Lisa's POV: Defending My Best Friend
The minute Liam showed up at the concert, my stomach dropped. Elisa's face just drained of all color, and I knew exactly why. That jerk was her high school nightmare, the one who'd pulled that awful stunt. My blood was already boiling. When Felix stepped in, I felt a surge of relief, even if his "busy" comment was classic Felix. But I knew this wasn't over. Liam wasn't the type to just back down.
Later that week, I saw Liam in the cafeteria, alone at a table, scrolling on his phone with that infuriating smirk. This was my chance. I grabbed Caleb's arm – he'd been equally furious at the concert – and steered him towards Liam's table.
"Liam, we need to talk," I said, my voice deliberately calm, but with an edge of steel I rarely used.
He looked up, feigning innocence. "Oh, Lisa. And Caleb. What a surprise."
"Stay away from Elisa," I stated, no preamble. "You messed with her enough in high school. She's finally happy here, and you're not going to ruin that."
He scoffed. "Oh, come on. We had a thing. It was years ago. She's still holding a grudge?"
"It wasn't 'a thing,' Liam. You betrayed her trust. You humiliated her," I retorted, my voice rising slightly. Caleb put a reassuring hand on my arm, a silent signal to keep my temper in check. "And for your information, she's moved on. She has real friends here who care about her, and she doesn't need your toxic drama."
Liam's smirk hardened. "And what's this? Thorne's little protector club? Bit of a step up from what she used to go for, isn't it?" He glanced pointedly at Caleb.
"This has nothing to do with Felix," I shot back, though a part of me knew it wasn't entirely true given how Felix had intervened. "This is about you being a genuinely terrible person. Stay. Away. From. Her." I stared him down, trying to project every ounce of protective fury I felt. He might be bigger, but I was fueled by years of loyalty to Elisa. His eyes narrowed, and for a second, I thought he'd argue, but then he just shrugged, a dismissive gesture, and turned back to his phone. It wasn't a full victory, but I'd made my point. He knew we were watching.
Caleb's POV: Laying Down the Law
Liam Foster. The name alone left a bad taste in my mouth, especially after seeing Elisa's face at the concert. What he did to her in high school was despicable, and seeing him try to slither back into her life, oblivious or just plain cruel, made my blood run cold. When Felix stepped in with that low growl, I knew exactly why. It wasn't just Felix's usual possessiveness; it was genuine anger, a protective instinct.
Lisa, bless her heart, was already plotting. She grabbed my arm and dragged me towards Liam's table in the cafeteria. Good. We needed to handle this.
"Liam, we need to talk," Lisa began, her voice deceptively calm.
Liam's fake casualness grated on my nerves. "Oh, Lisa. And Caleb. What a surprise."
"Stay away from Elisa," Lisa cut straight to the chase. No messing around. That's my Lisa. "You messed with her enough in high school. She's finally happy here, and you're not going to ruin that."
Liam, predictable as ever, tried to brush it off. "Oh, come on. We had a thing. It was years ago. She's still holding a grudge?" The audacity!
"It wasn't 'a thing,' Liam. You betrayed her trust. You humiliated her," Lisa's voice started to rise, her anger barely contained. I gently placed a hand on her arm, a subtle reminder to keep it together. We needed to be firm, not just furious. "And for your information, she's moved on. She has real friends here who care about her, and she doesn't need your toxic drama."
That's when Liam went for the low blow, his eyes flicking to me. "And what's this? Thorne's little protector club? Bit of a step up from what she used to go for, isn't it?" The implication was clear: he was trying to needle me about being 'just' a friend, and about Elisa supposedly 'upgrading' to Felix.
My jaw tightened. "This isn't about Felix, Liam. This is about you. Elisa doesn't deserve to be treated like that. We're her friends, and we're telling you now: leave her alone." My voice was low, steady, but the underlying threat was clear. I wasn't Felix, I didn't have his family's power or his cold glare, but I had my own kind of resolve. I met his gaze squarely, letting him see the sincerity in my eyes. He finally broke eye contact, shrugging dismissively and looking back at his phone. It wasn't the satisfying punch I sometimes wished I could deliver, but it was a clear boundary. He'd heard us. And he knew we weren't messing around.