Chapter 28
Elena's POV
The SUV came to a stop in the steakhouse parking lot.
Caleb and Ethan had already gotten out, discussing something in low voices. Lila practically bounced after them, immediately inserting herself into the conversation while Ethan patiently answered her questions. My breath formed white clouds in the cold air, and something sharp and nameless tightened around my chest.
Caleb didn't look at me once.
"Hey." Hector's voice beside me was quiet. "Standing here for what? Not going in?"
I forced myself to nod. The three ahead had already disappeared through the glass doors.
"Elena." Hector's tone shifted, losing its casual edge. "You watched the video, didn't you?"
I froze mid-step. "What video?" The lie came out strained and unconvincing.
He let out a short, knowing laugh. "Come on. Don't insult my intelligence." When I didn't respond, he added, "The one I sent you this afternoon. From the bar."
"Did... did Caleb tell you to send it?"
"Hell no." Hector shoved his hands in his pockets, his breath misting between us. "Actually, he ordered me to delete it. Told me it wasn't my business and to stay the fuck out of it." He paused, his expression turning serious. "But I thought you deserved to know what really happened that night."
My throat closed up. "Why would you risk pissing him off for that?"
"Because I've known the guy for years, and I've never seen him treat a girl like that." Hector's voice dropped lower, almost reverent. "You remember when you spilled that drink on yourself and he tried to give you his jacket? You fought him so hard. Then later he dragged you into that hallway, and I followed..." He trailed off.
The video had shown me fragments, pieces, but hearing Hector describe it made it real. "What did you see?"
"You were all over him, Elena. Completely wasted, doing things I'm guessing you don't remember." His eyes were kind but unflinching. "And he was barely holding it together. I saw his canines come out—his eyes flashed gold. He was this close to losing control."
"But he didn't. He pushed you away, held you at arm's length even though it was clearly killing him, and then he carried you out like you were the most precious thing in the world," he continued.
The words hit me like physical blows. "Please don't tell him I watched it," I heard myself say, my voice small and desperate. "I want him to think I don't remember anything."
Hector studied me for a long moment, something like understanding softening his features. "Fine. But you have to answer one question for me." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "What the hell are you two to each other? And don't give me that 'we're just friends' bullshit, because I'm not buying it."
I looked away, toward the restaurant entrance. "It's complicated."
"Try me."
The truth clawed at my throat, desperate to get out, but how could I explain? Admit that I watched them be cruel to Caleb because I was too much of a coward to question what I'd been taught?
"Do you know how Caleb spent those years abroad?" Hector sighed, his tone turning serious.
I shook my head, my throat tightening. "I heard he got a full scholarship for grad school."
"Yeah, full scholarship." There was a trace of bitterness in Hector's voice. "But that only covered tuition. Living expenses, housing, books—he had to figure those out himself. Those two years, to finish his credits as fast as possible, he basically worked himself to the bone. Classes during the day, jobs at night. Surviving on coffee and energy drinks."
Something tightened around my chest.
"He had almost no friends there. He was cold to everyone, especially women. Some classmates even suspected he was gay, gossiping behind his back. But he didn't care, didn't care at all what people said or thought about him. He was like an iceberg—no one could get close. Until..."
"Until what?" I asked quietly, though my heart already knew the answer.
"Until he met you." Hector looked directly into my eyes. "He changed after he came back. Still cold, still controlled, but something was different. He'd zone out suddenly, drive somewhere in the middle of the night. When I asked him what was wrong, he'd say nothing."
"Maybe this is all just a misunderstanding."
Hector's tone softened. "Elena, I've been with him all these years. I've never seen him care about anyone the way he... I actually hope you two can be together."
Before I could respond, the restaurant door opened and Lila's head popped out. "Are you two coming or what? They're about to seat us!"
Hector hurried inside, ending the conversation.
I crossed the threshold into the main dining room. The steakhouse was elegant in that understated way expensive places always were—antique fixtures casting soft light, the rich smell of grilled meat thick enough to taste. A hostess led us to a private room in the back.
The round table had six chairs. Lila had already claimed the seat next to Ethan, her eyes bright with barely suppressed excitement. That left three open spaces, and I chose the chair beside Lila—putting three people between us.
My heart sank. The message was clear.
Hector gave me a sympathetic look as he took the seat beside me, keeping Caleb as far away as possible while still at the same table.
"So," Hector said brightly, clearly trying to fill the awkward silence. "Elena, do you want to invite anyone else? Make it a proper party?"
Damon's name flashed unbidden through my mind, and I felt my expression freeze. He was probably with Scarlett right now. The thought should have hurt, but all I felt was a dull, distant ache, like pressing on a fading old bruise.
"No," I said, my voice flat. "This is fine."
Lila's hand found mine under the table, squeezing gently. "You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." The lie tasted bitter. "Let's just order."
The server appeared with menus and an enthusiastic explanation of the specials that I barely heard. Lila ordered a fruity cocktail, Hector and Ethan both chose beer, and Caleb requested whiskey neat. When the server turned to me expectantly, I said, "Just orange juice, please."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"Orange juice?" Lila's eyebrows shot up.
Heat crawled up my neck. "I learned my lesson about alcohol."
Hector made a choking sound that he tried to disguise as a cough, and across the table, I saw Caleb's fingers pause on his water glass for a moment before he resumed his conversation with Ethan as if nothing had happened.
The food came in waves. Everyone dug in with enthusiasm, conversation flowing easily around me while I sat in my own bubble of misery. Caleb was more talkative than I'd ever seen him, discussing technical details of the AI project with Ethan. Lila occasionally made dry observations that earned laughs from Hector.
I pushed food around my plate, my appetite completely gone, trying to pretend this was fine. Pretending my chest wasn't being crushed by the weight of his indifference.
The server suddenly brought in a gorgeous two-tier mousse cake, candles already lit, with "Happy Birthday Elena" written in elegant script across the top.
"Who ordered this masterpiece?" Lila demanded, pulling out her phone to take pictures.
"I did," Hector said cheerfully, raising his hand.
I immediately felt Lila's eyes on me, that knowing look that said she was drawing all kinds of incorrect conclusions. I shook my head slightly, trying to signal she was reading too much into it, but her grin only widened.
Across the table, Caleb finally looked at me.