55. Silver Linings
Silver Linings
Maybe you should figure that out.
Kate stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the wooden railing of the stairs with last night’s parting sentence ringing over and over in her mind.
Her eyes followed Lucien from where he moved between the toiletries he’d spread out over the counter and the black bag that sat waiting on the chair.
A small glass vial lingered on the white counter, spreading a hint of sandalwood into the living room.
Kate frowned at it. Was that tiny thing responsible for the smell she’d come to associate with… Lucien?
With a… home. Wait, do I even know what that feels like?
She didn’t want to linger on it anymore, the ifs, the buts, nothing in life was guaranteed, that much she’d come to understand.
Best to live it day by day, especially since Lucien still hadn’t given an inkling on whether her life was…
safeguarded. And asking? Pff. He would just dance around the question like a juggler in the circus anyway.
“Didn’t know they sold perfume that small.”
Glass shattered across the wooden floor in a tinkling symphony, and the heavy sandalwood smell escaped, making her clutch her nose to hold back a sneeze while the responsible brown liquid seeped right into the wooden floor beneath his shoes.
“Fuck.” Lucien’s head swept up to where she stood beside the stairs, startled. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
Kate’s mouth fell open in surprise. Lucien Alexander Evans hadn’t heard her come in. That was a first.
“And no, not perfume, essential oil.” He muttered, grabbing a bright yellow dishcloth from the sink. “Which will be damn near impossible to get out of this wood.” He bent down to scrub away at the oily stains.
“Sorry.” Kate rubbed over her nose. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I should have heard you come in.” He sat back on his haunches, looking at the dark spots with chagrin. “Well, it will be a problem for another day.”
“Are we… leaving?”
He shooed Ghost away from the broken glass, turning to zip his bag closed.
“Yep, I figured now is as good a time as any to…” Lucien fell silent, eyes flitting to hers in that weighing way of his.
His thoughts were probably straying in the same direction as hers.
How are we going to push past this one? But he shook his head resolutely, sending her a small smile.
“To get back home, and while we’re at it, continue your education in the martial arts.
” He shot her a grin. “No more resting on that lazy ass of yours.”
Oh, he’s trying to get back in the groove, alright.
She could give him that, for now.
“My lazy ass? I think you should take a good look in the mirror, Lucy.” She smiled at the painful wince that the nickname brought to life on his face. “I’m not the one squeaking like a hinge every time I push up from the couch, or exit the car, or—”
“Yes, yes. I get it!” Lucien waved a hand to cut her off. “I’m old, you’re young. Don’t forget though, on the mats, only experience counts.” He winked at her.
But this time it didn’t make her stomach whirl with butterflies. No, they were putting up a show of laughter and grins, they could fool outsiders as they had been doing before. But between them, they both knew the smiles were empty.
But on the experience front. “Fair point.” She set her foot on the first step of the stairs. “I’ll go grab my stuff then, be ready in ten minutes.”
“Take your time… sweetheart.”
At least the nickname hasn’t faded into oblivion.
Her feet guided her to her room, where she opened the door, taking just a couple of seconds to lean against the frame and take it all in. The black dress shifted in the wind that floated through the window, and the heels that had made her feet ache balanced precariously against each other.
Her heart twisted. For a second there she had been happy, had forgotten for a moment how it all could go wrong.
And yet, there was also this… feeling she couldn’t shake.
Lucien had refused her, it still set her teeth grinding at the thought.
But he’d held himself back for a reason.
In his own twisted way to keep her from feeling used, dirty.
You’d hate me for it.
She would have, if she’d discovered it after. Kate could thank him for that… restraint. Even though her stomach sank when she glanced back into the hallway. Feeling the ghost of his hands linger on her back, resting below her shoulder blades from where he had helped her with the dress.
Throwing her own bag on the bed, she wasted no time to shove her sportswear in, followed by the shampoo bar Lucien had given her, bamboo toothbrush, and all gathered she zipped it shut.
Flinging it over her shoulder, she took a final look at the dress still swaying, before she pushed the door handle down, sealing it from view.
Meanwhile there was one thought that kept racing through her brain.
The disgust that she should have felt following his actions, it just wasn’t…
there. Only emptiness remained, the death of Ethan’s father had…
forced distance back between them. Whether that hole could be filled, she didn’t know.
All she knew was that she missed it already, the warmth, the grins, the dancing.
Was there a reason behind it? A silver lining she could find? Maybe.
I hope at least that Ethan will have a better life from now on. Kate kept muttering that while she hopped down the stairs, bag bouncing on her back. She stopped in the living room, shielding herself from the magnificent lake views and the cars racing past.
“I’m ready to go.”
“Good.” Lucien pushed off the chair where she’d mended him back together, not even wincing as he used his injured arm to throw her the car keys. They jingled in the air before Kate caught them.
His eyebrows raised. “Good catch. Now… you drive.”
As Kate maneuvered the car down the slope she couldn’t help but glance back at the beautiful house through the rear-view mirror. The lights were off, and there was no piano music brushing up against the walls, no more laughter bouncing between two people. Deserted once more.
If things had been different, she never would have wanted to leave.
***
“Why the hell are we here?” Kate asked.
Because this… wasn’t home. Lucien had asked her to take an earlier exit, muttering that they had to stop somewhere before heading back to Big Sky.
She didn’t even need to set foot inside to know exactly what sort of place this was.
A chain link fence surrounded the large building that must have been a school sometime in its existence.
Squeaking hinges brought her attention to the small, deserted playground.
Its bright colors had long since faded, and the swing moved brusquely in the wind.
The source of the sound made shivers race down her spine as it whispered a cold welcome.
A far cry from what the colorful place could have been, should be, considering it was a group home for foster kids, for those left behind one way or another, willingly or unwillingly, in the claws of what society called… foster care.
There were no good memories left for her in a place like this.
Why on Earth would he take me here?
She made damn sure to let her anger shine through in her tone as she turned to face Lucien. “What use is coming to a place like this? To let me know where I came from?”
His eyes flashed to hers with shock in them. “No, that would be the last reason I ever take you to a place like this.” He shook his head in denial. “We’re here to see something happen, a silver lining if you will.”
A silver lining?
She rolled her eyes. “I’m glad to see your ability to speak in nonsensical riddles hasn’t left you.
” God, she wanted to stay calm, wanted to keep the bite out of her words.
But coming to a place like this set her heart and mind on fire.
She would have been perfectly happy never to see the insides of these… institutions again.
Lucien’s hand was already on the doorknob, indicating that they would in fact, set foot in there. “You’ll understand it when you see it.” Before he opened the door, his hand extended toward her in invitation. As he’d done so many times before.
She hesitated for a second. It was meant in comfort she knew that about him and yet, today… Kate brushed past, mumbling, “I’ve got this.”
He stepped back with a nod of understanding and murmured, “Ladies first.”
Before she could turn tail and flee, she pushed down on the handle and stepped straight into the past.