FORBIDDEN ROMANCE

about him. The way he ruffled his hair when he was deep in thought. The lazy way he stretched in the morning. The way he leaned back on the couch, scrolling through his phone like no

book he'd brought from school. I wanted to say something.... anything to make him look at me. But before I could, my mom walked in. "Lucas, your dad just called," she said. "You should start getting ready. You're leaving in two days." My heart dropped. Lucas barely looked up. "Yeah, he told me already." I froze. Two days? He was leaving in two days? I don't know why it hit me so hard. It wasn't like he was moving to another country. B

led anyway, acting like it didn't matter. Like I wa

me for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright, if you say so." That was it. No deep conversation. No moment of realization on his part. He just ate his apple, completely unaware of the war going on inside me. And that's when I knew whatever I felt for him, it was one-sided. Lucas didn't see me the way I saw him. He never had. And in two days, he'd be gone. I forced a smile. "Goodnight, Lucas." "Night, Ava." I turned and walked away, swallowing the lump in my throat. If this was how things were meant to be, I had no choice but to accept it. For now. I didn't cry. Not when I woke up and heard my mom saying he'd be leaving by noon. Not when I watched him zip up his bag like it was just another trip. And definitely not when I stood outside, hands stuffed in my hoodie pockets, pretending I wasn