Chapter 2

It was the weekend.

Emily asked me out for lunch.

But she didn't tell me Lucas would be there too.

I had just sat down when Lucas walked in.

He was wearing a black windbreaker.

His skin was fair and his expression icy.

Damn, he looked so cool and handsome.

Three days had passed since that night.

But seeing Lucas standing there, so real and alive, my emotions went haywire.

Normally, with Emily by my side, I was pretty lively and relaxed.

But today, I could barely get through lunch.

I wanted to bury my head in the sand like an ostrich.

I kept shoveling food into my mouth.

Chewing, chewing, chewing.

Boohoo, I could almost cry.

I couldn't even look up.

I just kept my head down.

Halfway through the meal, Emily got up to use the restroom.

With Emily gone, I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I started shoveling food into my mouth like crazy, and of course, I ended up choking.

I was coughing so hard my whole face went red.

Lucas saw me struggling and passed me a glass of water.

"Hey, don't rush. Eat slower." Lucas said.

His fingers were pale and slender, honestly, it was almost criminal how good they looked.

Seriously, even his fingers were drop-dead gorgeous.

I quickly took the glass, drank some water, and finally managed to calm down.

"Still thinking about that night?" His voice cut through the silence, catching me off guard.

I froze for a second.

He must've noticed how off I was acting just now.

Lucas said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

"Besides, it was too dark to see anything."

I fell silent.

So he didn't even really see me.

Then why did he say I looked pretty?

Was he just being nice?

I was so hyped up asking if I looked good, maybe he blurted it out to be polite.

Besides, it's not like I was naked or anything.

I mean, wearing a bikini at the beach is totally normal.

No big deal.

When I thought about it like that, it actually made sense.

"Oh that's good." I said.

I felt like I could finally breathe again.

All the stuff that had been weighing on me for days just melted away.

It's Lucas, for crying out loud. There's no way he'd ever have any weird ideas about me.

"Yeah." Lucas replied.

Lucas's blue eyes stayed fixed on me.

For some reason.

I thought I was finally at ease, but his gaze somehow made me even more flustered than earlier.

Just then, Emily came back.

"What were you two talking about? Why so serious? And Sophie, your face is super red." Emily teased.

"Really? Must be the spicy food." I said, trying to sound casual.

I just blurted out a lie and hoped she'd let it slide.

*****

After that day, life went on as usual, nothing too dramatic, nothing too dull.

Emily and I were still glued to each other, going to class together, hitting the mall, just enjoying ourselves.

Days were easy and carefree.

But one day, while we were hanging out at a café, Emily suddenly leaned in and whispered to me, all mysterious.

"I'm telling you, my brother's about to get himself a girlfriend." she said.

I was caught off guard.

Emily and I had known each other for years.

Ever since middle school, there'd been a whole crowd of guys crushing on her.

She'd switch boyfriends every three months, faster than she swapped out her phone.

But Lucas was a whole different story.

He was both the school heartthrob and a straight-A student, so basically, he had fans everywhere he went.

But because he was so cold and barely talked to anyone, girls hardly ever hung around him.

Some girls were bold enough to confess, but they just ended up getting ignored or brushed off.

So even now, Lucas is still single, he's never dated anyone, not even once.

"Seriously, it's like a miracle. If he doesn't start dating soon, I'll start wondering if he's into guys." Emily joked.

I took a sip of my drink, trying to act casual. "How do you know he's about to get a girlfriend?" I asked.

"I saw him at a café near campus the other day, just him and that music department goddess. She was grinning from ear to ear, totally head over heels.

"My brother's never had a girl around him in all these years, and now he's having coffee alone with someone? What else could it be but him finally falling for someone?

"Oh, I heard guys like him, cold and distant, turn into total softies when they fall in love. I can't wait to see my brother all lovey-dovey."

Emily was practically bouncing with excitement, but I was left speechless, an unexpected pang of jealousy twisting in my chest.

Yeah.

Lucas shines so bright, he should be with someone as brilliant, like that campus goddess. They're a perfect match.

"By the way, Sophie, how's it going with Ryan? He's been chasing you for ages. When are you finally going to say yes?" Emily asked.

Emily switched gears, suddenly making me the center of attention.

Ryan Brown and I met at a mixer Emily and I went to during our first year of college.

He was an athlete.

Tall, broad-shouldered, super outgoing, and honestly, pretty damn handsome.

After the mixer, we exchanged contacts.

He'd message me to chat, invite me to the movies, and eventually, he started showing up at my dorm every morning without fail, bringing me breakfast.

Emily kept telling me I'd never dated anyone before, and since Ryan was such a catch, I should give it a shot.

But something just felt off, so I kept dodging him and never really said yes.

"I'm still thinking about it. But he did ask me to go to Pulse Park with him this weekend." I said.

"Oh, Pulse Park? Everyone says it's a couple hotspot. It's like, the best place to level up your relationship. You have to go, and don't forget to spill all the juicy details when you get back." Emily grinned.

"Yeah."

I took a sip of my coffee, my thoughts were miles away.