Burning Jealousy

Burning Jealousy


Chapter Seventy-Three

Lucian couldn’t sleep a wink. 
Usually when people did things like this, it was nothing real. Just a ploy to get their partners jealous. So why… Why the hell was he hearing her screams and the incessant pounding of flesh against flesh?
The walls were so thin that his ears were not spared even the smallest of sounds. The shuffling of sheets, the body movements, the clattering of objects, he heard it all. 
It was 4am and they were still at it. He’d tossed on the bed until he couldn’t take it anymore and moved to the window. It was no better but at least the early morning breeze was soothing. His heart had grown numb at some point leaving just a dull ache. 
Usually, he would rely on the alcohol to numb the pain but the distaste on his tongue wasn’t something vodka would fix. He stared into the dull clouds, distracting himself with dawn. 
The hours crept slowly until finally the sun appeared. The moans had stopped at some point but he was too in his head to realize. Lucian watched the sunrise, mesmerized by the sheer beauty of morning. 
He forced a smile on his lips. It was a whole new day. She would be gone soon and it would just be him and Artemis again. The forceful smile gave way as a genuine smile touched his lips. 
He turned away from the window and headed to the bathroom. 
The cold water splashed against his face the minute he turned on the shower. He stood still for about five minutes, letting the water run. It did nothing to wash away the images his mind had created throughout the night.
He gripped the edge of the sink until his fingers turned pale.
"Get yourself together."
The reflection staring back at him looked exhausted. Bloodshot eyes. Stubble beginning to grow. His usually neat hair was a mess. He looked nothing like the composed Professor Lucian Meyers.
He looked like a man who hadn't slept in days. He hadn’t, actually. The torture was pushing him to his breaking point.
By the time he walked out of his room, casually dressed in a black tee and white shorts, the apartment was quiet.
The silence should have been comforting, compared to the noise earlier, Instead, it made him nervous. 
Had they already left? Or were they still sleeping? Not knowing what they were doing made him anxious.
He stopped in front of Artemis’ door, contemplating knocking. Lucian eventually forced himself toward the kitchen. There was no need to reveal how truly pathetic he was. 
The food he'd reheated three different times the previous night had become soggy beyond saving. With a quiet sigh, he emptied everything into the trash.
Then he started over.
Eggs. Toast. Coffee.
Nothing complicated. He could do those nicely without videos. Just enough for two people.
Three...
His hands froze over the frying pan. His jaw locked tightly. 
The thought of cooking for the woman Artemis had brought home made something inside him revolt. She could grab something from a store or cook when she got home, couldn’t she?
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
When had he become so petty?
The smell of freshly brewed coffee slowly filled the apartment as he worked diligently Just as he finished setting two plates on the counter, he heard the click of the bedroom door. 
Lucian instinctively glanced towards the direction of the room. His body tensed a little as he anticipated what would pop out first. 
Artemis stepped out first.
His black T-shirt from yesterday had been replaced with loose sweatpants, his damp hair suggesting he'd already showered. The woman followed a few seconds later, wrapped in one of Artemis' oversized hoodies.
She yawned, stretching dramatically before spotting Lucian.
"Oh." She blinked. "You really do live here."
“Good morning,” Lucian offered a polite greeting and she beamed in response. 
“Good morning, handsome. You're actually more good looking than I registered last night. Wanna hook up sometime?” she winked. The shameless flirting caught him off-guard and he glanced helplessly at Artemis. 
The boy didn’t seem to care. His gaze landed on the breakfast spread. Then on the two plates. Something unreadable flickered across his face before disappearing just as quickly.
"You cooked?" Artemis asked flatly.
Lucian nodded. "I thought you'd be hungry."
“Hungry?” The girl beside him chimed. “Oh, I am hungry. I could use some coffee.”
Lucian’s expression changed and he was ready to protest when Artemis pulled a chair for her. 
“You don’t have to say. There’s already a table for two. My roommate is quite generous.”
Her eyes sparked. “Really? He did this for us?” She looked at Lucian with the most sultry expression, like he was the food she was meant to devour. “I like men that cook, though.”
Lucina frowned, turning away from the table. He couldn't just tell her the second plate wasn’t for her when Artemis already offered her a seat. He tried not to think about it. It was a silly thing to make breakfast for two when there were clearly three people. 
He started the coffee maker to distract himself. 
“What are you doing over there? Won't you join us? This is so good,” she said between a mouthful. 
“The Uber is waiting downstairs. If it's so good you can pack up everything with you,” Artemis told her. Lucian turned in surprise.
“Really?” She stopped eating. “You don't mind?”
She was referring to his untouched food. Artemis shrugged, giving her the go-ahead. Lucian’s grip on the mug tightened. He couldn't say anything.
“Hey hottie, can you help me?” She waved at him. He swallowed hard. No, he did not want to.
He couldn't help her pack something he made for someone he loved. 
“I'll help,” Artemis stood from the stool and walked past Lucian to grab the plastic plates. Lucian inhaled sharply as the scent of him engulfed the space. That smoky vanilla scent was back.
Artemis returned to the table and packed up everything then escorted her downstairs. Lucina dropped the coffee, unable to take another sip and moved to the window to watch them. 
The Uber was really waiting. After some minutes, Artemis strolled out with the woman. They talked and laughed over something briefly  before saying goodbyes. Just when Lucian thought it was over, she spun around and kissed Artemis on the lips.
Jealousy twisted deep in Lucian’s chest and he moved away from the window quickly. He walked back to the cup of coffee and chugged it down his throat, forgetting it was steaming hot. 
"Shit—!"
He jerked violently, coughing as the scorching liquid burned his tongue and the back of his throat. The mug nearly slipped from his hand, coffee sloshing over the rim and splashing onto the countertop.
He squeezed his eyes shut, hissing through clenched teeth as the sting spread through his mouth. Instinctively, he reached for the sink, turning on the tap and gulping down handfuls of cold water. It barely helped.
"Idiot," he muttered hoarsely to himself.
The physical burn faded little by little, but the one in his chest remained stubbornly intact.
He rested both palms on the counter and let his head hang.
So this was what jealousy felt like.
Ugly.
Suffocating.
Humiliating.
He had spent an entire night listening to the man he loved with someone else, only to wake up and pack breakfast for the very woman who had shared Artemis' bed.
How much lower could he possibly sink?
His eyes stung. “Fuck!”  
The door opened and Lucian stiffened. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around, even as he heard the approaching footsteps. His body remained bent over the sink, eyes squeezed tightly shut. He could feel the boy’s eyes boring through him. 
“Is it too much, professor?” The mocking voice felt like a stab to his heart. “It's just a woman. Wait until I bring over a man.”
That was when Lucina completely lost it.