Chapter 13
The next few days felt strange after the dinner with Claire.
Not dramatically strange.
Worse.
Subtle strange.
The kind where Sabrina kept catching herself thinking about things she absolutely should not be thinking about.
Like why Claire's comment had clearly bothered Lucas.
Or why Lucas had held her waist tighter afterward.
Or why he kept texting her later than usual at night.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to pretend none of this meant anything.
Which was bad.
Very bad.
By Sunday evening, Sabrina was attempting to distract herself by reorganizing her kitchen cabinets while Chloe watched from the couch like she was observing a psychological breakdown.
"You've moved those mugs three times."
"I'm creating order."
"You're spiraling."
Sabrina shoved another coffee mug aggressively onto the shelf.
"I'm perfectly calm."
"You alphabetized spices yesterday."
"...That was unrelated."
Chloe snorted.
Her phone buzzed against the counter before Sabrina could defend herself further.
Lucas: You busy?
The stupid flutter in her chest happened immediately.
Traitorous organ.
Chloe noticed her expression instantly.
"There he is."
"He's texting."
"You look like a Victorian woman receiving forbidden love letters."
Sabrina ignored her and opened the message.
Sabrina: Depends. Are you inviting me somewhere emotionally exhausting?
Lucas: Potentially.
Lucas: Adrian canceled tomorrow's interviews.
Sabrina blinked.
That was unusual.
Lucas almost always had something scheduled.
Another message came through.
Lucas: Thought maybe we could get out of the city for a few hours.
Sabrina stared at the screen.
Then read it again.
Get out of the city.
Not for publicity.
Not because Adrian planned something.
Not because cameras were waiting somewhere.
Just because.
Chloe was practically vibrating now.
"Oh my God."
"It's not a date."
"That man just asked you to leave the city with him voluntarily."
Sabrina looked back down at her phone carefully.
Sabrina: Are you being hunted by paparazzi or something?
Lucas: Always.
Lucas: So is that a yes?
Another dangerous warmth spread through her chest.
She really needed to stop reacting to him like this.
Sabrina: Fine.
Lucas: That sounded enthusiastic.
Sabrina: Don't ruin it.
The next afternoon, Lucas picked her up himself.
No driver.
No SUV.
Just Lucas leaning against a black Range Rover outside her apartment wearing dark jeans, a hoodie, and sunglasses.
He looked unfairly good for someone supposedly taking a casual day off.
Sabrina climbed into the passenger seat suspiciously.
"You're driving?"
"You sound concerned."
"You're rich. I assumed you forgot how."
Lucas started the engine with a faint smile.
"Try not to insult me for at least ten minutes."
"No promises."
The city slowly disappeared behind them as traffic thinned into quieter roads lined with snow-covered trees.
Sabrina watched the skyline fade through the window.
"This feels vaguely illegal."
"You say that about everything."
"You invited me into a car without explaining where we're going."
"I know where we're going."
"That's exactly what kidnappers say."
Lucas laughed softly under his breath.
There it was again.
That easy version of him Sabrina only seemed to get when nobody else was around.
No cameras.
No events.
No pressure.
Just Lucas.
It was honestly becoming unfair.
About an hour later, they pulled into a small lakeside town covered in fresh snow.
The place looked almost unreal.
Tiny cafés.
Quiet sidewalks.
Warm lights glowing through shop windows.
No paparazzi in sight.
Sabrina looked around in disbelief as they climbed out of the car.
"This exists?"
Lucas shoved his hands into his coat pockets against the cold.
"Shocking, I know."
"Why are we here?"
He glanced toward the frozen lake ahead.
"I come here sometimes."
The answer surprised her slightly.
"You just... disappear to random towns?"
"Only when New York starts making me homicidal."
"That actually feels healthy."
Lucas looked almost amused.
Almost.
They walked slowly through the town while snow crunched softly beneath their shoes.
For once, nobody stopped Lucas.
