When they reached the car, Lucas helped Serenity get settled in the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt for her. He then climbed into the driver's seat and drove to her apartment.

Along the way, Lucas stopped to buy a salve for Serenity's bruises.

"I don't need a salve. It's no big deal. Just let them be and they'll heal in no time," Serenity told Lucas.

"To me, everything about you is a big deal," he said. As if afraid that she wouldn't apply the salve, he pulled up to the side of the r