“The Instagram post.”
“Oh yeah? I heard my friend’s cat was missing. That has nothing to do with you, kitten.”
“If you pull this shit again, I’m not going to turn the other cheek,” I promise through my teeth. “You’re pissing me off. I’ll get you back.”
“I eagerly await sweet retribution from you.”
He’s not even paying attention to me.
“Don’t—” I cut myself off when he pulls out my camera. I chew on my lip, struggling with how to get my stuff back without giving up a piece of myself. I don’t want to let him know how much that camera means to me, though I suspect he must have some idea. Maybe he figured it out from Alec. “It’s fragile.”
“And expensive,” Lucas comments in a distracted tone. “I looked it up.”
The energy racing through my body is hard to contain. I force myself to stand still while Lucas fiddles with the settings. He points it and snaps a few frames.
“I suggest you reconsider your refusal,” he says as he clicks through the pictures he took. “I let Alec into my circle, but I can shut him out just as easily.”
I suck my lips between my teeth and cast a glance to the side. He’s serious. I guess Lucas has no qualms about destroying my brother to get to me.
“Or,” Lucas drawls, setting my camera safely on the hood as he turns back to me. The corner of his mouth lifts in a lopsided smile. “I’ll just kidnap you again. This time I really will keep you to myself instead of going easy on you. Maybe when I’m done, I’ll drop you off in the mountains to find your own way home.”
“Easy on me?” My question comes out as an incredulous laugh. “God, you’re infuriating.”
I still haven’t forgiven Lucas for kidnapping me. He’s such a crazy asshole.
In a blink, Lucas traps me against the car. He won’t let me escape this time without a kiss. I swallow and lick my lips. His eyes fall to my mouth and he mirrors the gesture.
“You’re really going to force me?” I whisper.
Lucas grunts and narrows his eyes. He pushes his hand in my hair, twisting the strands around his fingers. Then all at once he steps back.
When he makes no other moves to trap me, I dart to my camera and cradle it to my body. Lucas remains quiet as I check it for any signs of tampering. Everything seems in order and nothing else is missing from my bag.
For the first time since it disappeared, I feel like the tension in my muscles unwinds. It leaves me with a heavy exhaustion as the build up of adrenaline burns off.
Lucas tucks his hands in his pockets and regards me with an unreadable expression. With his tailored uniform, he looks more like a model than a high school student. His hair flops over his eyes when he tilts his head forward.
The beep of the car locks disengaging makes me startle out of the trance. Alec must be close.
I open the back door to stow my belongings, keeping my camera on me. Lucas hovers behind me, his body heat seeping into the back of my blazer. I look over my shoulder and bite my lip.
Lucas props one hand on the roof to support his weight, towering over me.
“I’m not your trophy to win, Lucas. So give
it up already.” His jaw tics and the corners of his mouth turn down. I scoff and cut my gaze to the side. “I’m never going to want you.”
“We’ll see about that, sweetheart.”
When I look up, Lucas is gone.
Alec walks over and gives me a what are you doing look when I just stand there. “Get in, or I’ll leave your ass here.”
On the ride home my limbs jitter restlessly. Alec shoots me a dour glance when my knee bounces. I chew on my thumb and stare into the middle distance as my thoughts race back and forth, caught between how much I hate Lucas and how much I underestimated him.
I thought he would lose interest in me eventually.
Was I wrong?