Chapter 54

Just as everything felt like it would be unbearable, James appeared in the sea of people, making his way over to us.

"Oh, there's James!" I said to Lucas, hitting his arm to get his attention.

James waved at us as he made his way over to our table. He wore a sleek, black suit that fit him perfectly, and I couldn't help but be shocked at how polished and professional he looked.

It was weird in a good way – a stark contrast to his usual laid-back and goofy demeanor.

"Hey, guys!" he greeted us with a grin. "Dang, you both clean up pretty nicely."

Lucas chuckled and replied, "Thanks, James. You're looking sharp yourself."

"Yeah, who knew James could rock a suit so well?" I teased, earning a playful glare from him.

"I clean up nicely when I want to," James said, feigning seriousness before breaking into a grin.

We all laughed, and the tension from earlier seemed to dissipate. It felt good to be around friends who could always bring a sense of lightness to an otherwise overwhelming night.

"Why don't we ditch this party and go grab something to eat?" James asked, flashing a smile. "I'm starving and there isn't a great selection of food here."

I glanced at Lucas, hoping he'd be up for it. "Yeah, that sounds good. Let's go," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

Relieved to get away from the never-ending gossip, I agreed, and together, the three of us made our way out of the formal, seeking a place to escape and eat.

Leaving the Winter Formal behind, it felt like my appetite caught up to me. I was so concerned with everyone else that I hadn't realized how hungry I actually was.

The three of us decided to head to a nearby restaurant to enjoy a meal together. Considering we were all dressed formally, Lucas insisted on dining somewhere a bit nicer than normal.

But even with the over-the-top setting, I still couldn't shake off the unease I felt from earlier in the evening.

"Hey, Shana," James said, trying to lighten the mood. "I thought you were going to dance the night away with Lucas. Every time I looked over at you guys, you were just standing off to the side."

I smiled faintly. "Yeah, well... I didn't quite plan to stand on the sidelines all night. The night was kind of ruined for me early on."

"Does that have anything to do with this guy's speech?" James asked, pointing a finger at Lucas. "He was really defending your honor up there."

I blushed, looking over at Lucas, suddenly to nervous to say anything.

Lucas chuckled. "Leave Shana alone, man. You're making her uncomfortable."

"I'm making her uncomfortable?" James asked incredulously. "You're the one who called her out in front of the whole school."

"Whatever," Lucas said. "At least we got out of there. Who needs a stuffy dance floor full of judgment when we can enjoy each other and a good meal here?"

I couldn't agree with Lucas more. We'd only been at this restaurant for a few minutes now and I already felt so much better than I did thirty minutes ago.

During dinner, we all laughed and made jokes, and the light-hearted banter helped ease the tension that had built up inside me.

James, the talkative and cheeky guy he was, decided to tease Lucas, "So, do you have any embarrassing childhood stories you want to share with us?"

Lucas grinned, pretending to think for a moment. "Well, there was this one time when I was about five years old. I wanted to impress this girl, so I tried to ride my bike without training wheels... And it ended badly."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I ended up crashing and scraping my knee on the ground," Lucas cringed. "I still have a scar from it."

James burst out laughing, and I couldn't help but join in.

"Aww, little Lucas was just trying to be a daredevil," I said with a giggle.

"Even then Lucas was all about girls." James rolled his eyes playfully.

Lucas had more to share, "Oh, it doesn't stop there. I then blamed it all on a 'vicious squirrel' that attacked me while I was riding."

"Yeah..." James whistled lowly. "Like that made it any less embarrassing."

We were practically howling with laughter at that point, even Lucas. These carefree and funny stories were turning the night around, and I was finally feeling more at ease with Lucas and James.

And of course, James wouldn't let me off the hook either, "Alright, Shana, your turn. Spill all of your darkest secrets. Do you have any cringe-worthy moments from your childhood?"

I racked my brain for something that I could share with them, and then it hit me. "Oh! There was this one time in middle school when I totally ate it on the stairs during a school assembly and everyone saw it, and then it just got really silent as they watched me get back up. It was mortifying."

Lucas leaned in with a playful smirk, "Did a 'vicious squirrel' trip you?"

That just sent us all into another fit of laughter.

"No. Unfortunately, there were no squirrels involved. It was just my own clumsiness doing its thing," I told Lucas.

"You're not clumsy, Shana," Lucas said, looking at me with those warm eyes of his. "You're just... gracefully unique."

Gosh, that compliment made my cheeks heat up, but I had to steer my emotions in a different direction. "Well, thanks for that... unique description of my coordination skills," I said playfully.

James raised his glass mockingly, "To our gracefully unique friend, Shana!"

"To Shana!" Lucas and I echoed, clinking our glasses together.

It was amazing how Lucas and James could turn things around, and I felt really lucky to have friends like them by my side. Yeah, this night might have been horrible and nothing like I expected, but with them around, it was a little less complicated, and a lot more fun.

As our laughter was dying down, I noticed a tall and captivating woman enter the restaurant.

She was impeccably dressed and absolutely gorgeous. Her hair bounced with every step, and her presence commanded attention from every eye in the room.

I exchanged glances with James, both of us curious about her sudden appearance.

But it was Lucas who looked incredibly worried.

Before we could ask why he had that look on his face, the woman spotted Lucas and made her way over to our table.

James and I exchanged puzzled glances, while I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Oh no," Lucas muttered under his breath.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying not to let my curiosity sound too obvious.

James noticed the woman was walking toward us and his eyes widened in surprise. "Who's that?" he asked Lucas.

Who was this woman, and why was she walking towards us?

"Lucas!" the woman said with a warm smile. "It's been so long! I missed you."

Lucas's face showed a mix of surprise and unease as he greeted her.

"Hey, Victoria," he replied, his voice sounding a bit strained.

"Is that how you treat your fiancée?" The woman said, throwing her hands on her slim hips. "Come give me a hug!"

Fiancée? Lucas had a fiancée?