I Loved My Foster Brother, So I Fled

Chapter 4

After lighting a candle, Jonah and I finished our meal in complete silence. Once we were done, I saw him out.

The next day, Aaron asked me out to dinner. Looking at his sweet, harmless smile—reminding me of an eager golden retriever—I softened and said yes.

While waiting for Aaron outside the restaurant, I caught sight of Jonah with a group of friends.

"Hey, Selena. Look at you, all dressed up today. Out on a date?" One of the guys recognized me right away and teased.

"Hi, everyone," I greeted politely, tugging at my dress and keeping my head down, knowing there was no way to avoid them.

Aaron jogged over holding a bouquet of flowers. He paused for a second when he saw Jonah, then followed my lead and offered a quick greeting.

Jonah didn't say a word, but even with my eyes glued to the ground, I could feel the heat of his intense gaze burning right through me.

"Is Lucas here yet?"

Someone dropped Lucas Palmer's name out of nowhere, and my hands instantly started to shake.

"We'll be heading in now," Aaron said. Sensing my sudden tension, he took my hand to lead me away, assuming they were just protective family acquaintances.

Even after we were seated at our table, my hands wouldn't stop trembling.

"Selena, are you cold?" Aaron slipped off his jacket, walked over, and gently draped it around my shoulders.

"Thank you."

The warmth radiating from his jacket helped me slowly unwind.

Throughout the meal, Aaron tried his absolute best to make me smile.

I played along, offering polite smiles where appropriate, and casually reached for my glass.

The moment the burn hit my throat, I realized I'd grabbed the wrong glass.

After dinner, I turned down Aaron's offer to watch a movie, deciding to head home instead.

"The flowers are beautiful, but... I'm really sorry," I said, digging my nails into my palm as I tried my hardest to ignore the heavy stare pinning me down from a nearby table.

Though visibly disappointed, Aaron kept his composure and gently reminded me to cover his shift on time tomorrow.

Once outside, I sent Aaron off, turned around, and spotted Jonah's group, with Lucas standing right beside him.

I couldn't hear what Lucas whispered to him, but the next thing I knew was Lucas broke away from the crowd and walked toward me.

He towered over me, closing the distance in two quick strides before reaching out to brush his fingers through my hair.

"Selena."

My heart hammered violently against my ribs. I turned my head, desperately trying to dodge his touch.

It was just that, in the end, there was no escaping him.

He looked at me with the exact same gaze as the very first time—like a predator pinning down its prey.

"What do you think your brother would do if he found out I was your ex?"