Chapter 28: The Aftermath of Tension

The car ride back from the club was unusually quiet. The city lights blurred past them, casting fleeting shadows on Luke's sharp jawline as he focused on the road. Iris sat beside him, arms crossed, her body turned slightly toward the window.

Neither of them had acknowledged what happened at the club—how Luke had danced with Yaz, how Iris had felt a strange twist in her chest, how Luke had noticed and seemed to enjoy getting under her skin.

The music played softly through the speakers, but the silence between them was deafening.

"You good?" Luke finally asked, breaking the silence.

Iris nodded, her fingers tapping against her knee. "Yeah. Just tired."

Luke hummed as if he didn't fully believe her. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, lips pursed in thought.

"You didn't seem tired when you were dancing with that guy," he said, his voice laced with something she couldn't quite place.

Iris shot him a look. "Are we really bringing this up?"

Luke shrugged, his smirk barely visible in the dim lighting of the car. "Just saying. You looked like you were having fun."

Iris narrowed her eyes. "And you looked like you were having fun with Yaz."

Luke's smirk widened. "Maybe I was."

Iris rolled her eyes, shifting in her seat. "You're unbelievable."

He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Relax, sunshine. It was just dancing."

"Exactly," she shot back. "So why are we even talking about it?"

Luke didn't answer right away. His grip on the wheel tightened slightly, his jaw ticking as he thought.

"I don't know," he finally admitted, his voice quieter now. "I guess I didn't like seeing you dance with him."

Iris's breath hitched for a fraction of a second, but she quickly masked it with a scoff. "Well, that's dumb. It's not like I belong to you."

Luke let out a soft chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "Yeah… I know."

Something about the way he said it made her heart stutter.

She turned back to the window, ignoring the way her chest felt a little too tight.

The rest of the drive was filled with unspoken words.

When they arrived at Luke's house, it was past two in the morning. Iris had planned to go back to her place, but she was exhausted, and Luke didn't even ask—he just parked, got out, and waited for her to follow him inside.

She sighed, dragging herself out of the car. "Guess I'm crashing here again."

Luke grinned, nudging her playfully as they walked inside. "Wouldn't have it any other way, sunshine."

Iris stepped inside, kicking off her heels with a relieved sigh. Her feet ached from hours of dancing, but her mind was still restless. She followed Luke into the living room, where he collapsed onto the couch, stretching his long legs out and resting his head against the backrest.

"Man, I'm exhausted," he groaned, running a hand through his dark hair. "You really know how to drag a guy out of his comfort zone, huh?"

Iris plopped down beside him, pulling her knees up to her chest. "I didn't force you to come, Mr. I-Get-Jealous-Over-Dancing."

Luke turned his head toward her, one brow raised. "Jealous?" he scoffed. "That's a big word, sunshine."

Iris smirked. "So, you're saying you weren't jealous at all?"

Luke didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached for a throw pillow and chucked it at her. "Shut up."

Iris burst into laughter, catching the pillow before it could hit her face. "Wow, such a mature response."

Luke huffed, shaking his head. "It wasn't jealousy. It was just… weird seeing you with some random guy."

She tilted her head. "And it wasn't weird for me to see you dancing with Yaz?"

His lips curled into a lazy smirk. "Did it bother you?"

Iris opened her mouth, ready to deny it, but she hesitated. If she said no, he'd see right through her. If she said yes… well, that opened up a whole new door she wasn't ready to walk through.

"I just didn't expect it," she finally said, shrugging. "You don't usually dance like that with strangers."

Luke studied her for a moment before leaning in slightly, his deep brown eyes locked onto hers. "Neither do you."

Iris swallowed, her heart stuttering at the proximity. She refused to break eye contact, but her pulse betrayed her, racing wildly.

"I was just having fun," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Luke smirked. "So was I."

They stared at each other, a strange tension settling between them. It wasn't the usual playful teasing. This was different—heavier, more charged.

Iris was the first to break away, clearing her throat. "I'm gonna get changed," she muttered, standing up quickly.

Luke watched her go, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Don't take too long, sunshine. I might fall asleep without my cuddle buddy."

Iris rolled her eyes but didn't bother denying it. After all, she'd gotten used to waking up in his arms.

And maybe… just maybe, she didn't mind it as much as she told herself she did.

Iris changed into one of Luke's oversized hoodies and a pair of shorts, her mind still replaying the events of the night. The way he'd looked at her. The way her stomach had twisted when she saw him with Yaz.

She sighed, running a hand through her curls before stepping back into the living room. Luke was still sprawled out on the couch, his eyes half-lidded with sleep.

"You look comfortable," she said, crossing her arms.

Luke opened one eye, grinning. "I am. You gonna stand there judging me, or you coming over here?"

Iris shook her head with a small smile before walking over and plopping down next to him. She tucked her legs underneath herself, grabbing the pillow beside her and hugging it to her chest.

Luke turned his head toward her, watching her closely. "So… are we gonna talk about it?"

Iris raised a brow. "Talk about what?"

Luke smirked. "Don't play dumb, sunshine."

She rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to talk about."

Luke let out a low chuckle, sitting up slightly. "You really expect me to believe that? You were glaring at me like you wanted to set me on fire back at the club."

Iris scoffed. "I was not."

"You so were."

"Was not."

Luke narrowed his eyes playfully before shifting closer. "Be honest, Iris. It annoyed you when I danced with Yaz, didn't it?"

Iris pursed her lips, refusing to meet his gaze. "Maybe a little," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Luke grinned. "Knew it."

She threw the pillow at his face, and he let out a laugh, catching it easily.

"Shut up," she muttered.

Luke nudged her knee with his own. "You know, you're kind of cute when you're jealous."

Iris's cheeks heated. "I wasn't jealous."

Luke leaned in slightly, his voice dropping a little lower. "Whatever you say, sunshine."

Iris swallowed hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how close he was. His scent—clean, slightly musky—wrapped around her, and his eyes flickered down to her lips for a fraction of a second before he pulled back, stretching with a dramatic yawn.

"Anyway, let's sleep," he said, his voice light and teasing again. "I need my beauty rest."

Iris exhaled, rolling her eyes. "You're insufferable."

Luke grinned. "And yet, you keep coming back."

She couldn't argue with that.

—

Later that night, Iris found herself curled up in Luke's bed, his arms wrapped around her waist, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

This wasn't new. They'd been sleeping like this for a while now. And yet, something about tonight felt… different.

Maybe it was the way his hold on her felt just a little tighter. Maybe it was the way her heart stuttered when she realized she didn't want him to let go.

As she lay there, staring at the ceiling, she wondered if she was in deeper than she had ever intended to be.