Chapter 10: TEN

The evening sky was painted in hues of grey as Lyra stepped out of the office building. She had been working later than usual because of the team dinner, and now she was rushing to find a taxi. She looked around, but the street was empty, and there wasn't a single taxi in sight.

"Great, just what I needed," Lyra muttered to herself. "Why does this always happen when I'm in a hurry?"

She walked to the edge of the pavement and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of a taxi. But there was nothing, just the sound of the occasional car passing by.

Lyra sighed and looked at her watch. She still had a long way to go, and she didn't want to walk all the way home.

Lyra was standing on the roadside, with her hand stretched out, trying to flag down a taxi. The sky was darkening with ominous grey clouds looming above. She hoped that she would get a ride before it started raining. Suddenly, a car slowed down beside her, and she heard a voice she recognized.

"Lyra! Hey, it's me. Need a ride?" he asked with a friendly smile.

Yeah, I'm not blind, she scoffed sarcastic inwardly

Lyra hesitated at first. However, as she looked around and saw the looming clouds, she decided that it would be better than getting caught in the rain.

She opened the door and got in the car, closing the door behind her. She made her way over to the car and got in.

As she settled into the passenger seat, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. The car was clean and well-maintained, but it was a constant reminder of her past with the alpha brothers. She tried to focus on the present, on the fact that she needed a ride, and pushed her discomfort aside.

Kian glanced over at her and asked, "So, why haven't you been responding to my texts? You not into texting or something?"

Lyra felt a pang of guilt as she realized she had lied to him earlier. "Uh, yeah, I'm not really a big texter," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

Kian nodded, seemingly accepting her answer.

As they drove through the rain, Kian asked her more questions about work and life, but Lyra kept her answers brief and neutral. She couldn't shake the feeling of discomfort and unease in the car.

Kian noticed that Lyra was not keen on talking about her personal life, so he decided to switch the conversation to her job.

He asked, "So how's work been treating you lately?"

Lyra took a deep breath and tried to answer politely, "It's been fine, thanks for asking."

Kian noticed that she was not interested in continuing the conversation and dropped it. The silence in the car became awkward, and both of them were lost in their thoughts. Lyra tried to focus on the passing scenery, but she was unable to shake off the discomfort of being in the same car with Kian.

Lyra was aware of Kian’s gaze on her, and she tried to avoid eye contact with him.

“Is everything okay?” Kian asked, breaking the silence.

Lyra nodded, not wanting to get into any personal conversations with him.

“You don’t seem like yourself,” he said.

Yourself? Did he really say she was being herself like he knew her real self or what?

Lyra shrugged. “I’m just tired.”

Kian didn’t seem to believe her. “Are you sure? You seem… I don’t know…off.”

“It's nothing,” she almost snapped.

“I'm sorry for bothering you. You know…about back then—”

“Can we not talk about that, please. Thanks,” Lyra said, looking out of he window. She tried to focus on the passing scenery, but she was unable to shake off the discomfort of being in the same car with Kian.

Kian nodded, feeling angry with himself for mentioning it. "I'm sorry, Lyra. I didn't mean to bring up the past."

The silence that follows was even more awkward and tense than before. They drove for a few more minutes without saying anything, the only sound being the rain hitting the roof of the car.

As she watched the rain, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. The rain was a welcomed distraction from the awkwardness she was feeling sitting next to Kian. The gentle hum of the rain was a soothing background noise that allowed her mind to wander and temporarily forget the discomfort of the situation.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the sound of the rain fill her senses. For a moment, she wished that the rain could wash away all the bad memories that she had been carrying around with her since high school. She wished that it could cleanse her mind and bring her some peace.

Lyra knew that the rain wouldn't be able to erase her past, but for now, it was a comforting reminder that things could change, just like the rain was washing away the dirt and grime from the streets.

Suddenly, Lyra spoke up, "Could you please drop me off here?"

Kian looked at her, surprised. "Here? Are we at your place already. It doesn't seem like the address on your resume”

Oh great, he's stalking me now?

"I know," she replied. "I just remembered I have to do something on the way."

Kian looked at her skeptically, but decided not to push the issue. "Okay then. I'll drop you off here."

She quickly grabbed her bag and opened the door, stepping out into the rain.

She paused for a moment, letting the raindrops hit her face, feeling their cool touch on her skin. She took a deep breath and turned to face Kian, who had rolled down his window.

"Thanks for the ride,” she thanked, barely smiling.

As she walked away, she felt a mix of relief and disappointment.

Lyra made a mental note to move to another apartment as soon as she got her paycheck or else she would be able to stop whatever was coming from her from her new bosses, especially Kian who seemed to have not left her off the hook.