The next day, things felt different.
Lucas had insisted on tagging along again, and while my patience was worn thin from his constant hovering, there was something about the way he approached me that morning that made me hesitate. Instead of the usual smirking, arrogant Lucas who would tease me, or the tense, guarded version of him I had encountered before, he seemed... well, patient. It wasn’t a characteristic I had expected from him, especially after all the chaos he had caused the previous day. Still, the change in his demeanor made me think—maybe today would be different. Maybe I could get through it without losing my sanity.
As I got into the car to head to work, Lucas was already waiting in the passenger seat. He glanced over at me with a simple nod, as though the tension from yest
