Lucian chuckled, but his eyes stayed on Cassian. "Fine." He turned toward the door, then paused. Over his shoulder, soft enough for them to hear
"Daniel misses his Elliot."
And then he was gone leaving behind the scent of roses, and two names that didn't belong in this world.
The door clicked shut behind Lucian, but Cassian didn't move.
He stood frozen in the entryway, fingers still curled around the edge of the doorframe, knuckles white. His breath came shallow, uneven. The scent of black roses clung to the air dark, velvety, suffocating. And beneath it, the ghost of a name Elliot.
Aiden broke the silence first.
"So," he said, voice low but edged with anger, turning to Leonel. "He was the one you got in a fight with?"
Leonel rubbed his split lip, not meeting Aiden's eyes. "Yeah. Why are you getting angry, though!" he said defensively
Aiden's jaw tightened. arms crossed. "What did he even say?"
