Chapter 3

Henry's smile froze.

I didn't see that coming either.

"Good morning, Yannis." Olivia stopped right in front of me. Her cheeks flushed adorably.

She handed me the lunchbox, her voice gentle. "Thanks for the umbrella yesterday. This is a little thank-you. My mom made lobster rolls for you. Hope you like them."

I glanced at the lunchbox. It was a custom piece from a high-end private chef; even the box looked expensive.

With her sparkling, expectant eyes on me, I really couldn't refuse.

"Thanks." I took the lunchbox.

"No problem." Olivia grinned, her eyes sparkling like a happy kitten. "I'm off to class now, bye!"

She waved at me and walked off with a spring in her step.

She never once looked at Henry on the balcony.

I carried the lunchbox back to the dorm.

Henry was still frozen on the balcony, his face dark with anger.

He stared daggers at the lunchbox in my hand, his eyes practically shooting fire.

"What's her deal?" he demanded, storming over.

"She brought me breakfast as a thank-you." I set the lunchbox on the table and opened it. The rich aroma of lobster rolls instantly filled the dorm.

The toasted, golden-brown buns were overflowing with chunky, succulent lobster meat.

I picked one up and took a bite. The sweet, tender lobster paired with the warm, buttery roll was delicious. It totally lived up to its reputation.

Henry watched me eat, swallowed hard, and his expression soured even more.

"A thank-you? For a lame umbrella? Isn't that a bit much?" he said, jealousy all over his face. "Is she trying to play some game? Getting close to you to get my attention?"

I couldn't be bothered with him. I focused on my lobster rolls.

"Yannis, I'm warning you. Don't even think about her," Henry snapped when I stayed silent. "She's mine. Even if I throw her away, she's not yours for the taking."

I finished the last lobster roll, taking my time as I wiped my mouth.

"First off, she's not anyone's property," I said, meeting his gaze calmly. "And anything that's yours? Not interested."

With that, I grabbed my book and headed straight for the library.

Henry was left alone in the dorm, fuming and stamping his feet as he glared at the empty lunchbox.

From that day on, Olivia's breakfasts stopped showing up on Henry's desk and started appearing on mine instead.

One day, it was a bowl of creamy clam chowder; the next, a couple of fancy bagels; and the day after that, some handmade pancakes.

Each morning brought something new; Olivia never served the same thing twice.

At first, Henry was jealous and pissed, but then he got numb, and finally, he started throwing shade. "Hey, Yannis, your little simp is bringing you lunch again?

"Mooching off her every day—don't you feel any shame?"

I ignored him completely.

I was living my best lazy life right now. Michelin-level dining for free? No brainer.

And besides, I realized Olivia was actually a pretty interesting girl.

She wasn't nearly as fragile as she looked. She'd chat with me about niche art movies, her eyes would sparkle whenever she came across an interesting idea, and whenever she saw a stray cat, her expression would turn gentle and full of concern.

She stopped mentioning Henry altogether and kept coming up with reasons to "run into me" every day.

At the library, she'd show up with her arms full of books and "just happen" to sit right across from me.

On the way to the cafeteria, she'd roll past me on her skateboard, pretending to lose her balance so I'd have to steady her.

At the court, she'd turn up holding a badminton racket and "just happen" to notice she didn't have a partner.

Her little moves were clumsy and, honestly, pretty adorable.

I watched her antics quietly, never exposing her or saying a word about it.

Sometimes, I'd go along with it.

For example, when she acted like she was about to fall, I'd reach out and catch her by the waist, holding her steady.

Her waist was so slender. I could feel the surprising softness and warmth of her skin even through the fabric.

Every time I touched her, her cheeks would flush tomato-red, and she'd spring away like a startled bunny.

It was kind of fun.

Those calm and interesting days were shattered the moment a post appeared on the school forum.