Talia Nassar

"Not again? What's not again?" I cross my arms.

Bill sighs and glances up to the ceiling as Charles slams his fist against my desk. "After all my son has done for you, you're going to throw it back in his face?"

"What the fuck are you talking about Charles?"

Bill glances at Charles and holds up his hand. "We said we wouldn't say anything."

"Oh, come off it, Bill! My family's in shambles because of her!"

My veins thrum. Something happened. With Lucas. Something happened involving Lucas. "Well I'm leaving so Lucas can have the job!"

My pulse spikes once Bill shakes his head. "He doesn't want the job."

"W-what do you mean he doesn't want the job? He wasn't offered the job, right?" When both men stay quiet, ice slides over my body. Reality hits me like a cloud of smoke to the face and I let out a sardonic laugh. "Of course. How could I be so fucking stupid? You offered the job to Lucas first and he declined it." Both men remain silent again. "Seriously? No one is going to man up and admit it?"

Charles rolls his eyes. "Lucas was offered the job first because he was the better candidate. He didn't accept it because he wanted you to have it. No matter how hard I tried to convince him, he still wouldn't take it. And now you're not even taking it? Are you trying to ruin his life on purpose?"

My mouth falls open and heat pumps through my body. Lucas gave up the position for me, even though I explicitly told him not to drop out? "I'm sorry, where is Lucas? I need to see him."

Charles tilts his head back. "He's gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"I don't know."

I glance between the old men sitting in front of me. "Bill, I'm sorry for leaving like this. I don't have anything against you. You're good at your job and I appreciate you letting me work here, even though Cora likely forced you to do it. And Charles," I shift my gaze to the man who looks so much like Lucas, "I know you dislike me. And I know you probably think I slept with your son because I wanted this position. Truth is, I don't care what you think. You've disrespected me and you've certainly disrespected Lucas. He looked up to you even if he didn't say it. And you supported him about as strongly as a ten-year-old ratty bra."

Charles remains frozen with a reddened face and Bill's mouth continues to open and close, like he doesn't know what to say.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, I need to leave. Thank you for everything, and best of luck with the new CEO search." Without waiting for either man to respond, I sprint out of the office.

Ethan looks up from his desk like a deer caught in headlights when I approach. "Ethan, this is an emergency. Where can I find Lucas?"

"Ummmmm."

"Ethan! Seriously, now is not the time! For the love of God, where is Lucas?"

"Uhh, umm, uhhh, I think maybe his house?"

"Text me his house address right now! I have an emergency." I trip over the carpet as I turn from Ethan's desk, my heart racing. I quickly take off my heels and begin sprinting through the hallway, down the stairs, and to my car.

Each passing second feels like a lifetime. I need to see Lucas. To tell him everything.

Ping.

A text from Ethan with Lucas' address pops up on my phone. I quickly map it and race out of the building. Praying I don't get pulled over, I speed through the streets of Boston, with my body shaking.

I approach a large, modern-looking house on the edge of the city and park in front of it. Without even locking my car, I sprint up to the door and start banging on it like a mad woman. "Lucas! Open up! It's me!" I continue pounding against the wood, but no answer. "Lucas?" Moving to the side of the house on a grassy area, my heart sinks as I notice that no car is in the driveway. Either he's parked inside the garage or he's not home.

I run back to the front of the house and plaster my face against the window that overlooks the living room. A suit jacket lays across a couch, but all the lights in the room are out. "Fuck, he's not home."

"Talia?" Lucas' deep voice makes me jump and I stumble over the bush I'm in front of and fall to the ground. "Oh my God, are you okay?"

I pick myself back up, quickly brushing myself off before looking at him. "Hey, Lucas!" He's breathing hard and sweat lines his forehead as he carries what looks like a brown paper grocery bag. I scrunch my face. "Were you on a run?"

"Ethan texted saying something happened and you were on your way here. I ran back from the grocery store. What's happening? Are you okay?" His eyes scan over me as if he's checking if I'm missing a limb.

I shake my head and try to straighten my stance. "I'm here because I'm pissed off!" A twig falls from my hair and I fling my hand in the air briefly. For a moment we stand here just breathing hard, looking like we both just ran a marathon.

"Okay."

"Okay? That's all you have to say? You don't want to know why I'm pissed off?"

He furrows his brows before using the back of his hand to wipe off the sweat on his forehead. "Tal, you're always pissed off."

I try taking a deep breath to steady myself. "Not like this! I fucking told you not to drop out, and what do you do? You fucking drop out!"

Lucas closes his eyes. "Who told you?"

"It doesn't matter! You promised me, Lucas!"

His eyes shoot open and fire lights behind his irises. "I promised you I wouldn't drop out of the competition. We were past the competition at that point."

"For like zero point one second!"

