"REMIEL!" ZETH WAS all smiles as the two girls walked towards the table in the restaurant. "I'm so glad you're here."

"So am I," Remiel grinned, though Livia privately knew this information to be false, considering their previous conversation. "Glad to see you boys again. Off to university! How time has passed."

"I know, I know," Zeth sighed. "Blink of an eye, and everything's over. It's like yesterday we first met you guys."

Livia raised a brow. "It was almost two decades ago."

"If you want to put it that way," Zeth huffed. "But it really was a long time."

Remiel turned to Amphion who was sitting there, staring, watching. A quiet observer, a role that he almost never occupied. He was always the one being active, but he must feel out of place in this situation. The odd one out.

"Amphion Calvert-Egerton, you're being uncharacteristically quiet."

"And you're so familiar with my character?" Amphion retorted, looking amused.

"More than most people, I think," Remiel mused as she sat down. Livia did the same besides her, and then quickly realised that Remiel had screwed her by taking the place opposite Zeth, leaving her and Amphion staring at each other.

Livia's eyes narrowed. Amphion raised one brow.

Remiel continued on as if she'd noticed nothing. "I know you kids far better than you think."

"Your sage wisdom and foresight?" Zeth snorted.

"Absolutely," Remiel said with a wide grin. Zeth had definitely been made aware of what Remiel wanted to achieve in this dinner within the last few hours. Livia was thoroughly displeased, though she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she did her best to avoid Amphion's gaze (which wasn't on her anyways) and turned to join in on Zeth and Remiel's ongoing conversation.

"What are you up to for the rest of the month?" Zeth asked curiously. The question was clearly aimed at Livia, since Remiel was leaving in a matter of days, basically.

"The same as I've been doing for the previous month," Livia pointed out. "Hang out with Brie and Lila, maybe Jason and Eunice as well."

"You're friends with them now?" Amphion suddenly interjected, looking confused.

Livia slanted him a blank gaze. "Yeah. I'm friends with them now. Is it so difficult to believe that I can actually befriend people?"

In response to that, Remiel squeezed Livia's arm underneath the table. Livia scowled as she turned to her cousin, glaring. Remiel didn't even turn her head, but it was quite clear what she'd done anyways.

"Never said that," Amphion pointed out. "You're just putting words inside my head."

"It's what you were thinking."

"Because you know exactly what I'm thinking, don't you?"

"Who knows? I might just do. I've known you for, what, eighteen years now?"

A smile, no cheer but all teeth, broke on Amphion's face. "Well, then you must just enjoy making everything unnecessarily complicated."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Livia demanded.

He responded with a mocking glance. "Figure it out."

Zeth raised his hand. "Stop it, both of you."

"Oh no," Remiel started sardonically, placing her chin on her hand. "Let them continue, Zeth. This is entertaining. Can't wait to see what kind of shit they'd be screaming at each other within ten minutes."

"We're not going to scream at each other," Amphion deadpanned.

"If you get angry enough you might," Remiel mused, staring Amphion dead in the eyes. "And there's no one who knows your boiling point more than Livia does."

"And no one who knows hers more than me," Amphion shot back.

"Precisely why this will turn into a shouting match," Remiel said nonchalantly. "I know you two far too well, you see."

Amphion's eyes practically rolled to the top of his head. Livia's brows scrunched, but she didn't say anything, at risk of being insulted further. Silence was always the best defence in a situation like this, when she was nothing but outmatched in terms of wits, though it pained her to say it.

Actually, she could easily beat Zeth in an argument. And she used to be able to do it with Amphion, but the thing was, she had lied. She used to be the person who knew Amphion the best. Who knew exactly what he was thinking. That was how she always won her battles when they were waged against him. But ever since last summer, he'd changed irrevocably, and Livia hadn't adapted fast enough this time around to catch up and keep up the status quo.

