Chapter 7 Deep Talks Over Iced Coffee
Tasha’s POV
“YOU KNOW,” Luigi said while stirring the iced coffee in his hand absentmindedly, “I heard something interesting this morning.”
I looked up from my notebook across the cafeteria table, immediately suspicious because of the amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“That already sounds dangerous,” I replied.
“It probably is,” he admitted easily. “But now I’m curious.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly. “About what?”
Luigi leaned back in his chair, looking far too relaxed for someone clearly fishing for information. Around us, the cafeteria buzzed with conversations and laughter from students enjoying breaktime, but somehow our corner near the windows felt quieter than the rest.
“I overheard Coach Ramirez talking to one of the professors earlier,” he said casually. “Apparently someone tried switching teams yesterday.”
My fingers tightened slightly around my pen.
Of course he heard that.
I looked down at my notes again, pretending to focus on the unfinished diagram in front of me. “People at this school really need hobbies.”
Luigi laughed softly under his breath. “So it’s true?”
I sighed quietly because there was no point denying it now. “I asked if I could switch partners,” I admitted. “That’s all.”
“And Carlos said no.”
The way Luigi said it made heat crawl embarrassingly up my neck. “You heard that part too?”
“I heard enough,” he answered with a grin. Then his expression softened a little as he studied me more carefully. “But seriously, are you okay?”
The question caught me off guard.
Not because of the words themselves, but because Luigi genuinely sounded concerned instead of curious.
I looked away for a second before shrugging lightly. “I’m trying to be.”
“That bad?”
I hesitated.
Outside the students walked past laughing and talking comfortably while I sat there trying to figure out how to explain Carlos Santiago without sounding completely insane.
“It’s just…” I exhaled slowly and rested my chin briefly against my hand. “Working with Carlos is exhausting sometimes.”
Luigi’s brows lifted slightly. “Because he’s bossy?”
“That too,” I muttered.
He laughed quietly.
“But mostly,” I continued carefully, “he always acts like everything is a competition. Even normal conversations somehow turn into arguments with him.”
“That sounds exactly like Carlos.”
“And he’s impossible to read,” I added before I could stop myself. “One second he’s being helpful, then suddenly he acts cold again like he regrets being nice.”
Luigi listened without interrupting, which somehow made it easier to keep talking.
“I never know what mood he’s in,” I admitted. “And honestly, I think he just gets irritated working with me.”
“That,” Luigi said immediately, “I seriously doubt.”
I frowned slightly. “Why?”
“Because I’ve known Carlos for years.” Luigi leaned forward slightly, resting his arms against the table now. “And trust me, if he actually didn’t want you as a partner, you would know.”
I stared at him skeptically. “That doesn’t sound reassuring.”
“I mean it.” He smiled faintly. “Carlos doesn’t force himself to tolerate people. Especially not in training. If he thinks someone slows him down, he cuts them off immediately.”
My chest tightened slightly at that. “Then why does he always look annoyed around me?”
Luigi actually laughed this time. “Tasha,” he said patiently, “Carlos looks annoyed around everyone.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he lifted a hand first.
“No, seriously. That’s just his face.”
Despite myself, I laughed quietly.
“But with you…” Luigi paused briefly like he was choosing the right words. “I honestly think he’s intimidated.”
I blinked in surprise. “Carlos Santiago is intimidated by me?”
“Yes.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s not.”
I stared at him incredulously while he sat there looking completely serious. “He’s Carlos,” I said slowly. “He’s literally one of the best trainees here.”
“And so are you.”
I almost scoffed at that. “Luigi.”
“I’m serious,” he insisted. “You transferred here three weeks ago and half the engineering department already knows your name. Do you realize how insane that is?”
I looked down immediately, uncomfortable under the sincerity in his voice. “That’s because people love gossip.”
“That’s part of it,” he admitted. “But people don’t keep talking about someone unless they’re interesting.”
I shook my head lightly. “I’m not.”
Luigi gave me a look like I had personally offended him.
“You rebuilt a damaged engine during your first week faster than second-year students,” he pointed out. “You argue with Carlos Santiago without backing down. Professors keep mentioning your work in class. And somehow you still think you’re ordinary?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds exaggerated.”
“Because you keep downplaying yourself.”
I went quiet after that.
The thing was, hearing compliments still felt uncomfortable. Suspicious almost. Like eventually people would realize they expected too much from me and take it all back.
Luigi seemed to notice the shift in my expression because his voice softened slightly when he spoke again.
“Tasha,” he said gently, “you don’t have to make yourself smaller just because everyone else here was born rich.”
That hit harder than I expected.
I looked at him slowly. “I didn’t say anything about money.”
“You didn’t have to.”
The honesty in his tone made my chest tighten unexpectedly.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
The cafeteria noise continued around us, but it suddenly felt distant compared to the quiet heaviness settling between our conversation.
“I just…” I swallowed lightly before forcing out a small laugh. “Sometimes I feel completely out of place here.”
Luigi leaned back in his chair again, watching me carefully. “You know what I think?” he asked.
“What?”
“I think Vanguard needed someone like you.”
I blinked. “That sounds dramatic.”
“It’s true,” he said with a grin. “Everyone here grew up around privilege. Most students don’t even realize how sheltered they are.” He tilted his head slightly toward me. “Then suddenly you show up and start outperforming people who had every advantage possible.”
“That sounds like a good way to make enemies.”
“Oh, it definitely is.”
I laughed quietly despite myself.
“But it also makes people respect you,” Luigi added more seriously. “Even if some of them are too insecure to admit it.”
I looked down at my drink for a second, absently tracing my finger against the side of the cup.
“It still doesn’t feel enough sometimes,” I admitted softly.
Luigi frowned slightly. “What doesn’t?”
“Any of it.”
The words escaped before I could stop them. I hated how vulnerable that sounded. But Luigi didn’t laugh. He didn’t look uncomfortable either. He just looked at me steadily like he actually wanted to understand.
“I know everyone keeps saying I’m talented,” I continued quietly, “but every time I walk around this campus, it feels like people are waiting for me to mess up so they can remind me I don’t belong here.”
Luigi’s expression softened immediately. “That’s not because you don’t belong,” he said firmly. “That’s because people here are threatened by things they can’t control.”
I looked at him uncertainly. “You really believe that?”
“Yes.” He did not hesitate even slightly. “And honestly? Carlos is probably one of those people.”
I frowned. “You really think he’s threatened by me?”
Luigi smiled faintly. “I think Carlos Santiago has spent years being the smartest and most admired guy in every room he walks into.” He shrugged lightly. “Then you arrived and suddenly he has someone who challenges him naturally without trying.”
I stared at him quietly while processing that.
For some reason, hearing it explained that way made my chest feel strangely warm. Confusingly warm.
Luigi noticed my expression immediately and laughed under his breath. “There it is,” he teased lightly.
“What?”
“That look.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “What look?”
“The one you get every time Carlos comes up.”
Heat rushed to my face so fast it was humiliating. “There is no look.”
“Oh, there definitely is.”
I grabbed a napkin and threw it at him. Luigi burst out laughing, catching it easily before it hit his face.
“You’re impossible,” I muttered.
“And you,” he replied with an annoyingly knowing smile, “care about him way more than you want to admit.”
I opened my mouth to deny it automatically. But no words came out. Because deep down, I was starting to realize Luigi might not be entirely wrong.
And honestly?
That terrified me more than Carlos ever could.