29

Lucas' POV

I groaned as I felt my body waking up to a new day. I yawned and opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was a mass of brown hair on my bed, which confused me for a second before I remembered I had taken a girl to a hotel. I eyed her naked back as I got memories of last night which was the same as always; boring. They always lay flat on their backs while I did the work which was becoming tiring.

I rolled onto my back and sighed then stared at the window, planning how my day would go. After thinking, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and unlocked it. I idly went through the notifications on my phone and when I was done, I was about to drop the phone when I saw a surprising text.

Jackie: Hi, it's Jackie. Can we talk? It's about what you said the other day and I need a place to stay.

I sat up at the message and read it one too many times to understand that what I was seeing wasn't some sort of dream. I rubbed my face, still in shock that she could send such a text. Especially when we only spoke weeks ago. I was not expecting her to accept my offer and I was at the same time, happy she did. 

I got out of bed and looked around for my pants and shirt. I found them and wore them, while the girl slept. Once I was done, I wore my shoe and dropped some money which was her pay on the nightstand then left the room.

As I walked through the hallway, I dialed Jackie's number. It rang for a moment before it went to voicemail which made me curse under my breath. I called her number again, but she did not answer.

"Maybe she's busy," I said and stopped in front of an elevator. "Well, at least she accepted my help... Fuck, Jackie not only accepted my help but will be living with me. Fucking hell!"

I did not realize the weight of her presence in my life until now.

[|]

As soon as I got to my apartment, I immediately started to pick up the clothes lying around the place. 

"I can't believe I'm just noticing how untidy this house is. God, I'm such a dirty piece of shit," I said as I picked up every clothing off the floor, off the couches and tables before running to my room and dropping them on the floor.

I looked around the room and my eyes widened. There was only one large bed in this house, and I had no idea of what the sleeping arrangements would be like. I ran my fingers through my hair and groaned.

"Let's leave the sleeping arrangements for later. I need to clean the whole place up," I said and removed the blankets and pillows off my bed. "I need to take all of these things to the laundromat. If I have to wash this house from ceiling to floor, I will."

Once I had taken the lining and blankets off my bed, I realized what I was doing and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why am I acting this way over a girl?" I asked myself and chuckled. "This is weird... So weird and I should not be acting weird. She's just a girl and I'm sure she wouldn't care if my home was a mess, right?"

I looked around the room and saw some of my shoes scattered under its rack then rose, resuming my cleaning activity.

Five hours later, I was done cleaning the house, doing the laundry, and going shopping. I felt satisfied and almost dizzy because I had barely eaten or taken a shower and when I sniffed my armpit, I reeled back.

"I need to take a shower," I said and rushed into the bathroom. 

I took my time to shower, enjoying the cool droplets of water running down my back and heated scalp. After twenty minutes, I came out of the bathroom and heard my phone ringing. 

"That must be her," I said and rushed to the study desk close to the room's window where my phone was charging. I unplugged it and smiled when I saw it was Jackie calling. I answered the phone and exhaled.

"Hi?" Her soft voice filled my ears.

"Hey," I said, and she cleared her throat.

"Uh, did you... D-did you get my text? Of course, I'm sure you did because y-you called and all."

I could not help but smirk at how shy and flustered she sounded. I imagined her cheeks stained with blush and her head bowed, looking away. Jackie had the cutest expression when she was shy.

"Yeah, I did. So, are you serious about moving in with me?"

She stayed quiet for some seconds, and I wondered if she had ended the call.

"Yes... If it's okay with you. If it isn't, I can simply talk to someone else because—"

"Jackie, I accept."

"You do?!"

I smirked. "Yeah. You can stay with me. I don't mind. Besides, this house gets lonely sometimes. I need company."

"Thank you so much, Lucas! You have no idea what this means to me... Oh, and I promise to help you pay rent if it's—"

I frowned. "No, don't do that."

"But I can't be living in your house without paying for something."

"Jackie, I own my apartment. Meaning, I bought it. I don't pay rent and please, don't pay for anything."

I heard Jackie take deep breaths before she exhaled, most likely feeling emotional. I was feeling so good that I could help her. Something about housing her made me feel different. I wanted her to feel safe under my roof knowing the circumstances she was facing. 

"Thank you so much," she whispered.

"I'll always be here to help," I said, and she hummed. "When will you be moving in?"

"After the exams," she replied and I facepalmed.

I could not believe I had cleaned the whole house without asking. Now, I had to wait another full week before she moved in with me.

Why was I so in a damn hurry?