Chapter Eight
Max
What a fucking shit show that was. I expected it to go down like a lead balloon, but not like this. I really thought they would have at least given us the chance to talk it through.
We all stare in the direction Mum left in, her angry footsteps quieting the further away she gets.
James is frozen in place, watching the door my mum just left through in what I can only describe as shock.
His mouth hangs open and eyes wide as he stares helplessly at the now empty space.
If I weren’t so angry, I would have taken a photo.
“Dad?” Lucy asks weakly.
He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t even flinch at the sound, as if he heard nothing at all. He just stands there.
When I glance back at Lucy, my heart shatters.
She looks broken. I have never seen this side of her before.
She is usually so full of life and joy. If I didn’t already know how much I felt for her, I definitely do now.
Seeing the sadness etched onto every part of her face is killing me.
How dare my own mother react this way to us?
I know it’s a shock, but for fucks sake, we’re grown arse adults.
We’re not related. What we’re doing isn’t wrong.
How could loving a woman like Lucy ever be wrong?
“Dad!” She says louder this time.
James lowers his head, shaking it side to side.
With heavy shoulders, he leaves the room, not uttering a single word to either of us.
That’s when the damn finally breaks. A noise I can’t describe comes from Lucy's lips.
She drops down to her knees and buries her face in her hands, shuddering cries wracking through her entire body.
“What have we done?” She croaks out.
“We didn’t do anything wrong, baby.” I kneel in front of her and take her face between my palms. “It will just take time…”
“No, it won’t. Who were we kidding? This was never going to work. We can’t do this to them, Max.”
No, no, no!
I’m losing her. I can feel it in every ounce of my being. Pain is radiating from her as her body starts to vibrate.
“We are meant to be together. You know this, baby. We have always known it. I won’t lose you.” My voice breaks, my eyes bouncing between hers as I stroke the side of her damp face.
“I can’t be the reason our parents aren’t together, Max. I couldn’t live with myself if they lost their love because we selfishly put ours first.”
I must truly be the most selfish human ever to her, as I would happily put us before anyone else. I would burn the fucking world down for her.
“Please. Lou. Don’t do this,” I beg. My nose stings as my own tears threaten to spill down my cheeks. “I love you. We can get through this. We all can.”
She still won’t look at me. I’m scared of what I’ll see when she finally does.
She shakes her head from side to side, as if the motion will rid her of the moments that have just happened.
She takes slow, steadying breaths, and I feel the instant she mentally pulls away.
Her guard is rising so high it’s impenetrable.
When she finally tilts her head back, I can see the blankness settle behind her eyes. Her decision has been made, and there is fuck all I can do about it.
“I love you too. But, that isn’t enough.”