Let’s just forget it ever happened

My stomach dropped as I turned and spotted the source: Luncindra.

She was standing with her group of friends, their easy camaraderie and boisterous energy making them stand out. Her dark hair glinted in the sunlight, and her muscular frame looked just as impressive as I remembered.

The memory of the sauna flooded back unbidden, and for a brief moment, I could almost feel the heat of the room again, the suffocating closeness, the tension crackling in the air.

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But I shook it off. That was then. This was now. And frankly, I didn't have the time or energy to deal with her nonsense.

Rowena must have noticed the shift in my demeanor because she raised an eyebrow at me.

"That not your friend from yesterday?" she asked, her tone laced with sarcasm as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her short, leaning slightly toward me for emphasis.

"Hardly," I muttered, turning my back to Luncindra and her ever-present crew. Rowena didn't press further, though her smirk told me she'd find a way to tease me about this later.

But of course, fate or perhaps karma wasn't about to let me off the hook so easily.

"Rhiannon!"

Her voice cut through the chatter of the crowd like a knife, sharp and unmistakable. I groaned inwardly, debating whether I could pull off pretending I hadn't heard her.

"Rhiannon," she called again, closer now, her tone holding that irritating mix of command and familiarity she seemed to have perfected.

Resigned, I turned to face her. Luncindra stood a few feet away, her friends clustered behind her like a scene out of a glossy magazine. They had that effortless, curated charm that made me wonder if they'd planned their outfits to match.

Luncindra herself looked infuriatingly perfect, her glossy black hair catching the light and her piercing eyes locked on me.

Yet there was something unsettling in her gaze a flicker of vulnerability, perhaps, or maybe just irritation at being ignored.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, her tone light but laced with something I couldn't quite place.

"Yeah, fancy that," I replied, crossing my arms and leaning slightly on one hip, trying to look more nonchalant than I felt.

She hesitated, her gaze darting briefly to Rowena, who was watching the interaction with open amusement. "About what happened in the sauna—"

"Don't," I cut her off, raising a hand as if to physically block the memory. "Seriously, it's fine. Let's just forget it ever happened."

"It wasn't fine," she said, her jaw tightening, the carefully casual mask slipping.

I arched an eyebrow. "It wasn't?"

"No," she replied firmly, crossing her arms in a mirror of my stance. "It wasn't fine, Rhiannon. It was… disappointing. Honestly, I expected more."

Her words hit like a splash of cold water, and I blinked, caught off guard. Of all the things she could have said, I hadn't expected that.

"Disappointing?" I repeated, incredulous. "Are you seriously critiquing me right now?"

She shrugged, a hint of a smirk creeping back onto her face. "I'm just saying, I paid to privatize that sauna. You could've at least made it worth my time. Or my money."

Rowena choked on her laughter beside me, doubling over as she slapped her knee. "Oh my god, this is golden," she managed between gasps for air.

"You paid for the sauna?" I asked, my voice pitching slightly higher as I tried to process the sheer absurdity of the situation.

"Of course I did," Luncindra said, as though it were obvious. "Do you know how hard it is to get privacy around here? I wasn't going to risk some randoms walking in during…" She trailed off, her smirk faltering as she realized what she'd just implied.

Rowena recovered enough to step forward, placing herself firmly between me and Luncindra. Her posture radiated intimidation, her smirk now replaced with a predatory gleam. "Alright, listen up, Lunkhead—"

"It's Luncindra," she interrupted, frowning.

"Don't care," Rowena snapped. "Whatever little spat you two had is none of my business. But if you think you can waltz over here and start throwing shade at my sister, you've got another thing coming."

Luncindra's entourage exchanged nervous glances but stayed silent, their glossy confidence faltering in the face of Rowena's raw intensity.

"Rowena, it's fine," I started, grabbing her arm.

"No, it's not," she said, shaking me off without looking away from Luncindra. "This pompous princess thinks she can insult you to your face and walk away like nothing happened? Not on my watch."

"Princess?" Luncindra repeated, incredulous. "I was being honest. If she can't handle a little constructive criticism, maybe—"

She didn't get to finish. Rowena's fist connected with Luncindra's jaw in a blur of motion, the impact echoing louder than I thought possible.

Luncindra stumbled back, her friends rushing to steady her, their expressions morphing from shock to fury.

Gasps rippled through the crowd, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.

"Rowena!" I hissed, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her back. "Are you insane?"

"What?" she said, shrugging unapologetically. "She deserved it."

"She's going to kill me in the tournament!" I whispered furiously.

Luncindra straightened, rubbing her jaw with a wince. To her credit, she didn't look as furious as I expected. If anything, she looked… amused?

"This isn't over," she said, her voice low and steady, her gaze locked on me.

"Bring it," Rowena challenged, her tone dripping with defiance.

"Enough!" I snapped, stepping between them. "Both of you, just stop."

Luncindra lingered for a moment, her eyes meeting mine with something unreadable before she turned and stalked off, her friends trailing behind her like a protective wall.

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "What the hell was that?" I demanded, rounding on Rowena.

"That," she said with a smirk, "was me protecting your honor."

"I don't need you to protect my honor, Rowena," I shot back. "I can handle myself."

"Could've fooled me," she muttered, crossing her arms again.

I resisted the urge to throttle her. As much as I hated to admit it, I had bigger things to worry about like surviving the tournament and Luncindra's inevitable retaliation.