Olive's P.O.V.
"What's wrong?" Lucas asked.
"Nothing, sorry. Just trying to navigate your phone." I lied, smiling sheepishly at him.
"I thought Leo got you a new iPhone when he broke your last one?" Lucas arched a brow.
"He did, but I really am not an iPhone person so I traded it out." I held up my Samsung to show him. Lucas laughed, making me smile. His laugh was beautiful, bouncing all around me in the car.
"You're something else, Rose."
I finally got to his music, and decided to just play the Deftones. We sang along for the last few minutes of the ride. Lucas was actually a very good singer. I had pushed my insecurities, and feelings of betrayal, deep down. I didn't know what was said on that text thread. It could have very well been the message that broke it off between them. I tried to trust that what Lucas was telling me was true. I was just having a really hard time doing so. Lucas opened my door for me when we arrived. I handed him his phone when he held out his hand.
"I wanted your hand, not my phone." He shook his head.
He put his phone in his pocket before holding his hand back out towards me. I took his hand this time, allowing him to help me out of his car. He closed the door behind me. I thought we were going to start walking, but he pulled me flush against his chest. He pulled his phone back out and started to fiddle with it for a moment. I tried to pull away, but he held me close.
"I know you saw her name on my phone, Rose. I have only texted my family and Leo these past few weeks. Her name is still there because she was the last girl I texted to break things off with." He explained.
I blushed knowing I had been caught looking. He turned the phone for me to see his message to her.
Lucas: What you did today was unacceptable. I know we've had our fun Janessa, but it's over now. I am serious about the girl I had brought home tonight, and your antics pushed her away. Please lose my number.
I was caught off guard by the words I read. He was serious about me even then? I had a hard time processing what I read against what I had believed. I was so insecure and wrapped up in my preconceived notions of him that I never gave him a chance. I wasn't being fair to him. He hadn't hurt me and yet I treated him like he did. It was Julius who hurt me, who's now left me with this insecurity and untrust of men.
"I'm sorry. I promise I wasn't trying to snoop. I just noticed her name. Thank you for showing me." I bit my lip feeling both embarrassed and anxious. Lucas just leaned down and kissed my forehead.
"Let's go upstairs, and get some food ordered." He said.
We made our way upstairs, ordering some Mexican food. Lucas stepped into his office after he situated me in the living room with blankets, snacks, and the TV remote. I thought it was cute the way he fussed over me. He wanted to make sure I was entertained and didn't plan on leaving. The doorbell rang 15 minutes later.
"Rose, could you get that for me, please? It's probably our food." He called out to me from his office. I smiled as I got off the couch. I could just picture him hunched over his desk. I felt bad that he had to work.
"Yeah, I got it." I called back.
I opened the door with my smile quickly fading. I didn't bother looking at the camera monitor beside his door to see who it was before I had opened it. I had honestly thought it was the delivery person with our food. I was surprised to find a tall beautiful woman. She had short wavy green hair and a kind expression despite her tough demeanor. She wore biker boots, torn jeans, and a leather jacket. She smiled at me politely before opening her mouth to speak. Her dark lipstick made her teeth look so much whiter, and her skin paler.
"Hey, um, is Lucas home?" She asked, causing my heart to clench.
Another girl.
"Uh, yeah. He's in his office working. I'll go grab him." I told her.
"Oh, it's fine. I'll get him myself." She smirked with a mischievous grin on her face. She sidestepped me, entering the place like she owned it.
She knew exactly where she was going without me having to show her. She'd been here before, and she seemed so comfortable, too. I felt my chest start to hurt again and my insecurities started to bubble up. I hated this pendulum of emotions I'd been feeling.
"Lukie!" She called out.
Lukie?
"Rachel?" I heard him respond with confusion in his tone.
I watched as he quickly appeared at the doorway of his office. He saw her and smiled the largest I had seen him smile. Somehow that crushed my heart more. She held a place in his heart and I had no idea who she was. Lucas ran to her, hugging her and spinning her around in joy. I felt absolutely crushed as I watched the scene unfold before me.
"I didn't know you were coming into town! You didn't tell me." He laughed as he put her down. The smile had never faded from his face.
"It was a surprise. You're my second stop." She smiled up at him.
"Oh, second? I've moved up on your list."
She laughed, causing her face to somehow look even more beautiful. Her bright blue eyes shone as she smiled, wrinkling on the sides.
"That's as far up as you'll go. Leo will always be first on my list."
She poke his forehead between his brows. I saw Lucas pout at that, like he didn't like that Leo came first. Now I was really curious who this woman was. She knew both Leo and Lucas. I closed the front door finally, snapping out of my daze. That seemed to be when Lucas remembered I was here.
"Rose, come here. I want you to meet my cousin, Rachel."
Instant relief washed over me. I felt stupid again, assuming more than I should. She was his cousin. I had to bite back the sigh of relief that wanted to leave me.
"Hi, despite what he calls me, my name is actually Olive." I introduced myself as I made my way to them.
"I see. My name is actually Rachel, so he didn't lie there." She told me with a smile.
"Nice to meet you."
"You too. I don't normally see girls hanging around her, or opening his door." She side-eyed Lucas who now had a tinge of pink on his cheeks. Was he embarrassed?
"Rose is different from the rest," he said.
"Must be."
The bell rang again, this time it had to be our food.
"I'll get it. It's probably our food. You're welcome to join us as we eat. I ordered a lot." Lucas invited her.
"I feel like I'm imposing. I wasn't expecting you to have a girl here."
"You're not imposing. I was actually getting bored while he was working." I assured her.
I was curious about her, and I wanted to get to know her more. She seems really cool and somehow very sweet. She spun the leather cuff in her wrist as she thought about it.
"If you're sure," she said.
I nodded my head yes.
"Very sure."
We sat and ate all together. I learned Rachel is my age and goes to Harvard. In person classes are not her thing, so she mainly does her classes online, allowing her to come visit at random. She is studying early childhood education, which almost made me choke on my food. Lucas and she laughed at my reaction. She thankfully didn't take offense.
"I know it's my appearance that throws everyone off when I say that. I'll of course dye my hair a natural color once I start my internship. I also have a professional wardrobe. No one will know my style unless they see me out of school," she assured me.
"I am sure you'll shock some students when they see you out of school." I laughed.
"Oh, most definitely." She nodded.
"Ladies, I leave you to keep talking. I have to get back to that stack of looming papers on my desk." Lucas said, getting up from his seat with his empty plate. He kissed my forehead on his way to the kitchen. "I'll be done soon."
With that Rachel and I were left to have our girl talk.