CHAPTER 28: WEIGHT OF THE LIE

The words rolled off his tongue with an edge of seduction, like he knew exactly what he was doing.

Cassian froze mid-step, eyes widening for a second. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His fingers tightened around the strap of his bag.

Leonel’s gaze snapped to him immediately, sharp and cold. "why he talking to you like that?" His tone wasn’t harsh but it carried something heavier. Accusation. Confusion. Maybe even hurt.

Cassian blinked, caught between panic and guilt. "I-I..."

Lucian’s smirk deepened. "What, he didn’t tell you?"

Leonel’s expression darkened instantly, the tension radiating from him like heat. Aiden took a half-step back, glancing between the three of them with a silent oh crap look.

Lucian tilted his head slightly, eyes never leaving Cassian. "I was just being polite," he said smoothly, a faint mockery hidden beneath the words. "Didn’t realize that was forbidden now."

Leonel didn’t reply but the quiet fury in his eyes was enough to make the air between them electric.

Cassian’s heartbeat roared in his ears. He wanted to speak, to say something anything but every word died on his tongue as Lucian’s knowing smile lingered just a moment too long.

The sound of the university bell finally broke the moment, distant and shrill.

Leonel exhaled slowly, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "We’ll be late," he said, his voice tight.

Cassian nodded quickly, following beside him, though his steps faltered slightly when he felt Lucian’s gaze burning into his back.

Lucian just chuckled softly, under his breath.

"See you around, bunny."

Cassian froze for half a second but Leonel’s hand lightly brushed his wrist, urging him forward.

The day had just begun.

And the storm had only started to form.

The classroom felt colder than usual that morning.

Even with the sunlight spilling lazily through the wide glass windows, the air between them was thick stiff enough to make the usual chatter of students in the background fade into white noise.

Cassian sat in the middle, pencil between his fingers, tapping it against the desk in uneven rhythm. Leonel sat on his right, head slightly bowed, his expression unreadable as he stared at his open notebook. Aiden was on Cassian’s left, arms crossed, eyes shifting from Leonel to Cassian, quietly reading the room.

It was rare to see Leonel quiet for this long.

And rarer still to see Cassian this nervous.

The three of themwas in the class sitting without saying a word, not even a casual "what are we going to do today." The silence was almost deafening.

Cassian glanced sideways once Leonel’s jaw was tight, his hand gripping the pen like he was writing his anger into the paper. Aiden sighed under his breath. He could practically feel the storm building.

A few minutes passed before Aiden finally cleared his throat, the sound sharp enough to make both Cassian and Leonel glance at him.

"So," Aiden started, tone deceptively calm, "Cassian..."

Cassian blinked, his pencil freezing mid-tap. "Huh?"

"Wanna tell me something?" Aiden’s gaze wasn’t accusing, just... heavy. Observant. "About, let’s say, who you bumped into yesterday?"

Cassian’s stomach dropped. His fingers tightened around the pencil, almost snapping it.

"I -" he started, voice already shaking. "I don’t -"

But then he stopped. Because Leonel was already looking at him.

Not angrily. Not yet. Just watching. Waiting.

Cassian’s throat went dry. He wanted to look away, but Leonel’s eyes dark, searching ,held him still.

Aiden leaned back slightly, sighing. "Cassian," he said softly, "just say it. It’s obvious you did."

Cassian hesitated. His chest rose and fell quickly. He could hear the sound of his heartbeat louder than the lecture starting up in the background.

He wanted to lie again. To just brush it off, say no, move on.

But Leonel’s gaze... it was too sharp, too knowing.

He couldn’t lie to that.

Cassian took a shaky breath, lowering his pencil.

"...Yeah," he whispered. "I did meet him."

Aiden’s brows furrowed, though his tone stayed calm. "When?"

Cassian swallowed. "Yesterday. At the store. I was buying meat, and he just appeared. I wasn’t expecting it. I bumped into him and... he helped me pick up the things I dropped."

He could feel Leonel’s attention sharpen with every word. His hands fidgeted under the table.

"He was just... there," Cassian continued, voice quieter. "Talking. Following me a little. He, um... just wouldn’t leave until I went home."

Leonel’s jaw flexed. He stayed silent for a few beats too long.

