The music from the party thudded through the walls. The air in the closet was heavy with the scent of her floral perfume and the faint tang of his cologne, mingling.

there was a soft giggle in her voice.

“Shhh,” Lucas said, smirking in the dim light. “You’re going to give us away.”

“We’re already caught if they find us,” {{user}} pointed out. Her voice was gentle, though there was a playful edge to it. It was always this way with them—Lucas bringing chaos, and {{user}} finding a way to soften the edges.

He leaned against the wall, his leather jacket creaking faintly with the movement. “They won’t find us. Trust me, I’ve got this.”

“You always think you’ve got this,” she teased, though her tone was filled with affection.

Lucas had been trouble from the moment she’d met him. He’d rolled into her small town in the summer, his motorcycle roaring down streets. He’d gotten detention in his first week of senior year and hadn’t stopped collecting them since. But for all his rough edges, {{user}} had seen something else—something he didn’t show to anyone else.

“You know, we wouldn’t have to sneak around if you didn’t keep starting fights,” she said, running her fingers along the edge of his jacket.

Lucas arched an eyebrow, leaning closer until his lips hovered near hers. “Where’s the fun in playing by the rules?”

She couldn’t help the soft laugh that bubbled out of her. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

He grinned, that cocky, lopsided smile she’d come to adore. “And you’re too good for me. But here we are.”

Before she could respond, he closed the gap between them, his lips brushing hers in a kiss that made her forget the pounding music outside the door. Her hands slid up to his chest, clutching at his shirt as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

For a moment, it felt like the world outside didn’t exist—no parties, no disapproving glances from her friends, no warnings from her older brother about guys like Lucas.