Chapter 12
By Friday morning, the internet had decided Sabrina Sanders was either the luckiest woman alive or a calculated manipulative mastermind.
There was apparently no middle ground.
Sabrina sat cross-legged on Chloe's bed while Chloe scrolled through social media like a war correspondent delivering updates from the front lines.
"Okay," Chloe announced, "today's popular theories are:
one, you and Lucas are secretly engaged,
two, you're pregnant,
or three, you're using witchcraft."
Sabrina stared at her.
"Honestly the witchcraft one feels the most realistic at this point."
Chloe turned the phone around dramatically.
A video edit filled the screen. Slow-motion clips of Sabrina and Lucas from the rooftop launch played beneath overly emotional music while comments flooded the video.
THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER
HE'S NEVER THIS SOFT
THIS MAN IS DOWN BAD
Sabrina grabbed the phone and threw it onto the blanket face-down.
"No."
"You watched the whole thing."
"I was under attack."
Chloe grinned. "You like him."
"I tolerate him professionally."
"You literally stared at your phone smiling for ten minutes yesterday."
"That was temporary insanity."
"Babe, you're cooked."
Unfortunately, Sabrina was beginning to suspect Chloe might be right.
The issue wasn't just Lucas himself anymore.
It was the in-between moments.
The casual texts.
The private jokes.
The way he looked at her when he forgot to act detached.
That was the dangerous part.
Because Lucas didn't flirt loudly.
He did quieter things.
Things that felt real.
And Sabrina was starting to realize that was much harder to protect herself from.
Her phone buzzed against the comforter.
Lucas: Adrian added another dinner tonight.
Sabrina groaned immediately.
Chloe gasped theatrically. "Speak of the emotionally unavailable devil."
Sabrina ignored her and opened the message.
Lucas: Apparently we're "America's favorite couple" now.
Sabrina: That sounds fake.
Lucas: Unfortunately not.
Another message appeared almost instantly.
Lucas: You busy right now?
Sabrina blinked once.
Sabrina: Why?
Three dots.
Lucas: I have about forty-five minutes before filming.
Lucas: Thought maybe coffee.
The warmth that spread through Sabrina's chest at the message felt deeply inconvenient.
Because there it was again.
Not publicity.
Not Adrian.
Not staged appearances.
Just Lucas asking to see her.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Chloe watched her expression carefully. "That's not a publicity text."
"Don't start."
"You're blushing."
"I'm warm."
"It's literally snowing outside."
Sabrina grabbed a pillow and shoved it into her face briefly.
This was becoming a problem.
An hour later she walked into a small coffee shop near the studio lot and spotted Lucas immediately near the back window.
Baseball cap.
Black hoodie.
Coffee already waiting across from him.
The weird thing was that he looked calmer when she arrived.
Like seeing her relaxed him before he even realized it.
That thought alone nearly made Sabrina turn around and walk directly into traffic.
"You're late," Lucas said as she slid into the chair opposite him.
"You keep saying that like I'm supposed to care."
"You're supposed to deny it."
"I was emotionally preparing."
"For coffee?"
"For you."
That got a quiet laugh out of him instantly.
God, she liked that sound too much now.
The café buzzed softly around them with low music and the hiss of espresso machines.
No paparazzi.
No executives.
No fake smiling.
Just them.
Lucas pushed the second coffee toward her.
"You remembered my order?"
"You complain aggressively about bad coffee. Hard to forget."
Sabrina smiled despite herself.
"You're learning."
"Terrifying experience."
For a minute they sat quietly.
Not awkward.
That was the dangerous thing.
Silence with Lucas used to feel tense.
Now it felt easy.
Sabrina hated how much she liked that.
"You look tired again," she said eventually.
Lucas leaned back slightly in his chair. "I'm starting to think that's your favorite observation."
"You're starting to look like a Victorian orphan."
"That feels dramatic."
"You slept?"
"A little."
"How little?"
Lucas took a sip of coffee instead of answering.
Which honestly answered enough.
Sabrina frowned slightly.
"You can't keep running on three hours of sleep."
"I've done worse."
"That's not reassuring."
He shrugged lightly like exhaustion had become so normal it barely registered anymore.
