Chapter 5
Then her phone vibrated. Not Ryan. An unknown number flashed on the screen, yet she knew exactly who it was.
It was Lucas' message: [Hey, Ellie. Long time no see.]
Staring at the short message, Eleanor hovered a finger over the screen, uncertain how to reply.
That night together left Lucas sending Eleanor a WhatsApp friend request. On an impulse she couldn't explain, she accepted it.
He messaged her sporadically, day in and day out. Some days it was a candid snapshot of a stray cat wandering the sidewalk. On other days, a casual line commenting on the lovely weather outside.
More often than not, he'd send nothing but a lighthearted meme with no caption at all.
Eleanor mostly ignored his messages entirely. On rare occasions, she'd fire off a blunt one-word reply, nothing more than a quiet "Hmm" or "Oh".
She kept convincing herself it meant absolutely nothing. She'd simply chosen not to block his contact, and that was the full extent of it.
Yet today, as Eleanor stared at his short message, "Long time no see", an unexpected urge stirred in her to reply properly for once.
Fingers hovered over the phone screen, typing out half-formed thoughts only to delete them again and again.
Back and forth hesitation lingered, every draft erased before she could hit send. In the end, she settled on just two simple words: [It's raining.]
Regret washed over her the second the message went through. It felt awkward, meaningless, far too vague for any natural conversation.
Lucas replied almost instantly: [Did you grab an umbrella before heading out?]
Those plain, thoughtful words made her eyes grow teary-eyed in an instant.
Ryan had never once cared enough to ask such small, trivial questions.
Rain or shine, he never checked if she was prepared.
She typed back: [No.]
[Send me your location.]
Three seconds of quiet inner conflict passed before Eleanor forwarded her location.
Barely twenty minutes later, a vehicle pulled up right outside the hotel entrance. Unlike Ryan's understated luxury Maybach, this was a bold, bright orange SUV, which was eye-catching.
The window rolled down slowly. Lucas leaned out, waving a long black umbrella in her direction. "Hop in, Ellie."
Eleanor stood rooted to the pavement, making no move toward the car.
"Why did you come all this way?" she asked softly.
"You said you had no umbrella," Lucas replied matter-of-factly, as if no other explanation was needed.
Rain streamed steadily down the SUV's roof, glinting like scattered starlight under the warm glow of streetlamps.
Behind the wheel sat the young man, his hair messy and uncombed, dressed in a loose casual hoodie as if he'd rushed straight out of bed the moment he read her message.
"Where did you drive over from?" Eleanor pressed gently.
"A buddy's place nearby, not far at all." Lucas nodded toward the empty passenger seat. "Come on in. The rain's only picking up."
As she glanced back over her shoulder, the hotel ballroom blazed with bright lights, the corporate gala still in full swing.
Ryan was surely still mingling with guests, completely unaware she'd slipped away into the night.
With a quiet surrender, she pulled open the passenger door and slid into the car.
Warm air filled the cabin, soft jazz melodies drifting from the car speakers, creating a charming contrast to Lucas' easygoing, rebellious personality.
"Anywhere specific you want to go?" Lucas asked casually.
Eleanor fell into a brief pause. "Just drive around the city for a while."
Lucas asked no follow-up questions, simply starting the engine and merging smoothly into the evening traffic.
Windshield wipers swept back and forth in a steady rhythm. Rain streaked down the glass, blurring the city's neon lights into flowing ribbons of color. Leaning back against the seat, Eleanor closed her eyes, letting all her tangled emotions melt away for a moment of peace.
Silence settled comfortably between them. Lucas turned the music volume down slightly, cranked the heater up a notch, and continued driving without rushing to fill the quiet.
Time slipped by unnoticeably. When Eleanor finally opened her eyes, the SUV had pulled over along a quiet riverside road.
The heavy downpour had softened into a light drizzle, faint lamplight rippling across the river's surface in delicate, shimmering patterns.
"Feeling better?" Lucas asked.
Eleanor turned to study him. One hand rested loosely on the steering wheel, his profile half-shadowed by dim dashboard light, shifting between soft glow and quiet darkness.
"Aren't you going to ask what's been bothering me?" she murmured.
"You'll open up when you're ready. Prying when someone isn't in the mood to talk only makes things more awkward," Lucas said calmly.
Another stretch of quiet hung in the air.
"I'm married," she said suddenly, as if confessing this truth to him for the very first time.
Lucas just nodded. "I know."
She added, "I have a husband."
Lucas' voice was gentle. "I know."
"Then why do you..." Eleanor trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Lucas turned fully toward her, his gaze earnest and unwavering. Bright and clear in the dim evening light, his eyes held a quiet spark, like two small flames burning in the shadows.
"Ellie, I don't regret that night we spent together. And you don't owe me anything for it, either. It was mutual, no strings attached, no reason for either of us to overthink it," he said.
Eleanor parted her lips to speak, yet a tight lump caught in her throat, leaving her unable to form a single word.
"But if one day you decide you've had enough of this life, remember I'll always be here for you." Lucas lowered his voice to a soft murmur, a murmur that was nearly drowned out by the gentle patter of rain.
Her heart skipped a sharp, startled beat.
Quickly diverting her gaze to the rain-slicked window, Eleanor said, "Send me home."
Lucas nodded without hesitation and restarted the drive home.
Once they reached the complex gate, Eleanor unbuckled her seatbelt to step out. Lucas called her name before she could exit the car, "Ellie."
She glanced back at him.
Reaching into the back seat, he pulled out a paper bag and handed it over. Inside rested a compact foldable umbrella and a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee he'd picked up along the way.
"Take the umbrella with you, and drink the coffee while it's still hot," he said.
Eleanor accepted the bag. Her fingertips brushed lightly against his, and she pulled her hand back instinctively.
"Thanks," she murmured.
"No need to be so formal." Lucas flashed his signature playful grin. "Off you go. Next time it rains, you know exactly who to call."
Stepping out of the SUV, Eleanor stood at the complex entrance and watched the bright orange vehicle fade into the rainy night.
She glanced down at the coffee cup in her hand. There was a simple hand-drawn smiley face that was marked on the side in marker, paired with two messy scribbled words: [Don't cry.]
Eleanor stood there, her eyes burning, but not a single tear fell.