Chapter 42

Leia froze, her mind blanking at Noelle's blunt response.

What was that? Leia thought.

Next to her, Harley couldn't help but let out a low chuckle. Harley prided himself on being reserved and stoic, not the type to laugh easily. But when it came to Noelle, she always had a way of catching him off guard, making him laugh at the most unexpected moments.

Noelle, noticing their reactions, placed her hands on her hips and raised a delicate brow. "Leia," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, "This is between Harley and me. It's personal, so no, I'm not telling you."

Harley nodded in agreement. "Let's drop it. Time to grab lunch."

At the mention of food, Noelle's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Let's go! I'm starving!"

Harley's gaze softened as he looked at her. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you get plenty of meat."

"Really?" Noelle turned to him with a grin so bright it could melt the iciest of hearts. "Harley, you're such a great person."

"All it takes is some meat for you to think that?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup!" Noelle nodded.

Harley chuckled, his voice dropping to a gentle murmur. "Then I'll make sure you get more next time."

"Deal!" Noelle chirped, holding him to his word.

As Harley and Noelle left the classroom, chatting and laughing, Leia was left behind, her expression darkening with every passing second. She glared after them, her nails digging into her palms.

Damn Noelle. You think you can embarrass me and get away with it! Fine, you just wait.

In the Anderson family, Leia was always the center of attention, adored and doted upon. Even Eli, the one person who used to sit by Noelle's side, had shifted his loyalty back to Leia after their recent spat. But outside of the family home, it seemed the dynamics had flipped entirely.

Harley took Noelle and Leia to a family-style restaurant. The food was excellent, and the portions of meat were generous, more than enough to satisfy Noelle's cravings. The dining tables were the usual square ones you'd find at a cozy eatery. Naturally, Harley sat next to Noelle, while Leia took a seat on her own at the other side.

When it came time to order, Harley handed the menu to Noelle first, saying, "Noelle, take a look and see what you'd like."

Noelle took the menu directly. "Grilled fries, ribs… Oh, and this roasted beef looks good. And ooh, crispy sausages!"

Leia's face went pale. All meat! How can she finish so much food! And Harley wasn't stopping her! If anything, he seemed amused, letting Noelle have her way. How could Noelle not see that they couldn't possibly...

"Got it!" Noelle chirped, handing the menu to Harley.

Harley took the menu and was about to hand it to the waiter when he noticed Leia's lingering, slightly wounded expression. Thinking for a moment, he passed the menu to Leia. "Leia, anything you'd like to add?"

Leia glanced at the menu, her heart sinking further. Wasn't this meal supposed to be Harley's apology to me! Yet somehow, I felt like the third wheel.

"I'm fine," she said curtly, even though she preferred lighter dishes, a stark contrast to the heavy, spicy meat dishes Noelle had ordered.

Harley didn't push her. He simply handed the menu to the waiter and said, "That'll be all."

The waiter said, "Okay, please wait a moment."

The dishes soon arrived, one after another, filling the table with rich aromas.

"Let's eat," Harley said casually.

Noelle dove in immediately, her face glowing with delight as she dug into the spread of meats. Leia, meanwhile, stared at the overly seasoned dishes with a sinking heart. She nibbled reluctantly, barely able to stomach a few bites. Back at home, this would've been unthinkable. The Anderson family would've rallied around Leia, ensuring she had everything she wanted. But here, Harley's entire focus was on Noelle. Leia's discomfort went unnoticed and unaddressed.

When they returned to campus, Noelle leaned back, patting her stomach in satisfaction. "That was so good! I'm stuffed."

Harley, watching her with amusement, couldn't hide the fondness in his tone. "Glad you liked it. That place seems to suit your tastes."

"It's great! Their meat dishes are amazing," Noelle said with a grin.

"Then we'll go again tomorrow," Harley offered without hesitation.

"Harley, you're so silly," Noelle replied, giving him a playful look. "Tomorrow we start military training. There won't be time for fancy lunches."

Harley didn't miss a beat. "Then we'll sneak out."

Noelle giggled, clearly entertained by the idea. "I like the way you think."

Leia trailed behind them, her heart sinking with every step. This scene contrasted sharply with the morning when Eli dropped Noelle and Leia off at school. In the morning, Noelle was mostly ignored by Eli and Leia, while now, Leia was being left out by Noelle and Harley. Noelle, however, had a good mindset and a strong ability to handle things. Even when Eli ignored her, she quickly adjusted her emotions.

But Leia was struggling. She felt suffocated, a mix of discomfort and grievance. How had she gone from being the one everyone admired to this? When had she sunk so low as to become Noelle's sidekick?

"Eli! Hey, Eli! Over here!" Leia turned to see Eli walking toward them, surrounded by a small group of admiring girls.

When Eli's eyes landed on Noelle, her radiant smile and warm greeting tugged at something deep in his chest. Was I too harsh on her? He hesitated, ready to offer a small nod or word of acknowledgment. But before he could, his gaze shifted to Leia, whose eyes were brimming with tears. His entire demeanor changed. The warmth he felt moments before turned into concern and urgency as he approached Leia.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Eli asked gently.

Leia choked out, her voice trembling. She couldn't hold back anymore. She flung herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. The scene froze everyone around them.

What's going on? Isn't Eli supposed to be Leia's boyfriend? Why are there two girls clinging to him? Leia must be his sister. But who's the other girl? Who knows? She must've done something to upset Leia. Look, she's crying now!

Eli overheard the whispers and felt his temper rise. His eyes darted toward Noelle, his voice stern. "Noelle, what did you do to Leia?"

"What? Nothing," Noelle replied, utterly baffled.

Wasn't everything fine just a moment ago? How did Leia go from fine to crying in the blink of an eye? I didn't do anything to her.

"Did you do something to make Leia cry?" Eli snapped angrily. From Eli's point of view, since Leia and Noelle had come back together, and now Leia was crying, it must have been something Noelle did earlier to upset her.

Just then, Harley stepped forward, positioning himself between Noelle and Eli, confronting him. "Eli, Noelle didn't do anything. Instead of blindly blaming her, why don't you ask Leia what's going on?"

Eli shot a cold glare at Harley and asked, "You're Harley? The guy Leia liked, why was he defending Noelle now?"

"Yes," Harley replied calmly, his voice steady. Both of them stood their ground, a tense standoff between them.

Leia, worried that the confrontation would escalate and make Harley angry, quickly wiped away her tears and shook her head at Eli. "Eli, it's not Noelle's fault. It's my own problem."

"Leia..." Eli was about to ask Leia what had happened when, once again, her tears began to fall. As more people gathered around, Eli realized he had to get Leia away from the situation. He softly said, "Let's go. I'll take you somewhere quiet to calm down."

"Okay," Leia nodded, and with Eli shielding her, they quickly left.

Harley watched them leave, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Isn't Noelle also an Anderson? But Eli, he seemed to have eyes only for Leia. The entire time, he hadn't even glanced at Noelle once as they walked away.