Chapter five
1124 Words
Lucian’s office was silent except for the faint ticking of the clock. He sat at his desk, fingers pressed against his temple, eyes staring at the untouched stack of documents. He had managed to get through with the meeting but that was the only thing he had done. For hours, he had been like this–unfocused, distracted.
Everytime he closed his eyes, she was there.
The door creaked open, and Miles, his best friend, stepped in casually. “Marissa called. She said you’ve been sitting in here like a ghost. What’s going on?”
Lucian didn’t answer at first. He ran a hand down his jaw, restless. “It’s… it’s a woman.” He finally admitted, his voice low.
Miles blinked, then grinned. “A woman? Don’t tell me the Lucian Sinclair is losing sleep over one girl.”
Lucian’s lips pressed into a thin line. He wasn’t used to explaining himself. But the truth clawed at him, raw and unrelenting. “One night,” he muttered. “That’s all it was. But she…she’s consumed my mind since. I can’t forget her. Her face, her eyes– i can’t shake it off.”
Miles raised a brow, surprised at the words Lucian just spewed. “Wow, that’s new. You, obsessed? Damn. You need air, man. Come on. Let’s get you out of here before you lose it completely.
Lucian didn’t argue.
They were at Warm Delight Cafe. Miles ordered lunch, but Lucian barely paid attention. His eyes roamed lazily until they caught her gaze.
The air shifted.
His chest constricted instantly. He froze, staring at her as if his mind had conjured her from his memory. She was sitting at a corner table with another woman.
Emma’s stomach dropped. Her fingers trembled around her glass as her eyes locked with the familiar ocean blues eyes that haunted her thoughts. No. Not here. Not now. She wasn’t ready to face him.
She whipped around to Alexa, panic flooding her voice. “We have to leave. Now.”
Alexa frowned, confused. “What? Why? What’s wrong?”
Emma’s heart raced. “Please, Alexa. We need to go.”
Lucian strode across the room, heading straight for her before he even realized it.
Emma’s pulse spiked. She grabbed Alexa’s wrist, tugging her up. “Let’s go!”
“Emma– what the hell is going on–“
“Just trust me!”
“I just want to talk–” Lucian’s voice rang out in desperation.
Emma didn’t look back. She pushed through the cafe door, dragging Alexa with her, her heart hammering so loudly it drowned out everything else.
Lucian reached for the door, but Miles held him back, grabbing his arm.
Lucian’s jaw tightened as he watched the door swing shut behind her. His chest heaved as though he’d run a mile.
Miles kept his grip firm on his arm. “What the hell was that?”
Lucian’s eye flicked to his best friend, sharp and restless. “Let go.”
“Not until you explain.” Miles shot back. He dragged him to a table and they both sat down. “You’ve been sulking in your office all day, and now you practically spring across a cafe to chase some random girl? Who is she?”
Lucian raked a hand through his hair, frustration spilling out of him in a low growl. “She’s not just some random girl.”
Miles narrowed his eyes. “Then who?”
Lucian hesitated, his throat dry. For a man who never shared more than necessary, the words tasted strange on his tongue. “She’s… the lady from last night.”
Miles blinked. “Wait. That one night stand? The one you’ve been losing your mind over?”
Lucian’s silence was answer enough. His eyes remained fixed on the door, as if staring hard enough would pull her back in.
Miles let out a low whistle. He leaned back in his chair, studying his best friend. “Seems to me like you’re in trouble. Welcome to the club, man.”
Lucian’s gaze darkened, his voice a quiet promise. “She won’t run forever.”
The cool air outside hit Emma’s face like a slap but it did nothing to steady the storm inside her chest. She didn’t stop moving until she and Alexa were half a block away from the cafe. Only then did she release her grip on Alexa’s wrist.
Alexa yanked her arm back, breathless. “Okay… Emma, what the hell was that about?” Her voice was sharp, not from anger, but from confusion. “You nearly dislocated my wrist dragging me out of there. Who were those guys?”
Emma pressed a trembling hand against her chest, her breaths uneven. “I.. I couldn’t stay in there.”
“Thats not an answer.” Alexa stepped infront of her to keep her from moving. Her eyes narrowed, scanning Emma’s face. “You looked like you saw a ghost. Spill. What’s going on?”
Emma’s lips parted but no sound came out. Her mind kept replaying the piercing blue eyes that had locked into hers across the cafe. Her stomach twisted, heat rushing to her face.
“Emma,” Alexa pressed, softer this time. “Talk to me, you’re scaring me.”
Emma’s voice was barely above a whisper. “It was him.”
Alexa tilted her head, frowning. “Him who?”
“The guy,” Emma said, her throat tight. “The one night stand.”
For a moment, Alexa just stared. Then her eyes widened. “Wait. You mean, that guy? The one from two nights ago?”
Emma nodded once, as if saying it louder would make it more real.
Alexa’s jaw dropped, then slowly curved into a teasing smirk despite the tension. “Well, well…fate really does have a twisted sense of humor, huh?”
Emma shook her head, panic flashing again. “No. You don’t understand. I can’t see him again, Alexa. I can’t.”
“Why not?” Alexa crossed her arms, still studying her carefully. “He didn’t look like a murderer. Just tall, broody, and dangerously attractive. The type you secretly like.”
“Alexa!” Emma snapped, her cheeks flaming. “This isn’t funny!”
“Okay, okay.” Alexa raised her hand in mock surrender, though her eyes still sparkled with curiosity. “But seriously, Em… why are you running away from him? You’re acting like the world just ended. It was just one night.”
Emma hugged her arms around herself, looking away. “That’s exactly the problem. It was just one night.”
But deep down, Emma knew it wasn’t just one night. And that terrified her more than anything.
- Writer
