Emily's front door clicked shut behind Lucas, but the sound resonated louder in her mind, a door closing on the life she thought she wanted. Her pulse hadn't settled since the moment Ryan returned, and now with Lucas inside her house, a knot tightened in her chest. She needed space to think, but there was no escape.
Lucas poured two glasses of wine, flashing his easy, disarming smile, but something about it felt rehearsed tonight. Emily's instincts whispered a warning, something wasn't right. The way Lucas's hands lingered on the wine bottle, the calculating glint in his eyes, it was subtle, but once you knew where to look, it became impossible to miss.
"Here's to new beginnings," Lucas said warmly, handing her a glass.
Emily forced a smile, accepting the glass but not drinking. "To new beginnings," she murmured. The words tasted hollow.
She felt as though she was standing on quicksand. Ryan's return had cracked the foundation she'd built in Sea Haven, and Lucas's presence only added to the unease swirling inside her.
"Rough day?" Lucas asked, sitting comfortably on her couch as if he belonged there.
Emily hesitated, twisting the stem of her glass between her fingers. "You could say that."
He leaned closer, his hand grazing her knee, warm and familiar. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
The kindness in his voice should have soothed her. Instead, it made her stomach twist. She searched his face, wanting to believe his sincerity, but shadows lurked behind his gaze, hidden intentions she couldn't quite read.
"I'm just... processing everything," she admitted, keeping her voice even. "Ryan coming back after all this time... it stirred up a lot."
Lucas's expression remained neutral, but his hand stilled on her knee. "It's natural. After what he did to you, anyone would be unsettled."
She nodded, feeling the lie in her own heart. The unsettling part wasn't just Ryan's return, it was how it made her feel. Six years of pain, anger, and confusion hadn't dulled the pull he still had over her. And that terrified her more than anything.
Lucas shifted closer, his presence weighing heavily in the small space between them. "You're not thinking about... giving him a second chance, are you?" His tone was light, but there was a sharp edge beneath it.
Emily stiffened. "I don't know what I'm thinking yet."
Lucas's jaw tightened ever so slightly. "Just remember what he did to you, Emily. He left you. He humiliated you. Don't let him manipulate you again."
His words struck a nerve, but Emily couldn't deny the truth in them. Ryan had shattered her once. She wouldn't survive it a second time.
But before she could respond, Lucas's phone buzzed on the coffee table. He glanced at it, his brows furrowing. "I need to take this," he said, standing abruptly. "Work stuff. Won't be long."
Emily nodded, grateful for the temporary reprieve. As Lucas stepped into the next room, his voice dropped to a low murmur, but she caught snippets of the conversation.
"Yeah... she's here... No, she doesn't know anything yet."
Emily's heart lurched. The unease that had simmered beneath the surface boiled over. She set her glass down and strained to listen, her pulse hammering in her ears.
"Just keep things under control," Lucas whispered harshly. "We can't risk blowing this now."
The words were like a slap, confirming the worst of her fears. Lucas had secrets, dangerous ones. And whatever they were, she was caught right in the middle of them.
She rose quietly from the couch, her heart pounding in her throat. The walls of her cozy little life in Sea Haven were closing in, suffocating her. She needed air. She needed clarity.
Without waiting for Lucas to finish his call, Emily grabbed her coat from the hook by the door and slipped outside into the cold night.
---
Ryan watched from the car.
The rain drummed lightly against the windshield as his eyes tracked Emily's every movement. She stepped out onto the porch, her arms crossed tightly around herself, her head bowed as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.
His breath hitched as memories flooded in her smile on the day they met, the way she laughed at his terrible jokes, the sparkle in her eyes that made everything else fade into the background. And then the memory of her shattered expression at the altar... the moment he broke her.
Ryan clenched the steering wheel, guilt gnawing at his insides. He hadn't just lost Emily that day, he'd destroyed the one good thing in his life. And now, watching her like this, torn between two worlds, he knew he couldn't leave her again. Not this time.
He was about to step out of the car when the door behind Emily opened, and Lucas appeared. Ryan's hand froze on the door handle as rage surged through him.
Lucas said something to Emily, something quiet, soothing and placed a hand on her lower back. It was a possessive touch, one that made Ryan's blood boil. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay put.
Lucas leaned close, whispering something in Emily's ear, and she nodded reluctantly, stepping back inside the house. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving Ryan alone in the cold rain.
For a moment, he sat frozen, his mind racing. Lucas was too comfortable with Emily, too involved. And the way she looked at him, unsure, wary, told Ryan that Lucas was hiding something.
He pulled out his phone and dialed Sophie.
"Sophie," Ryan said the moment she picked up, "I need you to dig deeper on Lucas Hayes. There's more to him than what we found."
Sophie sighed on the other end. "I told you Lucas was bad news. Why didn't you listen earlier?"
Ryan rubbed his temple, frustration mounting. "I thought I could handle it. But it's worse than I expected."
"What do you think he's after?"
Ryan's jaw tightened. "Emily. He's using her for something. And I think my brother is behind it."
There was a pause. Then Sophie's voice softened. "Ryan... are you sure this isn't just jealousy talking?"
"No," Ryan whispered, his voice hard with conviction. "This isn't jealousy. It's something else. And if I don't figure it out soon, Emily's going to get hurt."
---
Inside the house, Emily's unease grew.
Lucas returned from his phone call, all smiles again, as if nothing had happened. But Emily couldn't unhear the conversation she'd overheard.
"Everything okay?" she asked, testing him.
"Yeah, just a work thing," Lucas replied smoothly. "Nothing to worry about."
Emily nodded, but the lie sat heavy between them. She needed answers about Lucas, about Ryan, about everything.
"I think I need some space tonight," she said abruptly, rising from the couch. "It's been a long day."
Lucas's smile faltered for a split second, but he recovered quickly. "Of course," he said, standing. "I'll see myself out."
He kissed her cheek, a quick, perfunctory gesture that left her cold. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"
"Sure," Emily muttered, watching as he left.
The moment the door closed behind him, she let out a shaky breath. She grabbed her phone, hesitating only a second before dialing a familiar number.
The line rang once. Twice.
And then Ryan's voice, deep and steady, came through.
"Emily."
Her throat tightened at the sound of his name. "We need to talk," she whispered.
There was a pause on the other end, heavy with unspoken emotions.
"I'll be there," Ryan said quietly. "Whatever it takes."
As the call ended, Emily stared out at the darkened street, knowing that whatever storm was coming, she couldn't face it alone.
And for better or worse, Ryan Steele was the only person she could trust.
---
Outside, hidden in the shadows, Lucas watched from his car.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel, his expression unreadable.
"Make your move, Ryan," he whispered to himself, a cold smile curling at the edges of his lips. "It's exactly what we wanted."
And as the rain continued to fall, the trap slowly began to close.