Chapter 60

After school, I decided to wait for Lucas during his hockey practice, hoping to catch him before he could disappear again.

As the final whistle blew and the Dragon players started to come out of the rink, I spotted Lucas talking to James.

My heart pounded with nervousness as I approached the two of them, not knowing what to expect.

"Hey, Lucas," I said, trying to sound casual, though my nerves were telling me otherwise. I tried to remain strong. "Can we talk for a second?"

He looked a bit surprised to see me there. His eyes flickered over to James before panning back over to me.

"What for?" Lucas asked, his voice cold and empty. "I thought you said you didn't need a friend like me."

Hearing him repeat the words made it feel as though a knife had been trusted into my chest.

James looked as though he was uncomfortable to be standing in the middle of our conversation. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but I beat him to it.

"Lucas, I'm so sorry for saying that," I tried to get the words out as fast as I could, afraid that he'd walk away. "If I could go back in time and change it all, I would. I was just upset and trying to make you feel the same way."

"Well, it worked," Lucas couldn't even look at me ask he spoke. "Are you happy with that?"

"No," I said quietly. "Of course, I'm not happy with that."

Lucas looked as if he was losing his patience, and I felt like it was my last chance to lay it all out on the table for him.

"Lucas, I'm really sorry about what I said the other day," I began, my voice tinged with genuine regret. "I was so stressed out, and I didn't mean to take it out on you. The Winter Formal was a disaster and it left me feeling horrible, and then finding out about Victoria--"

I paused, trying to give myself a moment to compose my thoughts.

"I might not fully support your decision, and I definitely do not support your father's requests, but you're my best friend, and I want to try my best to understand what you're going through. I want to be there for you, always."

Lucas's gaze softened as he looked at me. It made me feel so much more relieved. Maybe he would be able to forgive me after all.

"I know it's not easy for you to admit that," Lucas started, "but I appreciate you trying to see things from my perspective. Or at least, offering to support me through it."

Lucas went to pull me into a hug and I wrapped my arms around him. A sigh of relief let out my lips as I felt his grip tighten around me.

I knew it wouldn't be easy for us to agree on everything, but I didn't want to let our friendship suffer because of it. We've been through so much together already to throw it all away over one stupid comment.

"Aww," James said, his eyes lighting up from the side as he watched Lucas and me hug. "Get in here, guys!"

With a playful grin, James threw his arms around both Lucas and me, turning our simple hug into a tight-knit group friend hug. I laughed as he squeezed me tightly, "James, you're suffocating me."

He chuckled, not loosening his grip. "Good, then you can feel the love."

We all shared a lighthearted moment, and everything felt right again.

When we finally released ourselves from the embrace, James's stomach growled loudly.

Lucas and I exchanged knowing smirks, remembering that James was always hungry and ready to eat.

"Sounds like someone's hungry," Lucas joked, gesturing playfully to James.

James feigned offense, slapping a hand over his stomach. "Actually, I'm always hungry."

"Well, should we go somewhere for dinner?" I suggested, looking back and forth between Lucas and James. "I've been craving beef stew lately, and Lucas took me to the perfect place a few weeks ago."

Lucas's face lit up with a fond smile, clearly remembering our time at the restaurant. "Shana's right. Their beef stew is pretty amazing."

James didn't waste a second and immediately took charge, gathering all of his belongings and heading toward the door.

"Well, then why aren't we making any moves to go?" he teased, looking back at us. "Chop! Chop! No time to waste. You have a hungry Alpha on your hands."

Lucas and I exchanged amused glances once more before following James.

_

As we entered the restaurant, the familiar and nostalgic aroma of beef stew filled the air, instantly making my mouth water.

It reminded me so much of how my kitchen used to smell in my childhood when my mother would cook. It took me back to a better time, and I couldn't help but feel content.

The three of us decided to snag an empty table at the back of the restaurant. James was already licking his lips in anticipation, making Lucas and I laugh.

"Could you stop making all those sounds?" Lucas asked him, starting to grow more annoyed by the second. "It's distracting me."

"I can't help it," James said. "My mouth is just salivating thinking about the food it's about to consume."

"That's really weird," I said with a chuckle. "I think you should go get that checked out."

"That's not the only thing he should go get checked out," Lucas tagged on as we started to playfully pick on James.

"Hey! No tag-teaming when it comes to making fun of each other." James pouted but got over it instantly once the waiter handed us our menu.

Just as we started flipping through the menu, Lucas's father, Kenrick, unexpectedly walked into the restaurant.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

How was he here again when we happened to be here? What were the odds?

His imposing presence immediately caught everyone's attention, and I exchanged a quick glance with Lucas, unsure of how this encounter would unfold.

Last time, things got really ugly, really quickly.

"Lucas," Kenrick barely acknowledged us. His gaze lingered on me for the shortest second before he turned his attention back to his son. "It's shocking to see you here again. I hope you've been spending your time wisely, son."

Lucas nodded respectfully, but the air of tension between the two of them was obvious. "Yes, sir. I've been spending my time wisely."

Kenrick's eyes shifted to me again, and I felt immediate discomfort.

It was no secret that I didn't like Kendrick. I felt bad energy about him ever since I first met him.

"And who is this?" he inquired, his tone cool and detached.

Was he serious? I've met him before!

I tried my best to remain composed. "I'm Shana, Lucas's friend," I replied politely, not wanting to create a scene. "We've actually met before."

Kenrick raised an eyebrow, seeming unimpressed. "Hm. I can't seem to remember you."

I was about to speak again, but Kendrick spoke before I could.

"Well, Lucas, as I mentioned, it's important for you to be spending time with the right kind of people. There are rich Alphas out there who are valuable connections for our business. And let's not forget about Victoria," he added.

At the mention of Victoria, I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

It was clear that Kenrick wanted Lucas to spend more time with his fiancée. Probably to ensure their marriage and solidify their business ties.

"Speaking of Victoria," Kenrick continued, "she will be staying at a vacation beach house during winter break to escape the cold. She was asking me if you'd like to join her."