The mysterious girl's words echoed in Amelia's head long after the car disappeared.
"Stay out of his way. You're nothing but a distraction."
By the time she reached home, her heart was still pounding. Lucas had been nothing but kind protecting her when no one else would. But the girl's threat made one thing clear: someone didn't want her close to him.
And Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that whoever she was, she wasn't finished.
The next morning, Amelia expected Lucas to be waiting by her locker like usual but he wasn't.
Her stomach twisted. Had the girl gotten to him? Had she said something to drive him away?
She shook her head. Why does it even matter?
But deep down, it did. More than she wanted to admit.
As she gathered her books, a sudden voice startled her.
"Looking for me?"
Amelia spun around, heart leaping. Lucas stood there, leaning casually against the lockers with that familiar crooked smile.
"You're late," she muttered, hoping her relief didn't show.
"Miss me already?" he teased, falling into step beside her.
"Hardly."
But the warmth spreading through her chest told another story.
The morning passed without incident until third period.
Amelia had almost convinced herself that the girl from yesterday was a fluke. Someone who wanted to scare her off but wouldn't actually follow through.
She was wrong.
During class, Amelia slipped her hand into her bag, searching for a pen only to freeze.
Her notebooks were gone. All of them.
Her heart sank. She knew she'd packed them this morning.
A soft snicker drifted from the back of the room. Amelia turned, her stomach twisting when she spotted a familiar blonde head the girl from the car.
She lounged at a desk, twirling Amelia's pen between her fingers. When their eyes met, her lips curled into a cold, knowing smile.
Panic prickled at Amelia's skin. This wasn't Jason's usual brand of cruelty it was something sharper. More calculated.
And she had no idea how to fight it.
By lunchtime, Amelia's patience was wearing thin. She found Lucas sitting beneath the oak tree, his long legs stretched out like he didn't have a care in the world.
"Lucas," she said, more sharply than she meant.
He looked up, raising a brow. "What's with the serious face, sunshine?"
"Who is she?" Amelia demanded, crossing her arms.
His smile faded. "Who?"
"The blonde girl. The one who thinks I'm a 'distraction.'"
For a moment, Lucas didn't answer. Something flickered in his eyes something she couldn't quite place.
Finally, he sighed, leaning back against the tree. "Her name's Evelyn. We… grew up together."
"Grew up together?" Amelia echoed, her chest tightening. "Is she your?"
"No." His voice was firm, his gaze steady. "It's not like that. But… let's just say she doesn't like it when I do things she can't control."
Amelia swallowed hard. "And me being your friend is something she can't control?"
A soft laugh escaped his lips, but there was no humor in it. "Exactly."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The breeze rustled through the leaves overhead, but it did little to ease the knot forming in Amelia's stomach.
"Why do you even bother with me?" she blurted out, her voice quieter now. "You could hang out with anyone. Why put up with all of this?"
Lucas tilted his head, studying her. "Because I see you, Amelia. And I don't care what anyone else thinks I want to be here."
Her breath hitched at the raw honesty in his voice. No one had ever said anything like that to her before.
And it was getting harder and harder to ignore the way he made her feel.
The rest of the day passed in a blur, but the weight in Amelia's chest didn't fade. If anything, it grew heavier.
Evelyn's presence wasn't just a threat it was a warning.
And Amelia couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get a whole lot worse.
As the final bell rang, she gathered her things quickly, hoping to slip out unnoticed. But when she reached the main entrance, Lucas was already there leaning against the wall with that familiar lazy grin.
"Thought you might try to escape," he said lightly.
Amelia rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
"You love it," he shot back, falling into step beside her.
They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the sound of their footsteps mingling with the distant hum of traffic. But just as they rounded the corner to their street, Amelia's heart stuttered.
Evelyn stood by Lucas's front gate, her arms crossed and her expression colder than ever.
"Oh, great," Lucas muttered under his breath.
Amelia froze, every muscle in her body screaming at her to turn back but Lucas didn't stop. Instead, he tightened his grip on her wrist, pulling her forward.
"Lucas," Evelyn drawled as they approached. "I thought we needed to talk."
"Yeah?" Lucas said, his voice flat. "Well, I don't."
Evelyn's gaze flicked to Amelia, her smile sharpening. "Funny. You used to be more… selective with your company."
Amelia's stomach twisted, but she refused to look away. She wasn't going to give Evelyn the satisfaction.
"Leave her alone, Evelyn," Lucas warned, his voice low. "I'm serious."
For a heartbeat, the air was thick with tension. And then, to Amelia's surprise, Evelyn laughed.
"Relax, Lucas." She pushed off the gate, stepping closer too close. "I'm just curious. I mean, after all we've been through… don't you think she deserves to know the truth?"
Amelia's breath caught in her throat. "The truth?"
Lucas stiffened beside her, his jaw tight. Whatever "truth" Evelyn meant it wasn't something he wanted Amelia to hear.
"I'm warning you"
"See you around, Lucas," Evelyn interrupted smoothly. And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away, her laughter lingering in the air.
Amelia's mind spun with questions, but Lucas was already tugging her toward her house.
"Ignore her," he muttered. "She's just trying to mess with you."
But Amelia couldn't ignore it. Not anymore.
Because beneath Evelyn's words was a promise there was something Lucas wasn't telling her.
And sooner or later, she was going to find out what it was.
To be continued…