by G. Bailey
"I told Luke to leave; to leave me and Parker and me alone. I know I shouldn't have but it all freaked me out," I admit to Tilly. Tilly has soon become the best friend I never had, and she is the only person who knows everything. She knows what I do at the Cage. She knows what Arthur pays me to do with the Kings. Though she doesn’t judge me, and I can trust her more than I thought it was possible to trust someone. Meg is my best friend too, but she’s also a little crazy and actually enjoys her work at the Cage. She can’t understand my desire to escape it all.
"It's a bad situation, but at least he knows now. Whatever Luke has been doing for the last five years can't have been worth missing out on his son," Tilly says, placing her hand on my arm and squeezing once before letting go. “Your reaction was normal. You were in shock.”
"Parker doesn't know who Luke is, and he loves Eric. He thinks Eric is his dad, and Luke can't just come in here and ruin that," I say my worst fear out loud. I can deal with my broken heart, but not Parker’s. He’s too young to really understand this all.
"What will Eric say when you tell him Luke is back?" Tilly asks, knowing there is no good answer to all this. I look to the door like I can sense he is here, and Luke walks in, his head held high and his eyes narrowed on me. Luke’s tight suit showcases his muscular form and makes him look ridiculously attractive. Luke was hot five years ago, but this Luke? This Luke is everything. His brown hair is short, soft looking and styled perfectly. Every part of Luke that was attractive before is now more defined. He has aged well. And well is a damn understatement.
"I don't know...and that scares me," I tell her. Eric is a good man, but I’ve done nothing but lie to him from the moment we took our vows. Our wedding isn’t exactly traditional in any sense. There was one night between us where we had sex, it was a week after our wedding, and since then, Eric has never touched me. He found out about the baby about a week later, and I’m pretty sure he’s pretended ever since. I did try to talk to him about Parker and Luke once, but he soon walked out of the room. We have separate bedrooms, separate lives that only mix when Parker is around. I don’t mind our life together. We have a lovely home, money, and safety…but sometimes I want more than that. I want to be in love. I know that’s not what is best for Parker though. He loves his dad, and that’s that. Luke can’t destroy my boy’s life.
"It's going to be okay," Tilly says, squeezing my hand as she senses my rising panic. Allie and Elliot go to the dance floor after Sebastian and Maisy. I watch Elliot spin Allie around, before pulling her close and she happily laughs as he kisses her cheek. Seb and Maisy are pressed close together, completely lost to the world. It’s just them and no one else. Tristan and his new- very pregnant- wife dance together nearby, all of them looking happy and perfect. All their marriages are like that, and it's hard to be around it sometimes.
"Want to dance?" Harley asks Tilly, who looks at me to check I'm okay and I give her a little nod before she slides her hand into Harleys and walks off with him. I slide my phone out of my bag, seeing no messages. I want to text Meg and tell her what happened, but I remember I promised to call her after the wedding tonight anyways. It might be better to explain all this on the phone. I’m surprised there isn’t even one text from my brothers, which is unusual because they’re working at the Cage tonight and usually get bored. Though I might have a bad signal in this old castle. I look up when I sense someone standing next to me, and see Luke looking down at me. His expression is odd. Luke used to be easy to read, to sense his emotions and now he is like a closed book.
"If I remember right, you always loved to dance. Will you do me the honour?" Luke politely asks, and I put my phone down, turning to my side to see him waiting for my answer. I should say no and walk out of here. That’s what the good little wife of the local Mayor would do, but I just can’t.
"You're not going to leave if I say no, are you?" I ask, wanting him to give me a reason.
"No," he smoothly replies. I bite down on my lower lip, a nervous habit, before getting up and letting Luke take my hand. The simple touch of his hand sends shivers through me as I question my mental state. I should not be dancing with Luke King. Luke sweeps me into his arms as a slow song starts playing, and I place my hands on his shoulders as we sway to the song.
