THE CITY BETWEEN US

le who wouldn't ask too many questions. She liked the anonymity. That's where she met him. Lucas had a physique that turned heads-broad shoulders, sharp jawline, and that

he pastel gold flicker on her nails, even the random places she'd post about visiting on Instagram. He made her feel seen. Wanted. Then came the night that changed things. It was a casual hangout-mutual friends she'd made in the city had invited her to a small get-together. Turned out, Lucas knew them too. Small world. Drinks flowed, music played, conversations blurred into shared jokes and lingering looks. Later, on the balcony with the skyline behind them, Lucas brushed her hand and said, "You really don't know what you do to people, do you?" Before she could answer, he kissed her. Soft at first, then real. Everything inside her surged-fear, excitement, longing. That kiss became the beginning of something neither of them fully understood. Eventually, the truth came out. He was married. Not unhappily. Not separated. Just... married. Everything at home was fine, he admitted. "She's great. We've got a good life. But you-" he paused, searching her face-"you've got this pull on me I can't shake. It's not about something being wrong at home. It's about something being diff