A Moment of Normalcy

I couldn’t bring myself to attend my lectures after everything that had transpired between Raihan and me earlier that morning.

The moment his parents departed, an oppressive silence engulfed the apartment, making the atmosphere feel inexplicably heavier.

For reasons I couldn’t quite articulate, I found myself growing increasingly apprehensive in Raihan’s presence.

“Are you still dwelling on what my father said?” Raihan asked, his perceptive gaze fixed intently on me. “I’m certain he was merely having a bit of fun with you.”

“It’s fine,” I replied, forcing a faint smile. “I’m not bothered.”

I lied to him because in reality every word his father had uttered echoed in my mind.

The probing questions.

The unmistakable look of recognition.

The unsettling invitation.

The more I reflected on it,the stronger my intuition became that Raihan’s father knew far more than me……..and my family .

My thoughts wandered back to the peculiar name Raihan's mother had mentioned.

"Liam..."

The name reverberated in my mind, refusing to leave.

"Who's Liam?" I murmured absent-mindedly, only realising I'd spoken aloud after the words had already escaped my lips.

He abruptly turned on his heel, his eyes locking onto mine. Judging by the shift in his expression, he had evidently overheard what I’d just said.

“L-Liam?” he echoed, his voice betraying an uncharacteristic tremor.

He swallowed hard before forcing the words out.

“H-He’s… j-just a f-friend of mine,” he stammered, the hesitation in his voice impossible to disguise.

It wasn’t really my place to pry.

“Am sorry, I didn’t mean to pry into your privacy.

After all, we were nothing more than roommates… and occasional fuckmates.

There was no exclusivity between us,no obligations,no promises and certainly no claim over one another—nothing that justified my curiosity.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Three firm knocks resonated through the apartment, shattering the uneasy silence.

I instinctively lifted my head, my brows knitting together.

Who on earth could that be now? I wondered.

Without uttering a word, Raihan pushed himself to his feet and strode purposefully towards the door, responding to the persistent knocking.

It wasn't long before three familiar figures came into view—Drey, Noah, and Ethan.

My eyes instinctively widened, and my lips parted in sheer astonishment.

"W-What the...?" I breathed, utterly dumbfounded by their unexpected appearance.

"Well, well... if it isn't the handsome one himself," Drey drawled with a roguish grin the moment his gaze settled on me.

"So, what's going on with you, my man?" he teased, amusement evident in his voice.

I motioned for them to make themselves comfortable while I headed to the kitchen to bring back something well-chilled to help them relax.

"I was looking forward to seeing your hot face today," Drey said with a playful smirk. "You promised you'd be on campus to welcome me, but you never showed up."

"I'm so sorry," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "I woke up with a terrible migraine this morning, so I couldn't make it," I lied.

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

"I'll make it up to you—I promise."

"I was genuinely concerned about you," Drey admitted. "I practically twisted Noah's and Ethan's arms to get them to come with me."

He flashed me a grin.

"I figured it was better to see things with my own eyes than sit around wondering if you were alright."

"I happened to catch sight of Raihan not too long ago," Noah remarked, his inquisitive gaze lingering on me.

"So... have the two of you finally buried the hatchet?"

He cocked an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"I mean, the last time I checked, you could barely stand the sight of each other. You'd rather be anywhere else than under the same roof."

"N-No..." I stammered, momentarily thrown off by the question. "W-We haven't exactly buried the hatchet."

I forced a nonchalant smile, praying it looked convincing.

"Raihan simply wasn't in the mood to come out," I improvised smoothly, hoping they wouldn't read between the lines or catch wind of what had truly transpired between us.

"Drey, your cheeks seem to have taken on quite a rosy hue," Ethan remarked, unable to suppress an amused grin.

"What? No... that's impossible," I laughed nervously, attempting to mask the obvious lie.

"Oi, lads," Drey cut in, shooting Noah and Ethan a pointed look. "Give the poor bloke a break."

He chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're going to scare him off at this rate. He's probably just a bit flustered because we turned up out of the blue."

He flashed me a subtle wink before turning back to them.

"Quit pulling his leg."

Without so much as batting an eyelid, Drey covered for me, helping me keep the whole thing under wraps.

"Lucas, there's something rather important I've been meaning to get off my chest," Drey said, his usual grin giving way to an unexpectedly solemn expression.

"But I'd much rather tell you when we've got a moment to ourselves," he added, lowering his voice.

Ethan let out a knowing chuckle, folding his arms across his chest.

"Oh? Why not say it now?" he drawled. "Don't leave us on tenterhooks."

A wicked grin spread across his face.

"Or is this one of those conversations we're not meant to be privy to?"

Noah laughed under his breath.

"Come on, mate. You can't dangle the carrot and expect us not to bite."

Ethan nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. You've opened a can of worms now—there's no putting the lid back on."

Drey leveled them with a razor-sharp, unyielding stare, the sort that could silence a room without a single word being spoken.

One look was all it took for them to realise Drey wasn’t bluffing, and g wciselbbsnsbsnsbbsbsbvsnsy decided to let sleeping dogs lie rather than stir the hornet’s nest.

“Oh, damn—I almost forgot the whole reason I came here,” Drey said, slapping his forehead.

“I asked Ethan to forward the project brief to your email. Check your inbox when you get a chance.”

Lucas knitted his brows. “Project?”

“Yeah. We’ve got a semester-long assignment on our hands,” Drey replied. “Professor Evans assigned us a documentary project.”

I leaned back on the chair. “What kind of documentary?”

“We’ll be working in pairs throughout the semester. We have to choose a social issue, conduct research, travel across London to film interviews, edit the footage into a professional documentary, and present it at the end of the term, Drey continued.

"You're in for a treat," Drey said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"I guarantee it'll be one of the most unforgettable experiences you'll have while you're here."

"I can only hope so," I murmured, my voice laced with cautious optimism.

“Well, we’d better hit the road,” Drey said, rising gracefully from the couch.

He straightened his jacket before flashing me an easy, roguish grin.

“And don’t even think about skipping class tomorrow.”

As he made his way towards the door, he glanced back over his shoulder with a playful grin.

“Bye, cutie.”

The front door clicked shut behind them, and the apartment became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The moment they left, I sluggishly made my way back to the bedroom to have a rest.

The instant I unlocked the door—

THUD!

Raihan lurched forward and crashed unceremoniously onto the floor.