Nine

Lucas sat at his desk, pen in hand, as he signed the stack of documents in front of him. His mind was on autopilot as he scribbled his signature, his thoughts drifting to Evelyn.

He couldn't help but think about her hazel eyes, the way they seemed to change color depending on the light. They were mesmerizing, and he found himself getting lost in them every time he looked at her.

It was almost as if he had come in contact with those eyes before, but he couldn't recall when or how. It was like they were imprinted in his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen them somewhere before.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He had work to do, and he couldn't afford to be distracted by thoughts of Evelyn.

But as he continued to sign the documents, his mind kept wandering back to her. The thought of what happened yesterday made his hold on the pen harden.

He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about her like this. This marriage is something that is bound to end and getting strings attached is that last thing he should think of doing.

He sighed, setting down his pen. He knew that he needed to focus on work, but he couldn't seem to shake the thoughts of Evelyn from his mind. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his head.

But even with his eyes closed, he could still see her hazel eyes staring back at him. They were like a magnet, pulling him in, and he couldn't resist their pull.

He opened his eyes and looked around his office, trying to distract himself from his thoughts. But no matter where he looked, he couldn't escape the memory of those eyes.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves before proceeding to the work ahead of him.

As Lucas was lost in thought, he heard a commotion outside his office. He looked up to see his secretary, Sarah, trying to keep someone out.

"Sarah, what's going on?" Lucas asked, getting up from his desk.

"It's Alice, sir," Sarah said, her voice tinged with panic. "She's insisting on seeing you, but I told her you were busy."

Lucas sighed. Alice, she had a tendency to show up unannounced. He didn't have time for this right now.

"Let her in," Lucas said, resigning himself to the inevitable. "I'll deal with her."

Sarah nodded, stepping aside to let Alice in. Lucas braced himself for the worst as Alice walked into his office.

"Alice," Lucas said, trying to keep his voice calm. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Alice said, her voice cold. "I heard that you've been spending a lot of time with Evelyn."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Lucas asked, trying to keep his voice even.

"It has everything to do with it," Alice said, her eyes narrowing. "I know you still have feelings for me, Lucas. You can't just throw that away for some girl you barely know."

Lucas felt his anger rising. What was between Alice and him was long over, and he had moved on. He couldn't believe that she was still trying to control his life.

"I think it's time for you to leave, Alice," Lucas said, his voice cold. "I have work to do."

Alice glared at him for a moment before storming out of the room. Lucas let out a sigh of relief, glad to be rid of her.

He couldn't believe how much she still affected him, even after all this time.

Despite her calling off the wedding, Lucas still had feelings for her. He had tried to move on with Evelyn, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was settling.

He knew that he shouldn't be thinking like this. He was married to Evelyn now, and he had made a commitment to her. But he couldn't help the way he felt.

Lucas retired to his office, trying to clear his head. He knew that he had a lot of work to do, but he couldn't focus. His mind kept drifting back to Alice.

After a few minutes of trying to work, Lucas gave up. He needed to get out of the office and clear his head.

He headed to his club, hoping that a change of scenery would help him relax. As he walked in, he was greeted by the familiar sounds of jazz music and the chatter of his friends.

Lucas ordered a drink and took a seat at the bar. He tried to push thoughts of Alice out of his head, but they kept creeping back in.

He took a sip of his drink and sighed. He knew that he had to figure out a way to move on from Alice once and for all. But he didn't know how.

As the night wore on, Lucas found himself getting more and more drunk. He knew that he should stop, but he couldn't help himself.

Eventually, he stumbled out of the club and into the night. He knew that he had made a mistake by drinking so much, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Lucas stumbled through the front door of his house, barely able to keep his balance. He had drunk too much at the club, and it was taking a toll on him. He knew he should go straight to bed but instead he ended up in Evelyn's room.

He stumbled down the hallway, trying each door until he found one that was unlocked. He stumbled inside and collapsed onto the bed, not even realizing that he was in Evelyn's room.

As he lay there, he started to think about Alice again. He couldn't get her out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about her, but he couldn't help it.

"Alice," he murmured, "I love you. I still do." He didn't realize that he was talking to Evelyn, not Alice.

Evelyn stirred beside him, waking up from her sleep. She looked over at him, confused and worried.

"Lucas?" she asked, "What are you doing in my room?"

Lucas didn't respond. He was lost in thought, thinking about Alice and the life they could have had together.

"Lucas, are you okay?" Evelyn asked, shaking him gently.

Lucas stared at her before letting out a humorous laugh.

"Why Ali? Why did you have to?"

Evelyn looked at him, hurt and confused. She knew that Lucas had feelings for Alice, but she didn't realize how deep they went.

"Lucas--" he caught her off.

"I still love you. Please, come back to me"

With that he passed out.