True Love's unexpected twist

36- 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓵𝓲𝓹𝓼

As for Zander's family, his mother, Aurelia, was particularly upset about his sexuality and relationship with Lucas. She feared that it would damage her reputation in their social circle and wanted to disown him. As if Zander's depression wasn't already a heavy burden for him, his mother's disapproval and threats of disowning him added another layer of complexity to his struggles.

Feeling trapped and unable to please his mother, Zander complied with her demands and stopped seeing Lucas. He tried to focus on his therapy and improving himself, hoping that one day she would accept him for who he was.

A few months later, Zander's mother softened her stance and allowed Lucas to visit their home again. However, she made it clear that there were conditions - Lucas would have to work as their personal driver in exchange for the privilege of seeing Zander.

Lucas agreed to the arrangement, knowing it was the only way he could see Zander again. He tried his best to maintain a professional demeanor around Zander's family and focused on driving them wherever they needed to go.

-present-

Zander enjoyed the roller coaster ride with Maria, screaming in delight as they twisted and turned through the air. He felt a sense of freedom and happiness that he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Lucas stood off to the side, watching Zander and Maria enjoy the ride. His heart swelled with pride seeing Zander so happy and free. He remembered the struggles they had gone through together and how far they had come.

After the roller coaster ride, Zander and Maria stepped off the ride, their hearts racing from the excitement. They walked back to where Lucas was standing, chatting animatedly about their experience.

"It was amazing, wasn't it?" Zander replied with a grin. He turned to Lucas and said, "Thanks for waiting for us, Lucas. I had a great time."

"You're welcome, Zander," Lucas replied with a smile. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness knowing that this was the extent of their relationship now—just friends who occasionally hung out together.

As they were about to part ways, Zander turned to Maria and said, "Baby, let's go there next!" pointing at another fun ride in the distance. Zander asked Maria enthusiastically, pointing to other fun rides at the amusement park. They held hands as they walked towards the next thrilling attraction together.

For the next fifteen minutes, Zander and Maria enjoyed themselves immensely on various rides throughout the amusement park. Zander and Maria enjoyed their time together, laughing and screaming on various rides. Despite Lucas's presence as their chaperone, he could sense that there was an undeniable connection between them.

As the evening drew to a close, it was time for them to leave the amusement park. Zander, Maria, and Lucas walked together, talking about their favorite rides and experiences. As they neared Zander's car, Lucas paused and turned to them.

He opened the car door for Maria and Zander , helping them in before getting in himself. Lucas walked around to his side of the car and got in as well, starting the engine and driving them to nearby cafe.

As they drove to a nearby cafe, Lucas asked them where they would like to eat. He glanced at them in the rearview mirror, noticing how close they were sitting together and couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

"A nearby cafe sounds perfect," Zander replied. "I'm not too picky." He turned to Maria, who nodded in agreement. He looked at Maria and smiled, his heart still racing from the roller coaster ride.

Lucas pulled up to the cafe and parked the car, helping them out before leading the way inside. As they sat down at a table, Maria reached over and fixed Zander's hair, making sure it looked neat and tidy.

"There you go, handsome," she said with a smile. Lucas couldn't help but feel even more jealous as he watched them interact. He tried to focus on the menu but found himself lost in their conversation.

Zander sat next to Maria, his arm resting lightly on the back of her chair as they looked at the menu together. They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't notice Lucas staring at them from across the table.

"Oh yeah, Lucas," Zander said apologetically. "I didn't notice you there. What do you want to eat?" He turned his attention to the menu, trying to include Lucas in their conversation. Maria did the same, glancing at Lucas and asking what he would like.

"I'm not too picky," Lucas replied with a tight smile. "Whatever you guys are getting sounds good." He could feel the tension building between them, but tried to ignore it and focus on making their evening enjoyable.

Maria could sense the awkwardness and tension in the air. She knew they were both once a couple, so she wasn't surprised by it. However, she didn't want to make things worse for anyone involved. "It's okay," she said softly, trying to break the silence.

"Let me order for us," Maria suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm good at deciding what people like." She ordered for everyone, hoping that would help ease the tension. Lucas smiled slightly at her gesture, feeling slightly better.

Zander looked at Maria and nodded in agreement. He was grateful for her attempt to ease the tension and hoped that it would work. He turned his attention back to the menu, trying not to focus on Lucas too much.

Zander sat closer to Maria, sensing that Lucas wasn't in the best mood. He didn't want anything bad to happen and wanted to make sure they were all safe. He continued to scan the menu, trying not to let his nerves show.

They finished ordering and waited for their food to arrive. The silence was heavy, but none of them wanted to make things worse by saying something awkward. Lucas stared at his menu, trying to ignore the tension between him and Maria.

Zander suddenly reached out and touched Maria's lips, breaking the silence between them. "You have such pretty lips," he whispered softly, trying to lighten the mood. He hoped that this small gesture would help ease some of the tension in the air.

Maria looked at Zander, confused by his sudden comment about her lips. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to play it off casually. "Is there anything wrong with my lip?" She glanced over at Lucas, hoping he wouldn't notice the odd exchange between them.

Maria took her mirror out and checked her lips, still confused about what Zander meant. "No, everything looks fine," he said, setting the mirror down. "Maybe I'm just thinking about kissing you again," he  joked softly, trying to break the tension.

Maria laughed, feeling relieved that there was nothing wrong with her lips. "Oh, haha," she said, chuckling at Zander's joke. "I thought you were talking about something being wrong with my lip."