Be My Light: Make It Marriage Book 4 by Arthurs Nia

Author:Arthurs, Nia
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-02-15T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Two

Ina

The bells jangle as I step into Lucas’s shop. Feels like home. Beige walls and shelves of comic books.

Whirring blenders.

Black chairs.

Square tables.

Long counter.

And there’s Lucas.

He’s leaning against the glass case, as usual, a comic book in hand.

I suck in a deep breath.

Let the last roaring chorus of my favorite rock song blast through my head.

Mentally hum the line about courage and power. Try to find confidence in the silence.

Crash and burn.

Lucas is right there.

Looking at me.

Smiling.

My pulse races and it’s not because today’s my last date.

“You know Lucas likes you, right?”

I cringe and look away.

How am I supposed to continue like this if I can’t get Nellie’s words out of my mind?

I suck in a deep breath.

Grab the strap of my purse.

Step toward the counter with measured, deliberate steps.

Sunlight dances over my shoulder.

It’s a nice day outside. Inside, it’s cool. Calm. Welcoming.

Lucas pushes up from the counter. Nods a greeting.

He looks more casual today than he did yesterday in a simple T-shirt with the Superman logo. Jeans. Hair mussed.

The smile on his face reaches his soulful eyes.

Has he always had such beautiful eyes? They’re not golden like Jonas’s. They’re dark brown. Some would even call them plain. But they’re not. They’re full of kindness.

Even when he’s angry, he always has this raw, intense control.

It makes me want to trust him with my secrets.

With my scars.

With my everything.

“Hi.” My mind blanks out after that and I can’t seem to come up with some other line to say.

I want to keep being Lucas’s friend, but I can’t if what Nellie said is true.

I don’t know how I can keep using him if he’s in love with me.

It’s just so…

Unfair.

“Hey.” His eyes trace my body in a slow once-over. Brown eyes graze my fancy blouse, my tight jeans. The bracelet on my wrist.

It’s a familiar look.

I wrack my brain trying to figure out why.

Then it hits me.

He stares at me the way Troy stares at Venus.

With appreciation.

Admiration.

Just a hint of lust.

Like he wants to take me upstairs.

Like he wants to get started on lesson two right away.

And then he blinks and the expression is gone. Replaced with his normal smile.

Or maybe it was always normal.

Maybe I’m overreacting because of what Nellie said.

It’s not like Lucas confessed anything to me.

I’m definitely not his type.

There’s no way he’d be into me like that.

He rounds the counter. “You okay?”

Yes. No.

He’s way too close.

And I’m too psyched out to think clearly.

“Ina?” His voice is tinged with concern. Brotherly concern. Like Evan. Or Troy. No attraction there whatsoever.

Okay?

Just because he’s standing close to me—

Just because he smells good and I want to hold his hand—

That doesn’t mean anything.

He reaches out.

I hold still, but my breath gets caught in my throat.

Slowly, gently, Lucas lowers his fingers to my cheek.

I close my eyes.

Revel in the sensation.

“I missed you yesterday,” he whispers.

“I was working.”

“Right.”

“It was really busy.” I keep my eyes closed because I know, if I open them, he’ll see that I’m lying.

Yeah, I had a shift yesterday.

But it wasn’t busier than usual.

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