Melissa rolled over and faced Lucas. He opened his eyes the moment she locked her eyes on him. He smirked. "What a little creep you are, watching me sleep."
"It's the only time of the day when you're not annoying me."
Feigning hurt, he gasped and flipped the covers off him. "For that, you can shower on your own."
"I already did last night after you fell asleep," she called out as he entered the attached bathroom. "I couldn't fall asleep until I knew they were home."
"What kept them out so late?"
"They were just talking."
He poked his head out of the bathroom, and a sad smile popped on his face as he looked at her. "I'm assuming you also talked with him?"
"I was his rebound," she exhaled. She told Lucas about how she may have been Ryan's mate. If she were his soulmate, it would be a difficult predicament because she loved Lucas. They worked hard to create a life together, and she didn't want to throw it all away just because she was meant to be with someone else.
Smiling giddily, Lucas ran over to bed and hovered above her. He smiled down at her, gazing at her with a sweet glint in his eyes. "I'm so glad you're all mine."
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she forced his head down to kiss her, and he instantly deepened the kiss between them. Pulling away, he hummed happily as he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too."
Lucas pecked her lips once more before hopping off the bed and walking back into the bathroom. "What are you planning to do today?"
"Probably going to work on my thesis a bit more."
"Will you be at the library?"
"Why not? I heard they have a mythical section there that might have good sources."
"You should ask Ryan to drive you over. Or does he not work there anymore?"
"No, he should still work there." She tapped her chin. "I remember him talking about how much he loved being a librarian. I don't think being an Alpha changed much for him. It's not like he gets paid to run the guild or anything."
"I don't know." He inhaled through his teeth. "He could get paid with knowledge."
"Fuck off," she laughed. Climbing out of bed, she walked into her closet and grabbed a black crop top and her long plaid skirt. As she tied up her boots, she heard the shower turn on, and she walked downstairs to the kitchen.
Theo stood at the counter, chewing on a bagel as he inspected the spreadsheets covering the counter. Someone talked to him through his phone on speaker, and she placed her finger to her lip as he glanced up at her. He smiled and nodded as she opened the fridge.
"How bad was it?" he asked.
"It's broken in eight different places," the voice on the phone said. "I'm getting surgery this Friday, and I'm staying in the hospital until then."
"How long will it take to heal?"
"Two months?"
Cursing under his breath, Theo said, "Do what you have to do to take care of yourself. I'll find a replacement for you."
"Does this mean I'm fired?"
"No," he quickly assured. "There must be someone looking for a job during the holidays who wouldn't mind helping out. You just take care of yourself. Your job will be waiting for you when you come back."
"Thank you so much, Theo," the relieved voice said. "I'm so sorry this happened."
"Don't apologize. We all fall down the stairs at one point or another. Just take care of yourself."
"Will do."
Theo hung up the phone and groaned, running his hands over his face. Feeling Melissa stare at his back, he said, "My partner fell down the stairs to his basement, broke his leg in eight different places."
Melissa winced. "That sounds horrible. Is he okay?"
"Oh, yeah. He'll be fine. He's just needing to get surgery and will be resting for two months." Exhaling loudly, he began to scroll through his contacts. "I need to find a replacement before next week."
"What's next week?"
"I have a fundraiser in the park that I'm working for. I need someone who will be able to help me sell while I pack and make drinks in the back." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "You wouldn't happen to remember anyone who happened to love to bake in high school, do you?"
"I love to cook. Does that count?" Lucas smirked as he walked into the kitchen.
Gasping, Melissa grabbed Lucas's arm and pushed him towards Theo. "Lucas can help until you find a more permanent replacement."
"What's this now?" he asked as he looked back at his fiancé.
"My partner broke his leg, and he can't help me with our bakery truck."
"Cool. I'll help."
Theo gaped at him. "Really?"
"Yeah. What do you need me to do?"
Theo could already tell that working with Lucas was going to be the death of him. He was in love with him already, and the more time they spent together, the more he would fall for him. And then the more he would feel the urge to come between him and Melissa, keeping Lucas to himself. He couldn't do that. Not to her. Not to him. And not himself. He'd feel guilty forever if he knew he forced the two away from one another.
But he needed the help. He needed someone who was willing to get their hands dirty and follow his every command as he worked long hours in a bakery truck at various events and fundraisers. And the silver lining Ryan mentioned popped back into his mind. He still needed Lucas in his life, and if becoming friends was the next best thing, then he would make do with what he had.
