Chapter 9
1944 Words
The moment Drake Anderson stepped out of the house, she latched onto him like destiny itself had tied a red string between them. He might have thought he could leave quietly, escape her outrageous energy, and slip back into the safety of silence.
Wrong.
Lucy matched every step of his, her sandals tapping the gravel with a rhythm that made the path feel like a stage. His strides were long, sharp, and clearly designed to outpace her. But she only glided along, cheerful, her grin shining like it was carved into her face.
If he was a storm cloud, she was the unstoppable sun burning straight through it.
Drake’s jaw tightened. He didn’t look back, but he knew—he felt—her eyes on him, following him like a spotlight. He could practically hear her grin.
Finally, his patience snapped. He stopped so abruptly that Lucy nearly collided with his chest.
When he spun around, his dark eyes bore into hers, sharp and severe. “What’s your problem, lady?” His voice was low but cutting, his irritation clear. “Can’t you take a hint? Leave me alone. You’re not funny.”
Lucy blinked at him, unfazed. Then, slowly, her grin stretched wider.
“Oh my, Drakey. Someone’s high-strung today.” She tipped her head, letting the warm breeze tousle her hair as if she were posing for a teleserye. “Relax. You must be stressed that’s why you’re all grumpy and irritable.”
She leaned closer, lowering her voice in mock sympathy. “Don’t worry. I can handle your mood swings. Just don’t let that handsome face crumple like paper. Such a waste of good genes.”
His nostrils flared.
“Unbelievable,” Drake muttered, dragging a hand through his perfectly styled hair until it stood messily at his temple. He exhaled heavily, like a man who had just survived a near-death experience. “I can’t believe I met someone like you. I should’ve stayed in my office. At least there, it’s quiet. People are sane.”
Lucy clasped her hands as though receiving a divine revelation. “Ahhh! See? Destiny. Fate brought you here. It dragged you out of your boring office and put you in my path. You and me—it’s a prophecy.”
Drake groaned, covering his face with one large hand. “Prophecy?” he repeated, voice muffled. “You’re insane.”
Lucy leaned forward, peeking up at him from beneath his hand. Her eyes twinkled with glee. “Crazy in love with you, maybe.”
He dropped his hand, glaring at her with enough force to silence the courtroom. “You’re impossible. Hard to talk to.”
Lucy only shrugged, stepping closer, her confidence radiating like perfume. “That’s fine. I can adjust. Anything for you, Drakey.”
“Stop calling me that.”
She gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. “Say it again. Your voice is velvet dipped in anger. Do it again.”
Drake pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I’m unforgettable,” she corrected, fluttering her lashes.
He turned abruptly, striding forward again, his long legs eating up the path. But Lucy darted forward, catching up with a light skip.
“You walk too fast for someone resisting fate,” she chirped. “Slow down. Stroll with me, like a real couple. The sun is setting, it’s practically begging us to hold hands right now.”
Drake whipped his head toward her so fast she thought he might snap his neck. His glare was lethal. “We are not strolling. And we are definitely not a couple.”
Lucy cupped her chin, studying him like a piece of art. “You’re in denial. Classic.”
His jaw twitched. “I am not—”
“Drakey, denial is step one. Don’t worry, I’ll guide you through the stages of acceptance.”
Drake stopped again, his entire body rigid with frustration. He turned on her slowly, like a predator trying to maintain control before it snapped its jaws.
“Listen to me,” he said, his voice low, clipped, dangerous. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I don’t have time for this. I don’t want crazy people in my life. Do you understand?”
Lucy tilted her head, completely unshaken. “Mmhmm. Totally. I understand.”
He blinked, suspicious. “… You do?”
She nodded solemnly, then grinned so wide it nearly split her face. “I understand that you’re scared.”
His brows slammed together. “Scared?”
“Of your feelings for me,” she sighed dreamily, pressing her palms together like she was praying. “Don’t worry. I’ll wait until you’re ready to admit it. I’m patient.”
Drake stared at her, his expression a mix of horror and disbelief. “Patient? You haven’t stopped talking for five minutes.”
Lucy’s laughter rang out like bells. “Five minutes is nothing. I’ve waited twenty-three years for you, Drakey. I can wait another five.”
For a moment, Drake was speechless. He turned away sharply, walking even faster now, as though sheer speed could outrun her.
Lucy skipped along happily, keeping pace with him no matter how long his strides. “You know, you can walk as fast as you want, but the red string of fate ties us together. Haven’t you read that in novels? Or watched anime? We’re bound.”
His silence was thunderous.
“You can ignore me now,” Lucy added cheerfully, “but one day you’ll thank me for this persistence. You’ll say, ‘Oh Lucy, thank you for never giving up on me, even when I was a grumpy, brooding, ridiculously handsome man.’”
Drake’s jaw locked tighter with every word.
She smiled, humming a tune as if they were already on a date. “The more you push me away, the closer I’ll be. That’s how love works, my darling.”
