27. LYCA
Chapter 27
LYCA
I felt a hand on my arm, and even before turning around, I knew it was Xander.
“Can we talk?” he asked softly, as we boarded the plane, ready to head back home.
Ignoring him, I pretended not to hear anything. Instead, I caught up with John who was right in front of me. We settled into seats beside each other again on the plane. He seemed surprised by my sudden so chattiness and friendliness, but, of course, he appeared to be delighted about it. Little did he know, I was simply distracting myself and avoiding Xander.
I was relieved to find that Xander had been assigned a seat two rows behind me meant I wouldn’t have to see him and endure the ache in my heart, at least for the duration of the flight. Last night, I hadn’t come back to the villa. I was already willing to pay extra and to book myself a different room, but fortunately, the receptionist informed me that they had a vacant room that had just become available. They gave it to me for free. Lucky me.
“Hey, you alright?” Drake asked me once we were at the airport in California. He was the one who’d transferred all my stuff from the villa to my new room during our last evening in Monaco. He’d of course known that something was troubling me and that Xander and I were fighting, but he’d respected my silence and hadn’t forced me to open up.
“Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry.” I gave him a smile though it felt so empty.
“Lyca!” he called out to me as we were all piling out of the airport. As if on cue, a pregnant woman came out of the crowd and called his name. She had wavy blonde hair and looked like a goddess, except that her stomach was already protruding. I felt my own stomach tightening. Tears threatened to fill my eyes, and I quickly looked away.
I tried to avoid Xander during the days that followed by staying at my mom’s house and then at Jessie’s. I’d also taken a leave of absence from work, informing the management that I wasn’t feeling well after the trip. I didn’t even attend the victory party for the team.
“You can’t go on like this forever,” Jessie told me one day. She looked very concerned about me.
“Who said so?” I snapped. I was angry, sad, disappointed, and frustrated all at the same time. But I had to pull myself together for my son and the people who truly cared about me.
I gave my best friend a hug. “I’m sorry, Jessie. But don’t worry about me, I can handle this. Besides, why don’t you tell your fiancé that I’m ready to take his job offer if it’s still available?”
Her mouth dropped open. “Sure?”
“Absolutely,” I said firmly. I’d made up my mind. In fact, earlier that day, I had already tendered my resignation and even checked out a new apartment where I could move.
It’s time to move on, forget about Xander, and focus on my own career.
Weeks passed. Finally, Xander stopped trying to call me or see me. He’d gotten the message, and it hurt like hell. But damn, he was about to become a father. There was no place for me in that scenario.
Rain pelted against the windows on that last night I was to spend in my old apartment, the sound of a steady thrumming filling the space. I moved from room to room, packing away the last of our belongings. “Lucas, can you come help me with this?” I called out, but there was no response.
I walked into his room, expecting to find him absorbed in a book or playing with his toys, but the room was empty. “Lucas?” I called again, a hint of worry creeping into my voice. Still, there was no answer.
I made my way to the living room, where I saw the front door slightly ajar. A cold shiver ran down my spine. “Lucas!” I called out, panic rising in my chest.
The elevator doors opened. One of my neighbors came out and heard me. “Lyca, I saw your son running outside the apartment building. I came up here to tell you. He was going too fast, running after a cat I think… I’m so sorry I couldn’t catch him…”
“It’s okay! Thanks!” I hurriedly answered, stepping into the elevator and pressing the ground floor button. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I bolted out, calling my son’s name.
I raced out into the rain, the cold drops soaking through my clothes. “Lucas!” I shouted, my voice barely audible over the downpour. Frantically, I searched around the building, my heart pounding in my chest.
I saw a figure darting between the parked cars. “Lucas, stop!” I cried out, running after him. As I got closer, I realized it wasn't him. The rain was blurring my vision, panic gripping me.
I checked every corner, every hiding spot, but there was no sign of him. “Lucas, where are you?” I called out, my voice hoarse. Tears mixed with the rain on my face as I realized he was nowhere to be found.
A familiar car pulled up in front of me. Through the rain-splattered windshield, I saw Xander stepping out of the driver's seat, his expression one of concern and confusion.
“Lyca, what's wrong?” he asked, rushing over to me and leading me into the car. “Come on, you’re going to get sick out here.”
I tried to speak, but my words came out choked with tears. “Lucas... he's gone missing and I can’t find him,” I managed to say, my voice breaking.
Xander's eyes widened in shock. He dialed the emergency number for the police and reported Lucas missing, providing all the necessary details.
I was shivering from the rain, so he took off his jacket and handed it to me. “You don’t want to get sick, Lyca,” he said gently. “You have to stay strong so we can find Lucas. Now tell me what happened, then we’ll search for him together, alright?”
I nodded, giving him a rundown of what the neighbor had told me.
He squeezed my hands as I felt a fresh stream of tears coming down my cheeks. “We’ll find him, Lyca. It’s going to be okay.”
The strength and confidence in his voice gave me hope. “Okay, let’s search some more.”
Together we drove through the streets, searching for any sign of my missing son, trying to be heard above the sound of rain and thunder. I felt a glimmer of hope knowing that Xander was by my side, determined to help me find Lucas.
As we passed by alleys and side streets, Xander suggested he check some of them on foot, just in case Lucas had wandered into one of them.
“I'll be right back,” he assured me, stepping out into the pouring rain. I watched anxiously as he disappeared into the darkness, his figure quickly becoming obscured by the heavy downpour.
While he was gone, I sat in the car, my heart heavy with worry. Moments later, he returned, his clothes soaked through, but his resolve unwavering.
“I couldn't find him,” he said, his voice filled with frustration. “But I've called my father's assistant. He's going to form a search team and come over here fast.”
We kept on searching for Lucas all through the night, along with the police and the search team that his father’s assistant had sent. The rain had finally stopped, but my tears hadn’t. This was my worst nightmare coming true.
Xander placed an arm around me, gently running his fingers through my hair as he comforted me. “I’m always here for you and Lucas, Lyca,” he whispered.
His phone rang then. It was his dad’s assistant. “Yes?” I heard him say. “At the park? Okay, we’ll be right there.”
He turned to me with a look of relief. “They’ve found him, Lyca. He’s alright.”
“Oh, thank God!” I cried, my shoulders shaking as more sobs came out of me.
Xander gave me a quick hug before driving off to the nearby park where Lucas had reportedly been found taking shelter under the slide and shivering in the cold while he hugged a small cat.
When I saw my son, he appeared drenched but generally okay. His blond hair was matted across his forehead and his eyes were filled with fear.
“Lucas!” I shouted, running toward him.
“Mommy!” he yelled back, rushing to me. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I was trying to protect this cat from the rain, but it ran away and then I got lost… and then…”
“Hey, it’s okay, Lucas,” I whispered soothingly, hugging him tightly, while Xander carried the cat.
“I’ll make sure your cat is taken care of too, Lucas,” Xander said.
“Thanks, Uncle Xander!”
As I held Lucas in my arms, relief flooded through me, knowing he was safe. But amid the relief was a surge of conflicting emotions. Seeing Xander's care and concern for Lucas, the ease with which he comforted him and cared for his newfound pet, stirred something deep within me. At that moment, I realized just how much I was falling for him.
I’m falling head over heels in love , I thought in great surprise. A myriad of emotions flooded my chest.
It pained me to admit it, even to myself. I had been so focused on protecting my heart, on keeping my distance from Xander to avoid any complications, especially with his current situation. But now, as I looked at him, his hair soaked from the rain, his eyes reflecting genuine compassion, I couldn't deny the deep feelings inside me.