Leon's POV
I thought ignoring her would make it easier.
That if I didn't text, didn't call, didn't ask where she went or why—
Eventually, I'd stop caring.
But it doesn't work that way with Daphne Ivy Lyr.
It never has.
I saw her storm out of class two days ago.
Saw the way her voice cracked when she yelled back at Eleanor.
Heard the sob in her throat when she thought no one else was listening.
And still—I said those things to her.
I stood in front of that washroom door and spoke like I wasn't breaking too.
She told me she was tired.
Tired of apologizing. Tired of bending. Tired of me.
I keep thinking about that last part.
I haven't spoken to her since.
Not because I'm punishing her.
Because I don't know how to fix the mess I made this time.
And if I open my mouth, I might just make it worse. Roman's been quieter too.
Which, for Roman, is saying something.
And Julian? He's been glued to his phone, pacing like he's waiting for it to ring.
Only it never does.
None of us want to admit it, but she's the glue.
She was always the chaos that kept us from coming completely undone. And now?
Now we're just... unraveling. Cassian and Mason were supposed to meet me before class, but they bailed.
Cami hasn't replied to my last three texts. Liv sent a heart emoji and then ghosted. So yeah. Things are totally fine. Totally.
Daphne's POV
I woke up with a pounding headache. The bar's couch wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but it was better than facing everyone at home.
After a long, hot shower, I felt a bit more human. I got dressed, grabbed my phone, and saw a missed call from Cameron. I was glad I missed it; I wasn't in the mood for another lecture.
Just as I was about to leave, JJ texted:
JJ: Morning, troublemaker. Partying without me?
I rolled my eyes and replied:
Me: Not in the mood, J.
JJ: Where are you? I'm bored.
Me: Bring food and come over. I'm starving and my head hurts.
He sent a thumbs-up emoji.
I grabbed my keys and headed home. By the time I got home, my head was pounding like I had tiny drummers in my skull. JJ said he'd meet me here, and honestly, food was the only thing keeping me going.
As I parked Princess, I noticed JJ's bike already in the driveway. Great—he beat me here. Hopefully, that meant food was waiting too.
I unlocked the door and stepped inside, expecting silence. Instead, I walked straight into a weird kind of… tension.
JJ and Roman were sitting in the living room. Well, Roman was sitting stiffly on the couch, remote in hand but not actually watching anything. JJ was perched on the armrest like he owned the place, just casually munching on something from a paper bag like it was totally normal to hang out with my emotionally unavailable brother.
They both looked up at the same time. The vibe? Awkward.
I blinked."Did I just interrupt something? Like a weird bro-to-bro therapy session?"
JJ grinned. Roman looked like he wanted to disappear into the couch.
"Morning to you too, sunshine," JJ said, way too relaxed.
"You two fighting or flirting? Because honestly, I can't tell."
Roman immediately jumped in. "We weren't."
"Yeah, no," JJ added, all smooth and casual.
"Wow," I muttered, dropping my bag on the nearest chair. "That was the most unconvincing denial I've heard all week."
I collapsed next to JJ on the couch and stole his coffee without asking. He didn't complain, which meant I looked worse than I thought.
"Someone better feed me before I cry."
JJ nodded toward the paper bag. "Food's right there. Told you I'd take care of it."
"You're officially my favorite. Don't tell Julian."
"He already knows."
Roman rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. I could feel it though—his walls were a little lower than usual. Maybe JJ got to him. Maybe I did, just by showing up.
I opened the bag and took a bite like my life depended on it. Peace, for now.
I celebrated too early i guess
I was just starting to drift off again, curled up on the couch with Julian's hand in my hair, when the front door opened.
"Ro," Leon's voice called out casually, "if Daphne throws one more mood swing, I'm filing for emotional damages."
I stayed still, eyes shut.
"She disappears for days, comes back with storm clouds over her head, and acts like we owe her an apology. Classic Daph."
Then a pause. Footsteps. And Leon's voice again—less casual this time.
"Oh. Julian. You're here too? Did I interrupt a little... emotional bonding?"
Julian just tilted his head toward the couch.
Leon looked down.
Right. At. Me.
I opened one eye and smiled sweetly. "Keep talking, Vaillaint . I'm loving this live roast session."
Before he could respond, the door creaked again and in came Mason.
"I just parked in the driveway," he said, walking in. "Saw Julian's bike—he's here too?"
Leon gestured toward the couch. "Yup. Julian's here. With Daphne."
Mason looked at us, then glanced between Leon and Julian. He picked up on the weird vibe instantly, but said nothing.
Then JJ—like the human reset button he is—clapped his hands. "Since almost everyone's here, why don't we call the rest and hang out by the pool?"