Maybe that was part of why everything happened. And it was also why Livia could no longer win against him. How did you go against someone you couldn't understand anymore? She looked at him and saw a stranger. He still talked and acted the same way, but there was something else in those grey eyes. They used to be clear, easy to understand and read. But now they were clouded, stormy.

Nothing had happened. Nothing had really triggered that change immediately. It had happened gradually, slowly, but Livia hadn't noticed until she was already left behind.

They ordered food, of course. Livia ordered a seafood spaghetti, since she'd already had a burger earlier for lunch and was not interested in another. Remiel had a risotto. Zeth had a burger, and Amphion ordered a carbonara. This was a peaceful period throughout the dinner, almost an interbreak between the initial jabs and what was surely to happen next. A storm was coming—they were sitting in it already, if Livia had to be honest. If she knew Remiel enough, the girl would find some kind of opportunity to leave her alone with Amphion throughout the night, and Zeth would follow her instructions obediently because their goals aligned and he was far smarter than she'd ever given him credit for.

And there was nothing Livia would be able to do about it.

The rest of it was up to her—and him, though everyone seemed to be ignoring that so far. There were two people in this relationship (although it was already in shambles), and just Livia taking a step would do nothing. In fact, it might make it even worse. Especially if he backed away.

It wasn't like she hadn't tried. He was the one who said that they'd been over long ago.

He'd made it quite clear that he had no intention of cooperating before, and she doubted that his opinion had changed so quickly within the span of a month. Maybe in university, eventually, they'd be on talking terms again.

Maybe. He was stubborn. That was one thing she didn't think would ever change about him. It was in his soul, and that wasn't a thing that could be easily changed.

This was an impossible effort and they all knew it.

Actually, no, everyone else didn't believe it. She was the only one who saw it, somehow. This was all pointless. Why was she doing this? Why was she letting Remiel strongarm her into all of this? She was just going to embarass herself, and everything would just get even worst. It would all fall to shit. That was just how things worked.

She was just going to embarrass herself. If she tried anything, Amphion was just going to turn around and tell Sarah about this, and then Sarah would find some chance to laugh and gloat in her face about it.

Sarah's words still rung in her head, all these weeks later. Your hubris is your arrogance. Livia still didn't understand.

How was she proud? Again and again she'd thrown her ego and her everything onto the ground for these people to step on again and again. She'd offered that olive branch. It hadn't been taken. She didn't think of herself as better than the rest of these people. When had she ever done that? If anything, she'd always seen them as better than herself. Them, the superior. Her, the inferior.

It was amidst her panic the next phase of the conversation begun, started by Amphion, who began to speak about his recent year. He had excelled athletically, winning a multitude of school competitions. Amphion was not to the level where he could perform professionally by any means, but she'd always known that he was good. And his grades, while not nearly as impressive as her or Sarah's, had never been too shabby either.

It was why they'd managed to get into the same university.

"You still do fencing?" Zeth asked Livia curiously.

Livia nodded. "What do you think I was doing with Remiel at the stadium earlier?"

"Fair enough," Zeth said with a shrug, turning to Remiel. "Is she any better than last year?"

Remiel answered. "She plays far more aggressively than before."

"Corresponding with her personality," Amphion snorted, not quite glancing at Livia but giving the sense that he was anyways. Livia ignored him.

"I had to adapt my playstyle a lot because of this new kid in my old school's fencing team. I couldn't beat her in my defensive game, so I had to play more aggressive."

"You still going to do it?" Zeth asked. "In university?"

"I think they have a team, yeah," Livia nodded. "But not nearly as much. It's just quite inconvenient, honestly. Might put more hours into Thai boxing instead."

"You still doing that?" Amphion asked, blinking. "I thought you quit it like, two years ago."

That was the first time that evening he'd spoken directly to her in anything except an insult. Livia thought she might repay the favour (and because Remiel was glaring daggers into her cheeks, daring her to say anything rude). "I quit it for a year, but then picked it up again. I only ever quit it because the place where I used to do it shut down anyways."

