Faith Heights

Chapter 33

Lucas placed a gentle hand on my back. "Rhea was just welcoming me to the school. She told me that you two are quite close." There was a question in his tone, but I couldn't answer it in front of her.

Rhea nodded to me, almost apologetically. "I didn't mean to ambush Lucas, but I've been dying to meet your new... guest." She settled on. Even Rhea could tell that there wasn't quite a suitable label for whatever was going on between us.

I smiled, my voice tight. "I'm glad you two are finally meeting. I've been meaning to introduce you for a long time." They both raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything. "Lucas is here on, uh, official school business."

Lucas hid a small smirk. Official school business? I clearly needed to leave the cover stories to him.

"Lila was chosen to show me around the school and aid me in a few errands. I completed them a few weeks ago, but couldn't quite manage to stay away." He explained with a warm tone.

I didn't know if Rhea believed him, but she smiled at his words. It was hard not to. There was a magnetic charisma about Lucas that was hard to resist.

"That seems to be happening a lot lately," Rhea commented. 

"I guess this school's reputation is well earned, then." Lucas quipped.

She nodded robotically, unsure of what else to say. I took advantage of the pause and gently nudged Lucas toward the staircase. He took the hint and turned away from Rhea, but not before offering a courteous goodbye. Rhea waved, but we were already halfway down the stairs. 

As soon as we were out of the dorm's wing, Lucas turned to me for an explanation.

"Rhea is one of the few scholarship students left that still has no idea about Faith Heights. She passed her final interview, but she has yet to meet her soulmate." I said.

He studied my face. "It's hurting you to keep her in the dark."

I nodded. "Before Jackson told me the truth here, Rhea and I were in this together.  She feels as though I abandoned her."

"You didn't abandon her. There was nothing you could have done. Don't worry; she'll be on the other side of it all soon enough." He assured.

Lucas leaned forward, hesitantly, and brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. He lingered for a moment, before reaching down and taking my hand. The gesture was comforting in its warmth, but it felt strangely forced. 

Still, I let him keep hold as we walked acros the lawn, skirting the edge of the forest. I kept my head faced toward him to try and ignore the blatant looks of other students.

"Thank you for what you did for Jackson." I remarked, after a while.

Lucas turned towards me, leaving the praise unacknowledged. "How is he?"

"He's back to his usual self, as far as I can tell. Theo's getting a little frustrated, though. He says that Jackson keeps dragging him out into the woods every night to go for runs. I don't think Jackson's ever truly been able to control the shift without the full moon. You really gave him a gift."

Lucas shrugged. "You asked for my help, and I gave it. I'll never stop owing you for saving me that very first day at the river."

My feet jerked to a stop. I'd tried to bring up our original meeting in conversation time and time again, but he'd avoided the topic. The most I had pulled from him were the few words in the car on our first date.

"You mean... in my first life?"

He nodded. "That's what you've been told, yes? That you saved me at the river? What else do you know?"