"Did you marry him?" Luke asks. “I kept a close eye on my family, but I couldn’t bear to hear anything about you. I don’t know why I’m asking, you’re clearly still Arthur’s pet, so I know the answer.”
"Then why ask? You can see my wedding ring, Luke," I reply, trying not to get annoyed at his question. I hate being called Arthur’s pet, but he’s right, I am one. Once you’re sold to the Cage, you don’t escape unless you’re dead. I’ve always had my suspicions of who Luke has been with all this time, but I hope I’m not right. It would destroy his family to find out that.
"Does he know the kid isn't his?" Luke asks, pressing me closer against his body as he controls the dance. I can’t help but feel how toned and hard he is next to me.
"I don’t know. We never discussed it, and if he knows, he pretends otherwise," I explain to Luke, who places his head next to mine, his lips inches from my ear as he drops his tone. In these moments, it’s like we are back in the Cage, dancing together for the first time. We were innocent back then, not messed up like we are now.
"You need to have that conversation with your husband, where is he?" he asks, and I grit my teeth to control my anger before I reply to him.
"Luke, you can't just come back into my life and tell me what to do!” I harshly whisper, trying to keep a smile on my lips as every time we move around, I see someone watching us. Especially the Kings. “It doesn't work like that, and he isn't here."
"Why isn't he here?" Luke asks before spinning me around and pulling me back to him like a damn magnet. I wish he wasn’t such a good, sexy dancer. It would make this moment so much easier to walk away from. I stare into his eyes, hating and loving the feelings Luke can give me in only a few moments.
"Eric doesn’t like weddings or your brothers. He puts up with my friendship with them, but he wouldn't come to something like this with me and Parker," I explain to Luke, choosing to pull my eyes away from his before I do something stupid.
"Tsk, he’s a fool. If you were my wife, dressed as fucking sexy as you are right now, there is no way I wouldn’t be at your side until I could take you home and rip off that dress to show you just how sexy you are," he tells me. God dammit, I forgot what effect Luke could have on me.
"Luke...you can't talk to me like that. I'm married. Things have changed while you’ve been gone," I point out.
"I didn't have a choice. You know that, right? I never left you," he tells me, the swaying of our bodies to the music is the only thing I allow myself to feel. I can’t let the pain in that his words cause me.
"But you did leave me when I needed you the most," I whisper.
"No, I didn’t leave by choice. I promise you that. Baby or not, if I could have stayed, I would have," he firmly whispers back.
"You're not leaving, are you?" I ask, pulling my head back, so he looks me in the eyes as he speaks.
"No, so you best get used to me speaking to you like this. I'm not a liar, and you are beautiful. I've waited years to see you again, and I'm not going anywhere," he tells me. “I can tell you feel the same, Emilia.”
"Parker will be heartbroken if I tell him about you. He loves Eric. Eric brought him up, and he’s a good dad," I explain to him, needing to change the subject a little.
"I'm not here to hurt him...but I do want to get to know my son," he tells me. “If you’ll let me, that is.”
"Eric...he won't take this well," I reply. "Neither will Arthur, but if you promise you aren’t leaving, Parker needs to know."
"Arthur knows I'm here. He knows everything, so don't worry about him," he says, confirming a lot of my fears of where Luke has been. There is only one person powerful enough to make someone disappear. To make every private investigator come back and tell
the Kings they couldn’t find Luke.
"What do you mean?" I question him, but the song ends, and Luke ever so gently kisses my cheek before letting me go. The kiss feels like a reality check. He really is back.
"You'll see on the weekend, Emilia. It was good to see you again. Do me a favour and let my brothers know I’ll come to see them tomorrow morning, won't you?" Luke walks off with a little smirk as he disappears into the dancers. I don't have a bloody clue when my life got turned upside down, but Luke King is sure ready to destroy it.
