by Zavi James
"Where's Luc?" she asked when she saw I was alone. I hated how small her voice sounded and the quiver it held. Mia had been left fragile by the mess she had been dragged into. "Is he coming?"
I sat on the edge of her bed again and took her hand in mine. "He doesn't want to see you."
"Sorry?" she choked out.
"Luc's gone home, Mia. I'm sorry," I said, rubbing a thumb over the back of her hand.
"Stef," Mia said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Please don't leave me."
She looked terrified, exhausted and broken. I should have known that trusting Luc to keep anyone but himself safe was a mistake. Self preservation was what he was best at and everyone else was a minor inconvenience that could be dealt with.
"Never," I told her, pulling her cautiously into me again, and Mia sobbed into my chest until she had no more tears to cry. "What's wrong?" I asked gently.
"I don't even know," she admitted. "I just feel overwhelmed."
I placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Can I do anything?" Mia shook her head. "I'll be here every day until you get out."
"Stef, you can't," Mia sniffed. "You're meant to be in class."
"I'll catch up."
Mia looked up at me and shook her head, but I took her face into my hands to stop her. "You're going to give yourself a headache."
"Don't skip class," she pleaded.
"Okay, I won't but I'll be here after. I can work here. How does that sound?" I suggested.
"Okay."
I let go of her face. "You need to get some rest, Mia."
She didn't argue with me but instead settled back against the pillows and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Stef."
"You have nothing to thank me for." I placed another kiss on her head before I took a seat in the chair next to her bed. When Mia's breathing evened and I was sure she was asleep I left the room to visit Mom a few floors above.
"I wasn't expecting to see you today, son," she said with a smile when she saw me.
"I didn't really expect to be here," I admitted.
I’d always been close to my parents, but I found that I could tell my Mom anything and everything. Now that the day had settled down, I felt it hit me and a small tremble started.
"What's wrong, Stef?" Mom asked and placed a hand on my forehead, trying to straighten out the crease that had formed there. "You always get those worry lines when something is wrong."
I gave her a small smile. "Lucas... he got into some trouble. He's fine. Absolutely fine. Came away unscathed." The last sentence held some venom.
"Stefan, you can't judge your brother for what he does," Mom said to me.
I hated the fact our Mom defended Luc. She spoke as if he had a normal job when it was anything but. I had always struggled to see what Mom had seen in Charlie Foster. Sure, she had a temper but to have married Charlie and known everything he was capable of, I just couldn't process it.
"I can judge him when what he does lands a friend in here," I told her, sharper than I had intended.
"What happened?"
"A friend of ours, Mia, she was stabbed."
"Dear Lord," Mom breathed. "Is she okay?"
"She came out of surgery and she's resting now." I leaned forward and rested my head on Mom's lap. Her hand stroked through my hair and I could feel her tremor though it was not so pronounced at the moment.
"You care about her?" Mom asked softly.
I let out a sigh and turned my head to look up at her.
"You're worried that you'll lose her like Isa," Mom murmured.
I felt my heart give a painful clench at the memory of the woman who had stolen my heart the moment I laid eyes on her. "I loved her, Mom. I never got the chance to tell her that."
Mom had picked up the pieces when I had lost Isa. I felt a part of myself was buried with her that day. I would have done anything for Isabella because she lit my world without even realizing it. More beautiful than any piece of art and kind to a fault, Isa had barely lived before she was taken from us. Before I had the chance to admit to her how I felt. If I’d had the courage, then maybe I could have stopped what happened. She would have been with me and alive.
"If you ever get that chance with someone again, don't waste it," Mom advised me.
I heard Mom’s word and thought about Mia, sleeping soundly in her hospital room.
Maybe she was my second chance.
Chapter Thirty Six
Lucas
Opening the door to the house, I was greeted by Lydia in the hallway with a small bag in hand.
"What's going on?" she asked. "Has something happened? Is Mia alright?"
