Chapter 3
1754 Words
Lucas's piercing gaze seemed to drill into me, waiting for a response.
“You aren’t serious, right?” I finally said.
His brows rose. “Why would I joke when I was the one who got thrown aside?”
Yeah.
He was definitely joking.
Despite his words, Lucas's demeanor remained stoic, not a hint of hurt evident in his expression.
“Well, then,” he continued, sitting on the edge of a nearby table with crossed arms. “You must have an acceptable reason for leaving.”
I stared at Lucas, grappling with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
What could I possibly say in this situation?
And what exactly was the right thing to do?
Admittedly, my thought process the morning after was a chaotic mess. One thing had been clear, though. I needed to escape the impending awkwardness that would surely happen if he woke up. After all, we didn’t even know each other’s names.
And I had never anticipated seeing him again. I wasn’t even certain if he was even a party guest or a hotel guest. Besides, I wasn’t the type to engage in casual hookups. I was the girl who guys often labeled as a prude, and I had never felt compelled to prove otherwise. Being proper and modest had always suited me just fine. Until the night I met Lucas.
Sure, I had been intoxicated, but not to the point of losing all sense of awareness. I knew what I was doing.
I wanted him.
I hadn’t wanted to break free from his embrace.
And just as I had hoped, the rest of the night became that of sweet pleasure.
As I hesitated, uncertain of how to respond again, Lucas's sudden movement caught me off guard. His firm grip closed around my arm, pulling me closer to his body, securing his hands at the small of my back, his long legs stretched on both sides of me.
A rush of emotions flooded through me as I attempted to pull away, but his hold remained unyielding. It was a grip I knew all too well, a touch that stirred up memories in my mind. All the breath seemed to leave me as I found myself locked in his grasp, my heart racing with a mix of fear and apprehension.
He was so close, I was certain he could hear my heart trying to leap out of my chest.
“Well?” Lucas prompted, and I struggled to regain some semblance of composure.
“Let go,” I demanded, my voice trembling.
“Why are you trying to squirm your way out? We haven’t seen each other in so long, have we? Or did you think you’d never see me again?”
“Well… yeah,” I admitted. “Isn’t the whole point of having a one-night stand fulfilling each other’s desires and never seeing them again?”
“I see,” he murmured, his gaze piercing. “So you never once stopped to think about me after you left, did you?”
My face began to burn.
Was he kidding?
That night… it was all that had been consuming my thoughts lately. The memories of his voice. His eyes. His fingertips and his warmth. They kept lingering in my mind. And just when I thought I was starting to forget, he appeared.
“Ah, that flushed face,” he murmured, his hand reaching out to touch my cheek. “I missed it.”
I pushed his hand away from my face.
“What really is this about, Lucas?” I demanded. “I’m sure you have plenty of girls lining up for you, and I’m also certain you don’t chase after every girl you’ve hooked up with, note or no note. So forgive my curiosity, but what the hell are you really thinking?”
His brows shot up. “So you’re finally curious about what I’m thinking? You didn’t seem so interested when you abandoned me.”
“Stop joking around,” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “God, but you’re so rude just like your sister.”
His sister.
As soon as I said those words, a sickening feeling washed over me, and my body went tense.
He sighed at the look on my face. “What?”
“Did you know who I was?” I asked, finding it difficult to breathe because my heart was lodged in my throat. “That I was Elena’s best friend?”
His brows furrowed. “Elena? Who’s that?”
Anger bubbled up within me. “What do you mean who’s Elena?” With my hands on his shoulders, I tried to push away, but he still wouldn’t release me. “She’s the girl your sister hates the most!”
“Why would Luna hate her?”
The question caught me off guard, leaving me speechless for a moment. “Are you completely clueless about what’s happening around here, or are you just pretending to be ignorant so you can mock me?”
A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes, confirming my suspicion.
“You knew,” I whispered, my heart sinking.
He frowned. “What are you accusing me of this time?”
“You tricked me.”
