed. "Do I even want to know?"

"Yes, because this involves you."

That caught her attention. "What do you mean?"

Mira took a deep breath. "Okay, so you know how there's that guy in our class—Nathan?"

Elara frowned. "Yeah?"

"Well… he just asked me about you."

Elara blinked. "What?"

"As in, he's interested in you. Romantically."

Elara felt her stomach drop. "That doesn't make sense. I barely talk to him."

"Apparently, he's been crushing on you for a while now," Mira said excitedly. "And he asked if you were single."

Elara was speechless. Nathan was nice, but she had never seen him as anything more than a classmate.

"I told him you were," Mira continued. "And I think he's planning to ask you out soon."

Elara ran a hand through her hair. "Mira…"

"What?"

"I don't know if I'm ready for something like that."

Mira sighed. "Elara, you can't stay single forever."

"I know, but—"

"No buts! Just think about it, okay?"

Elara sighed. "Fine. I'll think about it."

She hung up and leaned against the wall, exhaling deeply.

When she turned back to the café, she caught sight of Damien through the window. He was staring down at his coffee, his expression unreadable.

A strange thought crossed her mind—

Would Damien care if she went on a date with someone else?

Later that evening, Elara found herself pacing in her dorm room, Mira watching her with amusement from the bed.

"So," Mira said, popping a piece of candy into her mouth, "are you gonna say yes if he asks you out?"

Elara paused mid-step. "I don't know."

Mira groaned. "Elara, you're so frustrating."

"I just… I don't think I have feelings for Nathan."

Mira rolled her eyes. "Okay, then don't say yes. But I still think you should give dating a shot."

Elara sighed. "It's not that simple, Mira."

Mira smirked. "Is it because of Damien?"

Elara froze. "What?"

"Oh, come on. You think I haven't noticed how weird you've been acting around him lately?"

"I have not been acting weird."

Mira gave her a knowing look. "Okay. Keep lying to yourself."

Elara groaned and flopped onto the bed. "This is too much."

Mira patted her head. "It's called feelings, my dear. And they're finally catching up to you."

Elara buried her face in her pillow. "I hate this."

Mira just laughed. "No, you don't."

Meanwhile, across campus, Damien sat in his apartment, staring at his phone.

Alec's voice rang in his head from earlier that day—

"If you're not interested, you better figure it out soon. Because I have a feeling Elara won't be single for long."

Damien exhaled sharply and rubbed a hand over his face. He had never been the jealous type, but something about the idea of Elara with someone else bothered him.

Why?

He wasn't sure. But one thing was certain—

He needed to figure it out before it was too late.