Emilia
"Mummy, I'm tired," Parker yawns into my ear as I carry him through the front door and kick it shut with my foot. My heels click against the white tiles as I try to quietly walk to the stairs. The wedding itself was beautiful, and I know Izzy was happy when she got into the car with Blake at the end of the night. They’re staying in a stunning place in London tonight and leaving for their honeymoon in the morning. After Luke left, everyone burst into whispers and asked a million questions about Luke that none of us could answer. Even thinking about Luke makes my heart pound in my chest.
"I know, baby boy. You danced all night, I'm not surprised you are tired," I finally say, hearing Parker's light snores into my ear as I climb up the staircase as a reply. I’m kind of relieved he’s sleeping because I need a few moments alone to process tonight. Keeping a strong face up for Izzy and Parker all night wasn’t easy. Tilly’s constant questioning of if I was alright wasn’t easy either. I take a left at the top of the staircase and use my shoulder to nudge Parker's door open. I step over a fire truck to get to his bed and place him down, feeling the strain on my back as I do. When did my baby get so damn heavy? I tuck Parker into his bed as he cuddles his Paw Patrol dog in his sleep. I quietly walk out of the room, leaving the door cracked open before heading to my bedroom for a moment of silence. I switch the bedside light on after I come into the room and sit on the bed, pulling off my shoes. I lie back on my bed, reaching around for my bag and pulling out my phone before holding it above my face, searching for Meg's number before calling her.
"Hey sugar pumpkin," Meg answers, the sound of low music and male laughter flows to me from the background. I smile at her nickname for me because she is always coming up with new affectionate nicknames depending on the day of the week.
"Meg, Luke is back," I blurt out, hating how saying his name affects me. I’ve spent years in a dead end marriage learning how to control my anger and put on a neutral expression all the time. Luke is back one day, and my voice shakes when I say his name. He can’t just walk back into my life like he didn’t leave me all that time ago. I hear Meg scuffling around in the background before a door shuts and there is silence.
"Fucking hell, that is not what I expected you to say," she finally says, letting out a long sigh. “You alright? I know how you felt for that idiot.”
"He just turned up at the wedding, looking like sex on a stick and guessing who Parker is to him straight away. I haven’t had time to process if I am okay or not. I don’t think I am. I’m freaking the hell out," I say, before rolling over on the bed and looking at the empty bedroom I live in. The walls are as white as the white carpet which I can’t stand. The whole house is impersonal, and my bed is pretty much the only thing I do love in this house. It’s old, made of wood with a huge headboard that someone has personally etched and painted birds flying around on it. I gave birth to Parker in this bed, in this very room, and it will always mean something to me because of that. I met the love of my life in here, my handsome little boy.
"You always knew there was a chance he would come back, pumpkin," Meg says, and I know that deep down, but it’s not like the reality. I pictured Luke coming back a million times in my head, but none of them played out the way it did tonight. "And your boy is the spitting image of Luke, from the photos you've shown me anyways, so of course he guessed."
"I have to tell Eric...and then Parker," I groan. “Neither of them will take it well. Parker has Eric’s stubborn and disliking change attitude, even though they aren’t related.”
"Want me to come over?" she asks, and I know she would drop her work in a moment if I said yes. She would be there to tell Eric with me if that’s what I wanted. I know this is my own mess though, and only I can pick up after myself. I’ve spent years living comfortably, letting Eric play dad and never picking on the difficult parts we need to discuss. Taking the easy way out was exactly that - easy.
"No, Eric will be home soon, and I have to do this myself," I say. Eric sent me a text on the way home letting me know he’s driving back but he’d be a while.
"Is he still staying out late at his 'golf club meetings'?" she sarcastically asks.
"Yeah, he’s still fucking his assistant if that is what you mean. I’m sure he’s dropping her off at home as we speak," I say, laughing at the poor excuses my dear husband has come up with over the years. I know I should care more about who my husband is sleeping with, but I don't. It’s been one woman after another since our honeymoon when he slept with half the resort. I figured out exactly who my new husband was on that trip, and since then, we both figured out we don’t even get along as friends. Eric is into politics, watches countless tv shows on wood cutting, and hates ice cream. I prefer to eat ice cream in my pyjamas as I watch Love Island and ignore the politics of the world.
