A few days had passed—it was Thursday again.
Celeste's mornings followed the same rhythm:
Wake up late. Dash to class. Link up with Lyka. Attend lectures, doodle on the side of her notes, then go over lessons together after school. That's how most of her weekdays went. Steady. Predictable. Almost relaxing… until Liam showed up.
Every lunch break, right on cue, Liam would appear with his usual smug grin, sliding into the seat across from them like he was the highlight of their day.
"Morning, ladies," he'd greet them, like some heart-stealing cafe waiter.
Their quiet lunch turned into a table of chaos the moment he sat down. He always brought the energy—bantering with Lyka, teasing Celeste, turning even a bland sandwich into the center of a dramatic story. The laughter helped pass the time.
But no matter how loud or charming he got, Liam never missed his real mission.
"You free later, Celeste?" he'd ask, hopeful eyes glued to hers.
Celeste would flash her default polite smile—the one she'd mastered by now—and shake her head with practiced ease.
"Sorry, I'm busy. Lyka and I have stuff to do."
Lyka would blink, caught off guard every time. Then she'd nod, stiffly, playing along. "Right. Important… very important stuff."
She was just waiting for nightfall.
But lately? That part had been the most frustrating.
Every time night came around, her plans flopped. Rowan had been staying up late, working on something for his job—always by the living room, typing, reviewing notes, talking on the phone. She couldn't sneak out without being noticed. And even if she could?
Ash was swamped too.
She couldn't visit his apartment when he was buried under deadlines, and she didn't want to distract him.
So yeah… this week? Torture.
________
Right now, it was 7:57 p.m.
Celeste lay flat on her bed, eyes on the ceiling, arms flopped like a starfish.
"Haaayyysss…" she sighed. "I miss you already, Ash."
She rolled over and grabbed her phone. There it was—his last message.
Ash [7:03 AM]
Good morning.
Don't skip breakfast, Celeste.
Celeste [7:11 AM]
Morninggg
Ughhh I miss youuuuu so much 😩
I won't skip meals… unless you're the meal 😏🍴
Ash [7:12 AM]
Haha… behave, Woman.
You're incorrigible.
I miss you too.
This busy stretch won't last
Celeste [10:48 AM]:
How's your work?
Ash [11:00 AM]:
Busy but manageable.
Don't stress. Focus on school.
Celeste [12:00 PM]
Yuppp. But I'm still craving… something thick, juicy, shaped like this 👉🍆
Guess who? 😇
Ash [1:09 PM]:
…
Cel.
Celeste [1:10 PM]:
HAHAHAHA
I'M SERIOUS, ASH 😡
Ash [1:11 PM]:
Gosh, Cel…
Fine. Crave all you want.
Anyway, I'll be off for a bit. Stuff to handle.
Take care.
Celeste [1:12 PM]:
Okay okay~
Work well ❤️
That was their last message of the day.
Celeste sat up with a groan, dragging herself to the mirror. She tilted her head, checking her reflection. The kiss marks on her neck were gone now—no need to steal Ash's jacket for cover anymore.
She wandered out of her room and into the kitchen, opening the fridge to get water.
"Rowan's still not home?" she muttered to herself.
As she poured the water into a glass, the apartment door creaked open.
She turned.
"Oh, there you are."
Rowan stepped in, tossing his bag to the couch with a tired grunt.
"Yuh."
"You look dead, bro."
"Felt like it too." He slumped into a chair and ran a hand through his hair. "Manager pulled me into another round of site evaluations. Last-minute. It's a whole thing."
"Damn. Did you eat?"
"Yeah, grabbed something on the way back." He took a breath. "Oh, and before I forget—Cel. I know I just came back from that field rotation a few months ago, but this one's different. They need someone to handle an urgent site audit down south. No one else is available. I'm flying out early tomorrow. Should be gone for a week—tops."
Celeste blinked.
"Eh?! That's so sudden…"
"Yeah. Just for a week, tops. I leave tomorrow."
She paused. A flicker of excitement slipped past her surprise.
A week.
A week without Rowan around.
A week of freedom.
"I guess I'll live here alone, huh," she said casually, hiding her growing grin behind her glass.
Rowan stood and stretched.
"You say that like you're not happy."
"I'm not!" she said, trying not to sound too obvious.
"Mmhmm. Sure." He was already heading for his room. "Anyway, I'm beat. I'm crashing early."
As he reached his door, Celeste called out,
"Hey, Rowan!"
He turned, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't overwork yourself, okay?" she said. Her voice was softer this time. "Just… take care of your back or neck or whatever old people complain about."
Rowan snorted. "You really suck at being sentimental. But thanks." He smiled. "You should sleep too."
He disappeared into his room, and Celeste stood there with puffed cheeks.
"Well, I'm trying," she grumbled.
She tiptoed back to her room, quietly shutting the door behind her. Then she clasped her hands together like a scheming little villain.
"Yoshhh," she whispered with a devilish grin, "now I'll finally have time with Ash. Eke-ehe-ehek—"
She laughed like a low-budget anime witch.
THANK YOU, UNIVERSE!!!!
_________