Consolation and Comfort: Easing the Pain (Elisa's POV)
Seeing Liam again, hearing his voice, it had been like a punch to the gut. All the old shame and hurt from high school came rushing back, suffocating me. Even Felix's intense intervention, while a bizarre form of protection, hadn't completely dispelled the dark cloud Liam's presence brought.
A few days after the concert, when Lisa and Caleb had gone to talk to Liam in the cafeteria, I was a wreck. I was trying to focus on my literature notes, but my mind kept replaying Liam's smirk, Felix's low growl, and the unsettling feeling of being caught between them. I knew Lisa and Caleb were fierce protectors, but the idea of them confronting Liam on my behalf still made me anxious.
When they finally came back to the dorm, Lisa immediately sat beside me on my bed, pulling me into a tight hug. "Oh, Elisa," she murmured, stroking my hair. "That jerk. Don't let him get to you. We told him off."
Caleb sat on the edge of the desk, looking serious but incredibly reassuring. "He knows to stay away," he confirmed, his voice calm and firm. "Lisa was incredible, really laid into him. And I made sure he understood we weren't kidding."
I leaned into Lisa, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. "What did he say?" I whispered, almost afraid to hear.
"He tried to play it cool, like always," Lisa scoffed, pulling back slightly to look me in the eye. "Said you were 'still holding a grudge,' can you believe the audacity? But we made it clear: you're happy here, you have real friends, and his toxic drama isn't welcome."
Caleb nodded. "He tried to be snarky, brought up Felix. Called us 'Thorne's protector club,' or something ridiculous." He rolled his eyes. "But we shut him down. This isn't about Felix. This is about you. You deserve to feel safe and happy here, Elisa, without jerks from your past messing with it."
Their words were a balm to my raw nerves. It wasn't just that they confronted Liam; it was how they did it. They believed me. They validated my feelings. They saw the hurt he caused and stood fiercely in my corner. Lisa, with her passionate defense, and Caleb, with his steady, unwavering support.
"Thank you," I murmured, tears welling in my eyes. "Both of you. Seriously. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Lisa squeezed my hand. "Hey, what are best friends for? He's not worth another thought, okay? He's a cockroach, and we squashed him."
Caleb offered a warm, comforting smile. "She's right. He's got no power over you here. You've built something great. Focus on that. Focus on your photography, on badminton, on everything good that's happening now."
Listening to them, a profound sense of gratitude filled me. The sharp, aching pain Liam's reappearance had caused began to recede, replaced by the warmth of their unwavering loyalty. I had come to college feeling isolated, but now, with Lisa and Caleb, I knew I wasn't alone. They were my anchors, helping me navigate the complexities of college life, from academic pressures to old wounds and even the strange, evolving dynamic with Felix. Knowing they had my back, no matter what Liam or anyone else threw my way, made everything else feel manageable.
A Unwelcome Confession
Elisa's POV
I usually loved the campus bookstore. It was a haven of quiet contemplation, the scent of paper and ink a comforting presence. I was Browse the new arrivals in the photography section, finally feeling a sense of peace after weeks of navigating the Thorne Foundation crisis and the strange, evolving dynamic with Felix.
"Fancy meeting you here, Elisa."
The voice, smug and familiar, sent a jolt of ice through me. I turned, slowly, to see Liam Foster standing far too close, a casual smile on his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes. My stomach twisted. I hadn't seen him since Caleb and Lisa's fierce warning.
"Liam," I said, my voice flat, already stepping back, creating distance. "What do you want?"
He chuckled, a sound that grated on my nerves. "Always so direct. I like that about you. Look, I know things ended... awkwardly between us. But I've been thinking about you a lot since I transferred here. Seeing you again, it's just confirmed it." He took a step closer, his gaze too intense. "I still have feelings for you, Elisa. Strong ones."
My blood ran cold. "Liam, no. Just... no. That's never going to happen. You know why." My voice was firm, unequivocal. The memory of his betrayal burned too brightly.
He just shook his head, as if I hadn't spoken. "Come on, Elisa. We had something special, you know we did. We just hit a rough patch. I've changed. We could try again. I want to try again." He reached out, his hand hovering, as if to touch my arm. It was an invasion of my space, a clear disregard for my words. His presence felt stifling, cornering.
"Liam, I said no!" I took another step back, hitting a bookshelf. My voice was sharp, laced with rising panic. His persistence, his utter disregard for my clear rejection, was infuriating. I felt trapped.