"Okay," he stated. "Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. We are going to pick up a lot of ingredients and then come back to start baking."
"Are you going to keep everything in the truck?"
Smirking, Theo pressed a button on the counter, and the wall beside them slid open, revealing a large fridge for storing various sweets and desserts. Lucas and Melissa stared at the fridge in awe before staring back at Theo. "Mr. Richie Rich," she teasingly snarled.
He mockingly smirked back and said, "You love me."
Ryan popped into the kitchen and stared at the fridge, whistling low before opening the pantry. "I'm assuming we're going to be eating out tonight."
"I will not be able to join you all for dinner. I have too much work to get done."
"Well, then I'm not going to join them for dinner either since I'm here to help you today," Lucas stated.
"I guess it will be just you and me," Melissa said, smiling at Ryan.
Jerking his head in her direction, his eyes widened as he stared at Theo for help. Theo shrugged, unable to do anything about it. He needed to bake everything in the next few days to be prepared for the weekend.
Lucas didn't care if the two were alone. He knew where Melissa's heart was, and he knew that Ryan respected her and their relationship. There was nothing to worry about.
Facing Melissa, who looked up from the coffeemaker, he smiled and nodded. "Guess it's just us for dinner."
"And most of the day."
"What?"
"You still work at the library, right?"
"Yes..."
"I need to study there today. You don't care, right?"
Shaking his head, eyes wide, he said, "Not at all. I'll drive you. Just let me get dressed first."
"Yeah, I need to get dressed, too," Theo said.
"You're already dressed," Lucas chuckled.
Glancing at his outfit, Theo said, "I mean, if you're going to help out, that means I can look a little nicer while meeting with my salesman."
"I really want to tease you and say you like your salesman, but I don't think he's your mate, is he?"
Hanging his head, Theo exited the room without a word. Lucas stared at him, hurt. "Fuck. I brought up a sore subject, didn't I?"
Melissa shrugged. "Might be a sore subject because of his brother."
"You did mention how you were a rebound." Gasping, Lucas brought his hands up to his mouth and shook his head. She nodded. "No. Are you serious?"
"Don't bring mates up in front of him."
"We should tone down on our relationship around him," he stated, and she agreed. "I'd hate to make him feel bad."
"We'll keep everything between us out of the house."
Smirking, he placed his hands on her hips and said, "Are you proposing a date night?"
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smirked back. "And what if I am?"
He pecked her lips. "Tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night."
"Are you going to be able to sustain yourself from trying to mate with him?" Ryan questioned while spying on their mates from the top of the stairs.
"You heard what Melissa said about loving someone. Unless she creates a strong, emotional bond with you, I can't swoop in and be with Lucas, even if he is my mate. They're in love with one another, and unless Melissa is the one to call it off, I can't interfere," he stated, fixing his plain navy t-shirt to not look as though he was trying to make an impression. "So create a bond with her."
"What?"
"If she feels an emotional connection to you, it can wake the mate bond in her. She's demi, so that mean she isn't going to feel the mate attraction until she feels a strong, emotional connection to you. If you can spend a lot of time with her and become a good friend, you can then begin to dip your feet into more romantic waters and give us each a chance to be with our mates."
"And what if she doesn't feel anything for me?"
"Then at least we'll be best friends with our mates," Theo stated. "And it's better than nothing."
Smiling at his brother, Ryan wrapped an arm around his shoulder and said, "You've grown a lot."
"I'm following your advice, because as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. We can't do that to our mates. If they want to be with us, they're going to have to fall for us naturally. We can't do anything to sway their minds, and that means not telling them until they're in love with us."
Watching Melissa and Lucas kiss softly, Ryan said, "At this point, it seems like it will never happen."
"Maybe with that attitude," Theo smirked. "I'm not telling you to kiss Melissa and butt your way into their relationship, but I am saying that we still have a chance if you're willing to put in the effort to do so."
"And what are you going to be doing in the meantime?"
Listing off his fingers, Theo said, "Bonding with my mate, getting to know him, and becoming his friend so I can work my way up to something more if the opportunity comes." Clasping a hand on Ryan's shoulder, he said, "It's up to you," before walking down the stairs and calling out to Lucas to meet him outside.
As nervous as Ryan was, the moment he spotted Melissa walking into the living room, he knew he needed to get closer to her. He would not do anything to jeopardize her relationship with Lucas, as he would never come between her and her happiness.