A Frosty Touch

Chapter Twenty Seven

The next morning, I woke up feeling exhausted. As I went through my morning routine, I made a conscious effort to avoid looking at my phone. The notifications from Luka's texts were becoming annoying, but I couldn't deal with that right now. I had to focus on getting ready for school.

After quickly getting dressed and grabbing my bag, I headed downstairs. Nathalie and Gorilla were waiting outside in the limo, I sighed in relief as I slid into the car.

When we arrived at the Agreste mansion, Adrien was already outside, waiting for me. He opened the door and climbed in, giving me a warm smile that made my heart flutter. As we drove to school, he reached over and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You okay?" Adrien asked, his voice filled with concern.

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind is all."

He didn't press further, and I was grateful for that. The rest of the ride was quiet, yet comfortable, Adrien's touch helping to calm my nerves.

When we arrived at school, Adrien made it clear to everyone that we were together. He kept close to me, his arm casually draped around my shoulders or his hand resting on my waist. Even with the way he looked at me, made it obvious to everyone.

Throughout the day, Marinette and the rest of our classmates couldn't help but notice the shift. Luka, in particular, was impossible to ignore. Every time I felt someone watching me, I would turn and notice Luka was looking at me, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't place. He tried to catch my attention during breaks, but I kept my distance, trying to avoid any direct interaction.

During lunch, I found a quiet corner of the cafeteria to sit in. It wasn't long before Juleka approached, her expression as unreadable as ever.

"Hey, Y/n," she said softly. "Mind if I join you?"

"of course not, Juleka." I replied, giving her a small smile. "What's up?"

She shrugged, her gaze flickering over to where Luka was sitting with Marinette. "I noticed something's going on with you, Adrien, and my brother. Is that what you wanted to talk about last night?"

I sighed, poking at my lunch with my fork. "It's complicated. Adrien and I are dating now, and Luka... well, Luka's not taking it well."

Juleka nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful. "Yeah, I figured as much. Luka's been acting strange lately. More distant."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," I said, I felt my throat begin to burn. "I care about Luka a lot, but things with Adrien just... happened."

She reached across the table, placing a reassuring hand on mine. "I get it, Y/n." Relationships are messy. But you have to follow your heart, even if it hurts sometimes."

I squeezed her hand, grateful to have her as a friend. "Thanks, Juleka. It's just been really hard seeing Luka so upset."

"I know my brother," she said, her voice calm and steady. "He'll come around eventually. Just give him some time."

I nodded, feeling a bit better. "I hope so. It's just hard when he's constantly trying to talk to me, and Adrien is being really protective."

Juleka raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Protective, huh? Seems like Adrien is pretty serious about you."

I felt my cheeks heat up. "Yeah, he is. He's been amazing, really. But it's all so new, and having Luka in the mix makes it even more complicated."

"I can imagine," she said, glancing over at Luka again. "Just be honest with both of them. It's the best way to handle it."

Before I could respond, Marinette joined us at the table, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Hey, Y/n! How's it going? You seemed a bit off this morning."

Juleka and I shared a quick glance, deciding to shift the conversation. "Oh, you know, just a lot on my mind," I said, trying to appear more relaxed than I felt. "But I'm managing."

Marinette's eyes sparkled with interest. "So, how did you and Adrien get together?"

I felt uncomfortable, it was odd for her to be asking how we got together, especially since she used to have feelings for him but is dating someone else.

Juleka sent me a confused look, and helped me out. "That's a secret, how are you and my brother? You look happy."

Marinette blushed and began to stutter, "We-we are good, we both are very happy, you know?"

I smiled at her, "That's good, do you guys have any plans this weekend?" I asked, trying to keep her distracted.

Marinette beamed, clearly excited. "Actually, yes! We're planning a picnic. I've been baking some treats and Luka said he'd bring his guitar."

"That sounds wonderful! You two are really great together."

Marinette smiled warmly. "Thanks, Y/n. I'm really lucky to have him."

As lunch ended, I felt more at ease. Juleka was right, I just have to be honest.

Unfortunately, as the day went on, Luka's attempts to interfere became more blatant. He would find any excuse to be near me, trying to engage me in conversation or pull me aside. Adrien, on the other hand, seemed to relish the opportunity to show off our relationship, holding me closer whenever Luka was around.

In our final class of the day, Luka sat directly behind me. I could feel his eyes on the back of my head, he was becoming impossible to ignore. Adrien sat beside me, his hand resting on my knee under the desk. He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear.

"Ignore him," Adrien whispered. "He's just jealous."

I nodded, trying to focus on the lesson. But it was hard to concentrate with the intense feeling of being watched. The bell finally rand, signaling the end of the day. As we packed up our things, Luka made one last attempt to talk to me.

"Y/n, can we talk for a minute?" he asked, his voice strained.

Adrien stepped in, his expression calm but firm. "I think she's said everything she needs to say, Luka."

Luka's jaw clenched, but he didn't push further. I gave Adrien a grateful smile as we walked out of the classroom together, his arm securely around my shoulders. Before we left the courtyard, I saw a flyer for drama club auditions. It looks like fun, and thankfully Adrien didn't take much convincing to join either.