Chapter 102 Chapter 102
Chapter 102 Chapter 102
Lucas.
After my discussion with Ronan and Knox, I go in search of Lauren.
I find her in the underground laboratory, looking through a microscope, studying something I have no interest in knowing.
Clearing my throat to catch her attention, I watch as she flinches before her gaze darts upward, landing on me.
“Lucas!” she calls out, her voice filled with surprise.
She clears her throat, immediately standing to her feet. “What brings you here?”
“I wanted to speak with you,” I say, my voice calm.
“I’m all ears...” she mutters, nodding eagerly, hands clasped behind her.
“I’m sure you must have heard of our intentions to bond with Elorai, am I right?” I tell her and notice her cheeks color slightly.
She clears her throat yet again, looking everywhere but at me.
“Yes, I did,” she answers, her voice almost inaudible.
“I want you to run some research on Elorai, with her permission of course, and find out if she can be physically compatible with us. Is that something you can do?”
“Definitely,” she answers, her tone a little too eager. I shrug it off.
“I can do that. I just might need to take some samples from the three of you, if you don't mind.”
“That’s not a problem. Whenever you're ready, let us know and we'll get right to it.”
“Then you have a deal. I should meet with you soon.”
“Good. I'll see you later,” I say and walk out of the lab.
One down, a couple more things to go.
.
.
.
Elorai.
The day passes slowly, and I spend most of it just lying in bed or doing whatever I can to chase off the boredom so I don't spiral into my thoughts.
When late afternoon hits and hunger starts clawing at me, I finally drag my feet to the kitchen to see if I can grab a quick snack.
That’s where I find Knox, who’s lounging quietly on one of the dining chairs, scrolling through his phone.
The second I step in, he lifts his gaze and it immediately lands on me.
I freeze at the threshold. “Hey...” I call out, feeling awkward.
“Hi yourself,” he answers, his tone slightly playful before redirecting his gaze back to his phone.
Clearing my throat, I shuffle my feet for a moment before finally placing one after the other, heading straight for the fridge.
Pulling it open, I look around for a moment and find some fruits, as well as a protein bar.
My stomach growls, reminding me of why I’m here in the first place, and I pull out an apple, the protein bar, and a bottle of water.
Placing them on the counter, I rip off the wrapper on the protein bar and take a huge bite of the snack, chewing enthusiastically.
I feel Knox’s gaze behind me and turn to look at him.
“What?” I ask, my mouth still full.
He shrugs, but a corner of his mouth is turned up in a smirk, and he's staring intently at me. “Nothing...” he finally answers.
“That didn’t feel like nothing,” I argue back, and he chuckles, folding his hands.
“So... I heard about your little conversation with Lucas last night,” he announces, and I stiffen, the protein bar I was swallowing stuck in my throat.
Coughing slightly to clear the space, I take a huge gulp from the bottle of water and breathe out. “Yeah... we did talk last night.”
He narrows his eyes. “So, how do you feel about it?”
I stare intently at the remaining protein bar in my hand, thinking deeply for a moment.
“I’m not closed to the idea. I’m just a bit worried,” I mutter slowly, lifting my head to stare at him.
“What are you worried about?”
“Oh, I don’t know...” I start, shrugging, feeling doubt and dread creep up inside me. “What if it doesn’t work out? You know I’m not particularly normal.”
Knox’s eyes soften. “I think you’re fine. Whatever it is, I believe that we can work through it.”
That’s another layer of reassurance, but I’ve still not heard the words I so desperately want them to say.
Knox notices I’ve grown quiet and stands to his feet, walking toward me.
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, it's nothing...” I mutter, looking away from him. He leans even closer, and I shudder as I feel the heat radiating off him.
Eventually, I give up. Looking at him, I allow my vulnerability to seep to the surface, my voice shaking, if only slightly. “While it's clear that you guys are interested in bonding with me, neither of you has told me outright that you love me.”
His eyes widen at my confession. “Do you want to hear that?” he asks, pointing to himself.
I nod. Vehemently.
He stutters. “That badly?”
“Well, not if you don't mean it!” I quickly add.
He chuckles, reaching out a finger to boop my nose. “I'll say you should wait. Who knows? It might come when you're not expecting it.”
At his playful demeanor, I chuckle, pushing his hands away. “Get away from my face, you meanie.”
He giggles but steps away from me, picking up his phone and walking out of the kitchen. “I'll see you around, Lo,” he calls over his shoulder while I watch him go until he's out of sight.
I chuckle, throwing the rest of the protein bar into my mouth, chewing softly.
Jerk.
.
.
.
That night, I'm about to retire to bed when I think to myself, wouldn’t it be better if I just spent the night with them instead? Last night hadn’t been all that bad.
Besides, it might be less awkward this time around.
With that thought firmly planted in my head, I pick up my pillow and head to the room where we spent the night.
Knocking on the door, I wait for a response.
When one doesn't come as quickly as I'd like, and I don't want to turn back out of nerves, I reach for the doorknob and turn it. The door opens, and I step into an empty room, pausing as the door closes behind me.
Huh? Where's everyone?