An outsider

Alaric looked up at Vespera, his heavy breathing filling the room.

Vespera stared at him, puzzled. "What... what are you doing?"

"Don't like Quinn anymore. He's not good enough for you!" Alaric blurted out.

Vespera blinked, taken aback by the urgency in Alaric's eyes. Almost instinctively, she nodded. "Okay."

Alaric froze for a moment, then broke into a genuine smile – a rare sight despite his usually cheerful demeanor. He was starting to understand why this meant so much to him. Maybe Lysander was right; he had unknowingly drifted away from Elowen. The person who occupied his thoughts now seemed to be Vespera.

He couldn't pinpoint exactly when it had happened. Perhaps it was when he received that cheap but heartfelt gift from her, or the numerous times she had saved him from awkward situations at parties. Whatever it was, he realized he hadn't thought about Elowen in ages. Even the knowledge of Elowen's feelings for Heath didn't hurt as much anymore. It was as if Vespera had become t