Days passed...
Rain hammered against the school windows, the sky heavy and gray — fitting, really. It felt like the world itself had caught onto the weight between them.
But between Lucifer and Eliza? Still nothing.
Just silence.
Ava and Ryan noticed. Even Lily noticed — though she didn't say anything. Why would she? She looked… satisfied. Like this was exactly what she wanted.
Eliza still avoided him, her eyes never meeting his. And Lucifer endured it. He told himself he deserved her coldness, her distance. He told himself this was for the best — that this was the outcome he chose.
But that didn't stop the ache in his chest.
It didn't stop the way his stomach twisted when he saw her laughing with other people.
Especially Ryan.
Ryan was always there now.
He sat next to her in the cafeteria, leaning in too close when she talked. He walked with her between classes, carrying her books like some hero in a cheesy romance movie. He waited by her locker like he belonged there — like it was his place now.
And Lucifer hated him for it.
Because it should be him.
When Eliza laughed — that soft, genuine laugh that lit up the room — it should've been because of him. Not Ryan.
When she sat in the library, her hair falling into her face as she scribbled notes, it should've been Lucifer sitting beside her, nudging her playfully and pretending to peek at her answers. He loved the way she'd swat his hand away, barely holding back a smile.
When she looked tired, or a little off, and someone asked if she was okay — it should've been him. Not Ryan.
It should be Lucifer taking care of her.
It should be Lucifer making her laugh.
It should be Lucifer who got to sit close enough to feel the warmth of her shoulder against his. To hear her voice drop to a soft whisper when she talked about things she didn't tell anyone else.
Not Ryan.
It should've been him. It should always have been him.
But it wasn't.
It was Ryan.
And the worst part? Ryan knew.
He knew exactly what he was doing — and he leaned into it.
Lucifer caught the smug glances Ryan threw his way. The way he slung an arm around Eliza's shoulder, just a little too casually. The way he leaned in to whisper something that made her laugh, then looked straight at Lucifer like he was daring him to do something about it.
Lucifer's fists curled so tight his knuckles turned white. His jaw ached from how hard he was clenching it.
He wanted to rip Ryan away from her. To grab him by the collar and snarl, She's not yours.
But the truth screamed back at him — louder than his anger, louder than his jealousy:
She wasn't his, either.
Not anymore.
He told her they were better off as friends. He pushed her away because he was scared of losing her.
And now?
Now he was losing her anyway.
It hurt more than he thought possible — watching her laugh with someone else. Watching her lean into Ryan's shoulder, smiling like everything was okay.
Like Lucifer didn't even exist.
But it wasn't okay.
Because she wasn't supposed to smile like that for anyone else.
She wasn't supposed to look at anyone else the way she used to look at him.
It was supposed to be him.
It should've been him.
Never Ryan.
His heart pounded, his chest tightening with something he didn't want to name.
Jealousy? Anger? Pain?
It felt like all of it. Twisted together, burning inside him.
Lucifer hated the way his mind replayed every little thing. How he noticed everything, even when he didn't want to. Like the way Eliza smiled — that real, honest smile that crinkled her nose — but now it was for Ryan. Or how her eyes weren't as bright when she glanced his way, like she couldn't decide whether to look at him or avoid him completely.
She used to look at him like he was her whole world.
Now, she looked through him. Like he was nobody.
Ryan wasn't even subtle about it anymore. He touched her arm when he talked to her, leaned in close to whisper something that made her giggle. He walked her home after school.
Lucifer wanted to punch him. Hard.
But more than that — he wanted Eliza back.
He wanted her to look at him again the way she used to. He wanted her laugh, her warmth, her soft little smiles that felt like they were just for him.
He wanted her to be his again.
But she never really was, was she?
She was always his best friend. That's what he told himself. That's what he clung to, even when he felt something more, something deeper.
And now?
Now she wasn't even that.
Lucifer's jaw clenched so tight it hurt. His chest burned with something ugly, something raw and restless.
He couldn't stop watching them.
Couldn't stop the jealousy burning under his skin like a slow, painful fire.
And for the first time… he didn't know if he could take it anymore.
For the first time, he wasn't sure he could handle watching her with someone else.
Because the truth — the one he kept trying to bury — was starting to claw its way out.
He didn't want to be her best friend anymore.
To be continued....
💬Author's Note:
Wow. Okay. I'm not gonna lie… Ryan is kind of giving bad boy energy right now and I'm kinda into it??!
He's bold. He's smooth. He knows exactly what he's doing — and he's not playing fair. Honestly? It's refreshing. 👀
Meanwhile, Lucifer's over here stewing in jealousy like a slow-cooked heartbreak soup.
Like, sir… you had years to claim her. YEARS. And now you're mad someone else is doing what you couldn't?
Anyway… Team Ryan? Team Lucifer?
Drop your votes because I'm emotionally unstable and need answers.