Chapter 42 Lucien
LUCIEN
With nothing but expired food in the fridge, we reluctantly trudged to Rosie’s Diner to grab something to eat. We didn’t want to intrude on Summer’s time with her family, but we thought she would’ve come home by now.
“Hey, Char,” I greeted Rosie’s alpha tiredly. “Can we grab a table?”
Char froze mid-pour, gaping at the three of us. Coffee spilled over the top of Hank’s mug and he jerked back with a curse.
“Shit, sorry Hank.” Char wiped it up hurriedly with a cloth while the grouchy bookstore owner grumbled the entire time.
“Sit, um, sit down anywhere,” she gestured expansively, her voice unusually high.
“Except where someone is already sitting!” Her laughter was canned as we stared at her.
Finally, she cleared her throat. “Menus! I mean, do you need menus?”
I shook my head. “Three burgers and lemonades would be great. We’re wiped after driving back from Boston.” I plonked down heavily in the cushioned booth. “And extra pickles for me,” I added.
Char made an odd flourish with her hands. “Coming…right up.” She disappeared into the kitchen.
“Why is she being so weird?” Jae asked.
“I dunno.” I rubbed my eyes tiredly.
An urgent whisper floated across the diner. Char was on the phone, half hidden behind the door to the kitchen.
“…they’re just sitting there. And Lucien ordered extra pickles. Like a psychopath .”
We made eye contact. Suspicious. Definitely frosty. Char hung up and vanished again.
Our burgers never made it to our table because three minutes later, a frazzled blond tornado blasted her way into the diner, her curls alarmingly bouncy.
“I cannot believe you three are just sitting here. What’s the matter with you?” Lucy demanded with an imperious stamp of her foot.
“What do you mean, what’s the matter with us?” Mercer retorted. “We only just got back.”
Lucy drew herself up to her full height, hands flying to her hips. “Why aren’t you at the hospital?”
I leaped out of the booth. “What?”
“Who’s at the hospital?” Jae asked urgently. “Is it Summer?”
Lucy’s righteous indignation trickled from her face, leaving only a stunned realization. “You don’t know.”
“Know what ?” I asked sharply.
“Shit, did she not tell you? I swear she said something about…” Lucy hurriedly checked something on her phone before covering her face with her hands. “Oh man, she’s going to be so mad at me.”
Mercer was about to pop off like a rocket. “Lucy, I swear to god—”
“It’s Uncle Victor.” Lucy’s nose went red, her words growing thick with emotion. “He collapsed in his garden this afternoon with chest pain. The ambulance came and took him to Elwood Hospital.”
No . I couldn’t reconcile the kind man who doted on his family with Lucy’s words.
But even worse was picturing Summer. Alone in that hospital, not knowing what was going to happen to her father.
The guilt of not being there for her threatened to swallow me whole.
“Is anyone with her?” I asked hoarsely.
“She has her mom. Aunty Uyên was in the ambulance and Summer followed in her car.” Lucy massaged the bridge of her nose.
“We just dropped off a care package at the house and had no idea this all occurred at the worst time. The girls were with them when it happened. Winnie’s got a stomach bug, all sad and hugging a bowl in front of the TV, and Mabel’s extra fussy because she’s getting a molar early.
Alvin was able to hold down the fort until Lina could rush back from work because Bryan’s in California for a film festival.
He’s trying to catch an early flight back, Lina wants him to stay because she knows how much it means to him, and oh my god, it’s just a lot . ”
I needed five to seven business days to process everything Lucy just said.
“We got this, Lucy,” Jae said firmly.
“Yeah? You better,” she said warningly. “This isn’t the time to get Summer’s hopes up over something you can’t give her.”
The world outside was paler. Shades of gray, all the warmth and color leeched. My heart was nestled right up against my throat as the invisible string between Summer and I grew thin.
“She didn’t think to call us.”
Mercer sounded brokenhearted. A little angry even.
“Her world fell apart and she didn’t think to call us. Because we didn’t make it clear to her that we want to be with her,” he said, growing more upset. “I want to be the one she calls. Actually, fuck that, I want to make sure I’m fucking there the moment she needs us.”
I wanted that, too. Knowing we had almost let her slip through our fingers hurt.
Not because she was an omega with an alluring scent.
This had nothing to do with designation or pheromones.
I was scared of not having her shoes to trip over anymore.
No more slow evenings around a full dinner table.
The absence of her laughter through the house.
She was ours. Our future. I didn’t want to be burdened by the past anymore.
Now we had to do everything in our power to be the pack she deserved.
“You’re right.”
“I’m what now?”
Mercer blinked and Jae said something inane about recording it as evidence.
“We need to go be there for our girl. But there are a few things we have to do first.” I smiled, feeling weightless. “Lucky there are three of us.”
Lina stared at the pile I had amassed on the table in front of her. Pedialyte, juice, and Popsicles for Winnie. A few teether options for Mabel in case she had strong baby feelings about what she chewed on. I added a couple of take-out boxes with Rosie’s Diner stamped across the top.
“I know Summer’s friends brought stuff for you guys already, but Char decided you all needed pie as well,” I said sheepishly. “Also, tell me when Bryan’s flight gets in so one of us can get him from the airport. Is he staying or coming home straightaway?”
“Staying, but only for his film’s premiere.” Lina’s expression was unreadable as she assessed everything we had offered her. “Where are the other two?” she asked.
“Mercer and Alvin are at Red Lantern so your dad doesn’t return home to fridges of expired produce. Jae’s remaking Summer’s nest back home.”
“Hmm.”
Jesus, subway announcements showed more emotion than this.
Lina rose out of her chair, the graceful lift of her shoulders entirely alpha. “My sister means the world to me. To this whole town, really.”
“I know.”
“Thank you for all of this,” she said sincerely, nodding at the pile before her eyes hardened to stone. “But don’t you dare fuck it up.”
“I can tell you that we’re all in with Summer, but I’d rather prove it instead.”
“Hmm.”
Was she impressed? Nauseated? Who could say?
“I’m picking up Mercer and Jae, and we’ll head to the hospital. Is there anything you’d like us to take?” I offered.
Was that a smile? Hopefully this was the start of a long-suffering friendship (familyship? in-lawship?) and I could hold it over Lina’s head for years to come.
“It’s getting late and I think Ba will need an overnight bag.” Lina moved toward the hall, her chilly exterior distinctly thawed. “Let me pack one.”