ASHLEY’S POV
For a long second, I just stared at him.
Lucas’s voice was quiet, almost hesitant, like he didn’t mean to say it aloud.
“You can stay… if you want.” He said it again.
He sounded hesitant like he was already regretting it.
My heart started pounding in my chest. Did he just—?
I blinked at him, unsure if I heard right. “Stay?”
He looked away. “Yeah. I mean… it’s late. You said you didn’t have anywhere else to go. A lot has happened. You shouldn’t be alone.”
There was a pause - the kind that stretched, awkward and charged. His tone was casual, but his body was tense, like he was regretting the offer even as he made it.
“I don’t know…” I murmured, shifting on my feet. “Are you sure?”
He shrugged one shoulder, pretending it was nothing. “Do whatever you want.”
It was su