"Oh, well hopefully she does a good job, and he comes back in a happy mood before you crush his world with this news," she replies. I suppose he might be a good mood; he usually is after his late nights. Not that we talk much, not unless he has a function or dinner with someone important and he’s letting me know I need to attend with him. Sitting there and looking pretty with my mouth shut is the only thing Eric cares that I do.
"Urgh, I don't even know how to bring this up with him," I say.
"I don't think he will even care as long as it doesn't ruin his reputation. You know Mayor Eric Briwood cares a ridiculous amount about his public appearance," Meg replies, and she has a point. As long as the public doesn’t find out about Luke and Parker, Eric might be alright with this all. Then I think back to little moments I see him and Parker together. He has always been a good dad. I might not like Eric, but I can’t deny that.
"Eric cares- no loves- Parker. I know he does," I tell her.
"Then he will want what is right for Parker," she simply replies. "Which is having contact with his biological father."
"You're right, as usual," I grumble.
"I have to go, Arthur is back and causing a storm as usual when he visits. Apparently, he’s calling a meeting at midnight on Saturday and everyone is passing the word around," she says, reminding me of my weekend work I’d rather forget that I have to do.
"Just before my shift, brilliant. What do you think it’s about?" I ask. I’m hoping he says something quick and then vanishes for months like he usually does. I try not to think of the big coincidence that he and Luke are back at the same time.
"Don't know, don't particularly care. I have to go, but you got this," she informs me, leaving no room for doubt.
"Have fun," I say before we both say goodbye and I put the phone down. I climb off the bed and get out of my dress before putting on some red, silky pyjamas and a dressing gown. I slide my slippers on as I hear the front door open and I know I have to do this now. I still worry though. Eric isn’t a bad guy, but he does have a temper when things don’t go exactly his way. After walking across the room, I pull the door open and walk to the stairs. I slowly walk down them, hearing the sounds of the fridge opening and walking into the kitchen to find Eric. Eric's head is buried in the fridge until he pulls out a beer and turns around to see me.
"How was the wedding?" he asks, and I run my eyes over my husband before I've really thought about it. Eric isn't a bad looking man, but there was just something missing between us from the moment we met. And the fact he is a womanising asshole doesn’t help. Eric has short black hair, deeply tanned skin from his many holidays he likes to take with his old love interests
that I can't remember the names of at all. Eric always wears expensive suits, designer watches and shoes. He is the mayor, after all. I married him when Arthur figured out he’d become the new mayor and he needed to make sure he had complete control over Eric. Eric lets Arthur do what he wants because of me. Well not just me. My father married his mother as a bonus insurance policy for Arthur. We are all puppets trapped in Arthur’s sick games of control. There is no question of who really controls our town.
"Interesting. Can we go and sit in the lounge? We need to talk," I say as he undoes the lid on the bottle with a bottle opener and puts it back in the drawer. This kitchen is designed to his liking, wooden cupboards, all shiny new appliances, and everything has a show house feel to it. The only rooms I got control over designing were Parker's and my bedrooms, everything else had to be done by him and his crazy ass mother. I still ended up with white walls and white carpets though. Thank god the cleaner knows what she is doing.
"If it's about my assistant..." he starts, looking guilty which I've never really understood. We don't have a relationship, it's all on paper, and there is no point him being loyal to the paper between us.
"It's not, can we just go and sit down?" I ask him, and he shrugs with a confused expressed.
"Sure," he replies, following me out of the kitchen and into the living room that we rarely use, because it has the expensive white sofas, and there’s no way I'm letting Parker in here. He’d draw all over the sofas. We use the sitting room in the back of the house, which is cosier and full of Parker's toys. I sit down on one of the sofas and wave an awkward hand towards the other for Eric to sit in. He looks at me expectantly while I figure out the nicest way I can say this.