Rain drops and Silken lies

Meadow's POV

I felt a whirlwind of emotions when I saw Caleb at the restaurant. It almost felt like he had been following me. Still, when he offered to help, I didn't hesitate. I was too emotionally drained to overthink his presence.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, blowing my nose into the tissue he handed me before tossing it out the window.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently. I could feel his gaze burning into me.

"What makes you think I'm not?" I shot back, hugging myself tightly.

"Everything," he said with a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean?" I asked, pretending not to understand him, but he didn't respond. I turned to him and found his eyes watching me intently — like he was trying to read the parts of me I'd locked away.

"What happened?" he asked again.

Damn, he just keeps ignoring my questions.

"I want to go home," I said, closing my eyes and folding my arms across my chest.

"What did he do?" Caleb's voice broke through again, low but firm.

"Caleb, please!" I snapped, my voice shaking. I was angry — angry at myself for starting all this chaos, angry at him for still caring, angry that I gave up on him too quickly. The guilt was unbearable. It sat heavy in my chest like a rock. Seeing him now, still gentle with me, didn't help.

I wanted him to hate me — that would've made it easier to say goodbye. But the more he showed he still cared, the more my heart raced, the more suffocated I felt. Being in this car with him made my skin crawl with guilt and confusion. I just wanted to be in my room, buried beneath blankets and heartbreak.

"Please, Caleb," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I just want to go home."

Tears blurred my vision again, hot and unrelenting.

He didn't say another word. He simply started the car.

The drive was silent, painfully so. The silence didn't bring peace — it amplified the pain echoing in my chest. I fought back sobs, biting my lips to keep the sound inside. I didn't want him to notice.

I wept silently for the girl I used to be… and the future I had imagined. I kept my eyes on the window, watching raindrops race each other across the glass, just like the tears that wouldn't stop falling from my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mead," Caleb said softly.

But I couldn't respond.

I just cried… and cried… until sleep stole me away.

---

Narrator's POV

"What are you thinking about?" Lucas asked, his voice cutting into the air between them.

"Huh?" Debbie blinked, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Oh… nothing."

"Don't tell me you're still thinking about him," he said dryly, narrowing his eyes.

"He's a forgotten case, okay?" she smiled, placing her manicured fingers on his hand. "I'm free to be with you now."

"Your little show downstairs says otherwise," he replied, pulling his hand away.

She gave him a questioning look.

"You might as well have thrown daggers at him with your eyes when he kissed that girl."

She flipped her hair and smirked.

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

"You think?"

"I know," she said confidently, swirling pasta around her fork.

"You still think about him."

"Lucas, I was paid to be in that relationship with him."

"And you caught feelings in the process," he finished her sentence with precision.

She chuckled and leaned in, her voice low and syrupy. "You know I'm yours only."

"And I want to keep it that way," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"You're upsetting me." She pouted, folding her arms on the table, purposely pushing her cleavage up.

Lucas gave a low scoff. "Playing the seductive mistress, are we?"

"And it's working, isn't it?" she teased, tracing her finger slowly around her wine glass.

"You know me too well, babe," he murmured, bringing her hand to his lips. She giggled like a schoolgirl.

To Lucas, everything about Debbie was enchanting. The way she tilted her head, the glint in her eyes, the sly way she smiled — she had him spellbound.

"Hold on. Let me take this," he said as his phone rang. He stepped away from the table, leaving her behind.

Debbie watched him — Lucas Storm. The man who swept her off her feet, the man who gave her everything she ever wanted. She adored the way his deep blue eyes lingered on her when he thought she wasn't looking. She craved the sight of his dimples when he smiled that sinful smile. His lips, that perfect nose, and those defined muscles — God, the man was a walking dream.

She didn't regret leaving Kieran for him.

Kieran wasn't a bad catch either. She had fun playing both men, balancing chaos and lust like a master puppeteer. But that game had ended. She thought of Kieran again — those magnetic kisses, the unforgettable nights. It was such a shame it was all over now.

But was it really?

She smirked.

She could get him back. He was too emotionally weak to resist her if she really tried. That stunt at the parking lot — that wasn't anger. That was pride. And pride was easy to break. Men were easy to break. That was her specialty — finding their weakness and pulling until they crumbled.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her back to the present.

"Hey," she answered sweetly, switching into her flirty tone.

The voice on the other end spoke.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't miss me too much," she cooed before ending the call. She twirled her pasta again, unbothered.

"When is he planning to get me that apartment?" she muttered, just as another notification popped up.

> Hurry up. You know I'm not a patient man.

She scoffed, lips curving into a dangerous little smile.