ASTRAEA

Chapter 31. Sketches

A/N: This is the second to the last chapter. Enjoy! Photo Credits to the owner.

Lydia sat on an outdoor sofa on the deck by the lake. Her sketch pad on her lap, a pencil in her hand but her gaze is on a distant looking at something that is not even there.

She heard the bell rings but before she could stand up to answer the door, Mrs. Collins had beat her into it and told her to stay. For a moment, she wonders who is the couple's visitor since they rarely get one.

The lake house is in a secluded place and they don't even have a neighbor. Mr. and Mrs. Collins, as far as she knows preferred living in the tranquility that's why they decided to leave their life in the city and choose to retire in the house that Mr. Collins intentionally built by the lake away from the noise and mess of the city or town.

No one knows of the place except for Mr. and Mrs. Collins two children that already have a family and life of their own.

Her attention was caught by the flock of wild ducks that flew out of the lake. Her gaze followed them for a moment as they flew above the woods. Maybe they were going to the other lake, she thought internally as the town is famous for having five lakes. One of them being the heart-shaped lake in front of her. It is the most secluded and harder to reach. Other lakes were famous for tourists except for this one.

Lydia heard footsteps coming from behind her, she thought it was Mrs. Collins so she turned her head to look at her and plastered a smile on her face. But it gradually fades away. Her face became pale and she felt her heart hitched.

"Lydia,"

She loves how her name rolled in his tongue. His voice has always been cold but to her, he has always been soft and considerate. How she missed his voice, it has been months since she heard him called her name, it has been months since she last saw him, and it was not in a nice way.

The memories of their argument flashed her mind and she suddenly felt worried and scared.

Why is he here?

Did he find out about her pregnancy?

Did he come here to tell her to abort her baby?

There were a lot of questions that were lingering in her mind and all of them were making her panicky.

Then she noticed Lorcan's gaze dropped on her lap, that's when she remembered about her sketches. She quickly closed it and held it closer to her stomach, afraid that he might have seen the sketches and her stomach as well. Though she doubts if he could already see the bulge in her stomach since she is wearing a large t-shirt enough to cover them.

Lorcan's expression turned grim with Lydia's gesture. It was obvious that Lydia is still trying to hide the sketches and her growing stomach but it is too late because he already knows of it.

Lorcan calmed his racing heart and walked around the sofa so that he is standing in front of Lydia whose head is tilted upwards so that she could see his face.

"May I?" Lorcan pointed at the space on the sofa beside her asking permission to sit beside her.

Lydia looked at him then in the space beside her. She remained silent obviously hesitating but then she nodded her head later on. But before Lorcan could take a seat, she scooted farther giving enough space in between them.

It pained Lorcan to see how cautious Lydia is around him. This is not what they were before. They used to be close, as a friend. Or maybe more than a friend, but not enough to call them lovers. They never had inhibitions around each other. They were always relaxed. Lydia trusted him.