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Chapter 3: Rules of a Fake Boyfriend
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2026-04-20 16:16:47On Thursday morning, Lucien sent Eli a text; ‘Café Maren on Saturday by 2pm, don’t be late’
Eli’s reply came four minutes later; ‘okay but just so you know I’ve never been late for anything in my life’
And then, thirty seconds after that;
‘also good morning’
Lucien stared at the message on his phone, put his phone face down on his desk and went back to his reading, but there was a slight smile on his lips that he didn’t know he was wearing.
Eli spent Friday trying not to think about Saturday, he failed completely.
“You’re doing the thing,” Noah said, not looking up from his laptop.
“What thing?”
“The thing where you’re very busy doing nothing.”
Eli was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling with his shoes still on.
“I’m resting.”
“You’ve been resting for forty minutes and you keep checking your phone.”
“Noah.”
“You know this is going to hurt, right?” Noah said and Eli was quiet for a moment.
He thought about the stairwell, about Lucien standing in the doorway saying you’re in my way but the meanness didn’t seem so authentic to him.
“Yeah,” Eli said. “Probably.”
“And you’re still going?”
“It’s just coffee.” Eli replied.
Noah returned to his laptop.
Café Maren was ten minutes from campus, and had been there long enough to stop caring about impressing anyone.
Lucien was already there when Eli arrived, sitting at a corner table with his blazer still on and a black coffee in front of him, reading something on his phone.
He looked up when Eli walked in.
“You’re early,” Lucien said.
“I told you.” Eli dropped into the chair across from him “Never late.”
The server came. Eli ordered a latte and a slice of whatever the cake of the day was without looking at the menu, which made Lucien glance at him.
“You’re not going to ask what it is?”
“If it’s bad I’ll know for next time.” Eli shrugged.
“I like trying things.”
Lucien looked at him for a moment, then back at his coffee.
“Harland looked at me today like I’d personally offended him,” Eli said. “I was early.”
“He looks at everyone like that.” Lucien replied.
“You know Harland?”
“I know everyone.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
Lucien said nothing, which was its own kind of answer.
Eli looked at Lucien’s cup. “Black coffee, no sugar?”
“Yes.”
“That’s sad.”
“It’s coffee.”
“It’s a punishment you’ve decided is a preference.” Eli tilted his head. “When did you last have it with milk?”
Lucien opened his mouth to reply then closed it.
Eli pointed at him. “Exactly.”
“My mother put too much milk in it,” Lucien said, it sounded flat. “I used to complain about it.”
Eli didn’t soften or look at him with pity.
“She had good taste then,” Eli said.
Then he laughed at his own terrible response, and Lucien couldn't help but notice his dark curls falling forward, the way his amber eyes squinted, and his adorable freckles suddenly more visible across his nose.
Lucien smiled before he could stop it, neither of them said anything, they just stared. Eli looked at the sharp line of Lucien’s jaw, his green eyes that contradicted his red hair. He felt the heat crawl up his cheeks, Lucien looked away first, sipping his black coffee and looking out the glass window.
They were outside the café, about to head back, when Adrian Cross appeared.
Eli saw him first, tall, dark-jacketed, he was handsome in a deliberate way, and he smiled when he saw Lucien, like he was running into an old friend.
“Vale.” He stopped right in front of them, his hands were in his pockets, gaze moving to Eli with an assessing eye.
“Didn’t know you were coming here today.”
“Adrian,” Lucien said, with his voice flat and Eli noticed.
“This must be the famous freshman,” Adrian said, turning that warm smile fully on Eli, up close it was even more convincing.
“I heard about the gates. Everyone did.” He extended a hand.
“Adrian Cross. Fencing captain.”
“Eli Thorne.” Eli shook it.
“Track, right? Scholarship?” He said it pleasantly, like a compliment.
“Impressive. Saint Aurelius doesn’t give those out easily.”
“So I’ve been told.” Eli replied with a tight smile.
Adrian looked at Lucien with a certain familiarity Eli couldn’t quite put his fingers on.
“Didn’t know you’d developed a type, Luce,” he said lightly.
“More athletic, I see.” There was a small pause.
“People change,” Lucien said, and Eli wondered what that meant.
“Do they?” Adrian’s smile didn’t change, he looked at Eli one more time, with a warm expression that was unreadable.
“Enjoy your afternoon. Both of you.” He said and walked past them.
“Old friend?” Eli asked.
“Something like that.” Lucien replied displeased.
Eli looked in the direction Adrian had gone, there was something he couldn’t quite place, something in the way Adrian had looked at him, it was unsettling..
Day three of thirty
Twenty-seven to go
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