CHAPTER 12
The rest of the morning passed in a haze for Emma. She helped her mom make breakfast, but her mind wasn't on it. She kept replaying the night over and over — Lucas's grin as he climbed out the window, the warmth of him sitting beside her, the way her heart had raced when their eyes met.
Her mom, true to her word, didn't press the conversation further. After eating, she went to bed, exhausted from her night shift, leaving Emma alone at the kitchen table with a half-eaten plate of toast and too many thoughts.
She pulled out her phone, hesitated, then opened her messages.
Emma: Did you make it home in one piece?
She stared at the screen, waiting, chewing her lip. A minute passed. Then another.
Finally, her phone buzzed.
Lucas: Barely. My mom ambushed me at the door. But I survived.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
Emma: Glad to hear it. Sorry about the whole... you know... my mom thing.
Lucas: Not your fault. I'm the idiot who fell asleep.
Emma hesitated, then typed:
Emma: It wasn't that bad.
She hit send before she could second-guess herself, then set the phone down and buried her face in her hands. Why did I write that?
Her phone buzzed again.
Lucas: No. It wasn't.
---
The day crawled. Emma tried to distract herself by doing chores, finishing homework, anything. But nothing worked. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Lucas, to his smile, to the way her heart had sped up every time he looked at her.
By late afternoon, she gave up and flopped onto her bed, scrolling through social media without really seeing it.
That's when her phone buzzed again.
Lucas: Wanna meet up? Just to clear the air. I feel weird.
Emma's stomach flipped. Me too, she thought, but she just typed:
Emma: Okay. Where?
Lucas: Park? The big tree near the basketball court?
Emma: See you in 10.
---
The park was nearly empty when she arrived. A few kids played on the swings at the far end, and an older couple walked their dog along the path. The sky was a soft gray, clouds hinting at rain later.
Lucas was already there, leaning against the big oak tree, hands in his pockets, looking off at nothing in particular. When he saw her, he straightened, giving her that familiar grin — but this time, it looked a little nervous around the edges.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey."
They stood there for a second, the awkwardness hanging between them like a fog.
"I'm really sorry about last night," Lucas said finally. "I didn't mean to put you in a spot like that."
Emma shook her head. "It wasn't just you. I could've woken you up. I could've — I don't know — done something smarter."
He laughed softly. "Yeah, well. We're not exactly known for our brilliance."
That broke the tension a little. Emma smiled, relaxing just enough to step closer.
"I just don't want things to be weird," she admitted.
"Same," Lucas said. "But I don't know how to not make it weird after... everything."
They both laughed at that, the kind of laugh that comes when you're both too unsure of what to say.
Lucas rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away. "Truth is... I don't regret it."
Emma blinked. "You don't?"
"Nope. I mean, yeah, your mom seeing us was horrible. But I liked being with you. I liked talking to you. I liked falling asleep next to you."
Emma's heart pounded.
"I don't want to mess this up," Lucas said. His voice was softer now. "I don't want to ruin what we have, but I also... I think I want more. And I don't know if you feel the same, and it's okay if you don't—"
"I do," Emma said, cutting him off before she lost her nerve. "I do feel the same."
Lucas froze, then broke into a slow, almost disbelieving smile.
They stood there, the weight of their confessions settling between them, but this time it didn't feel heavy. It felt right.
"Okay," Lucas said. "So... now what?"
Emma laughed. "I have no idea."
They ended up sitting under the tree, talking for over an hour. About school. About friends. About how weird everything felt. Lucas made her laugh, and she made him promise to stay out of trouble — at least until her mom stopped looking at him like he was dangerous.
At one point, he brushed a leaf out of her hair, his fingers lingering just a second too long. Neither of them mentioned it.
When it started to drizzle, they stood, neither wanting to go but knowing they had to.
"I'll see you Monday?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah," Emma said. "Monday."
But as they parted ways, both knew something had changed.
---
Lucas
Lucas walked home in the light rain, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. He replayed the conversation over and over, the way Emma had looked at him, the way she'd said I do.
He didn't even care when he walked through the door dripping wet and his mom scolded him for not bringing a jacket.
Because all he could think about was Emma.
And how, somehow, everything felt new now.
The weekend passed too fast. Emma barely noticed the hours slip by — partly because her thoughts kept drifting to Lucas, partly because she was bracing herself for Monday.
What if people know? she kept wondering. What if someone saw him leaving? What if people start talking?
Monday morning arrived with all the usual noise — alarm blaring, hurried breakfast, the scramble to pack her bag — but inside, Emma felt anything but normal.
When she arrived at school, it didn't take long for the first sign that something was up.
"Emma!"
