The billionaire's sweet editor
Chapter 57: Lucas: Meeting the family

Chapter 57: Lucas: Meeting the family

IRIS HASN’T spoken to me since leaving to clean her house on Saturday. She only sent a message saying to bring her stuff today since her grandparents are coming back on Monday at noon, which is tomorrow.

I have been sending her text after text, greeting her, and sending her goodnight messages, but no replies have been coming from her so far. It’s like all the progress we’ve made last week has suddenly disappeared and we’re back to square one, where she hated my guts and I fell for her undeniable charm.

Leaving her alone and betting all my chances on giving her back her clothes tonight is my only hope. I just have to see her for just a few minutes to satisfy the crippling feeling killing my heart from not seeing her for two days now. I got used to the idea of us being around each other 24/7 and I forgot she can easily slip away from me.

Delusion is a scary thing. I miss Iris.

Wrapping up the details for tomorrow’s meeting, I check the time. It’s exactly 6:15 PM. If I drive to Iris’ place I’ll arrive in thirty minutes. We both live in Avondale, but my house is a bit isolated from the world. I like the solitude I get from being in the peaceful middle of a forest.

Paul and Tim have already placed Iris’ suitcases in the car boot by the time I arrive in the car park, waiting to wave goodbyes as if I’m departing for a holiday. They came home yesterday after I extended their off days so I could clean the mess Iris and I made.

Thankfully, I was able to remove everything and air out the rooms before Tim came with his bath meter of a nose and smelled the sex right out of the sheets.

"I’ll be back late, but save some food for me, okay?"

"Yes, Luke," Tim responds, handing me a coat.

I pause taking the coat from him, eyeing him with surprise. "What did you just call me?"

"Luke," he answers without wavering. Looks like Iris has been giving my staff private lessons on what to call me. I’ll have to ask her when we meet how much she taught them.

"Are you sure I shouldn’t drive you, sir?" Paul asks. I can tell he wants to see Iris one last time before she disappears from our presence, but my gut won’t let him drive me. After all, I have important things I’d like to discuss with her, like how I’m planning on telling her I like her a day before the event.

Yes, I’ve finally decided to do it. I’m going to the event as a taken man if everything goes according to how it played in my head. And for that to happen, it has to be me and Iris alone at her house, not with Paul overhearing from the car. He might grab her attention and steal the shot I want to shoot.

"Sorry bud, I have to go alone today. Something big is about to happen."

He raises one eyebrow and nods as if he understands everything I said. Not about to waste any more time on them, I take the coat from Tim and get in my car. The two of them watch me leave, Tim waving at me until I reach the gate.

I smile at his lovely gesture. Yeah, buddy, I’m gonna need all the luck I can get today.

★★★★★

I arrive in thirty minutes as I suspected. Living with Iris has given me this weird habit of checking if the lights are on every time it’s dark outside, just like I’m doing right now as I park the car outside her house.

I’ve been reducing the brightness of the lights at home every chance I got and she has been progressing steadily at handling the dimness without knowing. We would be going down to fifty-five percent today had it not been for her moving out.

The flood light in front of her house is bright enough to light up a part of their street and the small orchard on the other side of the close. Taking out her suitcases, I pull them toward her gate and place them on either side of my legs before knocking on the large barricade.

It doesn’t take long before I hear footsteps echoing on the pavement inside as Iris approaches and opens the gate, opening her eyes and mouth wide when she sees me standing on the other side.

"What are you doing here?"

First strike. I bleed out at the comment. Her tone is low key telling me to fuck off. Pulling the suitcases until they’re standing between us, I lazily shrug. "You asked me to bring your clothes yesterday, remember?"

"When did I—" Then she scrunches her face, doing the most silent scream I’ve ever heard in my life, hands and fingers wriggling animatedly as she tries to compose herself.

"Shit I’m such an idiot. I thought I deleted the message not knowing I had deleted it for me and not everyone in the chart. I should have sent you another message just in case."

