Aria
I rush outside, chasing after Lucas, my heart hammering like I just ran a damn marathon. “Wait, Lucas!”
He keeps walking. Of course, he does.
I push harder, practically jogging now. “Lucas, wait, please!” I finally catch up, stepping right in front of him, blocking his path. Up close, I can see it-he looks the same, still as annoyingly gorgeous as ever, but the warmth? Gone. And that absence? It makes him look… older, like he’s been carrying too much weight on his damn shoulders.
His gray eyes lock onto mine, sharp as a blade. “Are you just gonna stand there staring at me, or are you actually gonna say what the fuck you want?”
The sheer anger in his voice hits me like a punch to the gut, but I swallow it down. I force myself to stay calm. “We’ve been paired together-”
“You take the first two chapters, I’ll take the rest.” He cuts me off, tone clipped, already turning to leave.
I blink. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He exhales sharply, glaring. “You weren’t paying attention in class, were you?” His voice drips with irritation before he walks away.
I stare after him, frustration bubbling under my skin. “So that’s how it’s gonna be?” I call out, my voice cracking. “You’re just gonna act like I don’t fucking exist?”
Nothing. No reaction. Just his back as he disappears down the hall.
Over the next few days, I try everything to get him to talk to me.
I wait outside class, sit next to him, even drop a damn pen near his feet just for an excuse to interact. But he ignores me, brushing past me like I’m some ghost. It’s driving me insane. Everyone else is working with their partners, but Lucas? Lucas is pretending I don’t exist.
By the time math class rolls around, I’ve had enough. Before he can get up, I march straight to his desk. “Lucas, I need to talk to you.”
His gaze flicks up, bored. “Have you finished your chapters?”
I fold my arms. “We need to do more than that. We have to actually present together. You know, teamwork?”
“We don’t need to practice,” he mutters, grabbing his bag. “So stop trying to find reasons to talk to me.”
I grit my teeth. “Are you really gonna keep this up? Lucas, we need to talk about what happened.”
His jaw clenches. “I don’t have anything to say to you. You left. Have you forgotten? You left me.” His words are low, but they carry so much pain, it fucking hurts to hear them. “So just leave me the fuck alone. I’m begging you.”
He starts to walk away, but I grab his arm. “I didn’t have a choice,” I blurt out. “I did it for you!”
That makes him pause. He turns, his eyes flashing with something darker…anger, betrayal. It makes my skin crawl.
“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” he hisses. “I’m begging you, Aria. Don’t try to ruin my life again.”
And then he’s gone. Again. And of course, she follows right behind him, like some damn shadow. That human girl.
“Wait up! Where are you going?” she asks, flipping her hair.
“Home.”
“But we still have class.”
“I don’t give a fuck.”
“Okay, well, I can bring you some notes,” she practically purrs. “Just send me your address.”
“I’ll text it to you.”
I stand there, watching them leave, my heart fucking bleeding. This is my fault. I broke him. I destroyed him. And now? He won’t even look at me without hate in his eyes.
“Aria, are you okay?”
I whip around to see Damon and Theo standing there, their faces tight with concern.
I force out a weak laugh, rubbing at my eyes. “Yeah… just, you know…” My voice cracks, and Damon frowns.
“But you’re crying,” he points out, brows furrowed.
I shake my head quickly, swiping at my cheeks. “It’s just… something in my eye, that’s all.”
“Aria, you don’t have to pretend,” Theo says gently. “We’re sure he still loves you. He’s just hurt.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “Did you see him just now? He’s hanging out with that girl.” My throat feels tight. “He hates me.”
“Lucas doesn’t talk to us much anymore,” Theo admits. “But trust me, he’s only using her to make you jealous.”
I blink up at him, sniffling. “You think so?”
Theo nods. “But if you really want him to forgive you, you’re gonna have to put in more effort. When you left… you wrecked him.”
A fresh wave of guilt crashes over me. My chest feels like it’s caving in. “I thought it was for the best,” I whisper. “I couldn’t watch him lose everything because of me. I thought… I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Damon sighs, squeezing my shoulder. “We’re just glad you’re okay.”
I nod, but deep down, I know I’m not okay. Not when Lucas looks at me like I’m a stranger. Not when every word he speaks feels like a dagger to my chest. Not when I know…know that I did this to him.
I’m glad you’re okay too. I was kinda worried about Damon after that day.
“Yeah… that was nothing serious. Just weakened my wolf,” Damon says, waving it off like he didn’t almost die or something.
I sigh, rubbing my arms. “I’m happy you guys found your mates.” My voice comes out smaller than I intended. “I need to head to my next class. I’ll see you around.”
“Alright. Just take it easy, Aria,” Theo says. I force a smile, pretending I’m fine.
“Thanks.”
I try, really try…to concentrate in class, but my mind keeps drifting back to Lucas. What the hell is he doing right now? Did he really mean it when he invited that girl over to his apartment? Or was he just messing with me?
By the time I’m done for the day, it’s dark outside. I stayed back to work on my philosophy project, but let’s be real…I spent most of the time staring blankly at the book, overthinking my entire life.
As I step out of the building, I spot Lily and Mia walking toward me.
“You guys didn’t leave?” I ask, surprised.
Mia grins. “Of course not. We said we’d wait for you.”
“Yeah, are you ready to go?”
I nod, but frown a little. “You guys didn’t have to wait. I don’t live on campus like you do.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Mia says, linking her arm through mine like old times. Lily does the same, squeezing my hand. “We still wanted to.”
“Are you alright, though?” Lily asks, her eyes filled with concern. “Damon and Theo told us what happened earlier.”
I exhale slowly. “Yeah… I’m just, you know.”
Mia tilts her head. “Aria, do you still like him? Alpha Lucas?”
The question catches me off guard, but the answer is immediate in my head. Yes, the fuck I do. I love him. I still do.
“Because if you do,” Mia continues, “you’re gonna have to take the bull by the horns.”
I blink. “What do you mean?”
“You need to go to him.”
“But I did, and he didn’t want to see me or talk to me. But he invited that girl over.” My chest tightens at the thought.
“Who, Mira?” Lily scoffs. “She’s irrelevant, trust me.”
I chew on my lip. “But they might actually be together right now…”
Mia suddenly stops walking, turning to face me. “Then why don’t you go there?”
I stare at her. “What… you mean Lucas’s apartment?”
“Yeah.” She nods, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Come on, you guys need some privacy to talk things out.”
I hesitate. Is this really a good idea? I mean, he barely wants to see me. How sure am I that he won’t just slam the door in my face? But Mia has a point. If I want him back, I need to take control.
I inhale sharply. “Fine. What’s the address?”
Mia and Lily squeal. “Perfect!”
By the time I reach his apartment, the sky is dark and heavy with clouds. Great. Just my luck-it’s gonna fucking rain.
I step out of my car, staring up at the building. It’s… well, it’s raunchy as hell. Guys are loitering around, smoking, drinking, looking like they have zero fucks to give. Why the hell did Lucas pick a place like this?
I sigh, shaking off the uneasy feeling, and make my way inside. Climbing the stairs, I stop in front of his door. Mia said his apartment was room 28.
I knock, then hold my breath.
No answer.
I knock again. Then again. And again…until finally, I hear the lock turn.
And there he is.
Standing shirtless in the dim light, his toned body glistening like he just rolled out of bed. His hair is a tousled mess. Was he sleeping?
His gray eyes narrow at me, irritation all over his face. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he hisses.
I swallow hard, my heart hammering in my chest.
“I… I need to talk to you.”