I quietly returned to the table Elijah and I shared. Of course, I didn't face Lhiam—I just waited for them to leave the restaurant. It looked like they had just finished dinner, because shortly after he spoke with Elijah, they left.
As I sat down, I could feel Elijah's eyes following me.
"What took you so long? The food's already here," he said.
I know. I could see it.
I only nodded and didn't bother answering his question. He seemed even more puzzled by my lack of response.
I looked at the food in front of me, but I suddenly lost my appetite.
I mean, after seeing the person you love with someone else, wouldn't you lose your appetite too?
And I couldn't help but overthink what their relationship was. There was a part of me denying the idea, telling myself maybe they were just friends—but the way Lhiam held her… my suspicion might be right.
My head hurt. I just wanted to go home and rest.
"Hey, are you okay?" I looked up at Elijah. I nodded slowly.
"Yeah," I replied weakly.
"You don't like the food?" he asked again.
"Kinda. Can we go home?"
His brows furrowed. "Why?"
I sighed. Why does he ask so many questions?
"I'm not feeling well. Can we go home now?" I said, a hint of irritation in my voice.
He didn't say anything after that. He just stared at me, like he was trying to figure out what I was thinking. Eventually, he nodded.
"Okay. I'll just pack the food to go." I nodded and stood up to leave the restaurant.
This place felt suffocating—just a reminder of what I saw earlier.
While I waited outside for Elijah, I checked the message I sent to Lhiam.
He read it, but didn't reply.
I bit my lip as a familiar ache started to grow in my chest again.
Morning came, and I didn't get a wink of sleep. Unlike yesterday, when I was so excited about this day, today I felt drained. My mind was a mess—especially with thoughts about Lhiam and the girl he was with last night.
I should have stayed hopeful since I've always been the optimistic one, but seeing him with her just shattered all that in an instant. I wanted to go up to him and ask who she was. God knows how hard it was to stop myself from interfering in their conversation.
But I didn't—because deep down, I knew he wasn't ready to face me yet.
"Are you okay?"
I flinched when I felt a hand on my forehead. I looked up to see Elijah with a concerned expression.
"You've been acting strange since yesterday. Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.
I gently brushed his hand away and nodded. I didn't have the energy to argue.
He sighed. "Did I do something wrong yesterday?" he asked, confused.
I didn't know what to say—he wasn't the reason I was feeling this way.
"Nothing. I just didn't get enough sleep," I answered, which, technically, was true.
His brows furrowed even more. He probably sensed I wasn't being completely honest. Before he could press further, I spoke up.
"Oh, we're at school already? Can we get out now?" I asked curtly.
He rubbed his face in frustration—probably because of my mood swing.
We got out of the car and headed into the campus. One thing I immediately noticed during our walk was just how popular Elijah was. We hadn't even been there for a full minute and people were already greeting him left and right.
What is he, a celebrity?
"What's your room number?" he asked.
I pulled out my phone and showed him my schedule.
The corner of his lips lifted into a smirk. "You're in CFAD?"
"Why? Is there a problem with that?" I shot back, raising an eyebrow.
He just grinned and shook his head before replying, "I'll walk you to your room."
I nodded, since I still wasn't familiar with the buildings here at Sanford.
As he walked me to class, I noticed several pairs of eyes following us.
"Is that Elijah?! OMG, he's even hotter in person!"
"Wasn't he the MVP last season in UAAP?"
"What's he doing here?"
"Maybe visiting his girlfriend? I heard he's linked to a CFAD student."
"You're famous, huh?" I asked, glancing at him. He only gave me another one of his smug smiles. Why does he love smiling so much? It doesn't even suit him. Annoying
"Just a little," he replied shortly. Cocky much?
"We're here," he said as we reached the classroom. Again, I noticed several heads peeking out, all staring at us.
"I'll pick you up later, wait for me here," he said.
My jaw dropped.
What? He's picking me up from class too?
"No need. I remember the way back. I'll just wait in the car."
"No. I'll get you here. You might sneak off again," he said firmly.
I rolled my eyes. "Stop treating me like a child."
"Then stop acting like one," he replied casually and walked away, hands in his pockets.
I scowled. He's worse than my dad. I really hate him.
I stomped into the classroom, ignoring the stares as I made my way to the empty seat by the window. I could already hear people whispering about me, but I didn't care. They weren't the reason I was here. I came back for Lhiam.
But how can I gather information about him if I don't even talk to anyone? So, I swallowed my pride and started a conversation.
"Hi," I greeted them with a sweet, fake smile.
Before I spoke, I saw the hesitation in their eyes. But the moment I opened my mouth, they immediately circled around me. There were five of them.
"What's your name?" asked the girl in pigtails, dressed in a pink coquette outfit.
I smiled sweetly. "Ravi Zein Martinez."
They fell silent for a moment. Then I noticed how the coquette girl started blushing.
"N-nice to meet you, Ravi. I'm Helena, and these girls are—"
"I'm Sheena," said the one in a crop top and baggy jeans.
"Hi, I'm Nicole," said another, wearing eyeglasses with a casual chic vibe.
"Gwen," said the girl with a tomboyish look. My lips parted slightly in surprise at her style.
"Cean," added the last girl, dressed in streetwear.
Each of them had a unique style, but they all stared at me with the same question on their minds.
"What's your relationship with Elijah?!" they asked in unison. They looked just as surprised as I was that they said it at the same time.
I chuckled. They were definitely gossip girls.
Well, no harm in entertaining them a little.
"Why do you want to know?" I asked in a curious tone, crossing my legs. They looked at each other.
"Well, Elijah is kind of a big deal on campus, and this is the first time we've seen him in our building—aside from watching him on the court. That's why we're really curious about how you two know each other, especially since you're new here."
"Court?" I asked, completely ignoring the fact that they already figured out I was new.
"Yeah. Elijah's on the basketball team," Nicole answered.
I straightened up at that.
Wait… Lhiam and Elijah are teammates?
So that's how they know each other. That's one of the things I'd been wondering about since last night. I wanted to ask Elijah, but I didn't want him to suspect my connection to Lhiam. If he finds out the real reason I came back to the Philippines, he might report me to my dad.
Better to be safe than curious. I'll find another way to gather information—without him noticing.
"You didn't know?" Cean asked, confused.
I brushed the thought aside and nodded. "Yeah, I just got back from the U.S., so I'm not too familiar with him yet."
They looked puzzled by what I said, so I gave them a sweet smile and added, "I'm Elijah's cousin."
They all seemed to accept that explanation.
"But why is your last name different?" Sheena asked, still looking skeptical.
"We are second cousins," I replied smoothly, keeping the smile on my face. She finally nodded and didn't say anything more.
It's better to lie than to tell them the truth. If they found out Elijah and I were living under the same roof and we are total strangers, people might jump to conclusions, especially now that I know Elijah's sexuality.
He wouldn't mind if I told people we were second cousins, right? It's better this way. Everyone will just assume he's being protective of his family.
"If you're his cousin, Ravi… maybe you could introduce me to him?" Nicole said slyly. I grimaced.
"Stop that, Nicole. Your intentions are showing," Helena scolded her gently, then turned to me with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Ravi. Nicole's had a huge crush on Elijah for ages."
"Nah, it's okay," I replied, even though I could see the stars in Nicole's eyes as she looked at me. I quickly averted my gaze.
"Hey, can I ask you guys something?" I asked.
This was my chance.
"Can you tell me where I can find the basketball team?"