Chapter 21 #2
“You’re not fooling anyone. The pheromones are spilling off of both of you whenever you’re in each other’s presence,” she says, unbothered by the awkwardness she inadvertently created.
I’m still trying to stifle the laughter I let out when I respond, “Claire, seriously?” She just shrugs. “Someone had to say it.”
After Claire interrupted Nathan and I’s conversation, we rode in silence, unsure of how to continue after what she pointed out.
It’s a little past noon when we’re pulling onto base, and dread settles in the pit of my stomach.
Once we get through the gates, he navigates us to my house—or what used to be my house.
Lucas knew we were coming, so a part of me hopes maybe he just left the keys and title in the glove box so I don’t have to face him.
But as the front door opens and he steps out, I know that would be too good to be true.
Thank god for Nathan, because I’m suddenly highly aware that I wouldn’t have been able to do this on my own and would have spent an unholy amount of money to have it shipped to me.
“Here goes nothing…” I mutter as Nathan throws his car into park and I climb out.
Lucas’s eyes flick to me and then to Nathan in the driver’s seat, and a flicker of recognition passes through them. “Is that who I think it is?”
“That’s none of your business,” I snap back.
He leans against the post on the front porch. “Kinda seems like my business when he’s dropping you off.”
“Listen, I didn’t come here to talk. I came here to get my money and my car. Let’s not make this pleasant when we both know it’s the farthest thing from that.” I hold my hand out expectantly and a wave of nausea rolls through me at the same time.
He scoffs. “Always so dramatic, aren’t you?” He pushes himself off the porch post as he takes a few steps in my direction. “Don’t you think you owe me a conversation without having a mediator involved?”
I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. This motherfucker. I glance at Nathan who is still sitting in the driver’s seat, staying put like I had requested of him on the drive over. “Funny you think I owe you anything after the shit you pulled.”
He smirks then and anger, raw and personal, flares up inside of me at the sight of it.
He clearly isn’t going to let this go without finding another way to degrade me.
“You think you’re in control here, don’t you?
Without me, you would’ve been nothing.” My chest tightens as I hear Nathan’s door open with a soft creak as Lucas leans over me, taunting me with the keys above my head.
“Maybe it’s a good thing Hallie died. At least it saved her from having a poor excuse of a mot—”
Before he has a chance to finish that sentence, Nathan’s fist connects with his jaw with a sickening crack.
Lucas stumbles back, eyes wide in shock as I feel the same shockwave in my chest. Looking behind me, Claire is standing by the back door of Nathan’s car with the same shocked expression.
I’ve never seen him lose control like this.
Not once since we’ve been in each other’s lives.
For a few long seconds, I think Lucas is going to retaliate, but Nathan doesn’t give him an inch.
He grabs him by the collar and yanks him back toward him and it’s only now that I realize how truly large he is as he leans over Lucas and growls at him.
“You ever think about talking to her like that again, I’ll make sure you lose the ability to speak to anyone. You’re going to apologize, right now.”
Lucas just stares at him with a mix of hatred and annoyance. I put a hand on Nathan’s arm where he holds Lucas suspended. “He’s not worth it.”
“Yeah, Nathan. I’m not worth it. I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re who she ran to.
You’re just as much of a joke as she is.
Listen to your bitch.” Lucas spits the words out with venom and I wince.
I can tell that Nathan is fighting himself as to whether or not he should beat the living daylight out of Lucas, but I meant what I said, even if his words cut.
“Let him go,” I murmur.
His grip tightens briefly, his muscles tensing visibly under the strain, just before he throws Lucas to the ground. I shake my head at him, not even realizing that I’ve been silently crying when Nathan wipes under my eyes. “I don’t even recognize you anymore. You’re pathetic.”
I can tell that Lucas wants to retaliate but one glance at Nathan is enough to silence him as he reaches into his back pocket, pulling out several envelopes, extending them to me as he tries to stand.
But Nathan kicks him back over onto his ass as he snatches the envelopes from him and picks up the keys from where they were dropped onto the ground. “You still owe her an apology.”
“Nathan—” He holds his hand up, silencing me this time. “Do. Not. Push. Me.” His voice is so calm that it’s deadly.
Lucas finally relents, swallowing hard, his pride cracking in the face of Nathan’s persistence. “I’m sorry.” His voice is rough, and apparently it isn’t genuine enough because Nathan shakes his head.
“Not nearly good enough. You’ll say it like you mean it and then you’ll watch the best thing in your life walk away from you for good.”
Lucas grits his teeth and mutters the words again. “I’m sorry. For what I said.”
Figuring that’s as good as it’s going to get, Nathan nods and then turns to me, placing a hand on the side of my cheek. “Are you okay?”
I nod, though it’s a bit shaky. “Thank you.”
He takes a step closer as Lucas starts to walk back toward the house, wiping at his busted nose. The fury that had been rolling off of Nathan subsides to something softer as he looks at me. “Are you going to be okay to drive?”
I can only nod again, but it’s enough to satisfy him when he says, “Then let’s go home.”