Chapter 8 tarane tumed around . Thisgo took a few steps forward , walking up the steps toward her . The dun efreetemp cest a slented glow over him , tracing the lines of his broad shoulders and narrow waist beneath the white shirt . His trusted hangs fell casually across his forehead , and his sharp features were so striking they made her heart skip a beat . Laurena's first reaction was to turn on her heels and flee . To her surprise , Thiago grabbed the back of her collar . " What's with you ? Do I have fleas or something ? Why are you always avoiding me ? " Meanwhile , Lola stared in disbelief at them , " You two know each other ? " Thiago's gaze dimmed . " Did Luciana say she didn't know me ? " Without thinking , Lola blurted , " No , she said you looked too- " Before the word " handsome " could come out , Luciana had covered Lola's mouth and dragged her six feet away . " I - I didn't say anything ! She's got the wrong guy ! " " Girl , what ? " Lola thought . A moment later , Luciana finally managed to send Lola off , but only after sheepishly promising to treat her to a meal . Throughout the jexchange , Thiago had been quietly watching them with amusement , Lola eventually disappeared from sight after glancing back every few steps . Luciana slung her canvas backpack over one shoulder and walked bris ty up to Thiago , " You needed something ? " " I can't see you if I don't ? " She pulled out her cheeks slightly , blinking at him in confusion . She didn't quite catch his meaning . Hands in his pockets , Thiago crossed his legs , his posture lazy but deliberate , " I've waited for you for four hours . " " What ? " Luciana was shocked . " For what ? " " For a meal with you . " He tilted his head , continuing , " Did you forget what happened this afternoon ? " At that , she instantly remembered the pad incident and turned red , Had he come to a so - called idea and decided to let her buy him dinner ? " You didn't grab a bite at all earlier ? " she asked , Adhuckle escaped from his lips . " Didn't your coworker tell you ? I only had water , " Luciana Ishered , genuinely unable to make sense of Thiago's behavior . He had a girlfriend , so why wasn't he with her ? Why come looking for Luciana instead ? He couldn't possibly still be holding a grudge from high school when she used to pester him , right ? After some thought , she pulled out her phone , lowered her head , and asked , " What do you want to eat , and how much does it roughly cost ? I'll just transfer you the money " This time , Thiago's expression visibly darkened . " We were deskmates for a whole year , Luciana . Can't we grab a meal and catch up like normal people ? Ain I really that unbearable to you ? " Luciana instinctively took half a step back . " It's not that I don't want to … " Deep down , she knew the truth . She was afraid that too much contact with him would open up an old wound in her heart . She was afraid that emotions long buried would come flooding back like a fidal wave , drowning her and leaving her breathless . That feeling resembled an addiction , and like all , she knew it would end in pain . Still , she couldn't pull away from him . Thiago said , " Then that settles it . Hop on . I'll drive , " " Oh , okay " flona towed him toward a sleek blue McLaren parked not far away . She didn't know much about cars , but she could tell this one cost a fortune . The moment the door swung upward with a dramatic whoosh , she stumbled back in shock . Across from her , Thiago leaned his elbows casually against the car roof , a faint sinile dancing on his lips . It wasn't mockery but something gentler , like indulgence or like he was used to her reactions . He weid lastly " I forgot to tell you that it has scissor doors . If you're not used to them , I'll drive something more normal next time . " Labor's heart skipped a beat Next time ? Why would there be a next time ? How many meals did she owe him for a misplaced sanitary pad ? " Gr . " Things stopped suddenly " Do you prefer my not - so - sturdy mountain bike ? " Chapter 8 The moment those words left his mouth , Luciana realized he was teasing her for not recognizing his luxurious mountain bike . She pursed ber lips without replying and climbed into the passenger seat . With her canvas backpack resting on her lap , she had just barely settled in when the light around her dimmed . Thiago had suddenly leaned in , his figure blocking out the glow of the streetlamps filtering through the windshield . They were so close that she could make out the tiny , seductive mole beneath the corner of his left eye , Tension tightened every muscle in her body as she pressed herself back into the seat . She was afraid that even the slightest movement would result in making skin contact . " W - What are you d - doing … " " Seatbelt , " he replied , fastening the seatbelt for her . " Saving you the hassle , " After doing that , he didn't move away . Instead , he lowered his gaze and looked at her . Luciana felt like her heart was about to leap out of her throat . For a long moment , Thiago said nothing until … " Why do you seem different from before ? " Luciana lifted her eyes , her voice soft as cotton . " Different how ? " He gave a lazy smirk , " You've gotten dumber . " She was speechless . The McLaren sped through the city streets , a streak of metal against the velvet night . Luciana stared out the window at the blur of Jaxwell's lights rushing past , her heart tight with unease . She had just sent money home earlier , and now , she barely had 500 dollars in her bank account . What if Thiago decided to take her somewhere upscale ? Would she have to stay behind to wash dishes if she couldn't cover her part ? She bit her lip and finally turned to ask him cautiously , " Where are we going ? " was already late , and most restaurants had closed by then . Surely , he wasn't planning to take her to one of those ridiculously expensive private kitchens? Thiago's hands rested casually on the steering wheel as the city's neon lights spilled through the windshield , gilding the sharp lines of his profile with gold . " I'm craving burritos . " Luciana widened her eyes in shock as if she had misheard something , " What ? Burritos ? Like , from a food truck ? " " Yeah . " " You don't mind food trucks ? " Thiago looked up , casting her an ambiguous look . " Were those burritos you used to buy me in high school from a five - star restaurant ? " The words hit Luciana like a soft slap , cutting off her anxious thoughts in an instant , Memories from her senior year flooded her mind . The school cafeteria was expensive , and Luciana would often sneak out to buy breakfast from the food trucks outside . Almost every time , she would get an extra portion for Thiago . He had never turned her down and always devoured every bite . However , that only fueled her assumption that he had come from a struggling family and showed up to school every morning with an empty stomach . At that thought , Luciana asked , " You didn't go to school without breakfast , did you ? " " Yeah . Imagine having a feast at home and then being forced to eat burritos like I was starving . " She lowered her head in embarrassment . " Why didn't you just tell me … " " Didn't bother to . " " Oh … " She clutched the edge of her backpack , waves of regret crashing through her chest . Thankfully , Thiago wasn't the arrogant , entitled type . Otherwise , those countless burritos would've ended up splattered across her face . The two didn't say another word the entire drive . Before long , the McLaren pulled up to a street that felt oddly familiar . Thiago switched off the engine and turned to her with a grin . " Were those burritos from this place ? " Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!