"Fair enough," Amphion murmured. "I quit it last year. Just wasn't my thing. And A-Levels were getting on my ass."

Remiel raised a brow. "Didn't know Amphion Calvert-Egerton of all people ever felt stressed over exams."

Amphion bared his teeth in a smile. "Well, it was A-Levels. If there was ever an exam I ought to feel stressful for, it would be A-Levels, Remiel."

"You don't seem like the type."

"You know nothing about me, Remiel. None of you do. You think you know so much, you Wong girls, but you actually just know nothing at all. You're just all so proud and full of yourself."

"Oh, are you turning the gun to me now, Amphion?" Remiel asked, sitting up a little straighter, interest lighting up her face. "Please do continue. Please. I want to listen."

Amphion knew that there was no point in arguing with Remiel. He'd never win. So he stayed quiet, turning away, pretending like it had ever happened.

Livia's eyes fluttered shut. "So proud of ourselves, huh?"

Amphion turned to her. "What? It's true."

"No, no, it's just... it's rich, coming from you."

Amphion's jaw flexed. "When on earth have I—"

Zeth winced. "Bro, I have to agree with her here. You like, ooze arrogance. It's kind of your entire thing."

Livia nudged her chin in Zeth's direction, though her gaze still remained pinned on Amphion. "What he said."

Amphion turned to his brother and glared, mouthing something along the lines of you're meant to be on my side. But he was ignored by Zeth, who turned to continue on his much more calm and tranquil conversation with Remiel. Remiel didn't seem to hold Amphion's words against him. She knew as well as Livia that Amphion had the tendency to say things he didn't mean when he was angry. They all did.

But there was another reason why those words from Amphion had stunned Livia for a moment. Because it seemed to be an eerie echo of what Sarah had told her, the words she'd had in her brain moments prior.

Arrogance. Pride. Something she'd been accused of time and time again. Sarah had refused to elaborate last time. But this time Amphion had let something slip.

That she always thought she knew them all so well.

But wasn't it true? She had known them better than they did themselves half the time. She knew their likes and their hobbies and could always guess what they were thinking. That wasn't arrogance, that was confidence in herself that was perfectly well backed up.

Clearly, though, that was not what her friends thought.

Maybe Livia should do something about that.

But it was a little bit too late now, wasn't it? It was a little too late to do anything about. She had one month left with these people. One month. There was very little one could accomplish within the span of one month.

Food came, and another lapse of silence fell over them as they all began digging in. The food was good, and considering the price it ought to be (they'd opted for a fancier restaurant tonight, special occasion and all), and everyone was too preoccupied with it to talk. Livia and Amphion refused to raise their heads, and thus avoided all possible eye contact. You could cut the tension with a knife, and Livia felt Remiel's glares, but she didn't care.

She didn't want to embarrass herself. Her ego was fragile, and she had no interest in putting it out for people to kick down over and over again. Especially not Amphion Calvert-Egerton.

Zeth took no concern regarding this and began babbling with his brother about their basketball match that afternoon, which Livia cared little about. She had no interest in the sport whatsoever. Back at her old school, her friends had sometimes dragged her over to watch, but she'd never been able to spend five minutes actually watching it without taking out her phone out of pure boredom. It was simply not her thing, and boys needed to stop thinking that they could change her mind about that.

Remiel let out a brief sigh at one point throughout the dinner, attracting three curious pairs of eyes. A glare sent them all back to their food. Remiel had that effect on people, especially those younger than her. Even Livia's father seemed scared of his niece sometimes, which she'd find hilarious as a child.

Finally, it was when Remiel saw that they were almost all done with their food without as much a word about the elephant in the room that she finally lost her temper. Carefully placing down the fork, she demanded, glaring at Livia and Amphion, "Are you two just planning on continuing on like this?"

Amphion was the one who answered, with a self-deprecating, mocking huff. "It's working so far."

