My stomach churned. He left me feeling like I had just gotten caught cheating on him, which made zero sense. It wasn’t like Lucas and I were an item or even dating at all. So why did I feel like I had done something wrong?
“Hey.” Austin nudged me. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just tired.”
“I should get some shut-eye myself.” He pushed himself off the ground. “So, ah… where do I sleep?”
“You can take my bed.”
His eyebrows rose.
I got up and wiped the grass from my jeans. “Don’t get too excited, Romeo. I’m sleeping next to my grandmother in her bed.”
We went upstairs, and Austin was out as soon as his head hit the pillow. I stopped in front of Lucas’s door, wanting so badly to talk to him, but it was late and he was probably asleep. I walked down the stairs and crawled into bed with my grandmother.
* * *
Lainey and I cooked breakfast for everyone as they forced themselves out of slumber around nine in the morning. All of us were dog tired. There was an unspoken agreement not to say much more than “good morning” before our first cup of coffee. Lucas had not yet come down from his room, but I figured he needed the sleep and didn’t bother him.
By the time we sat down to eat, everyone was a bit livelier and laughing about last night. I couldn’t concentrate on any of the conversations as my eyes kept going toward the entryway, expecting Lucas to walk through at any moment.
“You should go and check on him.” My grandmother eyed me before taking a bite of her scrambled eggs.
“I think I will.” I got up and practically ran up the stairs. I knocked gently on his bedroom door. “Lucas, are you awake?” I bit into my lip, waiting for an answer, but there was none. I knocked again. “There’s breakfast—”
The guest bathroom door opened, and Lucas came out in cargo shorts and a T-shirt, freshly showered. His lips bent into that kind-of smile. The one he often had when he first came here. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
He went to his door, and I stepped out of the way. “There’s breakfast downstairs if you’d like some.”
“Thank you, but I’m already running late.”
“Oh, you have plans?”
He went inside the room and grabbed his wallet off the nightstand. “Going to visit Heidi.”
“Heidi?”
“The fawn.”
“Oh.” I ran my hand along the door frame. “Would you like some company?”
He stilled a moment before grabbing his keys and stuffing them into his pocket. “Maybe another time.”
“Lucas… about last night.”
He turned around and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Listen, it’s fine. I’m happy for you, but I can’t talk right now. I’m already late enough as it is.”
My heart sank. “Okay.”
“Tell the others I’m sorry I couldn’t join them.”
I nodded. “I will.”
He jogged down the stairs and headed out the door. I went back into the dining room and grabbed my barely touched breakfast.
“Was that Lucas who just left?” my grandmother asked.
