Chapter 3
As I watched Zoe piggybacking on Edward, it suddenly hit me.
All this time, I wasn't waiting for him to come take me home or the bride-snatching.
I was waiting for myself to let go.
The voice drifted over on the night wind, getting clearer and clearer.
It was Zoe's voice.
"What about Riley? If she finds out, she's going to go ballistic," she said.
Edward sounded confident. He said, "She's all bark and no bite. Once she blows off some steam, she'll be fine. Besides—"
He paused, his voice dropping. "It was pitch black during the bride-snatching. I messed up. She'll be more worried about me than angry; she won't blame me.
"Once she finds out, I'll coax her a bit, and she'll calm down."
Zoe let out a soft laugh.
My knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists.
One of the guys suddenly asked, "Edward, what if someone actually managed to snatch Riley away?"
There was a brief silence on their end.
Then Edward let out a laugh, saying, "You really think she'd let someone take her? With her temper, she'd probably tear the roof off the place tonight."
"Yeah, with Riley's personality, there's no way she wouldn't make a scene," another guy chimed in.
"Man, I almost feel sorry for the groom, bet he's getting his ass kicked right now," someone else joked.
Everyone burst out laughing even harder.
I dropped my gaze and said quietly, "Let's go."
The man carrying me was quiet.
He hadn't said a word since earlier.
I was slumped on his back, feeling his steady steps, neither too fast nor too slow, like someone who had walked these night roads a thousand times.
He must've figured it out.
He could tell who they were laughing at, and that the one who'd tear the roof off was me.
But he kept quiet.
He kept walking.
At the corner, we suddenly came face-to-face with the group.
The torchlight swept over, and someone from the other group called out, "Lucas?"
The man paused for a moment, then replied with a calm, "Mm."
Edward, with Zoe on his back, walked a few steps closer.
He grinned, sizing Lucas up. He asked, "Well, look who it is. You pulling a bride-snatching tonight, too?"
"Mm," Lucas replied.
"So, whose bride did you take tonight?" Edward asked, his eyes flicking over to me.
I buried my face in Lucas's shoulder, showing Edward nothing but the back of my head.
"The one from the next town," Lucas replied, deadpan.
Edward gave me another look, then broke into a laugh. "Look at you. I always thought you were the type who kept everyone at a distance—never expected you'd actually settle down. Congrats, man!"
Lucas replied with another "Mm."
Edward took a couple more steps forward, the torchlight getting closer.
I could feel his gaze linger on my back for a moment.
That look felt a little too long.
His gaze lingered so long, I almost thought he'd recognize me.
"Let's go," Lucas suddenly said, taking a step forward.
"Hold on—" Edward spoke up.
His brows furrowed.
He looked like he was about to say something else.
Zoe's voice suddenly piped up, gentle and soft. "Edward, the wound on my foot is hurting a bit."
Edward immediately turned to her, asking, "What's wrong? Did you bump it now?"
"I don't know, it hurts." Zoe's voice dropped even lower. "Let's hurry up. We need to get to your place before sunrise."
Edward dropped everything else.
He nodded at Lucas. "We're off. When we're back in the city, drinks are on me."
Their footsteps faded into the night.
Only then did Lucas speak up, his voice barely above a whisper. "He really didn't realize it was you."
I didn't say anything, lay there on his back.
My eyes started to sting.
But I didn't cry.
Maybe Lucas sensed how I was feeling; he slowed down a bit, keeping his pace steady and sure.
The moon was shining bright, and the road stretched on and on.
I had no clue where Lucas was taking me.
But right then, it hit me.
Anywhere was better than turning back.