I couldn't find the words, so I nodded and moved past her to get into the kitchen. The entire way home I’d felt numb. Of course, Mia would not want to talk to me. She was not going to want to hear anything I had to say.
I pulled a bottle of whiskey and a glass from the counter before I sat at the table. Pouring myself a glass, I wasted no time in downing the liquid, letting it burn as it went down and pouring myself another.
"Lucas." Lydia stood in the doorway looking concerned. "What's going on?"
"She doesn't want to see me," I told her, the words tumbling out of my mouth. Lydia walked over and took a seat next to me while I drank.
"That doesn't sound like Mia," Lydia said.
"I don't blame her. Do you?" I asked. "She gets abducted and then stabbed and it's because of me so I mean I don't blame her."
I knew Mia wasn't meant to be a part of my world, but I had desperately held onto some hope. This little spark had made me believe that if I could show her I cared that when I finally let her in, Mia would accept it. I hadn't wanted to rush and instead, she'd had a baptism by fire.
"Give her some time to calm down, love," Lydia told me. "I'm sure she'll see you soon enough."
"Even if she does, what am I meant to say to her?"
Lydia placed a hand on my wrist as I went to pour another drink and I stopped. "What do you want to say to her, Lucas?" she asked, looking at me with patience.
This was the woman who had raised me. For every sharp word and put down Dad had for me, Lydia gave me the opposite. I loved my Mom, but she had been busy with Stefan and I had always felt like an afterthought. Sitting with Lydia, I knew I was safe.
"I love her,” I admitted the words that I had known to be true for some time.
"Oh, Luc."
I hung my head. I had known on the plane to Brazil, watching the way she spoke to me and the way she told me things, that I loved her. Every time she cared for me, when I got in a fight, when she made sure I ate, when she kissed me. Mia was the woman who had melted my heart and made it her own.
"I love her, Lydia and I want her to love me. I want her to look at me like I'm not this," I said, gesturing to myself. "I want to give her the world and instead, I almost put her in the fucking ground."
There was a smash as the glass I had thrown hit the wall and fell to the ground in pieces.
"Luc!"
I got up from my seat and Lydia followed. "She's not going to want to be part of this.”
"You don't know that,” she argued.
With a bark of laughter, I asked, "Sure, because she's going to jump into my arms for all of this, right?"
I had money and I had power, but I wasn't able to guarantee her safety. Amber had been part of this world as long as I had, and I had never felt the desire to protect her. With Mia, the urge to keep her safe and away from all this was overwhelming. For once, I wasn’t interested in self preservation.
"I need to go," I said suddenly.
"What? Where?" Lydia asked.
"I don't know. I need to get some things sorted and I need to go."
"Luc, you can't run from all this."
"I'm not running! I need her to... as you said, she needs some time. I'm going to give her that," I explained.
"How long?"
"I'm not sure. Lydia, I need you to help me sort out some things."
"What about Mia?
"
"Stefan is with her. She'll be okay." It pained me to say it but with Stefan with Mia, she wouldn't get into any more trouble. He was the calm she needed.
Lydia nodded slowly. "What do you need?"
"I should probably go and see Xavier first."
Chapter Thirty Seven
Mia
My week in the hospital was almost over with. When Lydia came back the first night with clothes and news that Luc had left town, I felt numb. It hadn’t dissipated despite numerous visits from Dante, Dom and Stefan.
I stared at the phone that Luc had left for me. If anything happened, then Dante was to be my first call. Those were the instructions but when I had opened the contact list, I noticed that Lydia, Dom and Luc's numbers were also there. Stefan had added his in for me.
"Why won't he get in touch?" I muttered to myself.
I had sent a few texts and called Luc's number when I’d been alone, but he hadn't picked up. My messages had been read but left unanswered.
"Mia."
I was pulled from my thoughts when Stefan stepped through the door, done with classes for the day.
"Hey, Stef."
