Chapter 47
986 Words
Lucas’s POV
I was already there when she arrived.
The garden behind the library was quiet—barely used. A few benches, overgrown bushes, and an old oak tree that cast wide shadows. I leaned against the trunk, trying not to look like I’d been waiting for fifteen minutes.
Alice showed up at exactly 4:01.
Not early. Not late. Just like her.
She stepped into the space, arms folded across her chest, eyes guarded but curious.
“I got your note,” she said.
I nodded. “Thanks for coming.”
She tilted her head. “What is this? Another weird game?”
“No games.” I motioned to the bench. “Just… sit?”
She hesitated, then sat—carefully, like she was expecting a prank. I stayed standing, hands in my pockets, heart doing things I didn’t fully approve of.
“I wanted to talk,” I said.
“That’s rare,” she muttered.
I let out a dry laugh. “Fair.”
Silence settled between us. Not heavy. Just awkward enough.
“I’ve been thinking,” I said, finally.
“That’s rare too.”
“Okay, stop roasting me for two seconds.”
She smirked but stayed quiet.
“I know I’ve been… annoying. Teasing. Even kind of a jerk sometimes. But working with you these past weeks—” I paused, struggling for words. “I didn’t expect it to matter. But it does.”
She didn’t speak, just watched me. Carefully. Like I was some unpredictable storm.
I kept going. “I’m not great at this kind of thing. Being honest. Not pretending. But I guess what I’m trying to say is… I like this. Us. Even if it’s confusing.”
Her brows lifted slightly. “You mean, us working together?”
“I mean…” I exhaled. “I like *talking* to you. Arguing. Reading scenes. Hearing your laugh—when you actually let it out.”
Her lips parted, just a little.
“And I know you said we’re just friends. I know you want to keep things quiet. I get it. But I wanted to tell you anyway. That… you matter to me.”
She looked down at her hands for a second. Then back at me.
“That’s… unexpected,” she said quietly.
“I’m full of surprises.”
She let out a small breath, almost a laugh. “Lucas…”
I sat beside her, not too close. “You don’t have to say anything now. I just needed to say it.”
She nodded slowly. “Okay.”
We sat there for a while.
No labels. No decisions.
Just quiet honesty.
And for once, that was enough.
She didn’t say anything else for a long time.
But she didn’t leave, either.
We sat in that garden, side by side, just breathing in the quiet. The kind of quiet that didn’t demand anything, didn’t push or pull—it just let us *be.*
That was rare for me.
People always expected something from me—grades, image, charm. I was Lucas Stone: top of the class, rich, sarcastic, untouchable. But with her?
I could just be Lucas.
No expectations. No armor.
“I don’t want to ruin this,” I said after a while, barely above a whisper. “Whatever it is.”
Alice turned her head slightly, eyes soft now. “You’re not.”
“Even if I’m… awkward at it?”
“You’re not as bad as I thought,” she replied, lips twitching into a smirk.
I laughed quietly. “High praise from you.”
“I still think you talk too much.”
“And I still think you overthink everything.”
We smiled. Really smiled.
Then she said something I didn’t expect.
“I don’t trust easily,” she murmured. “But you’re… getting close.”
Those words landed softly, but they shook something in me. She didn’t say she trusted me—just that I was getting there. And somehow, that meant more than any dramatic confession could have.
I took a breath, then pulled out the small envelope I had been carrying around all day. It was a dark blue card with gold lettering—fancy, like everything my mother planned.
I handed it to her.
She blinked. “What’s this?”
“My birthday party,” I said. “It’s Saturday night. At my place.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re inviting *me*?”
“Yeah. I want you there.”
She looked at the card like it might explode. “Won’t it be… you know… full of rich, sparkly people and girls in heels giving death stares?”
I grinned. “Definitely. But I’ll be there too. And I want *you* to come.”
She hesitated, her fingers brushing over the edge of the card. “Lucas…”
“I’m not asking you to dress up or play a part,” I said gently. “Just show up. Be you.”
She looked at me, something unreadable in her eyes. “Is this going to be weird?”
“Probably,” I admitted. “But you’re strong enough to handle weird. And I promise, I’ll be right there the whole time.”
She gave a slow, hesitant smile. “You’re seriously inviting your academic rival to your birthday?”
“I’m seriously inviting the smartest, most frustrating girl I know. And if you say no, I’ll show up at your house with cake and force you to eat it.”
She laughed. “Fine. But don’t expect me to wear anything glittery.”
“No glitter,” I said, holding up my hands. “Just you.”
She glanced down at the invitation again.
And then—finally—she nodded. “Okay. I’ll come.”
And just like that, I knew…
Saturday night wouldn’t be just a party.
It would be the beginning of something real.
- Writer