Nobody stared.
Nobody pulled out phones.
Sabrina noticed the difference immediately.
So did Lucas.
His shoulders looked looser.
His expression calmer.
Even the way he walked changed slightly.
Like he could finally breathe.
"You really hate being recognized," Sabrina said quietly.
Lucas glanced sideways toward her.
"I don't hate it."
"Yes you do."
He exhaled slowly through the cold air.
"I hate never being alone."
Something about the honesty in his voice made Sabrina look at him properly.
Because there it was again.
That exhaustion underneath everything else.
"How long has it been like that?"
Lucas shrugged lightly.
"A while."
"That's not an answer."
A faint smile appeared.
"You ask a lot of questions."
"You avoid a lot of answers."
They stopped outside a small café near the lake.
Warm light spilled through the windows while soft music drifted faintly outside every time the door opened.
Lucas held the door open for her automatically.
The café inside smelled like coffee and cinnamon.
Quiet.
Normal.
Exactly the opposite of every place Sabrina usually saw him.
They found a table near the back corner beside the windows overlooking the frozen lake.
For a few minutes they just sat there while a waitress brought coffee and pastries.
And weirdly, it felt easy.
That was becoming the problem.
Sabrina wrapped both hands around her coffee cup.
"So," she said eventually, "you going to explain why Claire hates me?"
Lucas looked up from his drink immediately.
Straight to the point.
Interesting.
"She doesn't hate you."
"She looked at me like I stole her inheritance."
A small smile flickered briefly.
"Claire looks at everyone like that."
"That somehow isn't comforting."
Lucas leaned back slightly in his chair.
"We dated a long time ago."
"How long?"
"Two years."
Sabrina blinked.
That was longer than she expected.
"And?"
Lucas looked toward the windows instead of answering immediately.
"It wasn't a good relationship."
Something in his tone made Sabrina pause.
Not defensive.
Just tired.
"She still wants you back?"
A quiet laugh escaped him.
"No."
"You hesitated."
"I was choosing a polite answer."
Sabrina smiled despite herself.
Then his expression softened slightly.
"Claire likes attention. Being attached to me helped her career."
The words landed strangely.
Because he said them casually, but Sabrina could hear the bitterness underneath.
Like this wasn't just about Claire.
"How many relationships have you had like that?"
Lucas looked at her for a long second.
Then:
"Most of them."
The answer sat heavily between them.
Sabrina frowned slightly.
"That's awful."
He shrugged again like it didn't matter.
Which honestly made it worse.
"You really think people only want you because you're famous?"
"I think fame changes what people want from you."
The quietness of the answer hurt more than Sabrina expected.
Outside the café window, snow drifted slowly across the frozen lake while warm music hummed softly around them.
Lucas stared down into his coffee cup like he regretted saying any of this already.
Sabrina realized suddenly that maybe nobody asked him these questions.
Not really.
People probably asked about movies.
Fame.
Public scandals.
Not him.
"You know," she said carefully, "you're actually kind of depressing."
That pulled a surprised laugh out of him.
"There she is."
"I'm serious."
"I know."
For a second he just looked at her.
And something shifted again.
Subtle.
Dangerous.
Like the air between them kept getting thinner every time they were alone together.
Sabrina looked away first toward the window.
Coward.
"You're quieter today," Lucas observed.
"You're emotionally spiraling in a coffee shop. I'm processing."
"That's fair."
Another comfortable silence settled between them.
And somehow those silences felt more intimate lately than actual conversations.
Eventually they left the café and walked toward the lake.
The snow had started falling harder now, dusting across Lucas's dark coat and curls.
Sabrina shoved her freezing hands deeper into her pockets.
"I can't feel my face."
"You complain about weather professionally."
"It's a skill."
Lucas glanced sideways toward her.
"You still came."
The comment caught her slightly off guard.
"What?"
"You could've said no today."
Sabrina frowned faintly.