“How the hell did I trick you?”
“Did you approach me on purpose from the very beginning? Was it all for revenge for your sister?”
He stared at me for a moment, then burst into laughter.
Hurt, I attempted to use all my strength to push away and would have succeeded if not for Lucas who tightened his grip, drawing me back into his body. Then one of his hands was at the side of my neck, thumb at my jaw, forcing me to look up at him.
“Don’t get me wrong,” he whispered in a deep, warning voice that made me statue-still. “I had no idea who you were when I first met you, Coline, so don’t act like I was scheming to get into your pants. And I certainly wasn’t the one who approached the other first, acting drunk and cute.”
“I didn’t approach you. I got lost.” I paused when his words fully registered. “Drunk and cute?”
He nodded. “That’s right.”
Taken aback, I told him, “You didn’t look like you thought so? Granted, it was dark, but I seem to recall you looked like you thought I was a nuisance.”
“It was your smile. It was so lovely I couldn’t focus on anything else.”
Ugh. He was taking me for a fool because his words and expression still didn’t match at all.
I let out a sigh. “Okay, let’s say you didn’t know who I was that night. But now that you know?”
“It doesn’t make a difference,” he replied nonchalantly.
“Doesn’t make a difference - your sister hates my guts!”
He shrugged, like this wasn’t his problem. “If that’s the case, it would be your best interest to get along with me, Coline.”
“It’s not like I can completely avoid you,” I muttered bitterly. “We’re in the same class.”
“And you’re the class president, huh?” he chuckled. “Didn’t know you had that in you.”
I shrugged, trying to maintain my composure despite the warmth spreading through me at his laughter. “Yeah, well. It’s not like I wanted to step up.”
He smiled, and for a moment, I found myself lost in the depths of his eyes.
God, but he really was so handsome, wasn’t he? Even in my daydreams, he wasn’t that handsome.
And the guy had two dimples.
Two!
It was only then did I realize that throughout this conversation, he’d been holding me, like it was the most natural thing in the world. And that I was even starting to feel comfortable in his arms.
“Can you let me go now?” I asked, feeling the heat creeping up my cheeks.
Surprisingly, he released me, and immediately, I stepped back. His gaze followed me, studying me, and I took two more steps back. His lips twitched.
Now that I wasn’t pressed so close to him, I had the space to gather my thoughts and was able to gain some control of myself.
“So about that night...” he started.
“Please, stop talking,” I whispered, covering my face.
A pause, then he asked, “What?”
“Just… Just stop talking for a second.”
That damn voice.
Just hearing him speak made me remember everything that happened that night in more vivid detail.
Taking a deep calming breath, I squared my shoulders and looked at him. “Okay. We should talk about that night,” I said, trying to feel as brave as I sounded.
He studied me again for a few more moments before responding, “So what? You want to pretend it didn’t happen?”
Was it just my imagination or did he sound irritated when he said that?
Shaking my head, I told him, “I didn’t say that. I just think we should never, ever talk about it. Not to your sister, not to anyone, not even to me.”
He pursed his lips as if he was deep in thought. “Huh.”
“So, do we have a deal?” I pressed, hope flickering within me.
He didn’t answer right away, and my hope began to dwindle. “Okay, what do you want, Lucas? What will it take for you to… to keep quiet about that night? I’ll… I’ll give you anything. So, is there anything you want?”
His eyebrows lifted in interest. “Anything?”
“Yeah, but within reason, of course. And no weird stuff is allowed.”
“Really?”
I smiled, thinking I was finally making progress. “Really. I’ll even break into my trust fund for you. Promise.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Well, there’s been something I’ve been craving to eat for a while,” he muttered thoughtfully.
Relief washed over me.
Oh, that was easy. Food I could afford easily, even if it was the most expensive restaurant in the city.
“Okay,” I nodded. “What is it?”
“You.”
I flushed hotly.
This crazy jerk.
A grin came lazily to his lips. “You said I could ask for anything.”
- Writer
