AVELA’S POV
The second Lucas’s phone buzzed, something in him shifted.
It was subtle—so subtle that anyone else might’ve missed it. But I didn’t. His eyes flicked down to the screen, and whatever he saw there wiped the warmth right off his face. His jaw tightened, his shoulders squared, and the easy softness he’d had just moments earlier turned into something sharp. Guarded.
He locked the phone immediately, like the message burned his fingers.
I watched him silently. Just minutes ago he’d been teasing me, making me forget myself. Now he stood still, staring at nothing, like he’d suddenly left the room while physically standing in it.
I swallowed, my heart tightening with the kind of worry I hated feeling.
“Lucas?” I asked softly.
He blinked, like he’d forgotten I was even there.
Th
