Boundless

𝐀 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤 (𝟏𝟎)

Mattheo

Things with Olivia were changing, but I couldn't quite put my finger on when it had begun. Maybe it started with that fruit bowl, that awkward truce we shared, or maybe it was just the way our old rhythms slid back into place, unnoticed, until I realized we were once again two halves of a whole.

I used to think I had all the time in the world with her. Back when we were kids, everything came so easily—our conversations, our teasing, the way she would slip into my arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. But that was before everything fell apart, before I was expelled and her world became a different version of what we had. Now, things were a little more measured, a little more careful, but I was still getting exactly what I wanted.

Her brother Draco had told me, when I was on the verge of pushing too hard, that I should take my time with Olivia. That she wouldn't be won over by force, but by patience, by reintroducing myself to her life slowly. And damn it, he was right. There were moments where I caught her laughing at something I'd said, or where our eyes locked across the room and there was that flicker again—the one I used to chase after. It wasn't the same as it was before, but it was enough. Enough to make me feel like maybe, just maybe, there was hope for us.

And then there was Sebastian.

It was pathetic, really, how easily he fell for it. Every time Olivia and I found ourselves in a corner together, laughing or sharing some private joke, I could feel his eyes on us from across the room. The way his jaw would tighten, the way his fingers would curl into fists at his side, was almost comical. He had no idea that Olivia and I had history—no idea how deeply she used to belong to me.

I wasn't about to make it easy for him. Every time I saw the frustration cross his face, every time I noticed the way he watched Olivia like she might slip away, I couldn't help the smug satisfaction that curled through me. Sebastian thought he was the one in control, that Olivia was his, but I knew better. I always had.

I caught her eyes from across the hall one night after dinner, and she gave me one of those small, unreadable smiles. The kind she used to give me when she knew I was pushing her buttons, but I was okay with it now. It was better than indifference, better than the silence that used to stretch between us.

"You're still annoying," she said, her voice quiet as she leaned in beside me at the table.

I smirked, leaning in just a little closer, letting my breath brush against her ear. "You know you love it, Liv."

She rolled her eyes, but there was no denying the spark in her gaze. "Maybe. But if you keep this up, you're going to drive Sebastian crazy."

I leaned back, watching her. "That's the idea."

Her lips quirked into a smile, but I could tell there was something else behind it. Something softer, something she wasn't quite ready to admit yet. The games we played together had always been our way of connecting, even if it had come at the cost of others.

"Don't get too smug, Mattheo," she warned, but there was a teasing edge to her voice.

I smiled to myself, enjoying the tension, the thrill of seeing Sebastian seethe just beneath the surface. It felt like we were back in the old days, when the world was ours, when Olivia was mine, and no one could touch us. But it wasn't like that anymore, and I knew it.

Still, I couldn't help the way I watched her, waiting for the moment when she'd let me all the way back in. Because this? This was my game, and I was going to win it.

Another time, a few days later, I found her in the library, flipping through one of her old textbooks, pretending to study. It wasn't the first time I'd caught her like that, her eyes scanning the pages without really reading. So I sat down next to her, without saying a word, just close enough to make her uncomfortable.

She glanced up at me, her lips parted slightly, like she was going to say something, but then just shook her head. "You're impossible," she muttered, shifting in her seat.

I chuckled, leaning in just enough to nudge her with my shoulder. "You like it, though. You always did."

Her eyes flicked to mine, and for a second, I thought I saw something there. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but it was enough to keep me going. "I like that you're not trying to be anyone else," she said quietly.

I smiled at that, leaning back against the table, trying not to let the feeling inside me show. "Yeah, well, no one else is good enough, are they?"

She didn't reply at first. Her fingers tapped against the pages of her book, her gaze drifting over the words without focus. I didn't mind, though. The silence between us wasn't uncomfortable anymore. It was just... familiar.

"You don't have to do this, you know," she said after a beat, her voice softer than I expected. "You don't have to keep trying to win me over."

I raised an eyebrow, leaning in just enough that she'd have to meet my gaze. "What makes you think I'm trying to win you over?"

Her lips curled slightly, but there was no bitterness in the expression. Only a quiet acceptance, like she was resigned to whatever game we were playing now. "You've always been persistent, Mattheo. And I know you don't do anything without wanting something in return."

I smiled, the weight of her words settling deep inside me. She was right, of course. I always wanted something. But this time, what I wanted wasn't just control. It wasn't just to have her because I could.

What I wanted was her.

And I was damn well going to take my time getting there.

"I'm not giving up on you, Olivia," I said quietly, more to myself than to her.

She looked up at me then, her eyes searching my face as though she was trying to figure out what had changed. But whatever it was, I wasn't about to give it away just yet.

For now, all I had to do was keep her close. Keep her laughing, keep her looking at me like I was still worth her time. Keep pushing Sebastian out of the way without doing anything too obvious. Keep her in my world, where she belonged.

One step at a time. And eventually, I'd have her back.