Chapter 195

Lucian POV

The morning sun shined through the wide glass windows of the café, spilling light over the pale wood and glinting off the silver cutlery. The scent of espresso and warm croissants wrapped around me like a memory I didn’t know I missed. Across from me, Ava sat curled into the corner of the booth, legs folded under her, already halfway through her second chocolate chip muffin.

“You’re not gonna eat that?” she asked, nodding to my untouched croissant.

I smiled. “I was just enjoying the view.”

She narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion. “That’s code for ‘I’m nervous.’”

I shrugged, not denying it. “Maybe.”

She popped the last bite of muffin into her mouth and grinned. “Is this about your date with Olivia that’s totally not a date even though you picked out your shirt three times?”

I huffed out a laugh. “It’s not a date.”

“Mmhmm,” she said, cleaning crumbs off her fingers. “You’re picking her up, driving her out of the city, p