"Have you swallowed your tongue?"


    Quite taken aback at the sight of Lucas in front of my very own eyes I was unable to say a single word resulting in his thick eyebrows almost meeting halfway in annoyance.


    "I''m talking to you, Be." He regarded me warily, waiting for me to speak my mind.


    "Well…." I tried to exin but nothing came out. There was no doubt in my mind that no matter what I say won''t change his grim mood.


    As I survey the lines etched in his forehead, I wonder if he was indeed worried about me or just in annoyed that I left the mansion as soon as he did.


    Filling my chest with air, I finally summoned all the courage I could muster to speak up. "I''m sorry about leaving without giving you notice."


    "You should be," He mumbled under his breath. The grim look in his countenance didn''t change a bit. "Thompson had called me in panic and I had to cancel my next business appointment just to look for you."


    Guilt washed through me. But had I told him my whereabouts in advance, he would not allow me to leave.


    "Get in the car, Be."


    Lucas opened the door for me in spite of his foul mood and I really appreciate it. After settling on my seat, the door closed and he climbed into the driver''s seat.


    His own car was nowhere to be seen, I noticed. I presumed he just dropped by and waited for me to emerge from the apartment building.The question is how long had he been waiting for me?


    "I''ve been waiting for ten minutes." Lucas spoke as though he had read my thoughts.


    "I didn''t tell Thompson where I was going. How did you know I''m here?"


    "The Tracking app shows your location. After someone stole my favorite car — Bugatti — I had all my car installed with a tracking device so as to not make the same mistake again."


    What was he talking about? I thought to myself, confused, feeling as though he was partly putting the me in me for losing his prized car.


    Lucas started the ignition and maneuvered the car out of the parking area. With the car smoothly gliding through the spacious highway, he cast me a brief look, asking me the question I knew exactly he would open up.


    "It might not be my business but I wonder what you have been doing inside?" Lucas momentarily fell into a long and awkward silence before he continued, "Are you meeting someone?"


    I nearly fell off my seat.


    Is it just my ears or did he actually sound jealous?


    Nah! I shook my head. He would never be jealous even if I''m meeting someone. There''s a long queue of women he could have and I''ll be nothingpared to them. Hell, there''s no chance he would feel jealous. Besides, he still sees me as his wife who cheated on him and nearly got his son killed.


    "I did meet someone." I told him the truth.


    He didn''t ask who it was so I continued. "I came to see Sara Donovan."


    "Her name rings a bell to me but I don''t recall where I had heard it."


    "Sara was the wife of the truck driver who died in the car collision."


    "Are you out of your mind! You came to visit her alone.." He snapped and I was so taken aback that I couldn''t speak for a second. "What if she''s still pretty mad for losing her husband and did something to hurt you?" Concern was evident in his tone as he spoke.


    "Stop it, Lucas… She wasn''t like that so don''t jump into conclusions. " I lift my chin up stubbornly, ring at him in irritation. "She''s my friend and even if I just met her, I knew in my heart she''s a good person."


    "I apologize for my biased judgment. I was just worried at how impulsive you are." He told me in a gentle tone that had me softening a bit.


    "I offered her some cash but she refused it."


    "I didn''t expect that."


    "Since she refused the cash, I gave her the assistance she couldn''t refuse and I was happy that I managed to convince her to take it."


    "Are you still guilty about what happened?"


    "Of course I am, Lucas. I am to me for why Sara lost her husband. He had children and I took their father away from them."


    "You know it wasn''t your fault… The man was not only drunk but he was high on drugs as well. He didn''t follow the traffic sign and just drove that night like crazy. The ident could have been avoided if he just stopped."


    "I tried to think it wasn''t my fault but I couldn''t lie to myself."


    "Did you know that man had three r*ped charges filed against him and that his victims were minors? If he survived, he could have victimized a lot more."


    "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"


    "I am telling you what I know, Be. It''s up to you to decide what to feel."


    Silence ruled inside the car. I didn''t know what to say so I kept my mouth sealed.


    "Everything''s going to be fine, Be." Lucas took my hand, squeezing it gently, triggering a thousand butterflies to flutter in my stomach. "I know you''re filled with worries, uncertainties, and confusion right now. Though I could do nothing to take them from you, I promised you would not face them alone. I''m here… You can always lean on my shoulder."


    Touched by his words, tears stung my eyes…. I''ve never met anyone who said those words so sincerely before.


    The car skidded into a stop on the side of the road.


    "Don''t be such a crybaby." Heughed and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I''ve been harsh to you but it doesn''t mean I hate you… I''ve always been like this …"


    He wrapped his arms around me andfort rushed through me as I savored the warmth of his warm body.


    "Look, snot''s dripping from your nose…"


    I punched him gently on the chest. "I know how ugly I look when I cry but snot doesn''t drip on my nose."


    Lucas justughed and hugged me even


    tighter. That moment I felt as though the thick wall between us had finally copsed.