Trouble in Paradise
Lucas's side of the bed was empty when I woke up. The water had risen significantly when we returned from the waterfall and as magical as it seemed, it would be suicide to attempt to sleep on the beach tonight. I bit back a yawn, stretching as I adjusted my eyes to the darkness.
My muscles ached deliciously, my body remembering all the ways Lucas had taken me after we returned from our adventurous day. It was all marathon sex, followed by lunch, then swimming, and repeat.
Wrapping the duvet around my clothless body, I threw my legs over the bed and paddled my way through the small cottage in search of Lucas. A glowing fire outside caught my attention, informing me just where he was as I stood out at the porch.
I found him sitting on the white sand, some meters away from the fire.
Taking a few tentative steps from behind him, I lingered on a tree, drinking in the sight of him.
The shape of his strong muscled figure was carved out in the darkness lit by the fire, leaving only a vague picture of him.
He took a slow sip from a glass in his hand, as he watched the waves advance and recede.
The reflection of the moon swayed with every move, huge and bright and glistening in the dark.
"So your skills also extend to fire-making too," I said with a little amusement as I approached him, dopping next to him.
The glass paused halfway to his lips as he regarded me with a bemused smile. "You should be sleeping, after our long day you need to rest."
"I was sleeping until I realized you weren't next to me."
He took a strand of my hair swirling in the wind and tucked it behind my ear. "I'm sorry Muffin, I needed some air and didn't want to wake you."
"There's no need to apologize. You're right anyways, I needed some sleep." I unwrapped the duvet around my body and set it on the sand behind us. "But I don't mind watching the midnight stars with my amazing boyfriend."
With his brows raised, he gave me an amused smile—one that did not reach his eyes. I played face-up on the sheet, with my hand behind my head—my body on full display for him. "Why do I see a secret motive there? Your body cannot handle another orgasm without proper sleep."
"Sadly, there's none," I giggled, shifting closer to him, "I just want to look at the stars with you."
He settled next to me, pulling me close with his arms around my body, and kissed me. "Well, that I can do."
We lapsed into silence over the next few minutes, watching the little diamond twinkles in the sky. While the stars were a good distraction, I could not shake off the feeling that Lucas was upset, or maybe distracted. Actually, after a few more minutes, I realized he was nervous.
"Isn't it amazing," I started, trying to seek out his thoughts. "I never imagined the sky would look so fascinating without artificial lights in its way. It's even more beautiful than it looked from the telescope."
"It's like a large blanket,"
I scrunched my brows together in amused confusion, "Blanket?"
"Yeah. I like to think that no matter where I am, I'm under this large blanket with those I love so I'm always close to them."
After giving it a second's thought I digested his words. "That's so beautifully thought out. Remember the first time we kissed?" who would have thought taking that leap would bring us here.
A smile lit upon his face as I brought that night up. "You know I never in a thousand years would have imagined we would come this far when I hired you to be the nanny."
"Me neither," I chuckled, "God I hated you then." I clamped my mouth shut as I realized that was probably the wrong way to put it.
"It's okay," Lucas laughed, another hollow laugh that did not reach his eyes, "I deserved it"
"For the record, I don't think I can live without you right now, Mr. Maxwell," I said stroking his chin and kissed his lips.
"Me neither Chris, me neither."
His heavy mood remained even as I tried to stretch the conversation longer and now I was convinced there was something on his mind. This time I went with a more direct approach. "What's wrong Lucas?"
"Why do you think there's something wrong?" he stroked my shoulder lazily, keeping his eyes upward.
"You're quiet," I informed him.
"Even now?" he faked a smile. He would be able to convince anyone but me with that brittle smile.
"Lucas..." I pouted.
"I'm just thinking." he finally confessed with a sigh.
"I figured, what about?" I realized it was not yet the time to remind him that we had come here to cast our worries away completely. Not think, feel.
There was a long silence and I counted the numbers in my head, ready to ask again what was on his mind. He beat me to it though and time his smile was surprisingly more genuine and convincing. "You'll see."
"Tell me..."
"Do you want Marshmallows?" he suddenly asked.
"What?" It was probably midnight and while the offer to have marshmallows next to the fire was tempting, I was more interested in knowing what was on Lucas's mind.
Without waiting for an answer, he was on his feet, "I'll go get us some."
"Wait..." my protest was cut short as he raced towards the cottage.
"Just wait right there!" he yelled, this time his grin was visible even in the dark and it left me giggling too, confusion and anticipation swirling through my brain.
Walking to the fire, I took a stick, poking the fire.
It flamed higher with a crackling sound as sparks flew in the air.
My mind drifted to Mia, Lilian, and the kids, I made a mental note to give them a call in the morning.
While I was ecstatic to have these three days all to me and Lucas, I had started to miss them.
The last time I had been away from them so long, my hands had been tied.
I wondered what new habits and tricks the twins had learned now, and I wanted to hear Zoey's babbling again.
And my best friend, I was dying to show her the pictures and share every new detail of how this trip had gone.
