Even though the rain had stopped, Lorna still felt as though she was in the middle of a storm.
Her entire world seemed to be out of sync after Michael's icy dismissal. Her chest hurt, her thoughts were disorganized, and she was unable to go back to her apartment's quiet without hearing his voice in every room. Their shared memories of the penthouse were now ghosts that held on to her flesh.
She required room. Or a voice that wasn't Michael's, anyway.
She therefore said "yes" when Lucas Madden called to ask if she wanted to grab coffee.
A tiny café in a peaceful area of the city is where they first met. When she got there, Lucas was already waiting, his kind grin and relaxed demeanor a contrast to her jumbled thoughts.
He pulled out a chair for her and said softly, "You look like you haven't slept."
With a feeble smile, she answered, "I haven't." "The past few days have been difficult."
Lucas refrained from pressing. He just handed her a hot cup of chai and waited for her to finish speaking. His calmness, the patience he carried without even trying, was one of the things she liked about him.
She informed him of Edward's detention. Regarding Michael's abrupt choice to exclude her. About her sense of emptiness.
Lucas paid attention. without passing judgment. without taking on her suffering himself.
When she stopped talking, he reached across the table and put his hand over hers.
"Lorna, you don't deserve this kind of heartache."
The lump in her throat was swallowed. "We were finally getting it right, I just thought."
Slowly, he nodded. Sometimes people push you away out of fear rather than a lack of concern. does not lessen the pain.
She hesitated before answering when her phone buzzed. Henry said, "Lorna," in a quiet but urgent voice, "I didn't want to bother you but... you need to know. Michael left the country this morning." She froze. "What?" "He's gone to Europe. Paris, I believe. Said he needed space. Said he was done." Her heart fell. Done.
As she put down the phone, Lucas saw the shake in her hand.
"Is everything all right?" he inquired.
She gave a slow nod, but the truth was visible in her eyes. "He went out."
Lucas remained silent. He simply sat with her while she blinked quickly and refrained from crying.
She had sought comfort here. For warmth. And Lucas was giving it away for free.
But despite her best efforts, she was unable to stop the question from burning in her chest:
Why didn't he say goodbye before leaving?