3. LYCA
Chapter 3
LYCA
“ G otcha,” I whispered with a grin, feeling my heart pounding wildly. Exhilaration coursed through my veins— a lingering rush from having gotten back at my new neighbor, who just so happens to be the famous Xander Ryan!
With a sly smile, I replayed the morning’s escapade in my mind. I could see Xander's handsome face contorted in mild confusion and disarray, a far cry from the poised and polished image he portrayed on television. I could picture his handsome features, which were honestly striking, despite the obvious signs of a bad hangover. Some strands of his hair were even standing up, which only added to my amusement.
As the kids relished their treats, I couldn't suppress a quiet chuckle, savoring the momentary victory over the annoying neighbor who had disrupted our peaceful abode.
“Mom, what’s so funny?” Lucas asked suddenly, pausing in between devouring his cookies.
I laughed softly. “Nothing, sweetheart. I’m just happy that you’re happy.”
He gave me a radiant smile before turning back to chat again with his friends, who lived in the same building as us but on another floor.
Suddenly, the doorbell chimed. I wondered who it was, as I wasn’t expecting any visitors today. I opened the door to find my best friend Jessie standing there, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Oh, my gosh, Lyca! I totally want to see him!” she squealed, practically bouncing as she walked in.
At first, I didn’t understand what she was talking about. I was puzzled. “See who?”
“You sent me a message this morning that the one and only Xander Ryan is right next door!” Jessie gushed, her words tumbling out in a rush. “Of course, I had to hurry over! You better not be playing with me! Seriously! I have to take a selfie! Oh, and maybe even a kiss? Oh, gosh! Perhaps I should move in with you!”
I couldn’t suppress a smirk. Her enthusiasm was certainly entertaining. “Hold on, Jessie. It’s just Xander Ryan. And yeah, I think he has moved in already.”
Jessie's eyes widened, and she grabbed my shoulders, shaking me in disbelief. “Stop messing with me, Lyca! And it’s not just Xander Ryan. He’s a big celebrity! Is he cute in person? I need to know!”
Amusement twinkled in my eyes. “Well, yeah, he’s cute. Actually, no… totally gorgeous, I must say. Now, please, release me before I become your human maraca.”
She let go, taking an exaggerated gasp. “I can't believe this! Living next to Xander Ryan is like a dream. We have to plan something, Lyca – a welcome party or a 'casual' meeting. What do you think?”
I groaned, remembering how pissed off I was at him last night. And this morning, when I’d taken out the garbage, I saw two beautiful women leaving his unit, wearing revealing outfits. I wrinkled my nose at the memory. It had certainly fired up my revenge plan even more.
“Actually…” I started hesitantly. “I already had sort of a ‘welcome’ party for him a while ago.”
“What? Spill the details!”
I gave her a rundown of what had happened. “He seems like an asshole, so don’t bother with him, Jessie.”
“I don’t care! I just want to meet him!” Then to my surprise, she burst out laughing. “But I have to hand it to you, Lyca. That little stunt you pulled will surely make him remember you forever.”
“I’m totally not interested in that.”
“Well, I am!”
“You have a boyfriend, Jessie, and the two of you are getting married soon. Or have you forgotten?”
She shrugged with a grin. “Well, all the more reason to make the most of my days left as a single woman. Besides, I’m just fangirling!”
“Aunt Jessie!” It was Lucas, running over to hug my friend.
“Oh, I’ve missed you, you handsome little man!” Jessie exclaimed, lifting him up. “And you’ve grown so heavy already.”
After a while, Lucas and his friends got busy watching cartoons on TV. Jessie dragged me to the hallway, her mind racing with plans on how to ‘accidentally’ meet my new neighbor.
“Do you think he’s still in there?” she hissed as we stood outside my door.
“Probably,” I answered. “He’s got a bad hangover, I’m sure… But we shouldn’t be hanging out here. I don’t want to be so obvious. If you want, you can just knock on his door and pretend to be selling something.”
Jessie’s eyes lit up. "That’s actually a great idea! Got any cookies lying around?"
I laughed, shaking my head." I was just kidding! You're incorrigible!”
"Just determined," she corrected with a wink.
But before she could even raise her hand to knock, the door of Xander’s unit swung open, revealing a sight that left us both momentarily speechless.
Xander stood there, fresh from the shower, droplets of water glistening on his wet, tousled hair. The scent of masculine cologne wafted through the air, adding an intoxicating layer to the scene. His sculpted torso, adorned only with a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips, showcased the chiseled contours of his physique.
What the —
Jessie couldn't contain a gasp of awe, her eyes widening at the unexpected visual treat. Meanwhile, I was caught off guard by his sheer presence in such close proximity, and I found myself frozen in place.
His eyes, a shade of brown that seemed to deepen against his damp hair, locked onto ours with surprise and amusement. But when his gaze focused on me, he narrowed his eyes. I didn’t dare back down, meeting his gaze steadily and quite defiantly.
