One Wild Night

Chapter 909  I Can’t Do This

As Amy saw a movie on her laptop, her eyes kept moving from the screen to her phone, wondering why Lucas had not responded to her texts or called since they last spoke.

Was he mad at her? She mused, wondering why he would be mad when she had only been joking to see his reaction, and he had not even shown the least interest.

She had waited for his call in the morning and when he didn't call, she had called but he had not even bothered taking her call or returning it all day.

After thinking for a while, she paused her movie and decided to reach out to him once again. She made up her mind that if he didn't respond she was just going to let him be.

Picking up her phone, she typed, [Hey, weekend Buddy. The weekend is almost up and I'm about to go to bed. Are you there?]

Away from there, Lucas who was in the cab returning home in the morning, glanced at his phone when it buzzed with a text notification from Amy and he sighed as he ignored the text, not bothering to read it.

After receiving the text from Amy the previous day, Lucas had felt a wave of frustration wash over him and he couldn't stop wondering why she had lied about that in the first place.

Saying she had met someone had taken him by surprise and thrown him off balance, stirring feelings he had been both consciously and unconsciously trying to suppress.

Determined to prove to himself that he wasn't interested in Amy, he had gone ahead with his plans to visit Sam since he had set it up already. He needed to convince himself that Amy was only a friend to him.

Unfortunately, the visit didn't go as he planned, Lucas thought, recalling what had happened at Sam's.

When he arrived at Sam's apartment, she greeted him warmly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. They chatted for a while about their program and the coming test, exchanging light banter and sharing stories.

Lucas tried to immerse himself in the moment, to lose himself in the company of a beautiful woman who seemed genuinely interested in him. However, as the evening progressed and their interaction grew more intimate, Lucas's mind betrayed him.

In the heat of the moment, as their lips met and their hands roamed, he found himself thinking of Amy. Her smile, her laugh, the way she had grinned during their video call— all of of it flooded back, unbidden and unwelcome.

He found himself wondering what Amy's lips would taste like and how she would feel in his arms. He tried to push the thoughts away, to focus on Sam and the present moment. But it was no use. Amy was there, a ghost in the room, haunting his every move.

Then, the slip happened. In a moment of passion, he called Sam by Amy's name. The words had barely left his lips before he realized his mistake.

Sam paused, her expression unreadable. For a moment, Lucas feared the worst, that she would be offended or hurt. But instead, she surprised him.

"It's okay," she said softly, a smile playing on her lips. "I don't mind. Feels like a role play," she said with a wink.

Her reaction only made Lucas feel worse. How could he have let this happen? How could he have let Amy invade this moment? He pulled back, running a hand through his hair, his mind racing.

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head.

Sam watched him, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of amusement. "I really don't mind."

"I just... I can't do this. I thought I could, but I'm not cut out for stuff like this."

Sam reached out, placing a hand on his arm. "It's okay, really. We can just talk if you want."

Relieved and grateful, Lucas nodded. They moved to the couch, and for the next few hours, they talked. It started with small talk about their lives and interests, but gradually, the conversation deepened.

Sam shared stories about her childhood, her dreams, and her fears. She told him how she had lost the love of her life after their engagement and why the hurt had made her determined never to fall in love or be in a relationship ever again.

Lucas found himself opening up as well, sharing things he hadn't told anyone in a long time. He told her all about Rachel, and when she asked who Amy was, he told her all about their friendship.

"You do realize that if you're thinking about her while making out, then she isn't just a friend to you, right?" Sam asked with a small smile.

"But that's all I want her to be. A friend," Lucas said and Sam shook her head.

"It doesn't always work that way, darling. I think it's too late for you to reverse. And if she pulled such a prank, it's possible she wanted to see your reaction because she likes you too. Just saying," Sam said with a wink.

After their conversations, they had gone ahead to play games and study together until he slept off, and when he woke up, it was morning.

As Lucas walked into the house a short while later, Tyler, who was comfortably settled on the couch in the living room with a steaming mug of coffee, glanced up from the morning news and raised an eyebrow.

"Morning," Lucas greeted as he sank into the couch opposite Tyler, looking somewhat disheveled.

Lucas had left the house shortly after noon the previous day to meet up with Sam. Tyler had been surprised when Lucas texted to say he wouldn't be coming back that night. Now, seeing Lucas, he couldn't help but wonder what had transpired.

"Good morning. How was your night?" Tyler asked, trying to gauge Lucas's mood.

"It was... fine," Lucas replied, though his weary expression betrayed his words.

His curiosity piqued, Tyler's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied Lucas. "I can see that," he said.

"Would you like some coffee?"

Without shifting his gaze from the screen, Lucas nodded. Tyler got up, setting his mug down on the table. The soft clink of porcelain echoed through the quiet room as he headed to the kitchen. He returned moments later with a fresh mug of coffee for Lucas, handing it to him with a small smile.

"Thanks," Lucas murmured, taking a sip.

Tyler settled back into his seat. "So, did you have lots of fun yesterday?" he asked casually.

"Yep. Loads of it," Lucas responded, but his voice lacked enthusiasm.

Tyler watched Lucas carefully, noticing the lack of excitement in his demeanor. "Why don't you look it though?" he probed.

Lucas finally looked at him, a hint of irritation in his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"For someone who had loads of fun, you don't seem all that excited," Tyler observed.

Lucas shrugged. "Well, that's because I am too exhausted from all the activities of the night to be hyper."

Tyler chuckled. "So, what is she like?"

Lucas gave him an incredulous look. "Do you really expect me to answer that? I don't kiss and tell."

"I wasn't asking you to kiss and tell. Is she nice? Is she cool? What kind of a person is she?" Tyler asked easily.

"She's okay," Lucas said, not wanting to think about it.

"If you say so," Tyler said, and pretended to focus on the television but kept sneaking glances at Lucas.

"I guess the Minister will be released soon," Tyler said after a while, testing Lucas's attentiveness.

"Huh?" Lucas turned to Tyler, clearly not following.

"The Minister they just talked about. I guess he will be released soon," Tyler repeated nodding towards the TV.

Lucas nodded absently. "Yeah. I guess so."

Tyler chuckled, shaking his head. "What are you talking about? They didn't talk about any minister."

Realization dawned on Lucas, and he glared at Tyler. "I'm going to my room," he said, rising from the couch with his mug in his hand.

"Hold on. Let's talk before you go," Tyler said, raising a hand to stop him.

"About what?" Lucas asked, scowling.

"About you. What's going on with you? Are you really going to do this friends with benefits thing with this Sam girl? That's not your thing, Lucas. I don't think you should—"

"Tyler, can you please let me be? How do you know what's my thing or what's not? What is it to you if I decide that I want it to be my thing? Stop talking to me about Amy or anyone else. Just stay out of my personal business, okay?" Lucas cut in irritably.

"I wish I could, but I don't want you to—"

"You can. Do all you can to stay out of it. Living under your roof doesn't mean I have to answer to you, does it?" Lucas demanded, his tone sharp.

Tyler sighed, shaking his head. "No, it doesn't," he agreed reluctantly.

"Great. So, please let me be. I'm not in the mood for any of this. Thank you," Lucas said, turning and walking towards his bedroom.

Tyler watched him go, his heart heavy with concern. He could only hope that Lucas wouldn't do anything he would regret.

As Lucas walked into his bedroom, he shut the door behind him, and after dropping the mug on the nightstand, he slumped on the bed.

He knew that he had been unnecessarily harsh to Tyler, but at the moment his head was banging and all he wanted was to be left alone so he could figure out what to do about his growing feelings for Amy.