Chapter 160

Eleanor's POV

I nearly fell flat on my face when the door suddenly opened. Only my quick reflexes and a lifetime of yoga classes saved me from an embarrassing collision with Serena, who was apparently in quite a hurry to leave.

"Eleanor?" Serena's surprise quickly turned to suspicion. "What are you doing here?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping!" The words tumbled out before I could stop them. I straightened up, trying to regain some dignity. "I was just worried about you two. It's already 3 PM, and after such an... exhausting night, aren't you hungry?"

Serena's cheeks colored slightly, but she maintained her usual composure. "I'm actually heading out to pick up some things."

I couldn't help but notice how she moved - there was something different about her usual grace, a subtle change in her posture that made my inner romantic sit up and take notice. "Things?" I echoed, trying to keep the grin off my face.

"Your brother needs..." she paused, clearly choosing her words carefully, "some new clothes."

Oh. My. God.

I bit my lip to keep from squealing. This was better than I could have iamgened. "New clothes?" I repeated innocently. "What happened to his old ones?"

"Eleanor." The warning in Serena's voice only made me more curious.

I held up my hands in surrender, watching her as she walked toward the elevator. Once she was safely in the elevator, I practically bounced into the apartment. "Lucas!" I called out, heading straight for the bedroom. "Dear brother, are you decent?"

"Go away, Eleanor." His voice came from behind the partially closed bedroom door.

Naturally, I ignored him. Pushing the door open, I found him wrapped in a bathrobe, looking decidedly less composed than usual. The room itself told its own story - rumpled sheets, scattered pillows, and was that a torn shirt peeking out from under the bed?

"So," I drawled, perching on the edge of an armchair. "You and Serena finally worked things out?"

Lucas gave me a look that would have frozen most people in their tracks. Unfortunately for him, I'd developed an immunity to his death glares. "It's not what you think."

"Really?" I gestured at his general state of disarray. "Because what I think is that you and Serena finally stopped dancing around each other and-"

"Eleanor Yates." His voice held that particular tone that usually meant I was pushing my luck. "Whatever scenario you're constructing in that overactive imagination of yours, I suggest you deconstruct it immediately."

But I wasn't about to let this go. Not when I'd been watching these two stubborn idiots circle each other for months. "Don't tell me..." I gasped in mock horror. "You couldn't satisfy her?"

The pillow that hit me square in the face was probably deserved.

"Out," Lucas ordered, but I caught the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth that meant he wasn't really angry. "Now."

"Fine, fine." I stood up, smoothing my dress. "But seriously, Lucas. Are you okay? Both of you?"

His expression softened slightly. "We're... figuring things out."

"That's not a no," I pointed out.

"It's not a yes either." But there was something in his voice, a warmth I hadn't heard in a long time. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Nope!" I settled back into the chair. "I'm perfectly happy waiting right here until Serena gets back. Someone needs to make sure you two actually talk instead of just making eyes at each other and pretending nothing's happening."

"Eleanor..."

"Besides," I continued cheerfully, "I want to see what kind of clothes she picks out for you. Given how your current outfit ended up, I'm curious about her taste in-"

The second pillow hit harder than the first.

"Out," Lucas repeated, but I could hear the reluctant amusement in his voice.

"Fine," I sighed dramatically. I closed the door softly and made myself comfortable on the living room couch.

Serena's POV

I stood in the bedroom, my back still turned to Lucas.

"You can turn around now," Lucas said, his voice carrying the hint of amusement.

I turned slowly. The sight that greeted me made my carefully maintained composure falter for a split second. The clothes I'd hastily picked out at Saks Fifth Avenue - the black coat, white shirt, and khaki pants - somehow transformed on him into something that belonged on a magazine cover. It was unfair how effortlessly he wore them, as if they'd been tailored specifically for his tall, athletic frame.

"Does it meet your approval, Serena?" He adjusted the coat's collar, his movements deliberate and graceful.

I forced my expression into neutrality. "It's adequate. Eleanor's been waiting."

"You haven't answered my question about the fit," he persisted, taking a step closer. The afternoon sun caught his profile, highlighting the sharp angles of his face.

"The sales assistant chose well," I replied curtly, moving toward the door. "We shouldn't keep Eleanor waiting any longer."

"Always so proper, Serena." The way he said my name sent an unwanted shiver down my spine. "Except when you're not."

I shot him a warning glare. "Don't."

His grey eyes held mine, filled with an intensity that made the room feel suddenly too small. "Don't what? Remind you of how well you know my measurements?"

"This isn't appropriate," I managed, my hand finding the doorknob.

"Says the woman who bought me underwear." His low chuckle followed me as I yanked the door open and stepped into the hallway.

The sound of Eleanor's exasperated sigh greeted us as we entered the living room. She sat perched on the edge of the sofa. "Finally! I was beginning to think you two had forgotten about dinner entirely."

"My apologies," Lucas said smoothly, the picture of sophisticated charm in his new attire. "Serena was kind enough to provide me with more suitable clothing."

Eleanor's eyes widened slightly as she took in his appearance, then darted between us with poorly concealed interest. "Well, Serena, I must say you have excellent taste. Though I'm curious why Lucas needed new clothes in the first place?"

"A minor inconvenience," I cut in before Lucas could respond. "Shall we discuss dinner?"

"Dinner's been ready for quite a while," she said with a light laugh. "I'll have Walter bring it out now."