I groaned, sitting up. "Mmm, tempting, but I'm a little tired from throwing all these dramatic mood swings. Don't want people to actually sue me for emotional damages."
I grabbed a burger from the table, dramatically stood up, and walked toward my room.
"Don't wait up," I called over my shoulder. "I might throw one more tantrum before bedtime."
I walked out to the balcony, lit a cigarette, and leaned on the railing. All I could think about was what Vaillaint said.
Does he not get how mad I am? To him, it's always me who's the problem. Like I'm the villain in his little sob story. Will he ever stop blaming me?
Ugh.
Why does he always get under my skin? I swear, I want to kill him. Actually murder him and toss him in the pool.
I took the final drag of my cigarette and glanced down.
And there he was. Leon freaking Vaillaint, standing by the pool, all shirtless and dripping like a Greek god commercial. Laughing. Smiling.
Of course he's fine. And here I am, losing my mind while he's out here living his best wet-boy summer.
I rolled my eyes and plopped into the swing chair on the balcony — the one JJ got me as a joke that I ended up actually loving. Somewhere between furious and exhausted, I dozed off, swaying gently.
Barely fifteen minutes later, loud music blasted through the walls and dragged me out of my nap.
Groggy, annoyed, and one inch away from snapping, I ran to the railing and yelled, "Can a person here get some freaking sleep?!"
No reply.
None.
I stormed downstairs, found the speaker, and yanked the cord out.
"Let me sleep. Please!" I snapped at the group like a gremlin on zero hours of rest.
JJ, ever the menace, looked at me and said, "Instead of being a party pooper, why don't you join us?"
And then the traitor pushed me into the pool.
"JJ! I swear to God! I'm still in my freaking PJs!" I sputtered, pushing my soaked hair off my face. "Someone hand me a towel! Jesus!"
Liv, Cami, and Cass walked in laughing.
"Daph, did you jump into the pool in your PJs?" Liv snorted. "Where's your bikini, woman?"
I scoffed and smacked JJ's back. "Blame him."
JJ yelped dramatically. "Oww! Okay, okay—why don't you guys go change and join us already?"
Liv grinned. "Daph, let us borrow something. We came straight from uni."
We headed upstairs to my closet. Liv opened a drawer and pulled out a hot pink set. "Daph, I'm wearing this. It's cute and it's new."
Cami dug into another section and held up a black bikini with a ring at the center. "This is perfect for you," she said, smirking. "Wear it."
"Fine," I said, eyeing it. "But won't it be… a bit too revealing?"
Cami raised a brow. "Just grab us all a wrap and call it a day."
I nodded, grabbing a few wraps and heading to the vanity to slather on some sunscreen. As I passed it to them, Cami picked up something from the side table.
"You still have this?" she asked, holding up a worn bracelet. "The one Leon gave you when you were kids? Does it even fit you anymore?"
I let out a small laugh. "I have a habit of holding on to things that were never really mine."
We headed downstairs again. The pool was empty now, the guys chatting and joking in a corner.
"I'm going for a dip," I said to the girls. "Make me a drink and leave it by the edge?"
"Done," Liv replied. "Don't drown, big girl. Cami and I are going to say hi to the boys."
I smiled, unwrapped my cover-up, and slipped into the pool. The cool water instantly calmed me — this was my peace, my escape, even if just for a few minutes. Here, everything was quiet.
For a moment, I was happy.
"Your drink's here!" Liv yelled from across the pool. "Don't take forever!"
I pulled myself out of the pool, water dripping down my skin as I reached for the drink Liv left on the edge.
And of course—sitting right beside it, looking like he owned the world—was Leon Vaillaint.
"Wow," he said, eyes trailing just a little too long. "Didn't know you took pool parties this seriously."
I didn't even look at him. I just grabbed my glass and took a long sip.
He let out a low chuckle. "So you're not talking to me now? Silent treatment? Cute."
I stayed quiet. Because anything I said right now would either be too much or not enough.
He shifted, voice lower. "Look, I know I messed up that day. I didn't say things right. But it's not like I didn't care."
I turned to face him, slowly. "All I wanted was an apology, Leon. That's it. You couldn't even give me that. So let's not pretend we can make this right now."
He frowned, just a flicker, but enough. "It's not that I didn't want to. I just didn't know how."
"Well, you figured out how to hurt me just fine," I said quietly, setting the glass down and turning my gaze away.
A beat passed before the sliding door creaked open behind us.
"Daph!" Cami's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "That swimsuit is everything, girl."
I didn't respond. I just forced a tight smile as the rest of them—Liv, Cass, Mason, Roman—spilled out onto the patio with towels, speakers, and drinks in hand.
The music picked up. The chatter got louder.
And me? I felt the weight of silence settle back in between Leon and me, thicker than ever.