"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.