"Cassian," Aiden said finally, tilting his head. "Then why’d you lie last night?"

Cassian’s head shot up, guilt written all over his face. "I didn’t - I mean, I -"

Leonel spoke before he could finish. His voice was calm, but the calm that came right before a break. "Because he thought I wouldn’t feel good about it."

Cassian froze.

Aiden’s gaze flicked between them. "That true?"

Cassian nodded slightly, guilt burning at his chest. "I just... I didn’t want to upset you," he murmured, eyes fixed on his hands. "I know how you feel about Lucian. I thought if I told you, you’d get mad, or not eat the food I brought back. I just didn’t want to ruin the mood."

Leonel let out a slow, shaky laugh. It wasn’t amused. It sounded like disbelief-like something inside him was cracking. "So you thought hiding it was better?"

Cassian opened his mouth, but no words came.

he knew because he watched the drama he knew leonel have this side of him which if the person gets close to lucian, he thinks that person only wants to be with lucian and thinks leonel is nothing and cassian didnt want leonel to feel that way

but he couldnt even say this to him .

Leonel leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. "You could’ve just told me," he said, his tone low. "You think I’m that petty? That I’d throw a tantrum over meat?"

Aiden watched quietly. He’d seen Leonel angry before, but this wasn’t anger it was hurt wrapped in restraint.

Cassian’s lips trembled. "I didn’t mean it like that..."

"Then how did you mean it?" Leonel asked, turning to face him fully now. His voice was still soft, but every word cut through the air. "Because right now, it feels like you didn’t trust me enough to just say it."

Cassian’s chest tightened. He hated this the way Leonel’s eyes looked right now, the disappointment buried beneath the sharpness. It wasn’t just jealousy. It was something heavier.

"I just..." Cassian whispered. "I panicked. I didn’t want to make things weird."

Leonel let out a small exhale, turning his eyes back toward the front of the class. His hand drummed lightly on the desk, but his thoughts were miles away. "It’s weird now anyway," he muttered under his breath.

The silence that followed made Cassian’s throat ache.

He wanted to say something to fix it but Aiden’s voice cut through again.

"Well," Aiden said lightly, trying to ease the weight of it all. "Guess that went... as expected."

Neither of them laughed.

He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Look, Leonel, maybe he just didn’t know how to handle it. You both are stubborn as hell. And Cassian’s just -"

Cassian looked at him helplessly. "Just stupid?"

Aiden gave a small smile. "I was gonna say too nice. But yeah, that too."

Leonel didn’t respond immediately. His gaze lingered on Cassian again—this time softer, though the hurt was still there.

Finally, he sighed. "Just... next time, tell me. Don’t make me find out like this."

Cassian nodded quickly. "I will," he said, voice small.

Leonel hummed faintly, not trusting himself to speak further. The lecture droned on, but neither of them heard a word.

Cassian stared down at his notebook, unable to focus, replaying Lucian’s smirk in his mind—and Leonel’s expression just now.

Why did it always feel like he was stuck between them?

Why did it hurt so much to see Leonel mad, even when he knew he’d done nothing wrong?

By the time class ended, Cassian’s shoulders were stiff. The three of them packed their bags quietly.

Aiden stretched, yawning. "Well," he said dryly, "that was the most awkward lecture of my life."

Leonel didn’t reply. He just pushed in his chair and stood, glancing once more at Cassian before walking ahead. His silence said more than his words could have.

Cassian’s heart sank as he watched him leave.

Aiden placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey. Give him time," he said softly. "He’ll come around."

Cassian nodded, eyes lowering to the floor.

"Yeah," he murmured. "I hope so."

Because deep down, even Cassian didn’t know how much longer he could keep pretending everything was fine when nothing really was.

It was lunch break when Leonel headed off first to grab food, leaving Cassian and Aiden trailing behind with their trays. The air between them was still heavy, neither daring to break the silence.

As they walked toward their table, Cassian’s gaze drifted toward the cafeteria window and his heart nearly stopped. Lucian stood outside, one hand casually tucked in his pocket, the other lifted in a lazy wave.

That same infuriating smirk curved his lips. Cassian froze mid-step, almost stumbling, his tray rattling. Aiden’s brow furrowed instantly, following his line of sight