Chapter Eleven

Lucian

“Fuck!” I growl, as I realize I slammed out of the apartment without the keys to any of my vehicles. I can’t go back in and see Lia yet, though; I just can’t. With no other choice, I set off on foot and walk a couple of blocks until I come to the sports bar at the end of the block. Apparently, it’s ladies’ night, so there is a crowd of hopeful women and horny men hanging all over them. I find a quiet spot in the corner of the bar.

The bartender, an attractive woman about Lia’s age wearing a T-shirt pulled tight across her big tits, puts a napkin down in front of me and gives an appreciative smack of her red lips. She’s not hiding the fact that she likes what she sees, but I couldn’t give a good fuck. “Hey, sugar, what can I do for you tonight?” I don’t miss the double entendre in her voice, but I ignore it.

“Bourbon, neat and make it a double. Actually, just bring me the bottle and a glass.” Fuck trying to wait on her to come back once she gets busy.

She smirks, shaking her head. “Sugar, that’s expensive. How about we just go glass by glass for now?” I wordlessly pull out my wallet and throw my black American Express Card on the bar. Her eyes widen as she picks it up. She’s obviously been around enough to know that a black credit card usually means money and a lot of it. “You got it, sugar,” she says, turning away with an extra sway in her hips to get the bottle. Her tiny shorts display an award-winning ass, but I’m not interested. She sets the bottle and the glass down before pouring a generous measure. “What else can I get you?” she asks, leaning against the bar. I can plainly see her skimpy bra as the V-neck of her T-shirt gapes open. I’m sure she’s an expert at that move and I look away, not even vaguely tempted to take her up on her silent offer. Finally, she gets the message and moves away, thank fuck.

I’m three glasses in when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I jerk around in surprise to see Sam standing there. He doesn’t seem surprised to see me at all, so I know this isn’t an accidental meeting. He points to the bottle in front of me, asking, “Think you can get me another glass?” Instead of shouting for the eager bartender, I stretch across the bar and manage to hook a glass from under the cabinet. “Impressive,” Sam smirks as he pours a small amount into his glass.

“Why are you here?” I ask bluntly. I’m in no mood for company and just wish he’d leave.

“Lia called me. She was worried about you. She had already checked to see if you took your car keys so I knew you were on foot.” Pointing toward the front of the bar, he adds, “Since there are nothing but restaurants and stores here, I took a wild guess you’d be in the first bar you happened along.”

I’m surprised Lia called him but as I think back, I realize she and I have never really had a fight. We’ve had disagreements, like most people, but I can’t recall either of us slamming out of the apartment. Even as upset as I am, I feel guilty. She’s been through so much, and I know she doesn’t need this added stress on top of everything else. While there are plenty of men who might panic at the thought of an unplanned pregnancy, she has no idea that it’s my biggest trigger. I take another drink of my bourbon before saying, “I’m fine, Sam. You can go on home. I won’t be here much longer.”

I can literally see him settling onto his barstool. “I don’t have anywhere else to be, so I’ll just keep you company.” At least ten minutes pass as I continue to drink and brood while he pretends to watch the football game on the bar television.

I surprise myself when I blurt out, “Lia might be pregnant.” I see him freeze in the act of lifting his glass just for a split second before he resumes the movement.

“I see.” He doesn’t say anything else as if waiting for me to continue.

“She hasn’t been taking her pills since her attack. She didn’t realize it until Dr. Kay mentioned it this morning.”

Sam nods, looking far calmer than I feel. “That’s perfectly understandable, Luc. She has been dealing with a lot.”

I nervously shred a napkin with my fingers as I stare into my drink. “I know that, and I’m not blaming her. It just…threw me. I shouldn’t have been so damn careless. I mean, how many times do I need to learn that lesson?”

“Lia isn’t Cassie, and you don’t even know that she is pregnant, do you?”

I find myself glaring at one of the few people in my life who I love. I’m not in the mood to be soothed; I want to drink and forget. “Don’t you think that I, of all people, know the difference between Lia and Cassie?”

“Do you?” he throws back immediately, causing me to surge to my feet unsteadily. “Sit down!” he snaps, and I’m so surprised by the command in his tone that I obey instantly. He turns sideways on his bench to face me fully. “Luc, you’re like a son to me and I love you. You’re a rich, successful man with more drive and ambition than anyone I’ve ever known. You’ve bottled up every ounce of rage inside you and used it to succeed beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. You keep women in a neat corner of your life and never allow yourself to feel anything for them.”

“There’s a woman living with me right now, Sam, and she doesn’t fit into any ‘neat corner of my life,’ trust me on that.” I say, hoping he’ll stop talking. He’s forcing me to think, and that’s the last thing I want to do tonight.

“She may not fit in a neat corner, but she fits with you perfectly. She loves you, Luc, and not just for what you can give her. That girl has been to Hell and back just as you have. Unlike Cassie, it has only made her stronger. She is your match in every way, and I think you know that.”

My gut clenches as I say the truth, which haunts me. “I can’t lose anyone else I love. I won’t survive it.”

“Something can happen to any of us at any time. There are no guarantees in life, son. I wish there were. What I do know is that Lia loves you and you love her, as well. You can deny it to yourself all you want, but it’s been plain to everyone else almost from the beginning. You’ve never let another woman this close to you, even Cassie, if we’re being honest.”

“After all that has happened to Lia, the thought of her being pregnant fucking terrifies me,” I tell him. “It caused something inside of Cassie to snap. What if the same thing happens to Lia? You know they come from similar pasts.”