Chapter 157: How Exactly Do You Want Me to Do It?
The party atmosphere picked up again, but I had lost all interest.
Jonas asked me with concern, "Bella, are you leaving? Let me take you home."
"No need." I had just shaken my head when a hand dominantly wrapped around my waist. Lucas said to Jonas possessively, "You're not needed. I'll take her home."
Jonas wasn't angry. Instead, he said provocatively, "If you're so capable, watch over her for the rest of her life."
"I will." Lucas left those words hanging. After I said goodbye to Jacqueline, he held me close as we left the horse track.
His arm was like solid steel, holding me firmly.
When we got to the parking lot, I didn't want to ride in Lucas's car anymore. He pushed Adrian aside, opened the car door for me, and as soon as I got in, he quickly went around to the other side and got in.
"Bella, are you still angry?" Lucas's voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of caution.
"No," I said.
My gaze turned to the window. On the other side of the parking lot, people from the Gambino family ran into people from the Caudill family.
The parking lot road wasn't very wide, so one side would have to give way.
Grant's steps didn't hesitate as he continued forward. The Gambino family members didn't hesitate either, spreading out to both sides, waiting for the Caudill family people to pass through.
Everyone else's expressions showed some reluctance and discomfort, except for Thomas, who looked calm and composed.
Until he saw Beckett.
His pupils suddenly contracted, his calm expression falling apart, with surprise mixed with some panic and confusion.
Clearly, he knew Beckett, and their relationship was definitely not ordinary.
But soon, Thomas concealed his unusual expression, acting as if nothing had happened.
At that moment, Beckett turned and saw him, his gaze landing on Thomas's face for just a second before moving away—he didn't recognize Thomas, or didn't remember him.
Thomas frowned slightly. Aside from me, almost no one noticed his momentary loss of composure.
Beckett left with Gerald, and I withdrew my gaze, sorting through my messy thoughts.
"Bella, are you listening to me?" Lucas's voice interrupted my train of thought.
His brow furrowed tighter as he reached out and gently grasped my wrist. "Bella, look at me."
I came back to my senses and looked at him. "I'm listening. Go ahead."
Lucas opened his mouth. The words he wanted to say seemed stuck in his throat, eventually turning into silence.
The atmosphere remained tense the whole way, until the car stopped in front of my house.
"I'm here. You should go back too." I pushed open the car door and walked a few steps. Lucas caught up and hugged me from behind.
"Bella." He buried his head in my shoulder, his arms trembling slightly. His voice carried a weariness and hoarseness I'd never heard before, with an almost pleading sadness. "Bella, what exactly do you want me to do? I'm begging you, just tell me directly."
I had my back to him and couldn't see his expression. My heart felt both sour and painful, but before I could answer, Lucas let me go.
"Go inside," he said.
I didn't turn around to look until the sound of his car gradually faded away.
I tossed and turned all night. The next day, Julie noticed my low mood and invited me to go shopping at the mall to cheer me up.
I agreed and also called Karen and Jacqueline.
Neither Karen's nor Jonathan's families were invited to the hunting competition, but they weren't completely uninvolved either, so they had come back too.
Karen linked her arm with mine, telling me what the elders in her family thought about the hunting competition. Jacqueline bounced along ahead of us, stopping now and then to pick through accessories in shop windows.
Julie walked alongside us, occasionally adding a comment.
When women get together, chatting and shopping seem to come naturally.
I shopped aggressively, and soon Adrian and Cole's hands were full of shopping bags.
When we got to the affordable luxury accessories area, Julie suddenly grabbed me. "Bella, there's a new aromatherapy shop upstairs. You didn't sleep well last night, did you? Aromatherapy can help with sleep. Let's go check it out."
Her tone was somewhat urgent. I thought it was strange but didn't object.
Jacqueline didn't want to go though. "I'm tired of walking around. Let's find a restaurant and eat first! After we're full, we can go to the aromatherapy shop."
"That works." Julie didn't care where we went, she just wanted to leave quickly.
I sensed something was wrong. I carefully observed her expression and looked in the direction she had unconsciously glanced at, then quickly looked away from.
Not far away, Lucas and Sophie walked side by side into a jewelry store.
Sophie had a bright smile on her lips, excitedly saying something.
"Bella," Julie said with a bitter smile, "I'm not trying to hide it from you. I just didn't want to ruin your rare good mood today."
I shook my head at her and walked toward the jewelry store.
The glass window reflected Lucas and Sophie's figures. I clearly saw Lucas take a necklace from the sales clerk, his fingertips brushing over the pendant, his manner serious. Then he lowered his head to listen to Sophie's whisper, placed the necklace around Sophie's neck, looked at it for a moment, nodded, and handed his bank card to the clerk.
Jacqueline and Karen exchanged glances and shared a look with Julie. They all looked at me carefully, afraid I would be hurt.
"It's fine. Let's keep shopping. Don't worry about it." I smiled at them, turned my back to the jewelry store, and took a step. But my heart felt like it was being pricked with needles—a pain I couldn't ignore.
Yesterday at my doorstep, Lucas's weary question "what do you want me to do" still seemed to echo in my ears. Yet today he could accompany Sophie shopping and buying jewelry, making me—who had been up all night—look like a joke!
"Bella, don't be angry."
Jacqueline interrupted Julie's attempt to comfort me. "No, Bella, you should be angry! Don't hold it in! You haven't done anything wrong to Lucas. He's the one in the wrong. Why should only you be sad while he gets to happily go shopping?"
Julie was silent for a few seconds, then agreed with Jacqueline. "Bella, Jacqueline's right. If you want to vent, we'll go with you. Don't forget, Gale can't stand to see you wronged."
Karen rolled up her sleeves directly. "Shall we?"
Looking at their caring faces, I couldn't help but smile.
"You're right. I don't need to pretend I don't care, and I certainly don't need to avoid them."
We walked into the jewelry store. The wind chime on the glass door rang softly. The eyes in the store gathered on us. Lucas looked up and saw me, a flash of joy quickly passing through his eyes. "Bella!"
Karen pretended to be surprised, covering her mouth with her hand. "Isn't this Lucas? You're shopping too! Who is this lady? Your new girlfriend?"
Lucas furrowed his brow and scolded Karen lightly, "Don't talk nonsense. She's just a friend."
When he was buying the necklace, his expression had been relaxed. Now that relaxation was gone.
He stared at me intently and said, "Bella, don't misunderstand."
"Am I misunderstanding?" I asked him, my sharp gaze turning to Sophie.
Sophie's new necklace sparkled under the lights, but panic flashed in her eyes. Her fingers unconsciously grabbed Lucas's sleeve. "Lucas."