Alexander didn't speak as he watched Caelan walk away beside Evelyn.
He didn't have to.
Jealousy wasn't a feeling he'd allowed himself in years—it was undisciplined, illogical, human. And yet, as he watched Evelyn glance up at Caelan with something between curiosity and comfort, a heat flared in his chest he hadn't expected.
He clenched his jaw and turned from the courtyard before he did something he'd regret.
He needed control. He needed distance.
But Evelyn was making that harder with each passing day.
—
Evelyn's POV
Caelan led her toward one of the smaller side gardens, far enough from the chaos but still within the protective wards.
"Still hate gardens?" she teased softly.
"Only the ones that try too hard." He grinned, his voice a balm against the charged air. "But you liked this spot, remember? It was always quieter here."
She hesitated. "You remember that?"
"I remember a lot of things about you, Evelyn."
Her breath caught.
Caelan wasn't like Alexander. His charm was easy, disarming. He didn't hide behind walls—he let people in, smiled often, and talked like he meant every word. It was comforting.
But that was dangerous too.
Because even comfort could confuse the heart.
He sat on the low stone wall, one leg kicked out. "So. Alexander Valerius."
She blinked. "What about him?"
"He watches you like you're the only thing holding him to this place." He looked at her directly. "And that's not something he does often. Or ever."
Evelyn looked down at her hands. "He's... complicated."
"He's falling for you," Caelan said simply.
She looked up. "And what if I'm falling, too?"
He didn't flinch. "Then I'll catch you first."
Her heart stuttered.
Silence pressed between them, but it wasn't awkward. It was full—of things left unsaid, of shared history, of possibilities not yet unraveled.
"I'm not here to compete," Caelan finally said. "But I'm not stepping aside, either. You deserve choices, Evelyn. Not cages."
He stood, brushing his hand gently against hers—a touch that lingered longer than it should have.
"I'll see you soon."
And just like that, he was gone.
Leaving Evelyn in the garden, heart pounding, shadows stretching, and one undeniable truth taking root:
She had choices now.
And Alexander might be the one losing ground.