"Did you think I would?"
Lucas hesitated.
Interesting.
Then:
"Maybe."
Something about the answer made her chest tighten unexpectedly.
Because suddenly she realized Lucas genuinely seemed unsure whether people wanted to spend time with him unless there was a reason.
Publicity.
Career.
Networking.
Not just because they liked him.
The realization made something ache painfully inside her.
"You know," Sabrina said softly, "normal people hang out with each other without contracts."
Lucas looked at her.
Snowflakes caught briefly against his lashes before melting away.
"I'm not very good at normal."
The honesty in his voice hit her hard enough she forgot how to breathe for a second.
God.
That was the problem with Lucas.
Every real thing he said felt accidental.
And somehow that made it matter more.
They reached the edge of the frozen lake where the town noise faded almost completely.
Just wind.
Snow.
Quiet.
Lucas stood beside her looking out across the ice.
For once he didn't seem tense.
Didn't seem like he was waiting for cameras or interruptions or people demanding pieces of him.
Just still.
Sabrina watched him carefully.
"You look happier here."
He looked slightly surprised by the comment.
Then glanced back toward the lake.
"I sleep better here."
The answer came so quietly she almost missed it.
"You really don't sleep in the city?"
"Not much."
"Why?"
Lucas was quiet for a long moment this time.
Long enough that Sabrina thought maybe he wouldn't answer.
Then:
"Because it's loud even when it's quiet."
Sabrina frowned slightly.
He continued staring across the lake.
"There's always people outside my building. Cameras. Cars. Someone calling about work. Someone wanting something."
His jaw tightened faintly.
"After a while it starts feeling like you belong to everyone except yourself."
The words settled heavily between them.
And suddenly Sabrina understood him in a way she hadn't before.
Not fully.
But enough.
Enough to realize Lucas's coldness wasn't arrogance.
It was exhaustion.
Years of people taking pieces of him until emotional distance became survival.
Something painful twisted inside her chest.
Before she could think better of it, Sabrina reached out lightly and touched his hand.
Just briefly.
Warm fingers against cold skin.
Lucas went still instantly.
Not pulling away.
Just still.
Then slowly, carefully, his fingers turned slightly beneath hers.
Like instinct.
Like he wanted to hold onto the contact but wasn't sure he should.
Sabrina's heartbeat stumbled painfully.
Oh no.
Neither of them moved.
Snow fell softly around them while the city remained miles away.
Lucas looked down at her finally.
And the expression on his face nearly ruined her completely.
No walls.
No sarcasm.
No practiced detachment.
Just something quiet and vulnerable enough to make her chest ache.
"You're looking at me weird again," she whispered softly before the silence swallowed her whole.
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"You touched me first."
"That sounds accusatory."
"It might be."
But he still hadn't moved his hand away.
And neither had she.
The moment stretched dangerously.
Too quiet.
Too close.
Sabrina became painfully aware of everything at once.
The warmth of his fingers.
The snow melting against her coat.
The way Lucas was looking at her now.
Not fake.
Not performative.
Real.
Terrifyingly real.
For one impossible second, Sabrina thought he might kiss her.
She could see the exact moment the thought crossed his mind too.
His gaze dropped briefly toward her mouth.
His expression shifted.
The space between them tightened.
Then Lucas stepped back first.
Like the realization hit him all at once.
His hand slipped from hers slowly.
And just like that, the walls returned again.
Not fully.
But enough.
Lucas looked away toward the lake with a quiet exhale.
Sabrina's heart still hammered violently against her ribs.
Neither spoke for several seconds.
Finally Lucas cleared his throat slightly.
"We should probably head back before the roads get worse."
Right.
Of course.
Because whatever that moment had almost become was dangerous for both of them.
Sabrina nodded carefully.
"Yeah."
But the entire drive back to the city, all she could think about was the way Lucas had looked at her beside that frozen lake.
Like forgetting not to care was becoming harder for him too.