flawless. five hargreeves

19

DID I BREAK YOUR HEART?
DID I WASTE YOUR TIME?

L'AMOUR DE MA VIE - Billie Eilish

We all watched as Dad strapped Viktor, Diego, Luther, and Allison into a machine that looked like it belonged in a sci-fi horror flick. The headgear alone made my skin crawl, all wires and metallic plates—like something out of a mad scientist's wet dream. It looked sketchy as hell, and I wasn't about to volunteer myself for whatever memory-tampering nonsense this was.

Dad turned to us, his gaze sweeping over the remaining few of us. "Any takers?" he asked, almost too casually.

Lila leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. "Oh no, I think I'm just gonna spectate," she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

I crossed my arms tighter, the memory of the last time Dad messed with my head still fresh enough to make my stomach turn. "There is no way on Earth I'm letting you near my head again," I shot back, remembering the last time I'd willingly let him near my mind.

Five, standing way too close for comfort, cleared his throat. "Ditto," he said, not even bothering to look at Dad. "Not letting you anywhere near my gray matter." His voice was calm, too calm, and the sound of it made my nerves twitch. His presence was like a thorn in my side—constant, irritating, and impossible to ignore.

"Don't stand so close to me," I muttered, taking a small step away, refusing to let him rattle me more than he already had. But I didn't dare look him in the eye—I wasn't sure I could handle the way his gaze always seemed to bore right through me.

"Why?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips. "You didn't seem to mind earlier." His voice was low, teasing, and it made my blood boil.

I scoffed, my posture stiffening as I tried to push back the heat rising in my cheeks. "Well, Quasimodo," I shot back, leaning into the sarcasm. "I mind now, so why don't you do us all a favor and stand a few meters back?"

Five's smirk widened, his eyes glinting with that infuriating mix of amusement and challenge that made me want to punch him—and maybe something else, too, but I refused to entertain that thought. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice almost a purr. "Afraid you'll miss me if I step away?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to keep my cool. "Miss you?" I retorted, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. "Don't flatter yourself, Five. You're about as missed as a mosquito bite—annoying, but hardly memorable."

"Careful," he shot back, stepping just a little closer, his presence practically invading my space. "Keep that up, and you might actually hurt my feelings."

"Please," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm as I stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him. "You'd have to have feelings first."

Five's smirk faltered just a fraction, his eyes narrowing as the playful glint dimmed. He took a small step back, a flicker of something—annoyance, maybe—crossing his features. "Whatever, Y/N," he muttered, his voice suddenly sharp and lacking its usual bite.

I blinked, caught off guard by the change in his tone. For a second, I felt a pang of guilt, like I'd gone too far. It wasn't like Five to back down from a verbal sparring match, and hearing that edge of irritation in his voice made me wonder if I'd actually hurt him—or at least, bruised his ego.

However, I've said far worse, right? Why did it affect him?

But then I shook the thought away, reminding myself why I needed to keep him at arm's length. This was Five, the same infuriating, arrogant jerk who had caused so much chaos in my life. The one I'd sworn to hate. I couldn't afford to feel bad for him, not when he had already done so much damage.