Chapter 110

As Lucas and I drove to the cabin, the atmosphere inside the car was filled with a peculiar tension.

Usually, the air between us was fun and relaxed. Nothing ever felt uncomfortable with Lucas, but right now. Uncertain was the perfect word for what I was feeling.

After our dinner, it felt as if we weren't used to this new shift in our relationship dynamics. It had left both of us feeling a bit nervous in each other's presence.

I would find myself stealing glances at him from the corner of my eye, wondering if he was thinking the same thing.

It almost felt ridiculous. It felt as if we were middle schoolers, afraid of holding hands or making any moves.

I don't know why we were making everything so tense and serious.

Eventually, the awkwardness became too much, and we both burst into laughter at the same time. The tension evaporated immediately, and Lucas turned to me.

"God, why are we being so awkward?"

"I don't know!" I laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "This is so..."

"Different?" he asked.

"I don't know how to act now," I confessed with a smile. "Is that weird?"

Lucas shook his head. "No, I feel the exact same way."

I laughed again. "Let's both agree to stop acting weird. We're friends. This is all new, but it's fine."

"You're right." Lucas smiled as he looked over at me. "It's just me."

"And it's just me," I replied with my own smile.

"This is fine." Lucas nodded before turning his eyes back to the road.

It was comforting to know that even though things had changed, our friendship was still the foundation upon which everything else rested. We didn't have to overcomplicate things.

When we finally arrived at the cabin, we stepped out of the car and took a moment to soak in the surroundings.

The cabin was a quaint, wooden structure nestled in the heart of the forest. It was wintertime, but surprisingly, there wasn't a lot of snow in the area.

The lights outside of the cabin were warm and inviting, providing a cozy atmosphere.

"This looks nice," I said to Lucas. "How long have you had this planned."

"Oh, this is very last minute," Lucas said, closing his car door. "I only rented it a day ago."

Lucas led me to the inside of the cabin and the two of us walked around, exploring every nook and cranny of the space.

There was a fireplace in the center of the living room waiting to be lit. Couches surrounded the space, bringing a comfort that made me want to snuggle up in the spot for hours.

As we walked further into the cabin, I noticed that there was a well-stocked kitchen and a small dining area perfect for a short getaway. Perfect for a short getaway with two people...

Lucas and I then walked toward the bedroom and my heart skipped a beat.

There was only one room in this entire house meaning that...

There was only one bed.

My nervousness resurfaced, and I couldn't help but wonder if Lucas had thought this through. Did he expect us to share that one bed tonight? Did he know there was only one room when he rented this place?

"Oh, look at the painting above the bed!" Lucas commented, pointing to the landscape of a mountainside.

His obliviousness to the situation made me wonder if he was having the same fears I was.

"It's beautiful," I said softly, clasping my hands together to distract myself.

"It's not as pretty as some of the stuff we saw at the art show earlier," Lucas continued, beginning to snoop through the drawers in the nightstand. "You know, sometimes people leave money in here?"

I tried to seem interested in that, but I just kept thinking about where I would sleep tonight. But I couldn't bring myself to voice my concerns, not wanting to ruin the evening.

"I think I'm going to take a shower," I commented, getting out of the room as fast as I could.

"Okay!" Lucas said from the bedroom. "I actually packed a bag for both of us, and there's some clean clothes in there for you to change into."

"Thanks!" I said before closing the door to the bathroom with a deep breath.

I thought that a nice hot shower would ease my nerves, but as I emerged from the shower, I still felt apprehensive.

Lucas seemed to finally notice that something was amiss. The look on my face must have given it away because he chuckled.

"Shana, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?"

"Lucas..." I bit my lip, hesitating for a moment before finally admitting, "I'm sorry. It's just the whole sleeping arrangement. I'm just a little nervous about the whole one-bed situation."

His face fell before understanding dawned on him, and he laughed, the sound bringing a liveliness to the room. "Oh, Shana, don't worry about that. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable... I didn't plan for anything like that. Besides, we used to have sleepovers all the time as kids."

I sighed with relief, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. I didn't think he was trying to force me into anything, but sharing a bed with someone was intimate... more intimate than the two of us had been.

"I know, but things are a bit different now, you know?"

"I get it, Shana." Lucas nodded in understanding, his expression serious. "But I promise you, I'm not planning to do anything. We're just going to sleep. And if it bothers you, I can take the couch."

"No!" I answered quickly but recovered. "No, I mean, you don't need to take the couch. We can share the bed. It's big enough for the both of us."

"You're sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind. "This might be a little awkward to bring up, but you've always been the popular boy at our school... I'm sure you've had plenty of one-time things with girls...

Lucas blushed, and he seemed embarrassed by my comment. "Shana, I'm not like that anymore. I've grown up, and my focus has shifted. You mean a lot to me, and I don't want to mess things up. You're not just a one-time thing for me."

"I know that," I answered. His sincerity warmed my heart, and I couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry, Lucas. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just all so new to me, but you've had more experience with this... sort of thing."

"No, Shana," Lucas said sincerely. "This is all new to me too."

I smiled at him as we shared a moment of silence. This was nice... it felt right.

"Wanna go see if there are any stars out?" Lucas asked, reaching for my hand.

I nodded enthusiastically, placing my hand in his.

Sure enough, the night sky was bright with stars as they twinkled above us. I pointed out a few to Lucas, and he nodded, pointing out a few of his own.

"The night is so beautiful," I said, unknowingly moving closer to him. "Don't you think? It's so peaceful out here."

"It is beautiful," Lucas agreed, voice low.

I turned to him and was surprised to see him looking at me, a strange expression on his face.

I was about to ask him what was wrong when he leaned in. His warm breath brushed across the skin on my face, making goosebumps rise on my skin.

Before I knew what he was planning, Lucas dipped his head further, planting a gentle kiss on my lips.