Convincing her

Jen became painfully aware of her bad mood the moment Lucas had come to stand next to her. As they walked further and further away from the crowd, the heaviness in her chest subsided as well.

She did not know what was wrong with her. She knew that she should be used to these types of situations especially because she had been brought up in that environment.

She followed Lucas' lead blindly as he led her to an inconspicuous room that was directly attached to the hall. It was put there in case the people at the party wanted to have a private conversation that was not meant to be heard by other people. Of Course, the priority user was the host of the party.

Lucas opened the door and brought Jen inside before locking it so that they would not get interrupted. The moment the two of them were completely out of the crowd's vicinity Lucas' mask fell and he worriedly walked towards Jen who looked like she was lost in thought.

"Jen, are you alright? Are you feeling ill?" Lucas asked his voice filled with concern for her. He even went as far as lifting his hand to her head to check her temperature in case she was feverish.

"I'm, don't worry about it. The entire scene just brought back memories that I don't find particularly pleasant" Jen answered and attempted to smile in reassurance but the smile looked strange enough to make Lucas frown.

"Be honest with me. Do you want to go home? You don't look fine at all" Lucas said with a frown.

He knew she was lying and he hated being lied to but at the same time, he could not bring himself to scold her for it. When Jen heard him talk about taking her back home she became worried that he would.

She wanted to be with him at that moment because it was the first time he was hosting a company event. He was even the main character that night if she left it would be too irresponsible of her. It was a moment in his life and career that she really could not afford to miss.

"I don't want to go home, I want to stay here with you. I just suddenly realised how some of the people that had surrounded me today did not even recognise me even though I had met them in the past. Not everyone there was a new face and even after introducing myself with my full name, no one was able to make the connection between me and my family and that left a bad taste in my mouth" Jen explained as she looked at the floor.

Lucas was silent for a few minutes after he heard what Jen had to say. He was a bit unsure about what would be the most appropriate response to their current situation. He did not think that attending the party would trigger the unpleasant emotions that Jen was currently feeling.

As Lucas' silence persisted, Jen was also thinking about why she was acting the way she was. Even though she had not attended a party of a similar nature since after her family went bankrupt, she had still attended one a few months ago. She wondered whether it was possible that she was alright then because of Hellen's presence.

Lucas noticed that Jen had gotten lost in her own thoughts once more and pulled her in for a hug. Jen felt the warmth of his body through his clothes and could not resist the temptation to hug him back. 

The strong arms that were holding her made her feel like she was being anchored and the chaotic thoughts that she was experiencing subsided.

Jen slipped her hands into Lucas' jacket and wrapped her arms around his waist. She did not take long to calm down and at some point, she started feeling embarrassed by her own actions.

She couldn't help but think about how Lucas probably left the conversations he was having hanging because she was not able to get a hold of herself.

She even remembered how everyone was looking at the two of them as they walked away from the crowd. As she thought of that she wondered how long they had been locked in that room. She was not ready to be misunderstood by anyone yet so she quickly stepped away from his embrace.

"We should go back now. You can't leave your guests waiting for too long" Jen said as she straightened her clothes and made sure that nothing was out of place. Lucas looked at Jen partly in disbelief and partly in amusement.

"You'll have to take responsibility," Lucas said with a mock frown on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Jen asked as she looked at him.

"You have clearly used my body for selfish reasons and now that you are satisfied you've pushed me away" Lucas as he folded his arms in front of him in a defensive manner.

Jen had no response to what he had just said. She knew that Lucas enjoyed teasing her but she couldn't help but think that he was being too much.

"We should really return, people are waiting for you," Jen said as she tried to stop herself from breaking into a fit of laughter.

"You need to promise me first, that you will take responsibility," Lucas said stubbornly.

"Fine, I'll definitely compensate you later," Jen said as she picked up the clutch that she had dropped on the ground when she had been hugging Lucas.

Once he heard her response the look on his face changed and became predatory. Jen finally realised what she had just signed herself up for. She was surely going to regret it, especially since they had promised his mother that they would go to the main house for lunch the next day.

The more she thought about it the more she despaired. She shook her head as if she was shaking off the thoughts she was having and looked at Lucas before she turned around and walked to the door. Lucas chuckled and followed her outside and naturally, slipped his hand around her waist possessively.