It was Sophie, her best friend since forever. She was practically bouncing as she caught up with Emma at the lockers.
"So?" Sophie demanded. "Is it true?"
Emma blinked. "Is what true?"
"That Lucas slept over!" Sophie whispered, her eyes wide with excitement. "People are saying you had a sleepover. Just you two. Your mom caught him. Tell me everything!"
Emma felt her face burn. "How do people know that?"
Sophie shrugged. "You know how this school is. Word travels faster than Wi-Fi."
Emma groaned. "It wasn't like that. We were watching movies. We fell asleep. That's it."
Sophie smirked. "Sure, sure. And I only eat salad at lunch."
"Sophie!"
"Okay, okay! I believe you." But Sophie's grin said she loved every second of the drama.
Emma sighed, slamming her locker shut. "Just... don't add to it, okay?"
"Cross my heart," Sophie promised.
But as they walked down the hall, Emma could feel the stares. The whispers. A few people nudged each other, looking at her, then at Lucas, who had just entered the building.
Their eyes met across the crowded hallway. For a second, everything else fell away.
Lucas gave her a small, sheepish smile. She smiled back.
Then reality crashed back in with the chatter and giggles of classmates.
---
Lucas
Lucas had felt it the second he stepped onto school grounds — that weird, electric buzz that meant people were talking.
And judging by the smirks and elbow nudges he got on the way to class, he didn't have to wonder what they were talking about.
In homeroom, his friend Jay plopped down beside him, grinning like a fool.
"So? You and Emma, huh?" Jay said, nudging him.
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Not like that."
"Come on, man. You expect me to believe you slept over and nothing happened?"
"That's exactly what I expect you to believe because that's exactly what happened."
Jay laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Sure."
Lucas stared at his desk, trying to tune it all out. But it was hard. Because while the rumors were annoying, the truth was... he had stayed over. And even if nothing had happened, it had meant something to him.
And judging by the way Emma had looked at him this morning, it had meant something to her too.
---
The texts
By lunch, the tension had only grown. So Lucas did what any semi-sane guy would do — he texted her.
Lucas: Surviving?
Emma: Barely. Why is everyone so nosy?
Lucas: Because we're fascinating.
Emma: Oh, obviously. We're like a reality show.
Lucas: Season 1: The Accidental Sleepover
Emma: Season 2: The Hallway Stares
Lucas: Season 3: The Parents' Revenge
Emma giggled quietly at her phone, feeling some of the weight lift.
---
Lunch
Emma sat with Sophie at their usual table, but it was impossible to ignore the constant side glances from other students.
"Seriously, did we become celebrities overnight?" Emma muttered, stabbing her salad.
Sophie smirked. "Apparently. Also, look who's coming this way."
Emma looked up — Lucas. He hesitated, tray in hand, then made his way over.
"Mind if I sit?" he asked.
"Of course not," Sophie said, delighted.
Emma shot her a look.
Lucas sat down, looking almost as nervous as Emma felt. For a minute, no one said anything. Then Sophie broke the silence.
"You two are so cute."
"Sophie!" Emma groaned.
"What? It's true!"
Lucas laughed. "Thanks, I guess."
They ate in relative peace after that, though Emma could still feel people watching. But somehow, sitting there with Lucas, it didn't seem to matter as much.
---
The rumors
By the end of the day, the story had taken on a life of its own. Emma overheard one group saying Lucas had climbed in through her window in the middle of the night. Another said they'd run away together but chickened out and came back.
Lucas heard someone in the locker room say they were secretly engaged.
"Engaged?!" Lucas muttered under his breath as he tied his shoes.
It was getting ridiculous.
---
The meetup
After school, they found each other at the bike racks without even planning it.
"I hate this," Emma said.
"Same," Lucas agreed.
They stood there for a minute, watching as people slowly filtered out of school.
"I don't want this to mess things up between us," Emma said quietly.
Lucas shook his head. "It won't. I won't let it."
She smiled at that.
"Want to go for a walk?" he asked.
She hesitated — she knew going off together would only fuel the rumors — but then she nodded. "Yeah. I do."
So they walked, side by side, saying little at first. The spring air was cool, the sky starting to clear.
Finally, Lucas spoke. "I know this is a mess. But I don't regret anything."
Emma glanced at him. "Me neither."
They walked until the school was out of sight, just two teenagers trying to figure out whatever this was.
---
Evening texts
That night, as Emma lay in bed, her phone buzzed.
Lucas: Today was crazy.
Emma: Understatement of the year.
Lucas: If I'd known people would react like this, I still would've stayed.
Emma stared at the message, heart beating faster.
Emma: Me too.