Twitch & Tease

Chapter 4 — The Sound Behind the Door

***

Lucas watched me carefully, his hand still hovering near mine.

He could see the hesitation in my eyes.

The playful atmosphere from dinner had disappeared, replaced by an awkward silence neither of us seemed to know how to break.

Lucas let out a quiet, self-deprecating sigh.

He realized what he'd done.

Mentioning Céline had been meant as nothing more than a warning about the attention that came with his life. Somehow, though, it had sounded more like a boundary.

Or worse—a reminder that I didn't belong in his world.

He gently pulled my plate toward himself before giving me a small, lopsided smile.

"That 'hmm' sounds like you're already planning your escape through the window."

I couldn't help but glance at him.

Lucas chuckled softly.

"Look, I'm serious. Don't let the girlfriend thing make you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around here."

He picked up the remaining dishes.

"Céline is a big part of my life, yeah. But this apartment?"

He gestured around the room.

"This is our space."

His eyes met mine.

"I want you to feel comfortable enough to be yourself. Whether that's cooking questionable first-time meals..."

A teasing smile appeared.

"...or popping into one of my streams just to tell my chat to shut up because I'm being too loud."

I smiled faintly.

Lucas seemed relieved to see it.

He stood and gathered both our plates before heading toward the kitchen.

"How about this?"

He glanced back over his shoulder.

"No stream tonight."

His expression softened.

"Let's just finish our first-day celebration without cameras or followers."

He carried the plates toward the sink.

"You stay put. I'll handle the dishes."

Then he paused.

"And tell me something."

I looked at him.

"What's one thing I can do to prove I'm not going to make this living situation weird?"

I lowered my gaze.

"It's okay, Lucas."

My voice came out quieter than I intended.

"Let's just forget about the stream. I need to go to my room and finish unpacking... if that's okay with you?"

Lucas's expression fell slightly.

He watched me stand, and the warmth that had filled the room only moments ago seemed to disappear.

"Yeah."

He nodded quickly.

"Yeah, of course, Lia."

He gave me a small smile.

"You don't need to ask permission to go to your own room."

I nodded and turned toward the hallway.

Lucas remained by the sink, the plates still in his hands.

For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something.

Anything.

But he stopped himself.

He didn't want to push me further.

"I'll get these cleaned up," he said eventually.

"If you need anything—extra towels, blankets, or if the heater starts acting weird—just knock on my door, okay?"

He turned on the faucet.

"I'm done with work for tonight. I'll just be... hanging out."

I glanced back at him.

"Okay."

I walked down the hallway toward my room.

As soon as I disappeared around the corner, Lucas sighed.

He looked down at the running water.

"Great job, Lucas."

He muttered to himself.

"First night and you've already made things awkward."

His phone vibrated on the table.

He turned off the faucet and walked over to it.

The screen showed a missed FaceTime call.

Céline ❤️

Lucas stared at the notification.

His thumb hovered over the screen.

He could call her back.

He knew he should.

But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

After a long moment, he placed the phone back on the table.

He rubbed his face and sighed before returning to the sink.

The apartment became quiet again.

Too quiet.

Until—

THUD!

A loud crash came from down the hallway.

Lucas froze.

Then came a sharp cry.

"Waahhh! Oh my God!"

His eyes widened.

"Ouch!"

The sound echoed through the apartment.

Lucas's heart immediately began pounding.

He didn't think.

He didn't even bother grabbing a towel.

He rushed toward the hallway, his hands still covered in soapy water.

"Lia?!"

His voice carried through the apartment.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

He reached my bedroom door and stopped for only a fraction of a second.

The panic in my voice had sounded real.

Then he pushed the door open.

"Lia?"

His eyes quickly searched the room.

Half-unpacked boxes were scattered across the floor, along with clothes and an open suitcase.

And then he saw me.

I was sitting on the floor beside the suitcase, one hand gripping my ankle.

Lucas's face immediately drained of color.

"Lia!"

He rushed over and dropped to his knees beside me.

"Talk to me. What happened?"

His eyes moved anxiously over me.

"Did you trip over one of the boxes?"

I shook my head, tears already forming in my eyes.

"Don't move too much, okay? Just stay still."

Lucas's voice was suddenly much softer.

"Did you hit your head?"

I shook my head again.

"My ankle..."

My voice broke.

"It hurts."

A tear slipped down my cheek.

Lucas's expression tightened with concern.

"Okay. Okay, don't move."

He glanced at my ankle, then back at my face.

"I'm here."

His voice was calm, even though his eyes betrayed how worried he was.

"You're okay. We'll figure this out."

For the first time since I'd arrived at the apartment, there was no teasing between us.

No awkwardness.

No cameras.

No stream.

No Céline.

Just Lucas kneeling beside me, genuinely worried.

And neither of us realized that this small accident would be the first moment that truly changed the distance between us.