Okay. I’m beginning to really worry about her.

"What is happening, Iris? Is there someone or something inside that I shouldn’t see?"

Pushing me back outside, she closes the gate behind her. Her palm on my chest feels like home. I want to drop her bags and hold it there, keeping the warmth and softness of her hands all to myself, but I can’t. Iris pins me on the gate, gesturing for me to lower my head.

I follow the instructions. "My grandparents decided to pull a surprise visit. They’re inside the house right now and I can’t risk you meeting them. What if they know you and end up asking questions?"

"Do I look embarrassing?" I question her, getting annoyed by her response to me visiting her family home. Why does she have to act like her grandparents bite when I can see from her well-kept state and all the lighting that they care for her as much as I do?

"No you don’t, but I don’t want them asking questions," she pushes me to the car, returning to the gate to take a suitcase I left when she pushed me.

"I’m smart though."

"Smart, not wise. My grandparents are both and I’m sure they can piece everything together the moment they lay their eyes on us."

"Isn’t that a good thing? We can make a good impression on them and cancel all these hide-and-seek games," I press on.

Iris stops trying to carry her heavy bag and puts it in the car boot. Her attention turns to me, a glare so fierce it ices my skin and leaves cracks in its wake.

"Stop being difficult and get in the car before my grandparents see you."

I’ve done it now. I’ve pressed that last button I wasn’t supposed to, and I don’t think I’ll be able to book the day for my confession today.

"Sorry," I mumble assisting her with her bags and closing the boot. She pats my back, standing a few feet away to allow me space to load the bags.

"It’s okay. I understand where you’re coming from, but telling them now will only burn us later."

Doyou?Really?

"Trust me," Iris soothes my shitty thoughts. "If you meet them now, you’ll regret it all your life."

"Who’ll regret what?" A voice that sounds like it belongs to an older woman comes from the gate. Both Iris and I flinch, Iris even letting out a shocked gasp and touching her chest when a beam of light points in our direction from the gate.

"Grandma!"

Grandma?

"Who is that?" She points her phone’s torch at my face, piercing my eye with the white light.

I wince, covering my eyes with my hand. "What is it?" A masculine voice, probably Grandpa’s, calls out from inside. He pops out from the gate, freezing when he sees me standing next to his granddaughter with her hand on my back.

"Iris is that your boyfriend?" Without waiting for her reply, he chuckles happily, making his way toward us and removing Iris’ hand from my back. "Finally, a handsome man for a beautiful lady. Welcome home, grandson-in-law."

Okay, it’sofficial. IlikeGrandpa.

"Wait. He is in a hurry to a meeting, you’ll make him late, " Iris lies for no reason.

"Aww come on. We finally get to see you bring a boy home and you tell us he’s in a hurry. Surely you can make time for your girlfriend’s old man can’t you boy?"

"I can Grandpa," I reply, looking away when the ice glare comes from Iris’ corner.

"Now that’s a good man right there. I’m sure Iris is in good hands," Grandpa says, laughing too loudly for someone who didn’t hear a joke.

"I’ll be the judge of that," Grandma blurts out, walking past me and Grandpa. "Who wants honey and lemon tea with ginger biscuits?"

"Me," Grandpa immediately responds, patting my back and nodding his head at the gate with a smile on his face. "I’ll meet you two love birds inside."

I turn in Iris’ direction but she, like everyone else, walks past me, placing a hand on her neck and doing a you’re dead sign to my face. I gulp, stepping inside the gate for another irreplaceable experience with Iris.

This time, I crossed a line that I can’t ignore. It’s either do or die, or I’ll lose Iris, for good this time. Time to up my charm and people-pleasing skills because Grandma looks like she means business. If I play my cards right, maybe I can get Grandpa to side with me before she starts burning me with questions.

It’s all up to hope and sheer luck now.

★★★★★