He came over and placed a kiss on my cheek. Stefan had been a rock to me over the past few days. He slept in the chair of the room because he didn't want me to be left alone and checked in regularly when he wasn't there. But despite the fact he had been so attentive I couldn’t help but think that he wasn’t Luc.
"I'd like you to meet someone. Do you feel up for it?" Stef asked me, smiling. Droplets of water from the rainy weather fell to the floor as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Who is it?" I asked, wondering if Stefan wanted me to meet a friend.
"Someone very important to me."
"I look a mess."
"I'm sure she won't mind."
"You want me to meet your girlfriend whilst I'm a patient?"
Stef let out a laugh and said, "Nothing like that."
He helped me get out of bed. The doctors had told me that I was healing well, and they would be happy to discharge me tomorrow as long as I looked after myself. Walking still caused the stab wound to ache but I’d rather the pain than going crazy sitting in one spot all day.
We got into the elevator and I expected him to hit the ground button but instead, he hit seven.
"You're dating a nurse? Doctor?"
"Why do you think I'm dating anyone?" Stef asked me.
We walked out onto the floor and Stef walked us towards the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a room. "Give me a minute," he instructed.
I nodded at him and watched as he disappeared into the room. I pulled at the sleeves of my sweater nervously before Stefan appeared again and offered me a hand, which I took before we both walked in.
The woman in the bed took my breath away because I could see Luc in every one of her features. There was no denying who she was.
"Mom, this is Mia," Stefan said. "She's a good friend of mine. Mia, this is my Mom, Maria."
His Mom smiled and she caught the way her body shook even though she sat still. "So nice to meet one of Stefan's friends. Come here, sweetheart."
I looked to Stefan who gave me a nod of encouragement. Letting go of his hand, I approached Maria, who opened her arms and I leaned down to hug her. The faint scent of mint wafted under my nose and my heart tugged painfully as I thought of Luc.
"Stef said that you've been here for a few days."
My eyes widened and I glanced back at Stefan, but his Mom let out a little laugh. "There's nothing that will shock me. I saw it all with Charlie."
Of course, this had all once been her life. Maria would have been accustomed to the violence and secrecy.
"I'm glad you're okay," she said to me.
"Thank you, Mrs Foster."
"She's actually an Evans," Stef corrected me.
"You can call me Maria."
We settled into the room and after a small, awkward start, the three of us relaxed into a comfortable conversation. I learned of Maria's diagnosis and watched how she interacted with Stefan. After a while, Maria was tired, and we bid her goodbye.
"Your Mom is lovely," I commented as we left the room.
"She is," Stefan agreed as he jabbed the elevator button for my floor.
"Her diagnosis must be hard on you."
"It is. That's actually why I moved back. We're not sure how much more we can halt the progression. She took a tumble and there have been some complications, which is why she’s here."
There fell another piece of the puzzle. The family issues that Stef had spoken about and that Luc had blocked me out of. Their Mom was sick, and she wasn't getting any better.
"Luc visits her?" I asked.
"He's been sorting out most of it. It's been getting worse, so I wanted to be home just in case."
I reached for his hand and squeezed. Stefan held onto it and I didn't have the heart to let go. Both of them were dealing with so much and there was nothing I could do to ease the troubles.
"It must be hard without your Dad around."
"They had a difficult divorce. Dad loves her but I think it's hard for him to see her like this."
"I thought your Dad had passed away," I said cautiously as Stefan helped me back into bed.
"Ah, you don't know. Lucas and I are half brothers," he explained. "Same Mom but different Dads."
"So, Charlie..."
"Is not my Dad, no. Andrew Evans is my father."
I felt so out of the loop and it probably showed on my face. Stefan sat in the chair by my bed and continued his explanation. "Mom was married to Charlie and they had Luc. When he was four she left. She said she couldn't deal with everything that Charlie came with. Took Lucas with her and met Dad and then I came along."
