𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗗𝗘 𝗟𝗨𝗡𝗘. Demetrius Desmond

12

"DEMETRIUS PLEASE." I muttered, watching him carefully as he purposefully looked away, his jaw was set as he stared at me. The whole school had been buzzing since Alain's little show and Demetrius had avoided me ever since.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence he spoke. "You're engaged to some famous singer." His tone was sharp and though he tried to keep his voice steady, a slight edge slipped through.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "I already told you—it wasn't my choice and that arrangement was broken years ago." I met his gaze, hoping he'd see I was telling the truth but his expression was unreadable.

"Then why'd he call you fianceé in front of everyone?" he challenged crossing his arms as his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my heart skip.

I hesitated, struggling to find the right words as his stare somehow made every thought in my head feel tangled. God, he made it so hard to think straight.

"Because Alain never saw it as broken." I finally managed, my voice softer than I intended. "But it's not real to me, I don't love Alain." I said, searching Demetrius's eyes, desperate for him to understand.

"And I'm trying to move forward." I added and for a moment something shifted in his expression. His frown eased and the tension in his face softened as if he was letting down a wall just for a second.

He took a step closer, his voice almost a whisper. "And where are you moving forward to, then?" "Right here." I replied without a second thought, my gaze steady.

"With You." I said as my cheeks burned but before I could second-guess myself, I leaned forward, closing the gap between us.

My heart raced as my lips brushed his, my hand resting gently on his shoulder, feeling the surprise in his breath as he froze for a split second.

But then as if some unspoken understanding passed between us, he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me in closer. The world around us faded, the whispers, the glances—none of it mattered anymore.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us slightly breathless, I caught his gaze and this time, I saw a different look in his eyes—one that mirrored the feelings I'd tried to keep hidden.

I swallowed, breaking the silence. "This is wrong but i can't help it." I mumbled and he nodded. "What are we?" He asked and our eyes met for a second. "Whatever we are, I think i like it." 

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

"What're you reading?" Alain asked, leaning over Naomi's shoulder to peek at her book. "A romance about a guy who falls for this very intense girl who's an ex assassin." Naomi replied.

Alain and I both stiffened slightly, glancing at each other for just a split second. "Wow, Naomi." Alain said, Smirking. "for someone who seems so sweet, you've got quite the taste in thrillers."

"Hey, it's not my fault toxic love stories are so captivating." Naomi defended herself, grinning as she flipped to the next page. "It's the thrill, y'know?" She added

Alain laughed but then with a little glint in his eye, he turned to me. "Actually, I relate to that. I've got a thing for a certain intense girl too." He teased

Before I could even react, he shot me a sly wink causing Naomi to burst out laughing as I responded with a solid jab to his shoulder, making him stumble back dramatically.

"Not this again, Alain." I groaned, shaking my head. He could be obnoxious but his antics were strangely endearing.

"See? That punch is exactly why." he said, smirking as he rubbed his shoulder. "Only a truly intense girl would resort to violence so quickly." 

"You're just asking for it." I replied, rolling my eyes as Naomi giggled at our banter. "You two act like an old married couple, you know that?" she teased, her eyebrow raised.

"Close, we're engaged." Alain said, flashing his ring with an exaggerated flourish. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. "Ex-engaged." I corrected but he only grinned wider.

At that moment, the dining hall doors opened and the Imperial Scholars walked out, their capes flowing regally behind them.

They always made an impression, each stride exuding confidence and of course Demetrius led the way, flanked by his elite group.

His eyes flicked in our direction as i showed him a smile which he returned with a nod. "I'll be right back." Naomi said, closing her book as she went to get herself a dessert.

"Looks like he's not too pleased about our little engagement situation." Alain remarked, leaning closer to me and lowering his voice. I shot him a warning look but he just smirked. "What? I'm just stating the obvious."

"You might fool the others but you're not fooling me y/n, I can see the way you two look at each other." Alain scoffed as he played with the ring in his finger. 

"Alain, it's not like that—" I started to protest but he shook his head, cutting me off. "I saw you two yesterday in the library when I was searching for you." he said with a heavy sigh.

My breath caught in my throat and I felt heat creep up my cheeks as memories of that kiss flooded my mind. The realization that Alain had witnessed it made the whole situation more complicated.

"The thing is, I can't move on from you." he admitted, his voice low and sincere. Confusion and surprise washed over me. "I fell in love the moment I saw you."

"I've tried to move on. I even got engaged to five other women to keep myself from thinking of you but it didn't work." he continued, his eyes flickering away from mine.

"And it still won't work because I refuse to take this ring off my finger." His chuckle was bittersweet, as if he found humor in his own despair.

"I haven't removed it since you placed it on my finger." he said, a hint of vulnerability creeping into his voice. "It doesn't matter to me that my feelings are one-sided but for my heart, could you please wear the ring?"

I stared at him, my heart racing, processing the weight of his words. My silence stretched between us until I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Who said I wasn't wearing the ring?" I asked, a playful smile tugging at my lips as I pulled the charm from around my neck, revealing the ring that had been made into a delicate pendant.

Alain's eyes widened in surprise. "You kept it? All this time?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Of course! It might not be special to me in the same way it is special to you but i concidar this a token for our friendship." I replied, my smile fading slightly as reality settled in.

"But Alain, I don't want to go back to that old life, I've made my own path."

He nodded but the disappointment in his eyes was palpable. "I get it but I still want to be in your life, Y/N. As a friend or whatever else it could be."

Before I could respond, Naomi, who had been watching us since she returned, chimed in. "You two are giving me major romantic comedy vibes right now. Just embrace the chaos, right?"

I rolled my eyes, trying to suppress a smile. "It's not a comedy, Naomi. It's complicated."

"Exactly! It's a classic!" Alain said, winking at me. "Just think about it—two people from rival families, drawn together by fate and a ring."

"Let's take it slow, then. Friends first, right?" I said and he agreed, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders but as I glanced over at Demetrius who stood with his friends, the familiar pang of guilt and pain washed over me. 

What was I even supposed to do after our shared kiss? Neither Demetrius nor I had spoken a word about it since that moment.

In his eyes, it was wrong for someone like him to be involved with someone like me and in my eyes, it was equally wrong to fall for a Desmond.

Their family caused the conflict that tore our world apart and the eldest son would inevitably step into power, only perpetuating the cycle of violence like his father.

I could feel the weight of our circumstances pressing down on me, a constant reminder that our worlds were irrevocably divided. "THIS IS COMPLICATING!"