Rrinkers

Chapter 20

With a pounding headache and a hungry stomach, Zoe entered the hot shower to get ready for work. As the water poured all over her hair, there was one thought that swirled through her head: Lucas. No matter how hard she tried, she could not get him out of her head, whether it was the kiss that they shared or the way he treated her when she went to check up on him a couple weeks ago. Ever since that day, she had not heard from him nor had she seen him. She would purposefully try coming home late at night and taking her time in the elevator just to have him show up, but it was no use because he didn't come. From the time she was a teenager, Zoe told herself not to chase after guys...but here she was, chasing after this one. She couldn't help it. Lucas was something else, someone who made her feel so different, someone who wasn't afraid to take the lead and show her how he felt. Was it so wrong that she was attracted to him in every way possible? And she didn't even know the reason why.

The only person she had been in contact with was Tyler. Since the incident happened and Lucas' father was arrested, Tyler had been talking to Zoe about how she was doing but also how Lucas was doing because Tyler hadn't seen him either. Tyler did tell her that she would be able to move back to her coffee shop next week. The past four months flew by faster than she could have imagined, which is what she wanted in the beginning, but now she found herself hoping that they would need her coffee shop for more time so that she could stay in the penthouse just a little longer.

She washed her hair and lathered on the body wash, the smell alone enough to make her feel better. But no amount of body wash could take away the weird feeling that overcame her everytime she thought about the man in the penthouse upstairs.

I wonder what he's doing?

I hope he's okay.

Should I go talk to him again?

All these thoughts ran through her head. All the time. She decided that he made up his mind to kick her out and she wasn't going to bother him any longer. Being one of the girls that begged for his attention was not something she wanted to do or someone she wanted to be like, but now she understood why those two girls acted that way and felt bad for judging them when they were under the same spell that she believed she was under right now. The Lucas spell. The way he cared for her was enough to put her under his spell. And one look from his deep eyes into her, she felt that care. She knew he cared deeply about things but showed it in the wrong ways.

Getting out of the shower, she continued with her morning routine. When she stepped back in her room to get dressed, she checked her phone and noticed a message on it. Her eyes quickly scanned over it.

Tyler: Hey Zoe, wanted to let you know you're free to move back to your home. It is safe to do so. You can move back whenever you get a chance.

Her heart rate sped up for no apparent reason along with feeling a sting. It hurt her to know that she won't live one floor down from the man of her dreams. Well, he was a brute who hurt her but he was still the man of her dreams because of how tender yet strong his love could be. Lucas was probably the one who told Tyler to kick me out. He wants me gone. She was convinced that is the reason she had to move out so quickly. Lucas wanted her gone. Knowing that she won't be in close proximity with him and probably never see him again, made her want to throw up from the painful feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She quickly responded to Tyler, Thank you, Tyler. I'll move out by the end of this week, before throwing her phone on the bed and slowly getting ready to go back to work. She didn't want to go, not when she had a sinking feeling in her entire body. A feeling like she was losing something, the best thing that she had known, and that it was somewhat her fault for not caring for him enough.