It couple? Seriously?

I looked at Alec, there, laughing with Sarina as if she actually stood a chance against me. My stomach twisted… from laughter. Seriously, the girl thinks she can compete? That her white teeth, perfect hair, and cheap-ass makeup are going to intimidate me? What a joke.

He’s sitting there, mere inches from her, and I notice every ridiculous move she’s trying to make to catch his attention. The way she flips her hair, the forced smile, the “notice me, Alec” look. Pathetic. It’s almost cute… if it weren’t so desperate.

I lean back in the chair, crossing my legs with that calm, calculated ease I know gets under people’s skin, and let a thin smile form on my lips. The kind of smile that clearly says: “Good luck, darling. You’re just waiting in line.”

She thinks she’s sexy. That he’s going to look at her and forget every time I’ve been there—at the right moments, at the wrong moments—without even trying. That he’s going to fall for a girl who can barely sit without looking nervous? Oh, honey, no. Alec knows who’s in charge here. He always knows.

As they chat, I notice each laugh of hers is overdone, every gesture theatrical. I can practically feel her anxiety radiating off her. Hilarious. I lean slightly, resting my elbow on the table, observing, feeling the sheer power of simply existing here. She’s trying to intimidate me, but the last laugh… it’s mine.

And I’m sitting right next to Aoife, my best friend, which makes it even sweeter. She knows the score, too. The silent acknowledgment, the shared glance—it’s ours. Sarina is lost, slowly sinking into the reality: she’s a temporary obstacle, and I am Casey Lordan. Always Casey Lordan.

My thoughts drift straight to her: Sweetheart, you don’t have anything I don’t have—and everything I do have, you’ll never touch. Good luck trying.

I throw a sidelong glance at Alec, and he notices. He always notices. No words needed, no exaggerated gestures. He knows me. Sarina? She’s already drowning in the truth: she’s nothing compared to me.

And Alec is on my side. Even if he doesn’t have to say it out loud, he knows. He always knows.