Page 51 of Roommates (Life in the Brohouse 2)

“Hey,” I say while giving his shoulder a gentle nudge with my own. “That’s you.”

Lucas perks up and looks around as the person on the stage calls, “Lucas Brent? Are you here?”

Lucas jumps from his chair, making it slide across the wooden floor. I cringe at the screeching sound and the multiple stairs turning towards us. “Yes, coming,” he says shakily while walking briskly to the front of the room.

I grimace as I watch him stumble in a few chairs on his way up. I have never seen him so stressed out before. Usually, Lucas is calm and collected. He always knows what to say, yet now he is acting like a high school student giving a huge speech in front of an auditorium filled with teachers.

Worry makes my skin tingle and my stomach twist while I watch him grab the microphone and sit on the edge of the stool. He smiles shakily, his gaze searching the cafe before he finds me. “He-hello,” he stutters. He clears his throat, lowering his gaze down to the notebook he carries in his other hand. “I’m Lucas Brent.” He chuckles awkwardly and the cafe resumes in its silence, while several customers gaze back at him, looking absolutely bored.

Oh, I hope this wasn’t a bad idea.

I want him to be able to gain some confidence in his writing, yet now I’m wondering if I should have waited to bring him here. He’s only read his work to me as far as I know. I don’t even think the guys have heard his work.

Well, I guess it’s too late to turn back now, I tell myself while propping my elbows on the table and placing my chin and my hands. “Come on, Lucas,” I whisper while watching him open his notebook. “You can do this.”

“Tonight, I’m going to read a short poem I wrote,” says Lucas. He lifts his head and gazes back at me, offering this time a curt nod filled with strength. “It’s about freedom.”

I watch Lucas inhale and close his eyes for a brief moment before saying, “Like a bird, soaring and flying high in the sky…”

I allow his voice to wash over me, taking me away from my troubles with Josh and my worries for Hunter. I just listen to Lucas’s words, feeling tears prickle my gaze as I stare at him. He truly is an artist, which is shocking since he hardly looks the part in his slim cut jeans and his black buttoned down shirt, which hardly contain the broad muscles of his chest and arms. I can’t believe that after all this time, I am actually with this man, in a cafe, sharing art with each other.

It’s like everything I have ever hoped and wished for.

Lucas’s voice is calm, the words magical, pulling me into a different world where it’s just me and him. And then, without even realizing it, he stops with a smile and a wink my way. I lone tear spill from my eye and I watch as he slowly stands and bows his head. “That’s all,” he says with a shrug. “Thank you for listening.”

People around us snap their fingers while Lucas strides back to our table, dumping his body into his chair and tilting his head back. He draws in a deep breath and says, “That was unbearable.”

I wipe my eyes and sniff. “No, that was beautiful.”

He turns toward me and one side of his mouth lifts into a mischievous smirk. “You think so.”

I chuckle. “I know so.” I lean towards him and poke his nose teasingly. “I think you have nothing to worry about.”

Lucas scoffs. “That was only one poem. And I’m supposed to create a whole book of them.” He straightens himself and shakes his head. “That one alone took me weeks to write.”

I slide my hand towards his, placing it on top, which catches his attention. “Then you better start writing. That award belongs to you.”

Lucas nods towards the entrance. “Wanna get to-go cups and get out of here.”

I smile and nod. “Sure.”

I watch Lucas shrug on his black coat and take our coffee mugs to the front before grabbing my own. My gaze turns to the windows, finding the roads dimly lit by the lampposts and snow falling from the sky. I wrap my scarf around my neck and my shoulders tense in preparation for the cold about to slam into us.

“Ready?” I hear Lucas ask from behind and turn around, finding him handing my coffee over, now in a brown recyclable cup.

I beam up at him while wrapping my arm around his. “Ready when you are.”

I hold tight to him as we exit, feeling the chill cut right through my layers and rattle my bones. “Oh, God,” I murmur while trying to snuggle against Lucas’s side. “Why did we go out again?”

Lucas chuckles while leading me down the snow-covered sidewalk. “Because you needed to take your mind off things, and I needed to get more confidence in my work.”

I shake my head. “Definitely not good enough of a reason.”

“Are you saying we should have stayed home and ordered a pizza instead?”

“Not necessarily,” I say while giving Lucas a sly grin. “We could have done… other things.”

Lucas turns to me and I watch his eyes dilate and his nostrils flare. “Oh, really?”

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