Page 92 of Beautiful Harmony

“But it’s what you think,” he said.

“Obviously not,” she scoffed. “You’re fucking me, aren’t you?”

“Stop it!” he shouted, making her eyes widen in surprise. “Stop pretending like I don’t think you’re beautiful, Emma. You know that I do.”

“Lucas, I -”

“Don’t,” he said. “Just stop. You’ve made it perfectly clear what you think of me, and you know what? I don’t want to be friends anymore. Not when you have such a low opinion of me.”

“Lucas, wait, that isn’t -”

He pulled away when she took his hand, opened the door, and stepped out into the cold air. “Goodbye, Emma.”

* * *

“I’m worried about you, Em.”

“I’m fine, Rayna.” Emma stared woodenly out the windshield as she drove, thankful Rayna wasn’t on a video call with her. She’d take one look at her face, and demand Emma turn around and come straight to her house.

“You’re driving to Willington on a Sunday afternoon. You’re not fine,” Rayna said. “In fact, I think you might be having a stroke.”

Rayna’s earnest tone made the first smile creep onto Emma’s face since Wednesday. “I’m not having a stroke. I told you, the knitting aid I got for Lucas’s mom arrived yesterday, and I’m taking it to her.”

“Have you heard from Lucas?” Rayna asked.

Sorrow and regret attacked her throat, making it hard to spit out the words. “No, still nothing. I called and left a voicemail and sent him a text apologizing and asking if we could talk, but he hasn’t replied.”

“He’ll call you,” Rayna said with a confidence Emma wished she felt. “You and Lucas are similar. When you’re pissed, you need your space. Once he’s cooled down, he’ll call you.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Emma said. “Listen, I have to go. I’m almost at his parents’ place.”

“Okay. Love you, Emmy.”

“Love you too, Rayna.” She ended the call and turned right onto the street of Lucas’s childhood home. She’d sounded okay on the phone, she thought and had somehow managed to hide the deep devastation she felt from her best friend, but she wouldn’t be able to do that much longer.

She’d overreacted on Wednesday night. She’d let her emotions and jealousy take hold of her, and for what? Lucas wasn’t into Phoebe, and Emma knew that, but she’d still made a fool of herself and hurt Lucas badly.

She would give anything to go back and not allow Phoebe to get into her head and make her lose her cool, but it was too late. The best she could hope for now was that Rayna was right. Once Lucas cooled down, he would accept her apology, and they could move forward.

You hurt him badly. He won’t forgive you.

She ignored her inner voice as she parked on the street and shut off her car. The thought of Lucas never forgiving her hurt too much to even entertain.

She grabbed the knitting aid, pasted a smile on her face, and headed up the sidewalk toward the house.

Helen opened the door before Emma could knock, the welcoming smile on her face faltering. “Emma, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

Emma kept a smile on her face. “Hi, Helen. Nothing’s wrong.”

Helen ushered her inside, closing the door as Emma hung her jacket on the coat hook and said, “How are your hands today?”

“They’re all right,” Helen said with another long look at her. “Did you have a bad day at the store yesterday?”

“No,” Emma said. “I’m good, I promise.”

She wasn’t. In fact, she wanted to burst into tears, but she’d die before she cried in front of Lucas’s mom.

You should ask her to talk to Lucas for you.

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