Remiel glared at him. "Livia's stubborn, I know that. But you? I expected better from you, Amphion."

"Well, you should know better," Amphion retorted, glaring right back. "Guess you don't know me at all, eh?"

"Amphion Calvert-Egerton."

"It's not going to work. You don't scare me like you used to anymore. You're just all bark but no bite anyways. It used to work like a charm because none of us realised that you wouldn't actually do anything to us, but I've figured that out now."

"Oh yeah?" Remiel asked, one brow arched. Livia winced. Amphion was testing limits here. Both his and Remiel's. It wasn't going to work out well for him.

"Yeah." Amphion leaned back. "This is between us. You don't have the right to interfere."

"Well, she's my cousin," Remiel shot back. "And clearly your way of handling it isn't working. Christ, she's even friends with Zeth again."

"In their defence," Zeth murmured, "I'm me. I'm not nearly as stubborn and I actually know when I need to put down my pride and ego."

"Yeah, well, that's basically exactly why we haven't gotten this sorted out yet, thank you for that, Zeth," Livia growled. "Look, Remiel, trust me, we have this covered. Like, we know what to do. Promise. You don't need to be doing this right now, you're just going to make things worse."

"Oh, tell me then. What are you all going to do, huh? What are you kids going to do about this? Because you've already had a month to sort this out and so far you haven't. You're all talk and no action because both of you are fucking cowards who won't do anything about this and it just frustrates me so much—"

Remiel was cut off by Amphion, who slowly raised his head, both eyes fixed on Livia with an intensity that almost instilled fear in her. "What?" Livia demanded. "Why are you looking at me like that? I want to be here even less than you do."

Amphion's eyes didn't move, but he responded to Remiel's taunt. "I'm a coward, right? Fine. Livia Wong. Get up. Let's get outside. Let's fucking talk then, since that's what your cousin wants us to do so desperately. Let's get this fixed up. Let's put a bandaid on this shattered vase and act as if everything's okay again. Yeah. Definitely. Let's do this."

He stood up. When Livia didn't bulge, he stepped forward and yanked at her arm once. Livia snarled, "Well, you don't have to pull." But she stood up, shooting Remiel a glare. "This is all your fault."

She turned to Zeth, who just stared blankly back, blinking. "You're not going to do anything about this?" she demanded. "No oh, don't fight or this is unnecessary, calm down?"

Zeth shrugged apologetically. "For once in my life, I think a fight is necessary. This glaring contest is freaking me out. Try to talk out your differences, you two."

"Are you coming or not?" Amphion had lowered his volume to not attract the attention of anyone else in the restaurant, though a few curious glances were still being shot their way. Livia ignored all of them, slowly standing up and placing down her napkin before following Amphion out of the restaurant.

Once they'd stepped out of the place, she began, "We don't actually have to talk. I'm sorry about Remiel, she can get a bit intense about this kind of thing, we—"

Amphion raised his hand. He was calmer now, the rage that had surrounded him having dissipated. He looked tired, almost, under the red glow of the setting sun. A boy-god used to having everything in his way. This hurt him, confused him just as much as it did her, Livia realised. She wasn't alone in this. She'd never been alone in this. She was hardly the only victim of this failed relationship. "Actually, I do want to talk."

Livia fell quiet. When someone opened their heart to you like this, you did not fight back. You listened.

"I hate to admit that Remiel's right, but she is. I gave it some thought. I used to think we could just continue on like this forever, but, well, we're going to the same university and our parents will get really suspicious if we just do not interact with each other at all." He met her gaze, and she saw something like a mixture of fear and anticipation in those grey eyes. It was something wholly unfamiliar on Amphion's face.

"What, so you think we'll just go back to normal just like that? You know it doesn't work that way."

"We're never going back."

"That's one thing we both agree on, then," Livia murmured. "There's no way back. Too much between us."

Amphion hesitated for a moment, then began, slowly, "You don't... you don't still have a crush on me, right?"

