Chapter 156

Grandma Jo was at her yoga class for the evening, leaving me home alone.

As I sat on the couch, I let my thoughts drift off, wondering what Lucas was doing right now. If he was still living here, we would probably go do something together. Maybe we'd watch a movie or go out for dinner or ice cream...

But Lucas hadn't returned to Grandma Jo's house since he left. He hadn't even come to stop by or say hello once.

Not having him around left me with an emptiness that I wasn't familiar with. It gnawed at me and filled me with questions and doubts that consumed my mind.

Having that conversation with James earlier made me feel a little bit better. I couldn't imagine what kind of pressure or rules Kendrick placed on Lucas, especially now that he was back home.

I should just give him some time to figure out how to navigate all of this, but it was hard to just sit back and do nothing.

It was also frustrating because Lucas wasn't answering any of my texts. He was being distant and it was driving me crazy.

I kept finding myself checking my phone every few minutes to see if he'd replied, but my message still read as delivered.

I mean, seriously, could he not spare a single second to tell me what he was up to? Or let me know that he was okay?

Why did he have to stop responding to my messages?

It sounded so stupid, but it made me want to tear up at the thought. I had been so used to talking to him all the time and having him easily at my disposal. But now, I felt a separation there and it left me questioning everything.

Was this him truly pulling away? Was he just busy?

Then I thought about James and Victoria...

The two of them weren't even an official couple yet, and they seemed like they were all in for each other. They were growing closer and closer with each passing day, while Lucas and I were drifting further and further apart.

I shouldn't be comparing the two, but it was hard not to. Things had been going so well for us and now it felt like the ground beneath our relationship was crumbling, and I didn't know what to do to stop it.

I couldn't even get ahold of Lucas.

The silence between us was making me lose sense of myself. I hated not knowing where things stood between us. I hated not being able to talk to my boyfriend.

What was I doing? Why was I just sitting here and allowing this to happen? I shouldn't be letting this affect me.

Finally fed up with the silence between us, I decided that I would need to go speak to Lucas—in person.

A few text messages to him weren't going to be enough. I didn't even know if Kendrick had confiscated his phone or not, and I needed to understand what was going on.

I hoped that us seeing each other face to face would be able to help us sort through the strangeness that had suddenly come between us.

I jumped off the couch and threw my shoes on. Swiping my car keys from near the front door, I quickly made my way to my car outside.

If Lucas were anywhere right now, it would be his father's house, so I decided to drive there first. He might be there, and if he was, I could finally get whatever answers I needed.

I would have to find some way to avoid Kendrick though, and I silently prayed that he was busy with work instead of being at home.

But if Kendrick was at work, would Lucas be with him? I wasn't exactly sure.

However, as I drove by Lucas's house, my heart sank. My suspicions were correct. His motorcycle which was usually parked on the driveway, was missing.

That left me no other choice but to head to the Busch family company building. That's the only other place Lucas would be right now.

On my drive, I fidgeted, worried that this was a terrible idea. What was I going to do? Just waltz in there like nothing?

Lucas and I were supposed to be separated in Kendrick's eyes. If he saw me there, he would be furious.

But I didn't know how much longer I could sit back and not know what was going on with Lucas. I couldn't keep sitting with all of this uncertainty. It was driving me crazy.

Sometimes, love makes you do crazy things... this was one of those times.

Once I finally pulled up to the building, I parked my car near the back under a large tree. My eyes scanned the parking lot and my eyes fell upon Lucas's motorcycle in a reserved spot at the front.

He was here, which meant that Kendrick was also probably here.

Hope and fear mingled in my chest as I put my hand on the door handle, pushing it open.

I had to do this. I had to go speak with him.

Maybe, by some luck, Kendrick would be on a call or at a meeting that didn't require Lucas's attendance. Maybe, Lucas was just sitting in his office alone right now.

I thought through all these possibilities as I began to approach the front entrance. My heart beat wildly with anticipation with every step I took.

The shiny glass and steel facade of the building loomed over me, a stark contrast to the way I was currently feeling inside.

But just as I was about to walk past the front doors, a stranger, a tall man with piercing blue eyes that felt oddly familiar, blocked my way.

He startled me and I had to take a step back to avoid running into his chest.

"Can I help you?" he asked, and his voice sent a shiver down my spine. It was deep and almost threatening, warning me.

I studied the man for a moment, my mind racing to place those striking blue eyes. Why did they look so familiar? He was someone I felt like I should know, yet I couldn't put a name to his face.

"Sorry," I mumbled in confusion.

How could he help me?

Did Kendrick get bodyguards to stand outside the building? I don't remember there being any last time I was here... but also, this man didn't look like a security guard. He was dressed casually in jeans and a black T-shirt.

"Do you need something?" the man asked, unblinking. I started to feel a knot grow in the center of my chest.

"Um, I'm actually just here to see someone," I said.

"Who?" he pressed, his voice firm and cold.

I wasn't sure if I should tell this stranger anything, but I pushed the thought away and said, "Lucas Busch. Do you know if he's inside?"

He regarded me for a second before responding, "You—You're looking for Lucas? And who might you be?"

With each passing moment, a growing unease settled over me. This was certainly not what I had expected when I had set out to find Lucas.