CHAPTER 10
The soft glow of morning sunlight crept through the thin curtains of Emma's bedroom, spilling onto the floor in golden patches. Outside, the world was slowly waking. Birds chirped in the distance, and somewhere down the street, a dog barked twice before falling quiet again. The cool, early breeze drifted through the slight crack in the window, making the air in the room fresh and crisp.
Emma lay still beneath her blanket, blinking up at the ceiling as the events of the previous night began to return to her in fragments. The late-night movie. The quiet laughter. The way they'd talked long after the credits rolled, about everything and nothing. The way the room had felt warm, safe. And then — how they'd both drifted off, too tired or maybe too comfortable to send Lucas home.
But the sharpest memory of all came last.
Her mother's voice.
The sound of the front door opening, the keys rattling in the lock, the tired sigh — and then the pause.
Her mom's footsteps, and that sudden, startled intake of breath when she'd seen them.
Emma squeezed her eyes shut. Great. Just great.
Slowly, she turned her head. Lucas was still asleep beside her, the blanket half-pulled over him. His dark hair fell across his forehead, and his face — usually so full of mischief, of cocky grins and smart remarks — was peaceful. He looked younger like this. Softer.
For a moment, Emma just watched him, her heart beating faster than she liked. She didn't know what the feeling was exactly — worry? Embarrassment? Something else she didn't want to name?
Either way, it tangled in her chest and refused to go away.
She sat up carefully, trying not to wake him. The house was quiet. The door to her room was closed, and she strained to hear any sounds from beyond it. Nothing. No footsteps. No movement. No clatter of dishes or kettle boiling. Maybe, just maybe, her mom had decided to sleep in.
Lucas stirred then, letting out a soft groan and stretching. His eyes blinked open, and for a second he seemed confused, looking around the room like he wasn't quite sure where he was.
And then his gaze met hers.
"Emma?" His voice was low, still thick with sleep. "Did I... I didn't go home last night?"
Emma shook her head, feeling the blush rise to her cheeks. "No. We both fell asleep. You stayed over."
Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, sitting up slowly. His shirt was wrinkled from sleep, his hair sticking up in the back. "And your mom—?"
"She saw," Emma said quietly, biting her lip. "She came home late. She saw us."
Lucas groaned again, this time in mortification. "Oh man. She probably thinks I'm some creep."
Emma couldn't help a small, nervous laugh. "She didn't say anything. She just... looked at us, and then went to her room. I don't think she wanted to deal with it last night."
Lucas buried his face in his hands for a second, then peeked at her through his fingers. "You think she's plotting my doom right now?"
Emma smirked despite herself. "Probably."
They fell into a thoughtful silence. The kind that made Emma all too aware of how close they still were. How they'd been in the same bed all night. How easy it had felt, and how complicated it was now in the daylight.
Lucas looked at the window, then back at her. "I should go. Before she's up."
"You don't have to rush," Emma said, even though part of her knew it was probably smart. "There's no school today. Saturday, remember?"
Lucas hesitated. "Yeah. But still."
He didn't move, though. Neither of them did.
Emma glanced down at her blanket, fingers fiddling with a loose thread. "Lucas?"
"Yeah?"
"Last night..." She trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence.
Lucas waited, watching her.
"Nothing happened," she said finally, though the words felt silly. "I mean — I know we both know that, but I don't want my mom thinking something did."
Lucas nodded. "I get it. And nothing did." He gave her a small, lopsided smile. "Not that I wouldn't have tried if you'd let me."
Emma rolled her eyes, tossing a pillow at him, but her heart skipped anyway.
"I'm kidding!" he said, laughing as he caught the pillow. "Sort of."
"Lucas!"
"Okay, okay. I'll behave."
Another pause. The kind that was full of everything neither of them was saying.
Lucas finally swung his legs over the side of the bed, rubbing his face to wake himself up more fully. "I'll sneak out the window. No way I'm facing your mom right now."
Emma followed him to the window, crossing her arms as she leaned against the frame. The cool air felt good on her warm skin.
Lucas pushed the window up a little more, testing it. "Think I can make it without breaking my neck?"
"Maybe," Emma teased.
He paused, glancing at her. "Thanks for letting me stay."
"Thanks for staying," she said, softer now.
Their eyes met, and this time neither of them looked away. The air between them felt charged with something unspoken.
Lucas grinned, breaking the moment with his usual charm. "Don't miss me too much, okay?"
Emma shook her head, but she was smiling as she said it. "Get out of here before I change my mind and let my mom catch you."
He winked, then swung himself out the window with practiced ease, landing quietly in the dewy grass. He looked up at her one last time, his hair messy, his shirt still wrinkled, his grin lazy and confident.
And then he jogged down the street, disappearing around the corner.
Emma stood at the window a little longer, watching the empty street, the way the light spilled over the rooftops, the way the breeze tugged at the curtains.
She closed the window slowly, resting her forehead against the cool glass.
What even was last night?
The question echoed in her mind, louder now that he was gone.
She turned away, glancing at the closed door of her room. Any second now, she expected to hear her mom moving around, maybe knocking on the door, maybe calling her downstairs for the talk.
Her stomach flipped at the thought.
But beneath the nervousness, beneath the worry, there was something else. Something warm.
Because for all the awkwardness of the morning, for all the trouble she might be in... she couldn't stop smiling.