His hand clenched slightly around the drink he held—but he didn’t say those thoughts out loud.
Instead, he reached over and silently took the cocktail glass from her hand.
She flinched, surprised, finally noticing him standing next to her.
Her brows furrowed. “Lucas?”
“Don’t drink any more alcohol,” he said, his voice gentle but firm.
He picked up a glass of juice from the table and handed it to her.
She took it wordlessly, her fingers brushing his. He almost smiled at her silent compliance.
She sipped from the glass slowly, eyes on the floor, silently hoping he would walk away. But Lucas didn’t move. He stayed rooted by her side, gaze heavy on her face.
“Emily, you’re my girlfriend. We’ve been together for a long time,” he said, his voice low and serious. “But I’m tired of your issues.”
That made her lift her eyes to him, confused.
“I’m not interested in being manipulated by threats of you hurting yourself,” he said, his voice colder now. “It’s exhausting, having to wonder if you’ll put yourself in danger just to blame Amelia again.”
He leaned closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. “When we get married someday, we’ll vow to stay together in life and death. But this isn’t what that vow means. I don’t want those words turned into some twisted game you use against me.”
By the time he finished, Emily’s expression had darkened into a scowl. She stared at him like she couldn’t even comprehend what he was saying.
But she didn’t say a word. She simply placed the juice glass back on the table and walked past him without so much as a glance.
Lucas’s hand shot out and grabbed her arm, halting her in her tracks.
His face twisted into a deep frown. Emily never ignored him—not like this. Every time he spoke, she would at least answer him calmly, even if she was upset. But tonight, just like the past few days, she brushed him off and walked away without a second thought.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, his voice low, but unsettled. His chest was tight with frustration. “Why are you acting like this?”
She turned her head slowly, her gaze dropping to his hand on her arm, then up to meet his eyes.
“I’m fulfilling your wish.”
He stared at her, startled. But before he could respond, she tugged her arm free.
“I’m also not interested in wasting my life and death over you either.”
And with that, she turned and walked away.
As she passed a waiter, she picked up another cocktail, downing half of it with one sip as she moved deeper into the crowd.
Behind her, Lucas stood frozen.
Her words echoed in his ears, louder than the noise of the party around them.
‘I’m also not interested in wasting my life and death over you either.’
His hand hovered at his chest as if something had just hit him there. He inhaled a shaky breath, her words echoing in his head, twisting into something that made his entire chest tighten.
‘What the hell did she mean by that?’
His heart pounded as he stared at her retreating back. The meaning behind her words was painfully clear. But his mind refused to process it.
Chapter 4 Marriage?