Carlos parked his car in the underground lot of the apartment complex he shared with Lucas. The evening breeze carried a chill, but he barely noticed. His mind was still on Cee—her laughter, the way her face lit up when she talked about medicine, the way she blushed when he told her goodnight.
He sighed, shaking his head as he stepped into the elevator. Get a grip, man.
When he reached their apartment, he found the door slightly ajar. Carlos frowned. Lucas was messy, but he never left the door open. Cautiously, Carlos pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Lucas?" he called out.
No response.
Carlos shut the door behind him, rolling his shoulders as he stepped into the dimly lit apartment. The weight of the day pressed down on him, but there was an unusual lightness in his chest—one that he wasn't used to.
The scent of something spicy filled the air. He followed it to the kitchen, where Lucas stood at the stove, stirring a pot of steaming broth. His best friend glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow.
"You're back early."
Carlos shrugged, walking past him and dropping his keys on the counter. His eyes landed on the stack of papers beside Lucas's laptop—documents filled with highlighted text and newspaper clippings. Something about them felt off. He reached for them, flipping through the pages.
Lucas turned off the burner. "You might not wanna read that before bed."
Carlos ignored him, skimming the reports. It was all about his stepbrother. A pattern of expensive dates, multiple girls, hush money transactions, and then…
His fingers tightened around the papers.
There were accusations—serious ones. Some buried deep, others brushed aside with large payouts.
Carlos's jaw clenched. "This…"
Lucas sighed. "Yeah. The bastard's been using his position to silence a lot of things. These are just the ones I could dig up. I'm sure there's worse."
Carlos exhaled slowly, placing the documents back down. His stepbrother had always been reckless, always thought he was untouchable. And their father… he had always covered for him.
But how long before someone decided to stop covering?
Lucas leaned against the counter. "Anyway, enough of that. You eating?"
Carlos shook his head. "Already ate."
Lucas's eyes narrowed. He studied Carlos for a moment, then smirked. "You ate, sure. But what I don't understand is why there's a hint of a smile on your usually cold face."
Carlos stiffened. He hadn't even realized he was smiling.
Lucas gasped dramatically. "Wait… don't tell me—you went on a date?"
Carlos scoffed, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. "It wasn't a date."
"Uh-huh." Lucas folded his arms. "Let me guess… Cee?"
Carlos took a long sip of water, not answering.
Lucas grinned. "I knew it. Spill."
Carlos sighed, but there was no real annoyance in his voice. "I invited her to dinner. She hesitated, but I convinced her. We talked, ate, I took her home. That's it."
Lucas whistled. "That's it? Dude, you're in love."
Carlos shot him a sharp look. "I am not."
Lucas waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. That's what they all say at first." Then, his expression turned mischievous. "But, if you're not careful, someone else might get to her before you do."
Carlos stilled. His grip on the bottle tightened.
Lucas grinned wider. "Oh? You don't like that idea, huh?"
Carlos's voice dropped to an icy tone. "You dare?"
Lucas chuckled, completely unfazed. "Relax, man. I don't. But I saw her with another guy today. Looked like he was trying to get her attention. And, if I had to guess… he's interested."
A muscle in Carlos's jaw ticked. He set the water bottle down with a little too much force.
Lucas smirked. "See? That's the reaction of a man in love."
Carlos ignored him, but the thought of another man hovering around Cee made his blood boil.
Lucas laughed, turning back to his food. "Better pick up your pace, Romeo."
Carlos didn't answer.
But one thing was certain—he wasn't about to let anyone take Cee from him.