The morning after I had Lena's bike tires slashed, I arrived early to campus just to watch the scene unfold.
I leaned against my car, sipping my latte, as Kieran approached her near the bike racks. Even from a distance, I could see the distress on her plain little face. Her hands fluttered uselessly over the deflated rubber, her lips moving in words I couldn't hear.
Kieran crouched beside her, his stupidly perfect face creased with concern. His fingers brushed the ruined tire, and something dark twisted in my stomach.
*He shouldn't be touching anything but me.*
I pushed off the car and glided toward them, letting my designer heels click against the pavement.
"Oh no," I said, feigning sympathy as I stopped beside them. "What happened?"
Lena looked up at me with wide, watery eyes. "I—I don't know. They were fine yesterday."
Kieran straightened, his jaw tight. "Someone must have done this on purpose."
*Oh, darling, if only you knew.*
I let my lips part in a perfect imitation of shock. "That's awful." I hesitated, just for a moment, before offering softly, "Let me drive you home."
Lena blinked. "Oh, no, I couldn't—"
"It's really no trouble," I said, already shifting my gaze to Kieran. His hazel eyes flickered with uncertainty, but I saw the exact moment he caved.
"It *is* getting late," he murmured to her.
I hid my smile. *Good boy.*
---
Lena sat stiffly in the passenger seat of my Mercedes, her fingers clenched in her lap. Kieran was in the back, silent. The air was thick with tension, and I reveled in it.
"So," I said lightly, glancing at Lena through my lashes, "you and Kieran have known each other a long time?"
She nodded. "Since middle school."
*Ugh. How quaint.*
I hummed, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. "That must be nice. Having someone who knows you so well."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kieran shift in the backseat.
Lena smiled softly. "Yeah. He's always been there for me."
My grip tightened on the wheel.
*Not for long.*
---
I dropped Lena off first, making sure to smile sweetly as she thanked me. The second her door closed, the atmosphere in the car shifted.
Kieran exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Thanks for doing this, Elara. You really didn't have to."
I glanced at him in the rearview mirror, letting my gaze linger. "I wanted to."
His throat bobbed.
I held his stare, slow and deliberate, before turning back to the road. "You know… you don't have to stay in the back."
A beat of silence. Then, the sound of him unbuckling.
He slid into the passenger seat, his warmth filling the space beside me. My pulse jumped.
"Better?" I murmured.
He nodded, not meeting my eyes.
I let my hand "accidentally" brush against his thigh as I shifted gears. His breath hitched.
*Perfect.*
---
By the time I pulled up to his apartment, the tension between us was thick enough to cut.
He hesitated before getting out, fingers gripping the door handle. "...Thanks again."
I smiled. "Anytime."
Then, before he could leave, I reached out, catching his wrist. His skin was warm under my fingers.
"Kieran," I said softly, "you should let me take you out sometime. To thank *me*."
His lips parted. "I—"
"Dinner. Friday." I squeezed his wrist lightly. "I'll pick you up at seven."
A pause. Then, the slightest nod.
I released him, satisfaction curling in my chest.
As he walked away, I watched the way his shoulders tensed, the way his steps were just a little too quick.
*He's already mine.*
I just had to make sure he never forgot it.