Seraphina’s POV

I stared at the screen of Irina’s phone, the image burning into my memory as a bunch of emotions hit me at once—jealousy, anger, and disbelief. My hangover was bad enough already, but this… this was something else entirely.

Electra. Naked. With Iris.

The two of them lying on the grass, their bodies intertwined in a way that left no room for interpretation.

The picture was blurry, as though taken from a distance, but it was clear enough to see what was happening. Whoever had taken it must have been spying, and the fact that it ended up on Irina’s phone felt like this wasn’t just a private scandal—it was ammunition.

I wanted to scream. Not exactly at Irina, but at the entire situation. It wasn’t just the picture itself that made my blood boil; it was everything it represented.

I had already admitted to Electra last night that I liked her. I’d swallowed my pride, braved the vulnerability, even though being drunk and drugged had helped big time, but regardless, I had confessed my feelings—only for Electra to brush it off like it meant nothing.

And now this?

This picture of her and Iris was like salt in a wound. Had she gone straight from rejecting me to hooking up with someone else?

Jealousy and anger burned inside me, and I tried so hard not to feel betrayed, but I couldn’t help it. I knew I had no right to feel this way since Electra and I weren’t together, but knowing that didn’t make the anger burn any less.

“Seraphina?” Irina’s voice broke through my haze of emotions. “You good? You’re staring at my phone like you’re about to throw it.”

I forced myself to look up, meeting her curious gaze. “I’m fine,” I lied, though my voice came out clipped and harsh.

Irina raised an eyebrow. “Fine? You look like you’re about to commit murder. Not that I’d blame you. I mean, what kind of idiot hooks up in the middle of a garden where anyone can see them?”

Her words only fueled my rage. I hated that Irina was speaking about Electra like that, but I couldn’t defend her without revealing too much of my feelings. I shoved the phone back at her.

“Where did you get this?” I asked, my voice low as I glared at her.

“It was sent to me this morning. Seems like someone was having a little too much fun last night,” Irina answered.

I took a deep breath, forcing my expression into something neutral before looking up at her.

“And you’re showing me this because?” I asked, trying to keep the bitterness out of my tone.

Irina shrugged, her nonchalant demeanor grating on my nerves. “I thought you’d find it interesting. After all, you’re quite close to the same. I just figured you’d want to see what she was up to.”

I almost scoffed.

“I don’t care what Electra does,” I retorted, my tone cold and dismissive. “It’s none of my business.”

Irina smirked, clearly not buying my indifference. “Right. That’s why you look like you’re about to spontaneously combust. Totally not your business.”

I shot her a glare. “Drop it, Irina. I mean it.”

Irina held up her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. Relax. I’ll stop talking about Electra and her questionable taste in… activities.”

I ignored her jab and stood up abruptly, needing to escape before my emotions spiraled further out of control.

“Where are you going?” Irina called after me, but I didn’t bother answering. I needed air.

I stormed out of the dorms, my anger propelling me forward without a destination in mind. My thoughts were a jumbled mess of frustration, hurt, and confusion. How could Electra do this?

She’d brushed off my confession as though it meant nothing, yet she had no problem hooking up with Iris like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Was I really that insignificant to her? Was she someone laughing at my confession now?

Eventually, I found myself in the garden. The same garden where I assumed the picture had been taken. My chest tightened as I imagined the scene, Electra and Iris together, laughing, touching, kissing.

I clenched my fists, the jealousy and anger threatening to spill over. Why did it bother me so much? Why couldn’t I just let it go?

“Because you care about her,” a small voice in my head whispered.

I shook my head, refusing to dwell on that thought. Caring about Electra was pointless. She didn’t feel the same way, and I needed to accept that, but acceptance felt impossible when every part of me screamed that this wasn’t fair.

I sat on one of the garden benches, my head in my hands, as I tried to calm myself.

“Seraphina?”

The voice startled me, and I looked up to see Electra standing a few feet away. Her expression was cautious, almost hesitant, as though she could sense my mood.

Great. Just the person I didn’t want to see.

“What do you want?” I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

Electra frowned, stepping closer. “I came here to sit for a while, and I wasn’t expecting to run into you here. Are you okay? You look upset.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Upset? Why would I be upset?”

Her frown deepened. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”

For a moment, I considered telling her everything—about the picture, about how I felt, about how much she had hurt me without even realizing it. But then I remembered the way she had dismissed my feelings last night, and my pride wouldn’t let me be vulnerable again.

“I’m fine,” I said, my voice cold.

Electra didn’t look convinced. She took another step closer, her eyes searching mine. “If this is about last night—”

“It’s not,” I snapped, cutting her off. “It has nothing to do with last night.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical, but didn’t push the issue. “Okay. Then what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said, standing up abruptly. “And even if something was wrong, it’s not like you’d care, so don’t bother asking.”

Electra let out a frustrated sigh, and without a word, she sat down beside me on the bench, and I almost couldn’t believe the audacity she had.

Just staring at her was bringing the picture back to my mind and making me feel angrier.

“I didn’t say you could sit here,” I snapped, glaring at her. “Find another bench, or just leave, Electra. I’d like to be alone.”

Electra let out a soft chuckle, clearly unfazed by my attitude. “Relax, Sera, I promise I won’t bother you,” she said, leaning back as if she owned the bench. “By the way, why are you in the garden at 10 in the morning? Isn’t this early for you? After the drinks you had last night, you should still be knocked out by this time.”

“I could ask you the same thing,” I shot back, my voice laced with sarcasm. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping after all the fun you had last night?”

Her brows furrowed as she turned to look at me. “What are you talking about?”

I shrugged, feigning indifference, though the image of her and Iris from the picture was still burning a hole in my chest. “I’m just assuming,” I said, keeping my tone casual. “You must have gone off to enjoy yourself after you left my room. I’m assuming you went back to the party for more… fun.”

Electra tilted her head slightly, her confusion evident. “What are you implying, Seraphina? Come out straight with it.”

I clenched my jaw, unwilling to let her know that I had seen a picture of her and Iris together. I had already embarrassed myself by confessing to liking her, and the last thing I needed was to have her think that I was jealous even though I was.

Instead, I gave her a dry laugh.

“Nothing,” I said, brushing off her question. “I just figured you must’ve been exhausted from dealing with me last night. You know, the drunk girl who embarrassed herself with a ridiculous confession.”

She turned to face me fully, her intense gaze making my pulse quicken. Her brows knit together in a way that made her look both annoyed and contemplative.

“Sera,” she began, “you didn’t embarrass yourself.”

Before I could retort or even process her words, she leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against mine. The world seemed to freeze in that moment, my breath catching in my throat. Her lips were warm, gentle, and entirely unexpected.

My first instinct was to push her away since I was still mad at her, but my body betrayed me. Instead, I melted into the kiss, my hands clutching the edge of the bench tightly as if to anchor myself.

When she finally pulled back, her face was so close that I could feel her breath against my lips.

“What the hell was that?” I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible.

Electra smirked, her confidence somehow both infuriating and intoxicating. “That,” she said, “was me proving a point.”

“What point?” I demanded, my voice growing stronger as my initial shock began to wear off.

“That your confession wasn’t embarrassing,” she said simply, leaning back slightly but still holding my gaze.

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