Chapter 77: Iris: Event 7

LUCAS LOOKS serious. I’m mad at him for leaving with Bella, I’m mad at myself for being mad at him, but right now in this moment with our eyes locked onto each other, all those emotions are numb.

His expression as he looks at the necklace between my cleavage is holding a lot of anticipation. With shaking hands I find myself reaching for the heart-shaped pendant. Holding it in my palm, I search for a way to "open it" as he suggested, but it looks too clean to be able to open.

"Ahem. How do I open it?" I ask in a small voice. For someone who was running away from him a while ago, being embarrassed over a necklace is diabolic.

I think I hear a small chuckle escape from him and I swear I want to laugh at myself too, but the tense atmosphere is keeping me grounded.

Taking the pendant, Lucas puts his tiny nail between the space and presses something in between the small slit that looks sealed to me. A clicking sound comes next as the heart pendant opens, halving by the side as it reveals more gold inside it.

"Here," Lucas places it back in my palm, the serious expression back into his eyes once again, but this time it carries some untold air to it. The tough tension around us seems to simmer and in its stead, a warmer kind of tension builds around us—the kind that makes my heart race and my body giddy.

I know this experience all too well because I’ve felt it before when it was just the two of us.

"Now what?" I ask still looking in his eyes.

Lucas points at my palm, his eyes gentle as they guide me to where I should be looking at. Slowly I let my head down to look at my palm, and the moment I do, my body freezes and I hold my breath. On each side of the heart are mine and Lucas’ names written on it.

I know what this is, I’ve seen too many TikToks with the same kind of confessions and affirmations, and mind you I’ve cringed at every one of them and said I wouldn’t want that happening to me. But now that it’s happening and I’m experiencing it, my body is on fire.

I literally have goosebumps all over my body like tiny rashes spreading at an alarming rate. "What is—"

"Those are mine and your name Iris. Do you know why I had them engraved in a heart-shaped pendant?"

I pause a little, not because I doubt myself, but because the realization that this is happening is finally catching up to me. After a moment, I nod.

"Good. Now close the necklace and feel its back."

I do as I’m told before slowly raising my head to look at him. Green eyes pierce into my soul when I look at him and in that moment, everything seems to stand still. The breeze feels cool on my skin—cold, but in a sensual way.

The light from the lanterns masks his face, making his skin seem golden in a sense. I watch as his eyes drop a little, his head lowering until his forehead is on mine as his hands wrap around my waist with one cupping my ass. His breath hits my nose in a rare moment where his and my breathing match and I’m aroused at the small gesture when he kisses my nose.

Without warning, he slowly raises his hand from my waist, grazing my skin as he moves up until he reaches my fingertips. Then he takes one of them and gently guides me back to the necklace in my palm, all whilst looking me in the eyes with his head on mine.

"I want you to feel what is written on it and tell me what you think okay?"

Ah. I had missed this silvery husky voice. It’s like the gods have finally decided to descend upon me again, this time with as much force and power as they exhibit to calm me down.

"Okay," I’m barely able to answer. My eyes are on the verge of closing and I have this undying urge to let go of everything I’ve been dreading a few seconds ago and just let this man ram into me until I clock out.

But...

My finger lands on the cold gold and I fake a shiver to which Lucas pulls me even closer to him.

More...I want more...

But...

"What does it say, Iris?"

Lucas guides my finger on the piece and I try hard to concentrate, but fuck how can I? With him this close, I can feel his hard-on rubbing on my thighs even between all the clothing. Then comes his ocean scent. It’s filling my nose and bloodstream, it’s making my head fuzzy. I can’t think straight.

Maybe it’s because I deprived myself from touching his these past few days but it’s like all my senses are on high alert right now.

I want him.

"Iris."

Oh right. The necklace. Focus woman.

Trying my best to concentrate, I ask him to run my finger on it again. I feel one slanted line at the beginning, and then another. The next letter feels like a circle and the next is slanted in all directions. After that, I feel them going by like nothing, but my breath is already caught in my chest before I even open my eyes.

Love. I’m sure as hell the middle word was love. If it’s like that and the first letter was I, then what I felt right now was an outright confession.

I love you.

I touched words that read "I love you"!

"So?" Lucas asks in that voice that sends shivers down my body. I open my eyes and meet with those green hues that are so close to mine, that I can see the details in his Iris.

"I..." my voice trails off.

"Don’t doubt it. What you’re thinking it read is exactly as you felt with your fingertip. I love you. I’ve been meaning to tell you today after the event over there," he points at the area with the most lantern lights and a few more decorations than any other area.

"I had this idea of your skin shining in the bright light as I caress it whilst confessing and then you would agree to it. Then I would kiss you till we both can’t breathe or until the car park is empty. I wanted this to be special, to make you feel special, but then Bella had to step in and ruin everything."

Shifting us until I can feel all of him on me, Lucas intertwines our fingers and lets out a low deep breath that leaves a slight rumble of his bass in the silent night. The cold tingle of his fingers sends a ripple of excitement throughout my body, and I find myself fighting the urge to grab him and kiss him.

It’s really happening. Lucas Andrews is confessing to me.

"You see, Bella and I go way back as I suspect you already know, but I ended things with her peacefully because I wanted to be with you. I thought she would comply but her actions earlier proved me wrong. That’s why I took her outside. I wanted to tell her to stop messing with you or me, and by the looks of it, I don’t think she’ll continue once we’re back inside."

Woah. So all that fuzz I was making was for nothing? I was doubting him when he was going out of his way to make this situation bearable for me. Fuck. Now I feel like a loser.

Letting a low breath filled with embarrassment, I close my eyes and let myself breathe in his scent once more. Before I know it, I’m opening my mouth to reply.

"What stopping you from doing that now?" I ask, in a low voice.

"What? I didn’t hear that?"

My cheeks burn and I clasp the collar of his tuxedo. "What stopping you from doing the things you said a while ago?"

"You mean talking to Bella? I did that whilst we were outside but when I came back you were—"

"Shhhh," I press my finger on his lips. "I’m talking about the smutty stuff where you confess to me over there and then you kiss me till the car park empties and we’re both breathless," I mumble pointing at the space he showed me and looking him in the eye.

His lips twitch up into a smirk. "I could do that now," he says shrugging.

"Then what’s stopping you from doing it?"

"You. In my fantasy, you said you loved me too, but in this multiverse, you haven’t said it yet, so I can’t complete the dream."

Ah, this guy knows how to keep me on edge.

Tugging my hands away from his, I clasp his chiseled jaw, kissing his nose like he did to me. "Isn’t that obvious? I was bawling my eyes out because I thought you chose Bella over me. I love you too damnit."

"That’s all I needed to hear."

Before I know it I’m in his arms being carried to the location of his dreams. When we reach the area, Lucas gently lowers my feet to the ground, turning me around so that I’m facing the lights. Rubbing his thumb on my cheeks, he curses.

"Fuck, it looks exactly like in my dream. I bet your mouth will taste delicious too."

No sooner do the words leave his mouth are his lips crashing on mine, soft and yet domineering at the same time.

Ahh, I missed this sensation a little too much.

★★★★★

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read