"That's why you're not involved in Luc's business."
"Yeah, that's why I'm not involved. Not that I'd want to be. Luc was raised for it. Spent time with Charlie as he grew up, much to Mom's dismay. I chose to help people instead."
Luc and Stefan were polar opposites in almost everything. Lucas was brash and impulsive and closed off. Stefan was calm and logical and had told me more about his life and coincidentally Luc's in a few hours compared to the few months I’d spent with his big brother. It felt good to be within a circle of trust, but I couldn’t wrap my head around why Luc felt the need to keep all this from me.
On the day of my release, Stefan guided me up to the house and pushed the door open.
"Welcome home, sweetheart!" Dom hugged me carefully and kissed me on the cheek. I smiled but it didn't quite reach my eyes. Luc going AWOL had done something to me and I wasn't sure how to recover from that. The wound on my side would heal but the one in my heart felt irreparable.
"Lydia whipped up a feast." Dom took my hand and led her towards the kitchen.
"There are a lot of roses around here," I commented as we walked through the house. Deep red blooms that perfumed the hallways, making it hard to breathe.
Stefan had taken the initiative to fill the vases in the house with roses, thinking I’d appreciate some color and beauty after the hospital stay. "Do you like them?" he asked hopefully.
"They're beautiful."
The kitchen was full of food that Lydia had prepared and Dante joined us. He sat beside me and made sure I was comfortable throughout the evening. When Lydia cleared the table of the main course and brought out dessert, Stefan picked up a slice of blueberry pie, but I hadn’t moved.
"No dessert tonight?" he said. He followed my eyes to the fudge cake. "It's heavy after a meal but tastes amazing. Do you want me to cut you a slice?"
"No, thank you."
"Are you sure?" Stef asked. "A little slice might be..."
"I said no, Stef!" The table looked up from their conversations as I stood up. "I'm going to bed."
I had barely closed the door when a knock sounded. "Go away, Stef," I called.
"Please can I come in?"
I sighed. An argument would not help my mood and
it wasn’t his fault that every damn thing reminded me of Luc in some way. "Fine."
He pushed open the door and I turned around to look at him.
"I'm sorry for pushing you," he told me. Stefan didn’t need prompting for apologies. I never needed to have an argument with him in the same way I did with Luc.
"I shouldn't have snapped. I'm sorry," I apologized in return.
"Mia, may I take you out tomorrow night?"
"Where?"
"Anywhere you like. Dinner. A movie. Anything you want to do."
I hesitated for a moment. The other option would be to sit at home and let my mind tie itself in knots worried that I had made Luc so angry with my actions that he felt the need to leave. "I want to walk along the beach," I said to him.
"I'll take you there."
"Okay, but right now I just want some sleep."
"Of course," Stefan said. "If you need anything you know where I am." He stepped forward and placed a kiss on my forehead. "Night, Mia."
∞∞∞
The next day, after he was done with class, Stefan took me down to the beach. It was October and the air held a chill, but I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath enjoying the way the cold air burned my lungs. When I opened my eyes again, a silence settled between us that made me feel uncomfortable.
"Why the beach?" he asked in a bid to get conversation started.
"I used to come here with my Dad."
He took a moment and then asked, "Why don't you see him while Luc isn't here? I could always take you."
“First, I don't want to worry him with what's happened. Actually, I'd rather he never knew what happened.” I couldn’t imagine what Dad would say if he knew about Marco and the surgery. “Second, I'm not going to risk Luc finding out and hitting the roof."
There were still rules in place and I didn’t want to do anything that could jeopardize my Dad’s safety.
"He should never have threatened your family."
I shrugged and said, "I can understand why he did it."
Stefan looked surprised. "You can?"
I glanced at him before shrugging again. Luc had a reputation to uphold and after seeing what he was capable of, the way he had shot Marco with such lethal precision, I was grateful that it had been a threat against Dad and not an action.