Just as the pressure became unbearable, a deep voice, calm yet unmistakably authoritative, cut through the tension. "Foster. Didn't I tell you to leave her alone?"
Liam froze, his hand dropping. I looked past him, my heart leaping with a strange mix of relief and surprise. Felix stood there, leaning against a display, arms crossed. His eyes were narrowed, fixed on Liam with an intensity that radiated pure menace. He hadn't raised his voice, but the threat was unmistakable.
Liam turned, his face blanching slightly. "Thorne. What do you want?"
Felix pushed off the display, walking slowly, deliberately, towards us. Each step felt heavy, deliberate. "I want you to leave. Now." His gaze didn't leave Liam's face. "Elisa clearly said she's not interested. And when Elisa says no, she means no." He stopped directly beside me, his shoulder brushing mine, a solid, protective presence. His mere proximity felt like a shield.
Liam looked from Felix's unyielding gaze to my defiant one. He clenched his jaw. "Fine. Whatever. Some people just don't know what's good for them." He muttered, throwing one last, hateful look at me before he spun on his heel and stalked out of the bookstore, practically jogging to get away.
I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I was holding, my knees feeling weak. The immediate crisis was over, but the lingering unease remained.
Felix, still standing beside me, looked down, a flicker of something almost like amusement in his eyes. He then let out a low, mirthless chuckle. "Some people really don't know when to quit, do they? Pathetic." He shook his head slowly, and then, to my surprise, a genuine smirk spread across his face, a touch of dark humor in his gaze. "Didn't I tell you," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards, "that you should have kicked him where it hurts?"
The unexpected levity, coming from him after such a tense moment, completely disarmed me. A startled laugh escaped my lips, the panic easing as a wave of immense relief washed over me. He wasn't mocking me; he was acknowledging my strength, and perhaps, his own peculiar brand of protection.
Felix's POV
I was heading to the bookstore to meet Elisa. We'd agreed to discuss some of her photography projects for the Thorne Foundation's upcoming art showcase – a way to bridge the gap between us after the family dinner, and for me to actually engage with her talent directly. I found her in the photography section, and was about to call out to her when I saw him.
Liam Foster. That arrogant, smarmy high school jerk who'd apparently caused Elisa so much pain. My blood instantly ran cold. He was too close to her, talking with that condescending charm, and Elisa's posture was rigid, her face pale. She was clearly uncomfortable, trapped.
I heard his words: "I still have feelings for you, Elisa. Strong ones." My jaw tightened. The nerve of him, after what he'd done. And then he tried to reach for her. That was it.
"Foster. Didn't I tell you to leave her alone?" My voice was calm, but the menace was deliberate. I pushed off the display, walking slowly, letting him feel my approach. I wanted him to understand the gravity of the situation, to feel the threat in my presence.
He turned, startled, his smug look faltering. "Thorne. What do you want?"
"I want you to leave. Now." My gaze was fixed on him, unwavering. "Elisa clearly said she's not interested. And when Elisa says no, she means no." I came to a stop right next to Elisa, my shoulder brushing hers. A clear line drawn. She was under my protection, whether she liked it or not.
Liam looked from me to Elisa, his defiance crumbling. He knew he was outmatched. "Fine. Whatever. Some people just don't know what's good for them." He muttered, a final, pathetic attempt at bravado, before he finally turned and practically ran out of the store.
I felt Elisa sag beside me, a shaky exhale. The relief radiating from her was palpable. Good.
I looked down at her, a strange mix of satisfaction and something akin to amusement bubbling up. He was such a pathetic worm. My eyes met hers, and I saw the lingering fear, but also a flicker of something else – surprise, perhaps.
A low chuckle escaped me, entirely mirthless at first. "Some people really don't know when to quit, do they? Pathetic." I shook my head slowly, and then, a genuine smirk spread across my face. The absurdity of it, the sheer cowardice of him, was almost comical. "Didn't I tell you," I said, a rare glint of dark humor in my eyes, "that you should have kicked him where it hurts?"
She stared at me for a second, then a surprised laugh bubbled out of her. It was a good sound, relieving the tension. My bluntness, for once, had landed right. I wasn't going to offer some soft platitude. That wasn't me. But seeing her vulnerability, and then her fighting spirit, triggered something in me. And seeing that creep try to force himself on her… no. That was unacceptable. My intervention was less about chivalry and more about a primal aversion to weakness and disrespect. And seeing him scurry away like that? Satisfying. Very satisfying.