“What are you doing here?” Elara asked, startled.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ronan replied calmly.

“Alax sprained his ankle, I was just — “ she began, but Ronan cut her off.

“Weren’t you mad at him? So why are you here, taking care of him?”

Elara’s expression tensed. “Excuse me? He’s my friend. I can be mad at him, I can talk to him, I can take care of him, I can — “

Ronan gently pressed a finger to her lips. “Enough,” he said softly, his voice quiet but firm. Then he stepped past her into the apartment.

“Hey, Ronan!” Alax said cheerfully from the sofa.

“What happened?” Ronan asked, glancing at him.

Alax started explaining how he’d sprained his ankle while walking home. Elara returned to the kitchen, finished the coffee, and brought it to the living room area.

“Did you add extra sugar?” Alax asked with a grin.

“Yeah, I did,” Elara replied.

“You’re so sweet,” he said, smiling. “You always know exactly what I like.”

Ronan’s eyes lingered on her — he noticed how she remembered the way he liked his coffee too.

Alax leaned back, taking a sip. “So, your Lisa came back too,” he said teasingly, patting Ronan’s shoulder.

Ronan froze. His eyes darted toward Elara, who was standing quietly at the side of the living room, sipping her coffee.

“Yes, she came to visit her parents,” Ronan said evenly, still watching Elara.

“Are you guys still dating?” Alax asked casually.

Ronan froze at the question. For a moment, the room went quiet except for the faint hum of the ceiling fan. His eyes flicked toward Elara, who stood by the window, looking outside.

“I think I should go,” Elara said suddenly, turning toward the kitchen. She grabbed her phone from the counter and started walking toward the door.

“Hey, hey — don’t go,” Alax said quickly.

“Why not?” she asked flatly.

“How will I manage without you? You’re my friend, Elara. Can’t you help me a little?” he said, giving her a pleading look — the kind he knew used to soften her heart.

“Don’t make that face,” Elara snapped, annoyed.

Alax grinned. “You’re melting, aren’t you? I can tell.” He leaned forward, smirking.

Elara sighed, her bag in hand, glaring at him.

Before she could respond, Ronan said sharply, “No need. I’ll take care of him. She shouldn’t be staying at a guy’s place anyway.”

Alax shot him a teasing look. “Why not? You stayed at her place when she was hurt.”

Ronan opened his mouth to reply, but Elara cut in before he could. “I’ll stay,” she said firmly, tossing her bag back on the table.

She said it deliberately, watching Ronan from the corner of her eye — and it worked. His jaw tightened, jealousy flickering across his face.

“I’m going to shower,” Elara said coolly. “Then I’ll make dinner.” She turned toward Ronan, a hint of defiance in her tone.

But the truth was, she was angry — angry because she’d seen him with Lisa, angry because he’d once said he liked her, and then acted like nothing had changed.

“I am taking your clothes,” Elara said as she walked toward Alax’s room.

“Take the gray t-shirt — it’ll fit you fine,” Alax called after her, grinning from the couch. Ronan’s eyes followed him, silent but tense.

“I need to use the washroom,” Ronan muttered, heading in the same direction. Alax just shrugged and turned on the TV, the sound of explosions filling the room.

Ronan stopped outside the bathroom door just as Elara stepped out of Alax’s room, holding a gray t-shirt and black bottoms. Before she could walk past, he reached for her wrist and gently pulled her into the bathroom, closing the door behind them.

He turned on the tap, letting the sound of running water fill the silence.

“What are you doing?” Elara asked, startled.

Ronan leaned closer, his hands braced on either side of the sink. She found herself pressed lightly against the counter, their faces only inches apart.

“What are you doing?” he asked softly. “Why are you ignoring me these days?”

Elara’s lips curved into a faint smirk. “Who are you to me, Ronan? Why shouldn’t I ignore you? Are we close?”

“Elara,” he said gently, his voice breaking a little. “Don’t do this. You know how I feel about you. Why are you pushing me away?”

“So what happened?” she shot back, eyes flashing.

“You’re ignoring me. And it’s killing me,” he said, his voice low and raw. “It’s making me suffocate.”

She laughed bitterly. “Your ex is back. You won’t be suffocating for long. You’ve got plenty of options, Ronan — why cling to me?”

She pushed him back and reached for the door, but he caught her wrist and pulled her close again, holding both her hands gently but firmly.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Elara froze, her forehead resting against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat — fast, unsteady. She lifted her gaze slowly, meeting his eyes. They were full of pain, but also truth.

“I know I’m not someone you can easily trust,” he said softly, “but believe me….”

“why would I ?”

The only sound in the room was the steady trickle of water from the tap.

For a few seconds, Elara just looked at him — then she stepped back, pushing him lightly against the sink. Without another word, she opened the door, picked up the clothes that had fallen when he grabbed her, and walked out.

When she entered the living room, Alax was on the couch, absorbed in an action movie, the TV casting flickers of light across the dim room.

She sat down beside him quietly, setting the folded clothes beside her.

“Ronan went to the washroom. He’ll be out soon,” Alax said, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Elara didn’t respond. Her thoughts were far away — lost between anger, confusion, and the echo of three words she hadn’t expected to hear.

Elara’s eyes were on the movie, but her mind wasn’t there. She was lost — her thoughts drifting somewhere far away.

When Ronan came and sat beside her, she stood up almost instantly and walked toward the bathroom without saying a word. The sound of running water echoed from inside soon after.

As soon as she left, Alax’s gaze followed her. The lights in the room were dim, so he couldn’t quite read her expression. He turned instead toward Ronan, who was staring blankly at the center table, lost in his own thoughts.

“Hey,” Alax said, breaking the silence. “Aren’t you going back to your apartment?”

Ronan looked up at him after a long pause.