“Hey,” he said, turning to Jessie who was more than happy to receive his half-smile. A drop of water trickled down his strong jawline, his nose bearing a subtle sheen from the recent shower.
He ran a hand through his wet hair, and I found my eyes following the movement. My heart began to race. The effortless charm he exuded only intensified the magnetic pull of the moment.
Fuck, he’s so good at this. Does he have this effect on all women?
Jessie, still recovering from her initial shock, managed to stammer out a greeting. “Hi, Xander! Oh, my gosh, I’m a big fan. I can’t believe it’s really you!”
“Uh, yes, it’s me.” He looked amused, likely used to such reactions.
Jessie extended a hand to him. “My name’s Jessie, but I don’t live here. I’m Lyca’s best friend, so I just hang out here a lot.”
“Lyca…” Xander murmured, turning toward me. I couldn’t read the expression on his face, but he was likely still pissed off about this morning.
Well, he fucking deserves it , I thought bitterly.
“It’s sooo nice to meet you!” Jessie gushed, stepping closer toward him.
He finally turned to her and shook her hand, and I could swear she looked as if she was about to faint. I wanted to drag her back into my apartment already.
“Yeah, great to meet you both,” he replied nonchalantly. “Guess we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
Hearing him say that out loud made my heart skip a beat. I guess it was just a lot to process right now, and it felt surreal. I’ve always admired him for his racing skills and victories, though I wasn’t crushing on him like Jessie. I knew that he was a proud playboy who changed women in his life as often as he changed socks.
“So that little blonde boy was your son?” he suddenly asked me. “He looks like you.”
“Oh, you mean Lucas?” Jessie interrupted. “Yeah, they look super alike, right?”
Xander nodded. “He seemed to really enjoy playing his drums with his friends.” He was referring to the morning ‘surprise’ I had planned for him.
“Oh, yeah, they often do that here since no one used to live in your unit, and the other neighbors leave early every day.”
“I see. So it had nothing to do with last night?”
I shrugged, trying to look innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Right. But just so you know, I’m going to be staying here from now on.”
Jessie’s eyes widened. “Really? Well, maybe we could get together one of these days!”
To my astonishment, he grinned at her, moving closer, making her breathe heavily. “I’d like that.”
I frowned. I knew he was just being the big flirt that he was, but it was getting to me. I pulled Jessie away. “Come on, Jess. I have to get ready for work now. I still need to drop Lucas at his school.”
She scowled disapprovingly. “Well, you go ahead…”
“It’s fine, I have to leave now too,” Xander said quickly, touching her gently on the shoulder. “It was great meeting you, Jessie. And you too, Lyca.”
Jessie ogled his muscular chest without shame, but I tried my hardest not to look in that direction.
I managed a weak, polite smile before retreating inside. And as I went through the motions of preparing for work and driving my son to his school, I couldn’t shake Xander’s face from my mind.
Entering the office for my first day as the new head of the psychology department, I was greeted by an unexpected buzz of conversation. Some of the employees and a few race car drivers were gathered around, engaged in an animated discussion. I could hear snippets of achievements and accolades being tossed around.
“Did you hear about the new racer on our team?”
“Oh, man! Did you catch his recent race? What a move!”
“A championship titleholder! Can you believe it?”
My curiosity was piqued. I had heard rumors about a new race car driver joining the team, but no one knew who it was.
As Mr. Steele entered the room, the excitement reached a crescendo. The whispers ceased, and all eyes turned toward our boss, anticipation radiating through the air. His expression bore a mix of pride and enthusiasm.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have some thrilling news for you all. As you all must have heard already, we have a new member joining the racing team, and he's no stranger to success. I hope you all give him a warm welcome, as this young man is not just going to be a great contribution to the team, but he’s also someone close to my heart… A championship titleholder, renowned for his unique racing style and a track record of podium finishes that have set the racing world ablaze… It's my pleasure to introduce the newest addition to Steele Velocity Racing, my one and only son – Xander Ryan!”
My jaw dropped. I gripped the edge of a nearby desk for support, my mind reeling. Is this for real?
The room erupted with claps and cheers. My heart seemed to stop beating for a while as Xander entered, looking every bit the celebrity with his stunning ‘bad boy’ appearance.
Holy shit! He’s that estranged son of Mr. Don Steele, the one he’d practically abandoned when he was much younger. I remembered hearing about this piece of gossip some time ago.
As they stood beside each other amid the excitement in the atmosphere, I noticed the deep resemblance. No wonder Xander’s a natural racer — he takes after his father. I know Mr. Steele was also an amazing race car driver before establishing his business in the industry.
The other people in the room seemed to fade away as I realized that Xander’s eyes were fixed on me. My heart pounded furiously, and I suddenly felt as if it was hard to breathe.
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“Thank you for having me,” Xander said to everyone, though his gaze was locked on me. “It’s good to be here. I look forward to working with you in the coming days, weeks, and months.”
Oh. My. God. He’s invaded my home and my workplace. Fuck.