Casual Relationship

Daniella's POV

The silence between Alpha and me was suffocating. Ever since I'd confessed my fears, neither of us had dared to break it. My heart felt too heavy, the truth too raw. I knew I had fallen for him. there was no denying it now. The way my heart raced around him, the way his presence unsettled me in ways no one else ever had. Not even Brandon.

Brandon, my boyfriend of three years. Or at least, he had been. Looking back now, I wondered if I'd ever truly loved him. Maybe I hadn't. Maybe I'd just seen him as a stepping stone a good match for my career, a practical choice. Wasn't that who I was? The woman who always seized every opportunity for the sake of her ambitions?

But with Alpha… It was different. He didn't fit into a neat little box. There was no logic, no calculation. Just this overwhelming pull, this dizzying ache that terrified me as much as it thrilled me. The way he looked at me, the way his smallest gestures sent my heart spiraling I had no control over it.

And that's what scared me the most. Because if he remembered who he was if he remembered and found out he already had a wife, someone waiting for him. I knew it would shatter me. Yet deep down, I also knew myself too well. If that happened, I wouldn't be able to just let him go. I'd fight for him, even if it meant breaking another woman's heart. And that was the part of me I hated.

I stole a glance at him. Alpha sat beside me, silent and still, his face unreadable. Was he afraid too? Did my confession stir something in him? He hadn't said a word since I'd spoken. He just stared ahead, as if lost in the storm of his own thoughts.

The air in the room grew heavier with every passing second. Neither of us moved, neither of us spoke. We were two people trapped in our fears, bound by emotions we couldn't name.

The tension was finally broken by the soft beep of my apartment's door code unlocking. I flinched at the sound, my head snapping toward the door. It had to be Lucas. He was the only one who had access to my apartment, the only person who knew the code.

The moment Lucas walked in, the tension in the room evaporated like mist under a blazing sun. His cheerful voice boomed through the apartment, shattering the heavy silence.

"Did someone die? Why do you two look like you've just lost a million dollars?" he quipped, throwing his arms wide as if he'd just entered the set of a sitcom.

A laugh bubbled out of me despite myself. That was Lucas, always able to lighten the mood with his inappropriate humor. I shook my head, grinning. "No one died, Lucas. We're just… confused."

"Confused? About what?" Lucas flopped onto the sofa across from us, his long legs stretched out as if he owned the place. "There's nothing to be confused about! My brilliant plan is working perfectly. Your prince charming here," he gestured grandly at Alpha, "is playing his part like a pro. Honestly, the way he shut Brandon down? Chef's kiss. I nearly peed myself when Alpha told him what was it?" Lucas snapped his fingers as if trying to recall. "Oh yeah! 'Maybe the problem is you can't satisfy Daniella in bed.' I was like, damn! Did he just go there?!"

I felt my face flame, but Lucas wasn't done.

"And then when Alpha said, 'Maybe that's why she doesn't scream your name, Brandon. Because she never had a reason to.' Whew! I swear, I was crying laughing. But tell me, Daniella, is it true? Did you really scream Alpha's name? You weren't moaning some legal jargon during…"

"Lucas, that's none of your business!" I snapped, trying to hide my mortification.

But Alpha, ever the straightforward one, replied without hesitation. "We haven't been intimate. So no, I wouldn't know."

The room went silent for a beat before Lucas burst out laughing. "What?! You mean you're a monk? And you, Daniella, seriously? You've been holed up with this god of a man for a whole week, and you haven't… you know… unwrapped him? Daniella, come on! This is so not your style! You're the queen of flings. Remember that guy you met at the charity gala? You didn't even wait for dessert before..."

"Lucas!" I cut him off, burying my face in my hands. "Can we not do this right now?"

Lucas ignored my protests, leaning forward with a conspiratorial grin. "So, when I showed up and found you two all half-naked, you weren't…..?"

"No!" I exclaimed, exasperated. "We weren't doing anything. You just have bad timing, as always!"

Alpha, bless him, was looking more amused than embarrassed. But Lucas wasn't done grilling us.

"Okay, fine. So if you two aren't hooking up, what's the hold-up?" he pressed.

I sighed, deciding honesty was the only way to shut him up. "Because Alpha doesn't want to… not until he remembers everything. He's afraid he might already be married, and honestly… that terrifies me too. I think I'm in love with him, Lucas. And if he's married…" My voice trailed off, the weight of the words settling heavily between us.

Alpha broke the silence with a soft confession of his own. "I've fallen for Daniella too," he said quietly, his gaze fixed on me. "But the thought of already having a wife out there… it scares me."

For once, Lucas was silent. He blinked at us, his face uncharacteristically serious. Then, with a dramatic clap of his hands, he brought all the attention back to himself.

"Alright, that's enough gloom for one day," he announced, his voice taking on the tone of a kindergarten teacher. "Listen up, you two love struck fools. It's the holiday season! Stop overthinking and start living. Here's what you do, embrace the romance, get that contract from Alex Wong, and keep things casual. Have fun. Have sex. You're adults, after all! And hey, when you go to Vegas, remember the golden rule, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." He wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis.

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Lucas, this isn't some kind of hookup comedy!"

"Oh, but it should be," he retorted, wagging a finger at me. "Think about it, Daniella. If Alpha remembers and has a wife, you let him go. No harm, no foul. You're all about casual relationships anyway. But if he doesn't…" Lucas leaned in, his grin wicked. "Then you get your happily ever after. Win-win."

Alpha and I exchanged a glance. His expression was as conflicted as mine.

"Casual relationships aren't that simple," I said finally, my voice quiet.

"Sure, they are!" Lucas said with a wave of his hand. "You're just overthinking it. So, what's it gonna be?"

I stared at him, my mind racing. Was Lucas right? Could I really embrace the uncertainty and just… go with the flow? Or was I fooling myself by pretending this could ever stay casual?