Chapter Twenty-Six
Valentina
A full week had passed since the night I babysat Rylie. Lucas had sent a single text to thank me again, but beyond passing interactions, that was the extent of our communication. Frustratingly, he had largely reverted to the way he used to treat me—glancing looks, brief greetings, and nothing more.
The one exception was the way I felt. Every single time I saw him, my pulse did its usual crazy dance, but that was nothing new. Except now, a flare of hope shot up with my pulse. That was followed with a stinging burn on my heart, which shifted to a throbbing ache in the aftermath of every brief encounter.
Then, there was one day. Hurrying down the hall, I was once again dropping off everyone’s mail. It felt like déjà vu when I saw him. Yet again, I came around
