Chapter 86: Do You Love Me?

"What are you thinking? Don't you already know?" Lucas sneered, his words carrying layers of implication. "I barely said he was blind, and you stormed off in a fury. What was it? Were you mad I interrupted your little *hand-holding* moment?"

Claire, unaware of how her abrupt exit bruised his ego, had no idea how vividly Lucas replayed the scene. He could swear that if his frustration hadn't boiled over, that guy—Blaine—would've burst out laughing. Not just a chuckle but a full-on, face-cramping laugh. The thought alone made Lucas seethe.

*The jealousy was palpable.*

Claire exaggeratedly sniffed the air around Lucas, her small nose twitching like a curious puppy.

"What are you doing?" Lucas pulled back, narrowing his eyes as he tightened his arms around himself. "What are you, a dog now? Since when did you evolve from a snail to a sniffing hound?"

"You're jealous," Claire declared with certainty, her voice calm but direct.

"Jealous?" Lucas scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk. "Sorry, jealousy doesn't exist in my vocabulary." He wouldn't give her the satisfaction—no way, not a chance.

"Then why do I smell it so strongly?" Claire retorted, tilting her head innocently. "You reek of jealousy, Lucas."

He stilled, not expecting her boldness. "What nonsense are you on about now?"

Claire didn't respond to his denial. Instead, her tone softened unexpectedly. "I was jealous."

Lucas blinked. "What?"

"I said I was jealous," she admitted, lowering her gaze.

"What are you jealous of?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

"When Lauren tossed her bouquet, where were you?" Claire suddenly demanded, her voice tight.

Lucas froze. "What's that got to do with anything?" His expression darkened slightly. Did she see something she shouldn't have?

"Did you have a lot of girlfriends before?" Claire pressed, her voice trembling slightly. "That woman earlier—she's just one of them, isn't she? She's exactly your type, isn't she? Gorgeous, curvy... nothing like me." Her words trailed off, but the bitterness in her tone hung heavy in the air.

Lucas's expression shifted. His sharp, calculating gaze swept over her but remained silent as he turned the car into the long driveway leading to the Zeller estate. The wrought-iron gates opened with a quiet hum, and the car came to a smooth stop in front of the grand house.

With a suddenness that left Claire breathless, Lucas scooped her up and carried her inside. The heavy door slammed shut behind them as he strode into the living room and set her down on the plush sofa. His intense gaze locked onto hers, leaving no room for retreat.

"What are you trying to say?" Lucas asked, his voice low and steady, yet laced with a heat that sent her heart racing.

Claire stammered, feeling suffocated under his piercing gaze. "L-Lucas… can you put me down? It's hard to think when you're holding me like this."

"Funny, you didn't seem to have trouble responding in the car earlier," Lucas quipped, his brow arching in mock amusement. "So tell me—what's this about me having 'many girlfriends'? Who filled your head with that nonsense?"

Claire's lips quivered. "I saw it," she muttered, avoiding his eyes. "I saw you talking to a… very *passionate-looking* woman."

Lucas tilted his head, intrigued by her description. "Passionate-looking?" he mused aloud, quickly piecing it together. Ah, she must have seen him with Coco—Blaine's ex, a woman with a personality as fiery as her crimson lipstick.

"And you're sure all we did was talk?" Lucas pressed, leaning closer. "Because your tone suggests otherwise."

Claire finally met his eyes but looked away just as quickly, her gaze dropping to the floor. "What do you want me to say, Lucas? That you two were clinging to each other like magnets? That her hands couldn't stay off you? That when you were leaving, she practically jumped on you for a… a kiss goodbye?" Her voice cracked with emotion, her chest tightening as she poured out her frustrations. "Do you even know how that made me feel? Like I couldn't breathe. Like I wasn't—"

"You love me," Lucas interrupted suddenly, his voice soft yet firm.

Claire froze, her mind blank. "W-What?"

"You're jealous because you love me," Lucas repeated, his words striking her heart with startling accuracy. His dark eyes softened for a moment, as though peeling back every layer of her guarded heart.

Claire's lips parted, but no sound came out. Did she love him? Yes, of course she did—but admitting it out loud? That felt impossibly daunting.

"I..." she began, but her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl, cutting off her confession before it could form.

Lucas blinked, then let out an amused chuckle. "Seriously? You're hungry *now*?"

Mortified, Claire wiggled out of his grip and hurried toward the kitchen. "I-I'm making something to eat!" she called back, desperate for an escape.

Leaning casually against the kitchen doorframe, Lucas crossed his arms. "I can't tell if you're actually hungry or just avoiding my question," he teased, his voice carrying a hint of challenge.

Claire busied herself at the counter, fumbling with the toaster as her mind raced. The intensity of his gaze burned into her back, and she dared not turn around.

"Have you switched your brain to snail speed again?" Lucas teased, his deep voice closer now. His arms encircled her waist, pulling her against his chest. His breath grazed her ear as he whispered, "Or is this question just too hard for you to answer?"

"Lucas..." she murmured, her voice trembling.

His lips brushed against her ear, featherlight, sending shivers down her spine. "I'll wait for your answer, Claire. But not forever."