Chapter 182

Katie

They exchanged a look and I could see Emily's protective instincts warring with her trust in me. Finally she nodded and they both stepped through the doorway, Ave clutching the shopping bags like a lifeline.

The villa probably didn't help my case. Modern minimalist luxury, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, expensive furniture that screamed money and power and exactly the kind of place where bad things could happen to people who weren't careful.

"This is Lucas's place?" Ave asked, her voice small.

"One of them," I said, closing the door. "He has a few properties on the island."

Emily's jaw tightened. "Katie—"

"I know," I said. "I know how this looks. But I need you to trust me when I say I'm okay."

That's when Lucas appeared at the top of the stairs, and I watched both of them go rigid.

He was shirtless, wearing only gray sweatpants that hung low on his hips, his hair still damp and mussed. He had an armful of sheets—the ones we'd thoroughly destroyed last night—and he paused when he saw we had company, his expression shifting from relaxed to carefully neutral.

"Hey," he said quietly. "You must be Emily and Ave."

Neither of them responded. They were staring at him like he was a serial killer, their gazes darting between his face and the sheets in his arms and back to me standing there in his shirt covered in marks.

Ave leaned closer to Emily and whispered, not quietly enough, "Oh my God, is he—"

"No," I said firmly, crossing the room before this turned into a full intervention. "He's not. You guys are completely misunderstanding the situation."

Emily's eyes were locked on Lucas, somewhere between terrified and furious. "Then explain it," she said, her voice shaking. "Because from where we're standing—"

"It looks like I had a really good night with my boyfriend," I interrupted, my face burning. "Who I wanted to have a good night with. That's it."

The word boyfriend hung in the air and I saw Lucas's expression soften slightly, something warm and possessive flickering in his eyes.

Ave was still staring at me. "But the marks..."

"Are from normal intimate stuff between two consenting adults," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I know they look bad but I promise, I wanted this. All of it."

Emily didn't look convinced. "Katie, you're covered in bruises—"

"I've been training in close-quarters combat since I was four," I said slowly. "My pain threshold is way higher than normal people's. What looks extreme to you doesn't feel that way to me. I'm fine. I promise."

Lucas shifted at the top of the stairs and I could see him debating whether to come down or stay there. I shot him a look that said stay there and he obeyed, though his jaw was tight.

"You're sure?" Emily asked, softer now. "Because if he's pressuring you—"

"I can say no," I said firmly. "And I have. Multiple times. Lucas respects my boundaries. This—" I gestured at the marks, "—this is what happens when I say yes."

There was a long pause. Then Emily let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Okay. But if that changes—"

"I'll tell you," I promised. "I swear."

The tension eased enough that they finally relaxed their grips on the bags. Lucas took that as his cue to continue down the stairs, moving slowly.

"I'm going to put these in the laundry," he said quietly, gesturing with the sheets. "Nice to meet you both."

He disappeared through a doorway and I heard the washing machine start up. Emily and Ave were still watching me with worried eyes.

"I know this is weird," I said. "But I'm happy. Really happy. And I need you guys to be okay with that."

Emily studied me for a long moment. Finally she nodded. "Okay. We brought your stuff."

She handed over one of the bags and I found several tubes of concealer, setting spray, and other makeup. "Thank you," I said. "How much—"

"Don't worry about it," Ave said. "Consider it a relationship gift."

I laughed despite myself and some of the awkwardness broke. "Thanks."

Emily's expression shifted to something more mischievous. "So are you going to tell us about it or do we have to guess?"

"Absolutely not," I said immediately. "That is firmly in the none-of-your-business category."

"Come on," Ave said, grinning now. "You can't just show up looking like that and expect us not to ask."

"Watch me," I said, but I was smiling too.

Lucas reappeared and both of them tensed slightly, but he just gave them a polite nod and headed back upstairs.

"He's really different from what I expected," Emily said quietly once he was out of earshot.

"Yeah," I said. "He is."

---

The next week passed in a blur. The marks on my skin gradually faded from deep purple to yellow-green to nothing, though I used the Dermablend religiously just in case. Lucas spent most of his time disappearing for hours—deep-sea diving, surfing, sailing, whatever would keep him physically away from me.

I knew what he was doing. He was trying not to lose control again, trying to prove he could be around me without immediately wanting to pin me against something. It was ridiculous and kind of sweet in a very Lucas way.

"He's been on that boat for three hours," Emily said on the last afternoon, lounging by the infinity pool with a book she wasn't reading. "How is he not bored?"

"He's not bored," I said, adjusting my sunglasses. "He's avoiding me."

Ave, floating on a raft in the pool, laughed. "Why would he avoid you? You guys are like, disgustingly in love."

"Because he's scared he'll jump me again if he stays close too long," I said bluntly, and both of them went quiet.

Emily set down her book. "Is that... a problem?"

"No," I said, surprising myself with how true it was. "I mean, it's ridiculous because I'm perfectly capable of saying no. But it's also kind of considerate. In a very Lucas way."

"Considerate," Ave repeated. "That's one way to put it."

I shrugged, watching the waves beyond the pool. "He's trying. That's what matters."

We fell into comfortable silence, the three of us soaking up the sun. Tyler was supposed to join us later for dinner—he'd been conspicuously absent most of the trip, apparently dragged along on Lucas's various stay-away-from-Katie adventures—and I was looking forward to seeing him, even if I knew he was going to give me endless shit.

"You know," Emily said eventually, "I was really worried about you. After everything with your dad, and the trial, and Lucas being... Lucas. But you seem happy. Really happy."

"I am," I said, and meant it. "It's terrifying but I am."

"Good," she said firmly. "You deserve to be happy."

Ave made a sound of agreement and I felt something warm settle in my chest. These were my people. And they were here supporting me even when I was making decisions that probably looked insane from the outside.

I was lucky. Incredibly lucky.

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