Claimed by the Villainess’s Brother

Chapter 12

The gym was still buzzing with the energy of the recently ended P.E. class, our classmates slowly trickling out in groups, sweaty and tired. The rest of the boys, still buzzing with leftover energy, tossed basketballs lazily at the hoops, chatting among themselves. The sounds of sneakers squeaking on the polished floor and the distant chatter echoed around us as my mind raced for a reason to delay Lucas.

"So, um…" I started, scrambling for words. “I mean… Um…”

Lucas watched me with an amused glint in his eyes, clearly enjoying my flustered state. It didn’t help that he looked like he was studying me with a gaze that felt like it was piercing right through me.

“Coline?” Elena’s voice cut through my panic as she approached, holding my towel and water bottle. Her eyes darted between Lucas and me, her face worried. “PE class is over. Are you coming back to class with me, or should I go ahead?”

“No, you should go ahead,” I said quickly, grabbing my things. My gaze landed on Jonathan, who stood not so far from us, staring at Elena. “Hey, Jonathan! Can you escort Elena back to class?”

Elena’s eyes widened in panic as she turned to see Jonathan making his way toward her, a handsome grin on his face.

“Sure,” Jonathan said, reaching out to take Elena’s hand.

“Wait, wait, I didn’t agree to this,” Elena hissed at me as Jonathan gently but firmly pulled her toward the door. I just waved awkwardly, fully aware I was going to catch some grief from her later. But right now, I needed to ensure she was away from any potential trouble. Luna could be lurking outside the gym, waiting to pounce on her.

As Elena and Jonathan disappeared through the gym doors, I was left standing awkwardly in front of Lucas, who was watching me with an amused expression. I could feel the weight of his gaze, and it made my mind race even faster.

“Uh… so,” I began, desperately searching for something to say. My eyes darted around the gym, trying to find some sort of inspiration. “I just… I wanted to ask you about… basketball!”

Lucas arched an eyebrow. Clearly, he wasn’t buying my excuse, but the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips suggested he was entertained by my attempt.

“Basketball?” he repeated slowly, as if testing the word on his tongue.

“Yeah!” I blurted out, nodding a little too enthusiastically. My gaze flitted away from his, landing instead on the half-deflated basketball rolling lazily across the floor. “You played really well in that last game. It was… um, impressive.”

“That’s what was so urgent?” he asked, taking a step closer. “You just had to compliment my basketball skills?”

I resisted the urge to step back, trying to keep my voice steady. “Well, yeah… I mean, it’s not every day you see someone playing like that. You were practically on fire out there.”

“You do know the game was graded, right?”

I forced a shrug, trying to act nonchalant. “Yeah, but still… you did great. So, I was thinking… with the intramurals coming up, you should definitely register for our grade’s basketball team.”

His brows lifted. “Why?”

“To win, of course,” I told him. “It’s kind of embarrassing, but we’ve never won against our underclassmen before, you know. We have good players, and Jonathan is an ace, but the grade below us always seems to have the edge. They’re always winning.”

I silently patted myself on the back for the impromptu excuse. It wasn’t even a lie. The lower grade had always dominated the basketball tournament in our school’s intramurals since they started high school.

Lucas crossed his arms over his chest and leaned in slightly, his gaze locking onto mine. “So, you’re recruiting me now, huh?” he asked, his voice smooth and velvety, making me shiver slightly at his beautiful voice.

“Well, yeah,” I replied, avoiding his gaze. “We could really use someone with your skills. And… I figured if you’re on our basketball team, we might actually stand a chance this year.”

“But why are you the one recruiting me?”

I hesitated for a moment. “Well, I’m one of the leaders of our grade,” I mumbled, trying to sound more authoritative than I felt. “And I have to think about what’s best for us. It’s just strategic thinking. You know, trying to stack the odds in our favor.”

“Strategic thinking, huh?” he asked, his tone challenging yet playful. “And what would you do if I say no?”

I opened my mouth to try and convince him, but before I could say anything, a loud shout echoed through the gym. I glanced toward the source of the noise, and in that split second, I saw a basketball hurtling straight toward me.

But before the ball could make contact, Lucas was there, moving faster than I could comprehend.

He blocked the ball with one swift motion, deflecting it to the side with a loud thud.

For a moment, I just stood there, frozen in place, my heart pounding in my chest.

Lucas turned to me with a calm expression. “You okay?”

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my racing heart. “Yeah… I’m fine. Thanks.”

He gave me a small nod, his gaze lingering on me for a moment longer than necessary. Then, with a casual glance at the group of boys who had been responsible for the errant ball, he sent them hurrying out of the gym, mumbling apologies.

“You were saying?” he prompted, as if nothing had just happened.

I blinked, trying to regain my composure. “Right… basketball. So, will you join the team?”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You know, you haven’t really looked me in the eye since we started talking. Why is that?”

I felt my heart skip a beat at his observation, and I quickly forced myself to meet his gaze. “That’s not true,” I replied, my voice a little too quick, a little too defensive. “I’ve been looking at you just fine.”

Lucas’s smirk deepened. “Are you feeling shy around me?”

“What? No.”

He dipped his head closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “Really?”

Ugh. Why was he so close?

And how the hell did I ever think I could just act as if nothing happened between us?

“Maybe I am,” I stuttered, finally breaking eye contact and looking away. My cheeks were starting to feel warm, and I hated how easily he could fluster me.

“We see each other every day,” he said, a teasing lilt in his voice. “How come you still haven’t fixed that?”

I didn’t answer, instead opting to glare at him. This contemptuous attitude of his really made me want to hate him.

Was this really the price I had to pay for letting myself go for one night? To be constantly aggravated by him?

Lucas chuckled, clearly enjoying this little game. “Some people,” he began casually, “can’t look others in the eye when they’re lying or making things up. I almost assumed you might be one of them.”

“I’m not lying,” I shot back, my tone sharper than I intended. “And I can look at you just fine, thank you very much.”

“Is that so? Because right now, you seem more irritated than anything else. Are you sure you’re not just trying to hide something?”

“You’re really full of yourself, you know that? Just because I don’t feel like staring at you every second doesn’t mean I’m lying.”

Lucas seemed to consider this for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to figure out my real motive. After what felt like an eternity, he finally nodded. “Alright, Coline. I’ll humor you.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“Humor me?” I chuckled nervously. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“So, is there anything else you urgently need from me?” he asked, the teasing smile returning to his lips.

I shook my head. “No, that’s it,” I replied. “But—.”

Lucas cut me off with a raised hand, his smile turning into something more knowing. "But," he interjected smoothly, placing his hands on my shoulders to gently turn me around, "we really should get changed and head back to class. We’re the only ones left in the gym.”

I glanced around, realizing with a start that the gym had completely emptied out while we were talking.

"Right," I murmured, feeling a little foolish. "We should."

With a gentle nudge from Lucas, I started walking towards the door, and he matched my steps effortlessly. As we made our way out, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at me. Lucas’s demeanor was calm, almost too calm, and there was a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips, one that sent a shiver down my spine.

“You know,” he spoke, breaking the silence, “you’re more interesting when you’re irritated.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his words. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” he said, leaning in slightly, “that I enjoy getting under your skin.”

My breath caught, and I suddenly felt like the air between us was charged with something I couldn’t quite name. I could see the challenge in his eyes, the way he was waiting for my reaction, and it made me want to push back even harder.

“Well, stop enjoying it,” I muttered, quickening my pace to put some distance between us. “Because I’m not going to let you get to me.”

Lucas chuckled behind me, a low, warm sound that made my resolve waver for just a moment.

“We’ll see about that,” he said, his voice filled with quiet confidence.