Sabrina studied him quietly for a second.
Without cameras around, Lucas always seemed slightly different.
Less sharp around the edges.
His guard lowered in tiny ways most people probably never saw.
Like now.
Hair messy from the cold.
Dark circles faintly visible beneath his eyes.
Hands relaxed around the coffee cup.
Human.
It still surprised her sometimes.
"What?" he asked suddenly.
"You seem less annoying today."
"High praise."
"I'm serious."
Lucas looked at her over the rim of his coffee cup.
"You're staring again."
"I'm observing."
"That line expired weeks ago."
She smiled.
Then his phone buzzed against the table.
Lucas glanced down briefly.
Something in his expression shifted immediately.
Subtle.
Quick.
But there.
Sabrina noticed.
"Bad news?"
"Just work."
The answer came too fast.
Interesting.
Lucas flipped the phone over screen-down afterward.
More interesting.
Sabrina didn't push it, though curiosity prickled faintly at the back of her mind.
Instead she changed the subject.
"Do you ever get tired of people talking about your life constantly?"
Lucas laughed softly.
"You say that like it's optional."
"I'm serious."
He looked out the café window for a second before answering.
"Yes."
Simple.
Honest.
The quietness of it hit harder than she expected.
Lucas rubbed a hand across his jaw slowly.
"At first it's exciting," he admitted. "Then one day you realize strangers think they know you better than your own friends."
Sabrina stayed quiet.
Because this version of Lucas always felt important somehow.
The moments where he stopped joking long enough to say something real.
"It gets loud," he said finally.
Not dramatically.
Just tired.
Something in Sabrina's chest tightened unexpectedly.
Before she could respond, a group of girls near the counter suddenly gasped loudly.
One of them had recognized him.
Lucas's entire posture changed instantly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Shoulders tighter.
Expression cooler.
Like someone putting armor back on.
The girls approached nervously a few seconds later.
"Sorry," one said breathlessly, "can we get a picture?"
Lucas smiled politely immediately.
Celebrity mode.
"Sure."
The girls crowded beside him while Sabrina watched quietly from across the table.
Lucas stayed perfectly kind through the interaction.
Patient.
Friendly.
Warm.
But the second they walked away again, the smile faded instantly.
Like flipping off a light switch.
Sabrina looked at him carefully.
"That must be exhausting."
Lucas glanced toward her.
"It's part of it."
"You say that like you've accepted prison time."
A faint smile pulled at his mouth.
"You make everything sound dramatic."
"You make everything sound depressing. We balance each other."
For a second his expression softened again.
Then his phone buzzed a second time.
Lucas looked down briefly before standing.
"I have to get back."
Something about his tone had changed.
More distracted now.
Sabrina stood too.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah."
But again, too quick.
Lucas grabbed his jacket before looking toward her.
"You still surviving dinner tonight?"
"That depends. Will there be rich people discussing "brand synergy" again?"
"Probably."
"Then no."
That earned another laugh.
Then Lucas hesitated slightly before speaking again.
"I'll pick you up at seven."
Not Adrian arranged it.
Not management scheduled it.
I'll pick you up.
Small difference.
Dangerous difference.
Sabrina nodded once.
"Okay."
For half a second neither moved.
Then Lucas reached out automatically and brushed something invisible from the sleeve of her coat.
The touch barely lasted a second.
Still, Sabrina felt it everywhere.
Lucas seemed to realize what he'd done immediately because his hand disappeared just as fast.
The air shifted strangely between them.
Again.
And once again, neither addressed it.
By seven that evening, snow covered most of Manhattan in thin white layers reflecting the city lights.
Sabrina climbed into the SUV already exhausted.
Lucas sat inside scrolling through his phone.
"You look murderous," he observed.
"I had to wear heels again."
"My condolences."
Sabrina settled beside him while the driver pulled into traffic.
"You seem distracted."
Lucas glanced up briefly. "Do I?"
"Yes."
"Maybe I'm developing personality."
"That's concerning."
Usually he'd respond immediately.
Tonight he didn't.
Instead he looked back down at his phone again.
Sabrina noticed his jaw tighten faintly.
