Secretly dating a celebrity♡

Chapter 9:

Heather stayed where she was, watching Luke walk away until he disappeared down the hallway. Her fingers tightened around the glass in her hand, gripping it harder than she realized. Her chest felt tight, her thoughts messy and uninvited.

Why am I feeling like this? she asked herself.

It didn’t make sense. She knew who Luke was. She knew his world. More than that, she knew he was Jake’s best friend. How could she not? She worked in his father’s house. She had seen the photos, heard the conversations, known the names long before any of this happened.

This shouldn’t have surprised her.

And yet, seeing him ignore her like that, act like she didn’t exist—it hit harder than she expected. Not because she wanted something from him, but because it felt like unfinished business. Like something had been left open when it shouldn’t have been.

Her eyes flicked toward the hallway instinctively.

She wanted to follow him. The urge was sharp, immediate. She imagined calling his name, stopping him, saying something. Anything that would break the silence between them.

But she didn’t move.

She knew better.

Starting something she couldn’t finish would only make things worse. Jake didn’t deserve that. And neither did she. Whatever had happened between her and Luke was already complicated enough without dragging it into the open.

Heather exhaled slowly, forcing her grip on the glass to loosen. Her hand was slightly shaky, and that annoyed her more than anything else. She wasn’t supposed to feel this unsettled.

She set the glass down with a soft clink and turned away before she could change her mind.

The stairs felt longer than usual as she climbed them, each step heavy with thoughts she didn’t want to face. She didn’t look back. She knew if she did, she might not keep walking.

When she reached the top, she paused for a second, pressing her lips together, steadying herself.

Then she continued down the hallway, disappearing into the quiet of the house—leaving the tension behind, even though it followed her anyway.

Luke lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his room dark except for the faint glow from the city outside. His mind wouldn’t slow down. Every thought circled back to the same things—Heather’s face, Jake’s laugh, his father’s threats, the feeling of being trapped.

He reached for his phone without thinking.

His father’s name was already there, like it had been waiting.

Luke typed slowly, his thumb hovering over the screen after every word.

I will marry her.

He read it once. Then again. His chest tightened. This wasn’t what he wanted. It wasn’t even something he fully accepted. But it felt like the only move left on a board where he had never been allowed to play.

He hesitated.

Then, before he could overthink it, he hit send.

The screen went still.

Luke dropped the phone beside him and closed his eyes. He didn’t feel relief. He didn’t feel peace. Just emptiness. Like something inside him had quietly given up.

⸻

The next morning, the kitchen was filled with soft noise—running water, low laughter, the clink of dishes. Jake and Heather stood close to each other, moving easily around the space, comfortable in a way that came from familiarity. Jake was cooking, focused but relaxed, while Heather washed dishes beside him, sleeves rolled up, smiling at something he said.

They looked… normal. Happy.

Luke stepped into the kitchen, already dressed, already put together. He looked different—sharper, more composed. Like someone going somewhere important. Or final.

Jake noticed immediately. “Wow,” he said, grinning. “Look at that. Babe, is that Romeo?”

He nudged Heather jokingly.

Heather smiled but kept her eyes on the dishes. She didn’t turn around. She knew if she did, she would stare for too long. She didn’t trust herself not to.

Luke grabbed an apple from the counter. “Stop overreacting,” he said calmly. “I’m going to my M/V. Behind-the-scenes stuff.”

He took a bite, then added, almost casually, “And I’m going to Maria’s.”

The word Maria landed harder than it should have.

Heather’s hands stilled for a fraction of a second under the water. Her heart tightened without warning. Maria? The name echoed in her mind. She didn’t know who she was, but she knew enough to feel uneasy. Important enough to be mentioned like that. Personal enough to matter.

Jake’s smile faded slightly. He turned to Luke. “But… don’t tell me you agreed to—”

Luke nodded once. No hesitation. “I did. But thankfully, it’ll be next year.”

The kitchen felt quieter after that.

Jake walked over and patted Luke’s shoulder, his expression serious now. “You still have a choice, you know?”

Luke let out a tired sigh. “I have nothing to lose.”

The words were calm, but they carried weight. They weren’t dramatic. They were resigned.

Heather finally turned slightly, just enough to see him from the corner of her eye. He didn’t look at her. Not once.

Luke finished the apple, set it down, and grabbed his keys. “I’ll see you later,” he said, already heading for the door.

No one stopped him.

As the door closed behind Luke, Heather felt something sink in her chest. She didn’t know why it bothered her this much—or why the name Maria stayed with her even after the sound of his footsteps disappeared.

Jake broke the silence first, trying to sound light. “He’ll be fine,” he said, more to himself than to her.

Heather nodded slowly, but she didn’t say anything.

Because something about the way Luke had said I have nothing to lose felt final.

And she had a feeling that whatever choices he was making now were going to change everything.

Later in the afternoon, Heather returned to work. Her resting days were over, and routine was supposed to help—supposed to distract her. As she stepped back into Luke’s father’s home, everything felt the same, yet completely different.

And then she saw him.

Luke stood in the center of the open space, surrounded by people. Staff, assistants, security—voices overlapping, cameras flashing. He looked comfortable in it, natural. A celebrity in his element. Heather slowed her steps without realizing it, her eyes fixed on him.

Then a pretty girl stepped closer.

Maria.

Heather watched as Luke wrapped an arm around the girl’s waist, casual and practiced, like it belonged there. Like it had always been there. Heather’s chest tightened, her breath catching slightly. She couldn’t look away.

Her mind betrayed her.

She imagined his hand around her waist instead. Not Maria. Her. The thought came uninvited and refused to leave. Her gaze drifted upward, landing on Luke’s face, then his lips. She remembered how they looked up close—soft, familiar in a way she tried not to think about.

“Heather.”

A hand tapped her shoulder.

She gasped, startled, pulling her eyes away sharply. “Damn, you scared me,” she said, her voice a little too breathless.

Lily, one of the other workers and a close friend, laughed. “Sorry, girl. I missed you. You’ve been gone for a day and a half.”

Heather forced a small smile. “Come on, we all went on holiday. Even if it was short.”

Lily nodded, but Heather wasn’t really listening anymore. Her eyes drifted back again—against her will—to Luke and Maria. They were closer now. Talking. Smiling.

“Did I miss things?” Heather asked quietly, her voice casual, too casual.

Lily followed her gaze and hummed. “Oh, nothing much. It’s just…” she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice, “Madame Maria. She’s Luke’s fiancée.”

The word hit harder than Heather expected.

She turned slowly to look at Lily. “Fiancée?”

Lily nodded like it was common knowledge. “Yeah. And honestly, they match. Celebrity plus celebrity.”

Heather felt something sink deep in her chest. Her expression didn’t change, but inside, everything tightened. Fiancée. Not dating. Not rumors. Fiancée.

She let out a quiet breath and forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Y-yeah,” she said, nodding. “That makes sense.”

Lily smiled and went on talking, but Heather barely heard her anymore.

Her eyes stayed on Luke—on the way his hand rested comfortably on Maria’s waist, on the way he leaned in slightly when she spoke. It all looked real. Solid. Decided.

Heather swallowed.

Whatever had happened between her and Luke wasn’t just complicated anymore.

It was finished.

And that realization hurt more than she was ready to admit.