By the time they reached the end of the gravel path, Drake looked seconds away from exploding. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, his shoulders rigid.
Lucy, on the other hand, looked like she was on cloud nine.
Because while he saw annoyance, she saw victory.
Every glare, every sigh, every muttered word proof that she had gotten under his skin. Proof that she wasn’t invisible.
And for Lucy, that was all she needed.
She beamed at his stiff back, her heart swelling with certainty.
You can call me crazy, Drakey. You can glare, groan, or run. But destiny doesn’t bend to your mood swings. It bends to me. And one day, you’ll bend too.
“Yes. Crazy for you,” she said, eyes sparkling, letting the words hang between them.
“I don’t even know you,” he muttered sharply, his brows furrowing.
“That’s okay. I’m going to be your future wife,” she said, her voice bold and teasing, her confidence unwavering.
Drake’s frown deepened, his stubbornness rising to meet her audacity. “Maybe it’s better if I stay single forever,” he muttered, stubborn as a mule.
Lucy clasped her hands over his arm, holding her fast. “You don’t have to be single when someone is standing right here, ready to be yours. I’m one hundred percent single and completely available. So… what are you waiting for? Come to Mama.”
Instead of responding, he yanked his hands free and stepped back. “Don’t follow me. Don’t touch me. Don’t get near me. I don’t like germs,” he warned, eyes serious, tone sharp.
Lucy blinked, unfazed. “Germs? Oh, I’m a gorgeous germ. Why, scared of me, Drakey?”
“Isn’t it obvious? You’re harassing me. Please, just stop. I’m not interested,” he said, eyes flickering, trying to pierce her boldness.
She laughed, a soft, melodic sound that only seemed to push him further. “I’ll make you interested. I hit hard, Drakey, and I didn’t give up easily. Even if you’re a wild beast, I’d gladly tame you, especially if it benefits both of us. Rawr!”
Drake groaned in a low, frustrated sound. “Oh, I’m losing it. Why are you so annoying and talkative? Can you just… shut up? Get a life!”
Lucy stepped closer, her playful gaze locking with his. “How could I? My heart says you are my life. Simple as that.” She smirked, watching the faintest pink creep into his cheeks. “See? Even my simple words get to you. Admit it if you’re flustered.”
Drake’s lips twitched, but his glare remained sharp. “I’m turning red from anger. Where are your parents? How are they letting you run wild? You should be locked up… mentally.”
“I don’t want that. I just stepped out. But you know where I’d rather be locked up?” Lucy teased, leaning closer, her voice dripping with mischief. “In your heart, of course. Yieee… you’re getting butterflies!”
He spun on his heel, exasperated, and began walking briskly, forcing her to follow.
“Get lost!” he shouted.
“Nope,” she called back cheerfully, undeterred.
“Leave me alone!”
“Nope,” she returned, voice unwavering, every bit as determined as before.
“Why are you so persistent?” he demanded.
“Because you’re running away from me,” she said simply. His groan was half exasperation, half resignation.
They didn’t notice how far they’d wandered, sweat dampening their brows and clinging to their clothes as they climbed a small hill. When they finally paused, both were breathing hard, locked in a moment that felt equal parts challenge and unspoken game.
“Why are you still following me?” he asked, voice rough, exasperated.
“Because you’re still running away from me,” she said, shrugging casually. He shook his head, a mixture of disbelief and begrudging amusement crossing his face.
Lucy didn’t care. She had to keep him within reach, had to keep moving, keep him aware of her presence. She didn’t know why she’d ended up here, only that she wanted distance from the high-maintenance woman she’d been avoiding earlier. Her voice, small but commanding, had left an imprint on him from the very first step.
Drake finally stopped, brushing a hand through his hair, frustration radiating like heat waves. “What is your problem, huh?”
Lucy tilted her head, peace-signing playfully. “There you go again. So grumpy. You’re worse than a menopausal lady, yet here you are, still being chased by a tiny, persistent girl determined to have you.”
“I never asked for this, and I certainly didn’t ask to be followed. Find someone else to tolerate your childishness. I don’t have time for you,” he said sharply, though Lucy noticed a flicker of amusement at the corner of his mouth.
“Oh, but this is how my grandparents’ love story began,” she said, a wide grin daring him to react.
Drake groaned, rubbing his temple. “Imagine all you want, but don’t drag me into your nonsense. You’re tiny, but your chatter is unbearable.”
“I’m not tiny,” Lucy said, puffing her chest out defiantly. “You’re just tall.”
“Whatever. You’re a nonsense, crazy girl,” he muttered, shaking his head.
Lucy grinned, brushing a strand of hair from her face, matching his pace effortlessly as they made their way back toward Kelseay’s house. She moved with confidence, her eyes alive with mischief, her energy relentless.
He truly despised annoying people. And yet somehow, Lucy’s teasing charm and relentless determination were impossible to ignore. She would not stop, not now, not ever.
- Writer