"It wasn't much of a crush in the first place," she lied. "I'm completely over it, don't worry."

"That's good." He looked a bit disappointed, but that was a human reaction. She took little notice of it, didn't let her brain wander over the possibilities and the insinuations.

"We said some pretty shitty things to each other summer."

"I don't think either of us meant most of it," Livia confessed.

"Yet, it still left a major dent," he murmured. "We both know we didn't mean it, but it still hurts, eh? Still a ravine we can't cross."

"Not much we can do about it. I'm not sorry for what I said, though. Given the context, I think I was justified."

"I'm not going to apologise, if that's what you want me to do. Some of the things were truthful. Some of us were not very pleased with you."

"You and Sarah. Who else?"

"Veronica."

Livia let out a loud scoff. "Do not mention her name in my presence."

"Did they tell you what happened with her after you left?"

"Your public rejection, and the ensuing fight? Yeah, I heard."

"And what does that make you feel?" he asked curiously, pushing his fingers through his hazel brown hair. "It's not one of my wisest decisions. But I was still in the heat of my rage from our confrontation, so I didn't necessarily think. My parents were not pleased, but I told them I was defending you."

"What a lie."

"It wasn't completely a lie. Gavin was attracted to you. He's not a great guy."

That knowledge did not surprise Livia. Considering how openly she'd failed to get along with Gavin's own sister, the amount of attention he paid her could not be explained by anything else. "What do you mean he's not a great guy?"

"I mean, he's got a history of cheating on his girlfriends, and most of us thought he was bad vibes anyways."

"He seemed really laidback. And chill."

"He is. But he's also a serial cheater with a complete inability to stay committed in a relationship. Must run in the family, I think. One of the reasons I rejected Veronica was because I looked up on her history, you know. Not the best things in there. I have a few friends who studied at the same school as her."

"I never liked her. But is that seriously why you rejected her? So if her history was squeaky clean, you'd have accepted her?"

He eyed her. "Why are you asking this?"

"Humour me. I'm curious. Zeth has told me some of your love stories before, if we could call it that. But never have I heard about a proper girlfriend. And by that, I mean someone you date more than a week." Amphion wasn't a fuckboy by any chance. But the few proper relationships he'd seemed to have never really lasted more than a month or two. Nothing had ever been permanent. From the way Zeth put it, he'd flirt, but he'd never actually lead anyone on. He always made it clear that it was just in the moment, just for fun.

It made her wonder what was keeping him from entering a longer-term relationship.

"I just wasn't attracted to her like that," he explained with a casual shrug. "And I thought over the way you didn't like her. Some of the things she did. Figured that you were usually right with this kind of stuff, and I might as well just believe you one more time."

Livia couldn't stop the smirk from breaking out on her face. "I'm excellent with this kind of stuff, Amphion. I know how to read people like a book."

"No," Amphion mused. "Just girls. You know how to read other girls like a book. But you've never quite succeeded as well with boys. Case in point, me."

Livia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure."

"It's the truth."

"Not always."

Amphion shrugged. "You'll figure it out eventually. You just haven't yet."

"You and Sarah. You both say I'm arrogant. Is this why? Because I think I can read you all so easily? I've been wondering about it ever since Sarah accused me of being too full of myself, but it wasn't until earlier that I finally had an idea."

"It's part of it," Amphion explained. "But the rest... I'll leave it for you to figure out by yourself." A sigh. "I know it sounds stupid, but I do miss this."

"What, bickering? Light-hearted arguments that don't end in screaming matches?"

"Yeah," he said. "Pretty much." He shook his head, glancing off into the distance. Livia followed his gaze, towards the evening coastline, the orange-red sun disappearing slowly at what felt like the edge of the earth. If she was here with one of her friends, she'd have whipped out her phone and began snapping pictures by now. But this was Amphion Calvert-Egerton, who she just wasn't sure about anymore.

