Veil of Secrets

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Willing to Hope

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a comfortable haze, talking about everything and nothing with Lucas. We sat on his bed, legs crossed, as I rambled on about random things-school, Emma's antics, the ball, even some gossip I'd overheard. Lucas would smile now and then, a soft, genuine smile that made my heart feel lighter. For a while, it was easy to forget the weight of the mate bond, the complexities of everything between us.

But underneath it all, a selfish thought nagged at me: What if I don't want this? I didn't want Lucas to feel like he was forced into this relationship just because of some ancient bond. It felt like fate was pulling the strings, trapping us in a situation that neither of us had asked for. The idea of being stuck with someone because of destiny, rather than choice, made me uneasy.

Still, despite my conflicted feelings, I hoped that spending the day with him, laughing and talking, had made things a little easier for Lucas.

Later that evening, I sat with his family for dinner. Meeting his parents had been surprisingly nice-they were warm, welcoming, and clearly adored Lucas. His mom had asked me about school, and his dad had cracked a few jokes that made the whole table laugh. Marcus, Lucas's brother, was also there, and I found myself enjoying his dry sense of humor. It was... nice, a word I didn't expect to use considering the emotional weight of the day.

As dinner wound down and the night deepened, I knew it was time to leave.

"I should go," I said, glancing at the clock. The sky had turned dark long ago, and I knew if I didn't head home soon, Emma would start blowing up my phone.

Lucas didn't meet my eyes, his hands fidgeting in his lap. "I wish you didn't have to."

There was something in his voice that made my heart squeeze painfully. He was still hurting, and I hated that I couldn't fix it completely. Not yet, anyway.

I reached over, gently tilting his chin so he'd look at me. His hazel eyes were filled with so much emotion-confusion, longing, and something deeper that I couldn't quite put a name to.

"Everything's going to be okay, Luke. I promise," I said softly, a small smile tugging at my lips as I realized I'd just used a nickname for him. He seemed to notice too, his eyes flickering with something unreadable as I smiled.

Lucas gave me a faint smile in return, but there was still a lingering sadness there, one that wouldn't be easily erased. "I hope so, Ari."

I pulled him into a brief hug, the warmth of his embrace grounding me for a moment before I stepped back. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded, his gaze following me as I left his house, the night air cool against my skin. As I walked to my car, I couldn't help but wonder if things would ever feel normal between us again. Or if normal was something we'd lost the moment fate decided we were bound.