"Nothing! Lyds, can I have dinner in my room, please?" I asked her. "This one can eat on his own." I gave Luc a playful shove before I made my way up the stairs.
"Oh, come on princess!" Luc called after me, amusement still in his voice but he wouldn’t get his way tonight.
Chapter Nineteen
Lucas
Mia disappeared upstairs without another word. My mouth had gotten me into trouble but not the usual kind. There was a sense of satisfaction that came with being at ease with her again. The worry that had filled my chest since Marco had seen her had forced me to distance myself. I refused to have him even speak her name when I knew what he was capable of. I had to hope that Marco would forget that Mia even existed, but the sense of dread remained a heavy weight on my shoulders.
When I turned, Lydia was studying me. "You two seem awfully close," she commented.
I rubbed the back of my neck and moved past my housekeeper to walk into the living room. Lydia followed behind, hot on my heels.
"Yeah, I guess," I said noncommittally.
Fabricating the truth was part and parcel of my chosen career path, but that was the worst lie I had ever told. Lydia, more so than anyone in my life, would be able to see what was going on. She knew me better than my parents had.
As if to prove my point, she said, "Lucas." The tone of voice transported me straight back to my childhood where Dante and I were constantly in trouble.
"I've missed her," I admitted. It felt good to have the truth out in the open. I had missed Mia, even though she resided under the same roof, when we didn’t speak, I felt empty. "I'm still not comfortable with her coming to Brazil but she's going to go no matter what I say."
"Are you courting her yet?" Lydia asked, cutting through the small talk.
I laughed at the old fashioned term. Lydia was partially responsible for the moral backbone that I had, but I was my parent's son and that explained why my moral compass did not always point north.
"No, we aren't exactly courting," I told her. "I'm not sure I know how to court someone."
"Well, what you did with Amber is not traditionally classified as courting," Lydia tried to give me a hint. I rolled my eyes and Lydia fixed me with a look that made me shrink. "Lucas, don't mess Mia around. If you're after something with her then make it clear."
How much clearer could I make it? Surely Mia knew. I knew I hadn't been around much. I knew I hadn't exactly told her, but I was still figuring out the best way to balance Mia with the rest of my world. Figuring out how not to lose her the way we had lost Isa.
"I will," I told Lydia. "I just need to figure some things out first."
∞∞∞
It was early October when we boarded the jet to head to Brazil, a week behind Dom and Rodrigo, who had gone ahead to finalize the last details.
Dante’s arm had healed and was free from the cast and, to my aggravation, was slung around Mia’s shoulders as we walked to our seats.
"It's a shame Lydia couldn't make it," Mia said.
"She wouldn't miss Oliver's birthday for anything," I told her. As much as Lydia was considered family to us, her blood took precedence, and no one begrudged her that.
Mia smiled before she took a seat next to the window. Her gaze darted around the plane and I was reminded that what was a slice of normality for me was the height of luxury for Mia. I settled down beside her and Dante sat opposite, the natural setting for the three of us these days. The plane began to taxi down the runway and I gripped the armrest.
"Are you okay?" Mia asked, concerned at how tight I held on.
"Fine," came my short reply.
"No, he's not," Dante said, throwing me under the bus with a laugh. "He hates flying."
I shot Dante a glare. It seemed as if nothing would remain sacred anymore. My best friend, my brother, had taken a shine to Mia in a way I had only seen once before and that had been when he met me.
"Really?" Mia asked, surprised.
"I just... don't like it when I'm not in control," I explained through gritted teeth.
"I don’t find that difficult to believe."