"I think this is the first peaceful conversation we've had in a whole year," Livia remarked. "What an achievement."

Amphion let out a bitter laugh.

"Isn't that sad? That that's an achievement? It shouldn't be one, if you ask me."

"Unfortunately, it is. That's what kind of state we're in now."

"That is just absolutely depressing to think about. Can you imagine? Telling ourselves from a few years ago that this is how we'll end up?"

"I'd slap you," Livia murmured.

"No, you'd threaten to slap me. You and Remiel, you're both all bark and no bite."

"Me, maybe," Livia laughed. "Remiel? No. You've just never pissed her off enough for her to actually take action, that's all. You're getting on her nerves now, you know. She's not going to be as nice as she was before if you piss her off anymore. She's already unhappy enough with you."

"Because of what happened with us?"

Livia casted him a glance. "Remiel Wong is somehow who likes to protect those she views as her own. I am fortunately included in that area."

"And I suppose I'm not."

"I'm blood. The only correlation you two ever had was me anyways. Don't push your luck. Not because I don't want to see Remiel destroying you, but because that would drag me into this shitfuck of a mess."

"You're already in it, Livia," he said, spreading his arms. "Far too late to back off now. How was your time in Hong Kong?"

"Good."

"Any boyfriends?"

"No," Livia said with a shrug. "Almost got one, but I wasn't particularly interested."

"Why?"

"His personality was lacking." Livia raised a brow. "Why all the sudden curiosity?"

"You can ask about me too."

"Alright, then. Any girlfriends?"

"None," he replied bluntly. "Veronica had me staying away from a majority of the female population for a while."

"Even your mother?"

"Obviously, blood does not count." He scowled. "Though I'd love a reason to stay away from Victoire for a little while."

"She's a good girl."

"You don't live with her twenty-four seven. That's the only reason why you like her so much. You get to see her two months a year, and not even every day during that period. Thrice a week, maximum."

"She's a lovely person."

"Until you spend more time with her. That's when she starts getting annoying."

"That's most siblings. The same rules apply for Pamela."

"Pamela has never been an angel," Amphion said with a laugh, leaning against the brick wall of the restaurant. They'd forgotten themselves, Livia realised. Forgotten themselves in the role of old childhood friends again, not people with a gaping ravine between them, keeping them away. They'd forgotten themselves and Livia did not want to break this moment's magic. She wanted to stay like this forever, as if nothing had ever happened, as if everything could be swept under the rug and they could continue on as they did every summer before. "Pamela's never been sweet or nice, and she's always made clear of it."

"She's a clever girl with her own thoughts. And machinations."

"She's a schemer. You can see it in her eyes. She doesn't bother hiding her ambition. That's something worth admiring."

"I don't know what to say about her. We're quite different. I think it's our education. The way she stayed at our old school while I didn't."

"She's socially more clever than you," Amphion offered pointedly. "You can associate that to her school, I suppose. She's far better at knowing what to and what not to say."

"I won't deny that." Pamela was far more socially accomplished than Livia could ever be. It was a pity she did not want to help take over the family business. But in the case Pamela truly did go into the entertainment industry, Livia rather thought that she'd do a perfectly excellent job.

"How's your writing?"

"Polishing up some manuscripts. Going to send them to agents by the end of this summer, I think. At least, that's the plan."

"Good luck with that."

"Thank you."

And then that magical little bubble broke a little. They wouldn't have been this distant, this polite to each other in the past. They were talking civilly, yes, but not as old friends. More like... strangers. As if their history was a blank slate, as if there was nothing between them, absolutely nothing.

It was disappointing.

Extremely disappointing.

But this was more realistic, wasn't it? The way things should have been, would always have been. At least they were talking. At least they weren't screaming insults at each other like barbarians. At least they were getting along.

That was how Zeth found them, his features soft as he regarded the silence of his brother and his closest friend. "Come on, guys. The food is getting cold."

Neither said a word as they followed Zeth back into the restaurant.