Abi woke up the next morning, her body feeling strangely heavy, unable to move. Warmth enveloped her from behind — a firm chest pressed against her back, a strong arm draped around her waist, and a leg entangled with hers. Panic shot through her as her heart began to pound wildly. The thought of being in Richard's custody flashed through her mind like lightning, and she froze, feeling the hot breath fanning the side of her neck.
Her mind scrambled to piece together what had happened the previous day. She remembered Richard chasing her, the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, and then crashing into something hard — but what happened after that? Did she pass out? She couldn't remember.
Dark, fearful thoughts crept in, making her tremble. Tears welled up in her eyes and began soaking the pillow beneath her head. As she lay there, lost in panic, the arm around her waist tightened suddenly, making her gasp softly.
"You're awake," a voice murmured in her ear — low, calm, and familiar — making her jolt. "There's no need to be scared. You're in safe hands," the voice continued, even deeper and steadier this time.
Abi's eyes widened. That voice… it wasn't Richard. She had heard this voice before — only a few times, but she knew it. Her heart raced even faster as the realization dawned on her.
No… it couldn't be him… could it?
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, burying his face into the crook of her neck.
Abi's heart skipped a beat as she felt his lips brush against her skin.
"Lu… Lucky? Is that you?" she asked shakily.
"Mm. It's me," he replied softly, his fingers gently brushing through her hair. "There's no need to be scared, okay?" His words prompted her to turn around and look at him fully.
It was him. It was really Lucky. But how… how had she ended up here?
"But… how did I… how did I get here?" she asked, still stunned.
"I found you lying on the street," Lucky said calmly, his tone soothing but careful. "So I picked you up and brought you here."
"Are you sure you didn't see anyone else with me?" Abi pressed, her voice trembling slightly.
"No, I didn't. Were you with someone?" Lucky asked, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Oh, I see. So you pretended to be sick yesterday so I'd let you go early, and you'd have the chance to hang out with your friends. I know all your girls' tricks. No wonder I found you drunk," he teased, his lips curling into a faint smirk.
"That's a lie. I didn't pretend to be sick; I really wasn't feeling well. And I wasn't drunk… I was drugged," Abi said firmly, her tone sharp.
"Really? Who would dare drug the tigress?" he replied, still smirking, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes.
"Seriously, stop. This isn't funny," she pouted, glaring at him.
"I never said it was funny," he chuckled, trying to hold back his laughter.
"Look at you fuming. Should I tell you what you did to me yesterday? Honestly, I'm the one who should be angry — you tried to rape me yesterday," he said with a teasing lilt, his voice deep and enchanting.
"I don't want to know! And how in the world would I try to rape you?" she shot back, scoffing and turning her face away.
"Oh, I see. The tigress is awake, but the kitten has disappeared," he teased again.
"Do you even know how you acted last night?" Lucky continued, his tone playful but low. "You were all over me, like a spoiled kitten — kissing me, not wanting me to let you go. You were so clingy and cute, kissing me every now and then, telling me to give you mo—"
He was cut off when Abi slapped her palm over his mouth, her face turning a deep shade of red.
"That's enough. I don't want to hear any of those words again," she snapped. Beneath her palm, she could feel his lips spreading into a mischievous smile.
"You're lying. I didn't do any of that. And even if I did, it must've been the effects of the drug," she pouted, looking like an angry child.
Lucky's smile grew wider as he stared at her. Removing her hand from his mouth, he said, "So you admit you did those things yesterday? I'm just wondering what would've happened if I hadn't passed by on time."
"You're supposed to be praising me, not scolding me. I'm your hero, you know. You owe me a reward," he added with a teasing smirk, pecking her forehead lightly.
As he kissed her again, Abi's eyes widened. A wave of déjà vu washed over her — she remembered dreaming of this exact moment before.