Then the screen lit up once more.
A name flashed briefly before he locked the phone again.
Camille.
There it was.
The weird uncomfortable feeling from before returned instantly.
Stupid.
Annoying.
Completely irrational.
Sabrina looked out the window before her expression betrayed her.
Because she had absolutely no right caring who texted Lucas Cooper.
None.
The relationship was fake.
Temporary.
A contract.
So why did his exes and other girls suddenly bother her so much?
"You got quiet."
Lucas's voice pulled her back.
"I'm conserving energy."
"That sounds fake."
"So does this relationship."
The second the words left her mouth, regret followed immediately.
The atmosphere inside the SUV shifted.
Lucas looked toward her slowly.
"That's what this is about?"
Sabrina crossed her arms loosely. "Nothing's about anything."
"You're jealous again."
"I'm observant."
"That line's genuinely losing quality now."
"I'll workshop material later."
Lucas studied her for a second too long.
Then:
"It's work."
"What is?"
"The texts."
Sabrina looked at him skeptically.
"You expect me to believe your ex randomly texting you at night is business-related?"
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"You saw the name."
"You waved the phone around like an amateur magician."
To her surprise, Lucas laughed softly.
Then sighed.
"Camille wants me at some launch party next week."
"And?"
"And I said no."
The answer came simply.
Like it should've been obvious.
Sabrina looked away again quickly before he noticed the tiny relief that caused.
Humiliating.
"You don't have to explain things to me," she muttered.
Lucas stayed quiet for a second.
"I know."
But he still had.
That was the problem.
The restaurant tonight sat high above the city with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan glowing beneath the snow.
Beautiful.
Overpriced.
Full of people Sabrina already wanted to avoid.
The second Lucas stepped out of the SUV, cameras exploded around them again.
Flashes reflected violently off the snow while reporters shouted questions nonstop.
Lucas reached for her hand automatically.
Warm fingers.
Steady grip.
Sabrina hated how natural it felt now.
Inside, the event buzzed with conversations and music while waiters floated through the room carrying champagne.
Almost immediately, people approached Lucas.
Executives.
Actors.
Industry people.
Sabrina stayed beside him through conversations about movies and sponsorships and magazine covers until eventually her social battery began actively deteriorating.
Then she noticed it.
Across the room.
Claire.
Lucas's ex from set.
Blonde.
Perfect.
Watching them.
Fantastic.
Claire smiled slowly once she noticed Sabrina looking.
Not friendly.
Predatory.
"Oh good," Sabrina thought. "The villain's here."
Lucas followed her gaze and immediately sighed under his breath.
"That reaction alone terrified me."
"She's harmless."
"You say that like someone moments before getting murdered."
Claire approached smoothly through the crowd.
"Lucas."
"Claire."
Then her attention shifted toward Sabrina.
"Sabrina. Nice seeing you again."
Lie.
Sabrina smiled politely anyway.
"Likewise."
Claire's eyes moved subtly between them.
"You two really are inseparable lately."
"That's usually how dating works," Lucas replied calmly.
Something flashed briefly across Claire's face at the answer.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Well," Claire smiled lightly, "enjoy it while it lasts."
The comment landed strangely.
Not casual.
Intentional.
Lucas's expression cooled instantly.
"Claire."
"What?" she said innocently. "Hollywood relationships move fast."
The tension sharpened immediately.
Sabrina suddenly felt very aware of everyone nearby.
Watching.
Listening.
Claire smiled one last time before walking away again.
But the damage lingered behind her.
Lucas rubbed a hand across his jaw slowly.
"You okay?" Sabrina asked quietly.
"Fine."
Lie.
She could tell now.
And somehow that realization felt strangely intimate too.
Lucas looked tired again suddenly.
Not physically this time.
Emotionally.
Like something about Claire genuinely bothered him.
Before Sabrina could ask anything else, another photographer approached requesting pictures.
Lucas straightened automatically.
Public mask back in place.
But this time, when he rested a hand against Sabrina's waist for the cameras, his grip lingered slightly tighter than usual.
And for the first time, Sabrina wondered if Lucas was holding onto her for reasons that had nothing to do with publicity anymore.