Beneath the Stagnant Sky

CHAPTER XIII

GRILLED SECRETS AND LINGERING THOUGHTS

Eli woke up with a groan, her body still heavy from the previous night. The dim glow of the morning sun peeked through her curtains, casting soft shadows across her room. She blinked a few times before throwing her arm over her face, trying to will away the memories of the night before.

Caelum.

Dancing.

His hands on her waist, the way he looked at her under the flashing lights. The way he insisted on driving her and Selene home, his grumpy demeanor not wavering even for a second.

Eli sat up abruptly and rubbed her temples. Why does it feel like he's still lingering in my head?

A knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Maeve, you awake?" Selene's voice came from the other side.

Eli sighed before answering. "Yeah, come in."

Selene pushed the door open, already dressed in casual jeans and a fitted top. Despite the alcohol she consumed last night, she looked surprisingly well-rested.

"You're too chipper for someone who passed out drunk last night," Eli grumbled.

Selene smirked and sat on the edge of her bed. "I recover fast. Anyway, I'm coming with you to the café today. Thought I'd help out."

Eli narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You? Waking up early to work? What's the catch?"

Selene placed a hand over her heart, feigning offense. "Wow, the lack of faith! Can't I just want to spend time with my dear cousin?" She paused before smirking again. "And maybe squeeze out some details about last night while I'm at it."

Eli rolled her eyes and got out of bed, heading to her closet. "There's nothing to squeeze out."

Selene wiggled her eyebrows. "Oh, come on. You danced with Mr. Broody and Mysterious and you expect me not to be curious?"

Eli grabbed a shirt and tossed it at her cousin's face. "Get out, I need to change."

Selene caught the shirt, laughing. "Fine, fine! But we will talk about this later."

Eli's POV

By the time we arrived at Maeve's Corner, the café was already buzzing with customers. The familiar aroma of coffee and pastries filled the air, instantly making me feel at ease. This was my safe space—the one place where my mind could focus on something other than my tangled emotions.

As soon as we stepped inside, Lisa and Marco looked up from the counter.

"Eli! You're late!" Lisa called out, though her teasing tone made it clear she wasn't actually mad.

"I brought reinforcements," I said, gesturing to Selene.

Lisa's eyes widened. "Oh! Is she the cousin you've mentioned?"

Selene grinned. "So, you were talking about me. I like that."

Before I could introduce her properly, Marco—who had been prepping an order—glanced over. His hands stilled for half a second before he blinked and resumed his work.

"Didn't know we were hiring," he commented, shooting me a questioning look.

"She's volunteering," I said.

"More like supervising," Selene added, leaning against the counter. "Gotta make sure Eli's not secretly suffering."

Lisa smirked. "Oh, she's suffering alright. But probably for other reasons."