"I'm not sorry for what I did. I told you, you deserve the position."

I shake my head. "No, I don't! You deserve it! That's why I dropped out today. The job is yours, Lucas!"

The bag in his hands drops to the floor. "No!"

"Yes! I'm out. I don't want it. It's yours!"

"I don't fucking want it." His voice is loud and someone walking their dog glances over from the sidewalk.

"No! You don't get to be pissed! I'm pissed!"

"Talia, you've waited your whole life for this job! Don't quit because you found out I dropped out. Don't let your fucking pride get in the way of what's yours!"

"I dropped out before I knew what you did!"

Lucas' eyes grow wide. "What?"

"I quit, Lucas! I couldn't sign the paperwork. The past couple of weeks have been hell for me! I've been a mess without you. I thought it was what I wanted. I thought I could solve all my problems by reaching the top. But it turns out, I fucking can't! This whole time I've thought men were my biggest enemy. And when I found out you started the rumor, it just sort of confirmed it fully for me. But the more time passed, the more I realized how fucked up that situation was. They fired me over a stupid rumor that a kid heard at a party?" I scoff. "Like what the fuck? They didn't even hear me out or look into the allegations." I take a deep breath, trying to calm my voice. The neighbors are surely calling up the police by now. "I thought you were my enemy, Lucas. I thought you were the reason for all the hardships in my life. But in reality, it's the fucked up system that's caused all of it. It's our industry. It's the fucking economy who doesn't want to give me a goddamn break." That sadistic bitch!

Lucas opens his mouth but no words come out.

I continue with tears blurring my vision slightly. "I know how much you've been hurting these past few weeks, and I'm so sorry for putting you through that. I'm so unbelievably sorry, Lucas! I'm such a bitch! I told you I loved you and then left you when things got hard." I shake my head. "I'm done fighting a system that's broken. I'm done running away from feelings that scare the hell out of me. I want to be with you. I want to work with you. I want to do everything on this earth with you!"

Leaving his grocery bag behind, Lucas swiftly reaches me. He grabs me and slams his lips against mine. My body erupts in flames as our mouths mold together. He picks me up and I wrap my arms and legs around him. We continue kissing like two people in starvation devouring a buffet of food as he moves us into the house and slams the door behind us. "Take your fucking clothes off," he pants out.

We stumble through the house to his bedroom, kissing and removing our garments from each other through the process. Being with Lucas again, touching him again, is lighting my nerves aflame like never before. I missed everything about him. His smell. His laugh. His smile. The cute little mole on the side of his pelvis.

"I missed you," I breathe out as I yank myself out of my underwear.

"I missed you so much." He shoves his fingers inside of me and I moan. "Fuck, Habibti. I missed this pussy, too. And these tits too." His other hand pinches my nipple, sending shockwaves through me.

I grab onto his cock and begin pumping, eliciting a groan out of him. "I missed your big cock. Get it inside of me! Now!" I order.

He grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. A smirk paints his face. "What have I said about bossing me around?"

"You love it."

He chuckles. "I fucking missed you so much." He repositions us so my back is against the bed. We roll around kissing, naked bodies intertwined with each other.

A squeal of excitement leaves my lips as Lucas flings me up onto his lap. I quickly straddle him as he positions himself in front of my entrance. "I missed-" I stop and gasp when Lucas rams himself into me.

"Fuuuuck. You're so, so wet for me." He starts thrusting in and out. "This is it, baby. It's just us from now on."

"Just us, mmmm, yes, Lucas!" His finger strums my clit as he continues to thrust in and out.

"I mean it, Tal. I want to be with you long-term. You're it for me."

"You're it for me too," I pant out as my stomach begins coiling within me and the pleasure continues mounting.

"Good, then we agree, we'll be together forever?" Lucas increases the pressure against my clit and my head drops forward against his chest.

"Yes! God, yes! Forever, Lucas! Anything you want!" The pressure continues to build and soon spots cloud my vision.

"Marry me, Talia," he grunts out as his movements grow more ragged.

Those words force me to the point of no return. Shots of pleasure begin firing off rapidly through me. Lucas' warm cum fills me and I squeeze myself around his body as I moan out his name.

We fall back against the bed together once Lucas pulls out, and I lay on top of him breathing hard, my body in a state of euphoria. I bob up and down from his rapid breathing and close my eyes, relishing the sound of his wild heartbeat. I glance up and our eyes lock, making my heart swell against my ribcage. I've never felt so happy and so free. There are an endless amount of possibilities for us to do together. Our careers are a blank slate, and we can do anything we please. I can conquer the world if I want to and Lucas will be there to cheer me along. He can all of a sudden decide to scale Antarctica and I'll be there holding his water bottle for him.

It's him. Always him.

I smirk before giggling. "Just name the date and I'm there."