Chapter 54

As the sun set, casting a warm glow over the city, I found myself sitting in my living room, nervously waiting for Lucas to arrive. I

had invited him over to hang out, but I was also curious about how he was doing after taking a punch from Timothy.

My dinner with Aria had lifted my spirits a little, but I wasn’t prepared to be alone with my thoughts just yet. Lucas seemed more

than willing to hang out, thankfully.

When the doorbell finally rang, I hurried to let Lucas in. He greeted me with a wide grin, but his expression quickly turned serious

when he saw the worry

in my eyes. I flinched upon seeing the slight swell in his right eye, which had turned a nasty yellow.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Lucas asked, concern evident in his voice.

Taking a deep breath, I motioned for him to sit down. “I could ask you the same. How’s the eye?”

“Hurts a little less,” he muttered, sinking into the couch. He shut his eyes and leaned his head back.

“But it's getting better. The swelling has gone down a bit, but I’ll survive.”

I sighed, still feeling guilty that Lucas had been caught in the crossfire of my complicated situation with Timothy. “I’m sorry you

got dragged into all of this,” I said sincerely.

Lucas waved it off with a smile. “No need to apologize. I had a feeling something was off about Timothy, and now I know I was

right. I’m glad I was there to see his undying devotion to you.”

“Yeah,” I replied bitterly. “He still shouldn’t have done that.”

“Love can make us blind sometimes,” Lucas said gently. “But it’s not your fault, Evie. I betrayed your trust, remember?”

I snorted at the obvious sarcasm in his voice. “Of course, I do, you dirty cheater.”

He laughed and shook his head. Then he opened his eyes and looked over at me, his smile wavering. “Really though, what’s up

with you?”

Lucas listened intently as I recounted what I had seen in the hallway Timothy and Linda together, their closeness, and Linda’s

revelation that they were involved romantically. As I spoke, my emotions surfaced, and I couldn't help the sting of the tears that

welled up in my eyes.

“It's not my business, but he told me himself that he wouldn’t do that anymore,” I whispered.

Lucas wrapped an arm around my shoulders comfortingly. “People can change, but they have to want to change. Maybe Timothy

just isn’t ready to leave his old ways behind.”

I sighed, feeling a mixture of sadness and frustration. “I wish he had been honest with me from the beginning, instead of leading

me on.”

“It's his loss, Evie,” Lucas said firmly. “You’re an amazing person, and you deserve someone who will treat you right.”

I mustered a smile. “Thank you,” I said.

“Always, Lucas replied.

“I know I need to move on, but it’s still weird after everything we've been through. They've evidently been together for months,

according to Linda.”

Lucas’s eyes gleamed with mischief as a thought crossed his mind. “You know what would be fun? Let’s give Timothy a taste of

his own medicine.”

I looked at him questioningly, not sure where he was going with this. “What do you

mean?”

Lucas grinned. “Let’s prank him! I know a fancy strip club just down the street and I'd be very intrigued to see his reaction.”

I chuckled despite myself, finding some relief in the idea. “That's a bit extreme, don’t you think?”

Lucas shrugged, “Maybe, but he deserves it after punching me, and now, breaking your heart.”

Part of me hesitated at the idea of seeking revenge, but the other part couldn’t help but feel a sense of justice in the plan.

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“A prank, huh?” I chuckled, trying to imagine how that would play out. “Explain

further.”

Lucas leaned back, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “You could guilt trip him into coming out with us. Tell him that he owes me after

what he did, and you also want us to make amends.”

“But we’re broken up,” I said with a grin.

“We can still be friends,” Lucas offered. “Insist that we stay friends and that he take me out for a good time, preferably around

naked people.”

I burst out laughing at the thought of Timothy's reaction. “That's diabolical!” I exclaimed. “But I kind of like it.”

Lucas grinned, clearly pleased with my reaction. “It’s all in good fun,” he said. “Besides, he shouldn’t have punched me at the

club.”

“You're right,” I said, nodding. “He had no right to do that.”

“And now he needs to know that he can’t just treat people however he likes without consequences,” Lucas added.

I sighed, feeling a mixture of emotions. On one hand, I loved the idea of pranking Timothy and teaching him a lesson. On the

other hand, a part of me still cared. about him, despite everything.

“Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” I asked, hesitating.

Lucas placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Evie, sometimes people need at wake-up call to realize their actions have

consequences. This prank is harmless, but it will make him think twice before hurting others in the future.”

I nodded, knowing that Lucas was right. It was time for Timothy to face the consequences of his actions.

“All right,” I said, determination in my voice. “Let’s do it.” Lucas grinned triumphantly, “Great! This will be epic.”

“But we have to be tactful,” I said seriously. A moment passed and I started wringing my hands, a new curiosity emerging. “Did

he really say to break up with me though?”

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Lucas shrugged. “He said he wanted me to give you some space, and he didn’t think I was good enough for you,” he explained.

I frowned. “I wish he had talked to me directly instead of threatening you,” I said.

Lucas shrugged again, looking apologetic. “I think he was trying to protect you,” he said. “He didn’t want to hurt you by saying I

cheated.”

I let out a shaky breath, feeling a sense of resignation settling in. “I appreciate that he cares, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

As we Sat quietly on the couch, I felt a sense of relief knowing that I had Lucas as my friend. Whatever happened with Timothy, I

knew I wasn’t alone. And Lucas knew how to make a point in the strongest way possible.

I decided to steer the conversation away from me, curious about Lucas‘ time at the club.

“So, who was that guy you were dancing with at the club?” I inquired, curious about the stranger who had caught his interest.

Lucas chuckled. “Oh, just some random guy,” he replied nonchalantly. “We were just having fun on the dance floor.”

I raised an eyebrow, sensing that there might be more to the story than Lucas was. letting on. “Just a random guy? Are you

sure?” I pressed, a hint of teasing in my voice.

Lucas rolled his eyes playfully. “Okay, fine, he was a friend of a friend,” he

confessed. “But it really didn’t mean anything. We were just dancing, having a good

time.”

I nodded, trying to picture the scene in my mind. Lucas had always been a social. butterfly, and it wasn’t unusual for him to strike

up conversations and make new friends—or lovers—wherever he went.

“And then Timothy showed up and ruined your fun for the night,” I said sympathetically.

“Yeah, he did,” Lucas sighed, looking highly disappointed. “I mean, I get that he was. upset, but I’d rather he leave my beautiful

face out of it.”

“Me too,” I admitted, fidgeting with my coffee cup. “He said he wanted to break up,

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and now he’s acting like this.”

I sighed, feeling torn between wanting to understand Timothy and wanting to move on from the whole situation. “I just wish he

would be honest with me,” I said, my voice tinged with sadness.

“I know,” Lucas said, giving my hand a comforting squeeze. “But maybe this is a sign. Plus, our revenge scheme is still on the

horizon.”

I nodded, realizing that Lucas was right. I couldn’t force Timothy to be honest with me or to sort out his feelings. All I could do

was focus on taking care of myself and giving myself the space I needed.

“I guess you're right,” I said, offering Lucas a small smile. “Thank you for being here.”

Lucas grinned, giving my hand another squeeze. “Always,” he replied. “You know I've got your back, no matter what.”

As we switched to a more entertaining topic, I felt a renewed sense of empowerment. Perhaps it was time for Timothy to realize

that his actions had consequences. And even though I couldn’t change the past, I could make sure he didn’t forget the lesson he

was about to learn.