Lucas was gone longer than I exp[ected and I wondered what could be taking him so long. I pushed the rest of the stick into the fire and was about to get to my feet when I felt his gentle hands on my shoulder.
"I was going to send a search party." I joked, turning to look at him, hoping to see a bag of marshmallows in his hand.
Instead, his fingers clutched his phone, knuckles white, and his face holding an expression I was not liking.
He had a worried frown on, his lips a thin line pressing together.
Whatever it was this time, it was worse than what he had on his mind earlier.
And I thought I was the one with mood-swinging problems.
My heart raced, plummetting down to my churning stomach. "What is it?"
"Come on," he held a hand out to me, the gentle way he helped me to my feet was no match with the urgency and horror in his voice.
Despite my curiousity, I followed his lead back to the cottage. He was on his feet the moment the oak door slammed shut. "You're scaring me, Lucas. What's going on?"
"We have to get ready," he said with his back to me as he picked up our belongings strewn about.
"Why?" I followed behind him.
"I got a call—"
"How does your phone receive coverage this far?" I asked stupidly, ignoring for a brief second the more important issue. Waving my hand I brushed off my question. "That's not important. What happened?"
"We're leaving."
I blinked once, then a few more times. Leaving?
That was supposed to be on Monday morning.
He turned to me, the tension in his eyes tucked away for a precious moment as he ran his fingers up and down my neck.
"I promise I'll explain on our way, we don't have much time and the chopper will be here in a few minutes. "
I was still confused as hell but decided to agree instead. Something had happened within that short time he went to get the bag of marshmallows. And it sure as hell was not good. I threw on a pair of leggings, snatching the tank top I had left on the balcony early in the evening.
My thoughts sprang through every possible explanation for why we were suddenly leaving. Did something happen back in Milan? Or Diego. Maybe something happened to Martha or Calvin. Or even worse the kids.
Swallowing the bile in my throat I followed Lucas lead into the helicopter that arrived a few minutes later. It would do no one any good if I died of a heart attack worry about them anyway. Still, I was on high alert until we were ushered into the Jet that would take us back to Milan.
Lucas had my hand locked in his as his eyes continued to drift to his phone over and more again. Despite my jumpiness, I placed my other hand comfortingly on his. "Whatever it is we'll get through it."
"My Lawyer called." he blurted like he had been dying to break the news over the last two hours.
Panic seeped slowly through me and I willed my expression to remain blank, waiting patiently for him to finish speaking even though I could already tell this was the one piece of news I did not want to hear.
Of course, there was only one person who could make Lucas this on edge.
His voice was low, with that familiar tone of self-loathing. "She got bail."
"Who?" I asked stupidly like there could be anyone else.
"Sarah. She was released on bail hours ago."
"I thought she was supposed to be tried in a few weeks."
"She was, and I'm going to find out the details once we're back home, but for now she's gone." there was something in the way he said it that made me believe that was not all. So I waited patiently for him to drop the second bomb. "There was also a security breach at the estate in Milan."
Suddenly the space around me was spinning, and I fought to keep my breath steady.
Opposing emotions danced through me. Fear is the most apparent.
"The kids..." I whispered, as memories of how far she had gone the last time flooded my brain.
There was not an iota of doubt in my mind that Sarah would give it a second go now that she had a chance.
"The kids," I said more firmly this time, holding my hand out. "Let me talk to them."
"Chris calm down," Lucas said though that did not seem to make any sense since he was not so calm himself.
"I'm not calming down until I know Abby and Aiden are safe!" I yelled. My emotions were now brawling to the top, warring past any good judgment I held.
He reached out and pulled me into his lap and I let him hold me. Burying my face in his chest, I let out a soft sob, "What if she hurt them again."
"She won't. And yes, everyone is safely back home." his voice was sharp, cold yet carried the weight of his instinct to protect. "I will not let her hurt my family Chris so relax."
"I know," I sniffled, raising my head to his, "but how long is the flight, the sooner we get back to them the better."
"Only a few hours before we get back to Milan, but I don't think you understand what I meant." his eyes burned with possession and all of the emotions he was not expressing. "I'm saying I will not let Sarah anywhere close to my family, you included."
Stroking my hair back, he pulled me back to his chest, "And that means you are my priority too, so help me out and stop worrying. That's my job"
That was hard to do though, because while he was here with me, the kids were miles away, vulnerable to that woman who had no pause button.
The thoughts of how cold her eyes were the last time we had met crossed my mind.
Sarah still felt entitled to Lucas's love and she had always seen the kids as the one hindrance from it, we had to get back to them.
In the midst of the fear pulling at me from all sides, a part of me also missed leaving the island. Partly because it was the one place we knew peace and also because right there I could convince myself that happiness was not unreachable, that we really could be happy.
If wishes were horses...I would ride.
If wishes were horses, the small fragment of happiness I had gotten from the last few days would not be shattered, left to the what-ifs of what Sarah might decide to do next.