“It’s already late, man,” Alax added, half-smiling.

Ronan leaned back against the couch, resting his feet on the table. “Can I stay a little longer?” he asked quietly.

Alax nodded, then passed him the bowl of popcorn he’d been holding. Ronan gave him a faint smile before taking a handful.

After a moment, Alax spoke again — his tone softer this time. “Ronan.”

Ronan didn’t respond immediately. He just looked at Alax from the corner of his eye, but Alax’s gaze was still fixed on the TV.

“Do you like Elara?” Alax asked.

Ronan didn’t seem surprised by the question. He smirked, took a slow breath, and reached for more popcorn. “Does it matter?” he said quietly.

“Yes,” Alax said, finally turning to face him. “It does — because I like her.”

Ronan exhaled slowly, his eyes on the flickering screen. Then he smiled faintly. “I know you like her, no need to repeat it”.

“I’m just saying,” Alax continued, his voice firmer now. “I won’t let her go. I’ll keep her — at any cost.”

Ronan’s gaze didn’t shift from the television, but his expression darkened. “You know, Alax…” he said after a long pause, his voice quiet but heavy, “if she ever told me she loved me — even once — I’d never let her go to anyone.”

Alax’s eyes narrowed. “And you think she’ll ever say that to you?”

Ronan laughed under his breath. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “And this is the first time I’m losing to you.”

He leaned back, eyes distant. “Since we were kids, we fought over everything — little things, stupid things. And I always won.” He turned his head, meeting Alax’s eyes. “But this time, you won the jackpot.”

He reached out and patted Alax’s shoulder. The light from the TV flickered across Alax’s face, revealing a small, proud smile — the kind that comes from victory, even when it doesn’t feel right.

“You know, Alax…” Ronan said softly, pointing to his chest. “It hurts a lot here.” Ronan points his finger to his heart, “This loss… It’s hard to take.”

His voice trembled, full of pain. And for the first time, Alax didn’t have anything to say.

Just then, the TV’s glow faded as Elara switched on the lights in the living room and kitchen. Both men turned toward her at once.

“I’m making noodles,” she said, avoiding their eyes.

“Anything’s fine,” Alax replied without looking at her, still staring at the screen.

A moment passed.

“Hey,” Alax said casually, draping an arm over Ronan’s shoulder. “Ronan will join us for dinner — make some for him too.”

Ronan looked at Alax in shock. Just moments ago, Alax had confessed that he loved her. Now, with that same calm smile, he was pretending nothing had happened.

“Join us for dinner,” Alax repeated, his tone light but his eyes steady on Ronan. It wasn’t just an invitation — it was jealousy disguised as kindness. Alax wanted Ronan to see how gently Elara was taking care of Ronan, how naturally she moved around him.

“I’m leaving,” Ronan said, brushing Alax’s hand off his shoulder. He knew Alax had invited him out of jealousy.

As Ronan headed for the door, Elara called out from the kitchen, “It’s late — have dinner here.”

He turned to her. His eyes held a kind of pain that mirrored in hers. “I’ll manage,” he said quietly before walking out.

Elara stood frozen in the kitchen doorway, watching him go. Alax, from the sofa, watched her — watched how her eyes followed Ronan until the door closed.

He understood. After learning the truth, Elara’s feelings were shifting… back toward Ronan. And Alax couldn’t let that happen.

Putting on a cheerful smile, he stood and walked into the kitchen. Elara was chopping onions.

“May I help you with something?” he asked, leaning down and resting his chin lightly on her shoulder.

She turned immediately, holding up the knife. “Hey — don’t come any closer,” Elara warned, though her tone wasn’t angry. She was just… upset with him.

Alax raised both hands in mock surrender. “Don’t kill me! My friend is mad at me, let me make up with her first,” he said with an exaggerated pout.

Elara couldn’t help it — she smirked.

“So… you’re not mad anymore?” Alax asked, hopeful.

“Yeah, but if you ever — “ She didn’t finish her sentence before Alax suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

“I won’t lie to you ever again”

Elara froze, the knife slipping from her hand and clattering to the floor. For a moment, she stood stiffly, unsure what to do. Then she pushed him away.

“If you do that again, I’ll really get mad,” she said, picking up the knife. “Now go sit down. Your foot — “ She paused, her eyes narrowing as she noticed he was walking perfectly fine. “Wait. You’re not even limping. You lied about spraining your ankle!”

Caught red-handed, Alax scratched the back of his neck. “Oh… sorry, Elara.”

Without a word, she stormed off to his room, grabbed her bag and clothes, and headed toward the door. But before she could leave, Alax stepped in front of her and — shockingly — knelt down, lowering his head.

Elara froze. Alax wasn’t the kind of man who knelt for anyone.

“What are you doing? Move,” she said firmly.

“I didn’t know any other way to make up with you,” he murmured, voice trembling. “Yes, I lied.”

“So you admit it,” Elara said, folding her arms.

“I tried everything, but you wouldn’t even look at me. So… I lied,” he said, eyes glistening.

Seeing his tears, Elara’s anger melted. She sighed, kneeling in front of him. Setting her bag aside, she gently brushed away his tears.

“Hey… don’t cry. It’s not a big deal,” she said softly.

But Alax suddenly wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t leave. Don’t be mad. I only have you. You’re the only one I can show every side of myself to — the only one I can cry in front of. Please… don’t go.”

Elara’s heart clenched. She knew what he meant — because deep down, she only had him too. He’d always been there. Always.

“Okay,” she whispered, hugging him back. “I won’t be mad anymore. Now stop crying.”

“Really?” Alax asked, pulling back with a bright grin.

Elara blinked at him, half amused, half speechless. Just seconds ago, he’d been crying like a child — and now he was smiling again.

“You’re such a drama queen,” she muttered with a small laugh.