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Not yet.

Do you want me to stay?

I give the smallest nod.

His jaw relaxes.

“What the fuck?” Liam’s voice cuts through the moment, loud and incredulous. He’s staring at me, then at Lucien, then back at me. “What the fuck is happening right now?”

Lucien’s hand moves to the back of my neck. It’s not possessive in a way that anyone else would notice. Just his fingers curling around the base of my skull, his thumb brushing the edge of my hairline. I don’t pull away. I stand there and let Lucien’s hand rest on me like it belongs there.

Liam’s mouth falls open. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

I take a sip, the cup shaking a little in my hand.

“So you guys are like…together?” Liam asks, his voice quieter now, stunned.

Lucien’s thumb keeps stroking my hairline, and I feel the touch all the way down my spine.

“Yes,” Lucien answers. “But it’s not something we want everyone to know about. It’s private.”

Liam looks at me, waiting for me to deny it or laugh it off, to do something.

I swallow hard. “I wanted to tell you. I just… I didn’t know how.”

“You didn’t know how?” Liam repeats, his voice rising. “Cam, this is the guy who catfished you. Who lied to you for weeks. And now you’re…dating him?”

“It’s not that simple,” I say.

“It seems pretty fucking simple to me.” Liam’s eyes are wide, his face flushed. He looks at Lucien. “Is this a good idea? Being with someone who lied to you like that? Who manipulated you?”

I open my mouth, but Lucien speaks first.

“Look—”

I cut him off. “It was a natural lie to tell. It was the only way he could get close to me without coming out.”

Liam stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Are you serious right now?”

“Liam,” Lucien says, his voice calm and measured. “I don’t expect you to understand. But I’ve always cared for Cam. Always.”

Liam scoffs, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. “You’ve always cared for him? Are you fucking kidding me? What about all the times you targeted him at St. Silas? All the times you had it out for him? You made his life hell.”

I see a flash of something in Lucien’s eyes—guilt, maybe, or regret—but his expression doesn’t change.

“You’re a good friend to Cam,” Lucien says. “And I hope you’ll eventually understand.”

Liam looks between us, his eyes narrowing as he considers what to say. Finally, he says, “I’m not homophobic or anything. I don’t give a shit about your sexuality. It’s just— He lied to you, Cam. He tricked you.”

“I know,” I say. “And I don’t expect you to understand right now.”

My body shifts without me thinking about it, leaning closer to Lucien. Just a few inches, but enough that our shoulders almost touch. Liam catches it. I see his eyes flick down, then back up to my face.

He shakes his head, exhaling hard. “Whatever.” He lifts his Solo cup. “Cheers to you both, I guess.”

Lucien and I raise our cups, and we all drink.

I’m moving to the red room. It’s dark except for the red floor lights along the walls, embalming them in a hellish glow.