Ivey's Pov
I woke up warm.
For a moment, I didn't move. The sheets were soft, the air still, the light outside dull and gray and the sky was full of clouds. It was the kind of morning where everything felt quiet.
Then I became aware of the weight around my waist.
Lucas.
His arm was wrapped over me, not tight, not possessive, just there. His body was behind mine, steady breaths brushing lightly against the back of my neck.
My heart stuttered.
We had fallen asleep like this. I remembered the tears, the way he'd pulled me close, how I'd reached for him without thinking. My body still ached, but it was different now. Softer. Less sharp.
I didn't move at first.
It was strange. It felt so natural. Like he was meant to be there, even if my brain screamed that this was all too much, too fast. But my heart? My heart just rested.
Lucas shifted behind me, his arm tightening slightly before it slipped away. He blinked sleepily as I rolled over, meeting his eyes.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then he smiled, still hazy with sleep. "Morning."
I couldn't help it. I smiled back. "Hey."
His hair was a mess, one side flattened from the pillow. He looked nothing like the polished, sarcastic guy I first met. And everything like the boy who stayed.
"Did you sleep okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "Better than I have in a long time."
"Good. You needed it."
A beat of silence stretched between us. I watched him, unsure of what to say. Unsure if saying anything would ruin the fragile calm that had settled between us.
Then he looked down, with a small smile. "You drooled on my hoodie."
I stared at him, then burst out laughing. "What? No, I didn't."
He shrugged. "I'm choosing to believe it was drool and not tears."
I rolled my eyes. "You're unbelievable."
"And you're gross," he teased, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.
I threw a pillow at him. He caught it mid-air and grinned at me like he was proud.
The moment cracked open something between us, light, easy, simple. And after everything yesterday had been, it felt like exactly what I needed.
A knock tapped against the door, and Kayla's voice floated through. "Breakfast is ready. Lovebirds, get up."
I groaned and buried my face in the pillow. "I will never hear the end of this."
Lucas laughed as he stood. "She's not wrong."
I reached for the other pillow to throw at him again, but he was already by the door. Before he opened it, he paused and looked back at me.
"I'll be right back," he said softly, and there was something in his eyes, something I didn't quite have words for yet.
But it settled warm in my chest anyway.
Lucas's Pov
The kitchen smelled like cinnamon and toast.
Kayla had gone all out. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, even fresh fruit. I wasn't sure if she was trying to impress us or distract us from the fact that she'd called us "lovebirds" through a closed door.
Ivey sat next to me, quiet but with a slight pink flush on her cheeks every time Kayla made a snarky comment under her breath.
She was eating, though. Actually eating.
It was the first time I'd seen her take real bites since all of this started.
"You sure you're okay for school today?" I asked low enough that Kayla wouldn't hear.
Ivey glanced at me, then shrugged. "I'm still kind of out of it, but… I think I need to go. For me. Just to feel normal again."
I nodded. I got that.
When we finished breakfast, I stood and grabbed my keys from the counter. "I can drive you both."
Kayla shook her head. "Thanks, but James is picking me up." She smirked. "You two can have your moment in peace."
Ivey groaned. "Kayla—"
Kayla winked and grabbed her bag. "I gotta go find lip gloss or something dramatic. You know, for boyfriend effect."
She ran out of the kitchen, leaving me and Ivey alone again.
I turned to her. "She's… a lot."
Ivey snorted. "She's the best, though."
I waited a beat, watching her trace a finger over the edge of her plate. "You sure you want to go?"
She looked up at me, eyes clearer than they'd been all week. "I'm not sure about anything right now. But I know I don't want to sit still."
Fair enough.
"Then let's go," I said, grabbing my hoodie, the one she may or may not have drooled on, and tossing her coat to her.
She caught it mid-air with a soft smile.
And just like that, we stepped out into the gray morning, the weight of last night still present, but not as heavy. Not as sharp.
Ivey's Pov
The inside of Lucas's car was quiet and peaceful. Outside, the world was a blur of wet pavement and gray skies, the kind of morning that made everything feel slower. Softer.
I leaned my head against the window, watching raindrops chase each other down the glass.
Lucas didn't speak. Neither did I.
But the silence didn't feel awkward. It felt… needed.
His playlist was playing low through the speakers. There was a soft guitar and a voice.
I found myself focusing on the lyrics without really meaning to.
I'll hold your hand when the night gets too long...
I swallowed.
He glanced over at me, one hand on the wheel, the other resting near the gearshift. Loose. Relaxed.
"I think I forgot how to be normal," I said quietly.
He looked at me again, this time longer. "You don't have to rush back into it."
"I kind of do," I said with a faint laugh. "School doesn't pause because your life falls apart."
He didn't answer right away. Just made a right turn, the wipers sliding across the windshield with a soft thunk-thunk.
"I can pull over," he said after a second. "If you want to take a minute. You don't have to go in right away."
The offer caught me off guard. I turned to him. "You'd do that?"
He glanced at me, brow raised. "I'd sit with you in this car all day if that's what you needed."
And just like that, my chest squeezed tight again.
I didn't know how to respond to that. So I just looked away, blinking quickly as the school came into view through the drizzle.
"No," I said eventually. "Thank you, but… I think I'm okay."
He pulled into the parking lot, choosing a spot a little further from the main entrance, like he already knew I wouldn't want a crowd.
We sat there for a moment.
Then he cut the engine.
Neither of us moved to get out.
"Ivey?"
"Yeah?"
He hesitated, then looked over at me again. "Are we… okay?"
I met his gaze, heart thudding just a little louder.
"I don't know what we are," I admitted. "But I know I don't want you to stop being around."
His expression softened, and something unreadable passed behind his eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
And for now, that was enough.