Aria
I rush outside, chasing after Lucas, my heart hammering like I just ran a damn marathon. "Wait, Lucas!"
He keeps walking. Of course, he does.
I push harder, practically jogging now. "Lucas, wait, please!" I finally catch up, stepping right in front of him, blocking his path. Up close, I can see it—he looks the same, still as annoyingly gorgeous as ever, but the warmth? Gone. And that absence? It makes him look… older, like he's been carrying too much weight on his damn shoulders.
His gray eyes lock onto mine, sharp as a blade. "Are you just gonna stand there staring at me, or are you actually gonna say what the f**k you want?"
The sheer anger in his voice hits me like a punch to the gut, but I swallow it down. I force myself to stay calm. "We've been paired together—"
"You take
