Chapter 280
The celebration is still going strong. Ivy is somehow crying and dancing at the same time.
June and Lila are arguing over who cried first during the proposal. Tessa keeps insisting she didn’t cry at all despite the fact that literally everyone saw her wiping tears from her face.
Aria is laughing so hard she nearly spills her drink.
And me? I’m sitting beside Zane.
Still staring at the ring on my finger every few minutes because it honestly doesn’t feel real.
This time it’s not a contract, not an arrangemen, not some complicated agreement between two stubborn people. This time he proposed because he loves me and somehow that still makes my chest flutter every time I think about it.
I glance over at him, he’s talking to Caleb about something.
Then his gaze shifts, toward Lucas and I notice the exact moment his expression changes, like he’s thinking, like he’s debating something.
A few seconds later he stands.
Lucas notices immediately and the two men lock eyes. I swear there’s an entire conversation happening between them without a single word being spoken.
Then Zane jerks his head toward the hallway.
Lucas raises an eyebrow, Zane gives him a look, Lucas sighs dramatically before standing.
I immediately become interested, very interested.
“Oh, this should be good.”
Aria looks over.
“What?”
“Your boyfriend and my fiancé….husband are about to have a private conversation.”
She immediately perks up.
“Oh.”
We both stare. Neither of us even tries pretending we aren’t being nosy.
The two men disappear through a side door.
I grin.
“This is either going to end in a hug or a fistfight.”
“Probably both,” Aria says.
Honestly? Fair.
—
Zane’s POV
I have no idea how to do this, I’d rather negotiate a business merger, I’d rather take a freaking bullet.
Hell, I’d rather listen to Ivy talk nonstop for six hours.
Yet here I am, standing awkwardly across from Lucas with neither of us saying anything unti the silence stretches and stretches and somehow gets worse.
Finally, Lucas snorts, a laugh escapes him, then another and I stare at him.
“What?”
“You look terrified.”
“I’m not terrified.”
“Yes you are.”
“I’m not.”
He laughs harder….i hate him. A little.
Okay, maybe not anymore.
I exhale slowly, running a hand through my hair.
“This is harder than I thought.”
That only makes him grin.
“Never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth.”
I roll my eyes, then decide to just get it over with. Because dragging this out is making it worse.
“Lucas.”
His smile fades slightly, not completely just j enough for him to realize I’m serious.
I look away briefly, gathering my thoughts then I look back at him.
“I’m sorry.”
The words feel strange coming out of my mouth but it’s necessary.
For a moment he just looks at me, listening and Waiting so I continue.
“For everything.”
The years, the hatred, the resentment, the accusations, the fights and distance.
All of it.
“I should’ve handled things differently.”
My jaw tightens.
“But I didn’t.”
Lucas remains quiet so I keep going.
“I blamed you.”
The confession burns a little because it’s true.
“I blamed you for losing her.”
For Aria, for all those years, for all that pain and now we know neither of us was responsible. Neither of us had a chance.
Thomas took that choice away from everyone.
A long silence follows.
Then Lucas shakes his head and starts laughing, actually laughing.
I stare at him.
“What is wrong with you?”
He steps forward, clapping a hand against my shoulder hard. Hard enough that I nearly stagger.
“I was wondering how long it would take.”
I blink.
“What?”
“For you to say that.”
His grin softens a little, then he shakes his head.
“You stubborn idiot.”
I scoff.
“Takes one to know one.”
“Fair.”
A beat passes, then Lucas exhales.
“I’m sorry too.”
I look at him….his expression is sincere, completely sincere.
“I wasn’t exactly innocent.”
No.
He wasn’t, neither of us were.
We were both grieving, both angry and broken and we’d spent years taking it out on each other.
Years wasted, years we can never get back.
Then Lucas suddenly pulls me into a hug.
The bastard.
I immediately hate how emotional that makes me, so naturally I insult him.
“You’re getting soft.”
“Shut up.”
I laugh….actually fucking laugh with the fucking bastard and it feels like ages since we’ve done that together.
Then I hug him back…..briefly, because if anyone asks, this never happened.
Ever.
When we finally separate, the tension that has existed between us for years feels…Gone, not completely cause scars never disappear entirely.
But it feels lighter like something we can finally move past.
Then I grab the back of his neck, pulling him slightly closer.
His eyes narrow immediately.
“What?”
I lower my voice jst enough.
“You better treat my sister right.”
His expression immediately changes, understanding washing over his face.
I continue .
“Or else.”
Lucas chuckles then nods.
“Duely noted, man.”
Good answer…..very good answer. Because if he hurt Aria after everything…..
No. Not happening.
Lucas smirks.
“You know, you’re weirdly protective.”
“She’s my sister.”
“Exactly.”
I point at him.
“Watch yourself.”
That only makes him laugh harder.
—
When the two of us walk back into the restaurant a few minutes later, every single person immediately looks at us.
Every. Single. Person.
I stop. wondering how I got with these bunch of very nosey people.
The room is suspiciously quiet, then Elaine narrows her eyes.
“Oh my God.”
I already don’t like that tone.
“What?”
“You hugged.”
I freeze.
Lucas freezes.
The room explodes, Ivy screams. Caleb starts laughing, Aria nearly falls out of her chair and Noah looks genuinely horrified.
“Did they just hug?”
“It happened!” Ivy yells.
“It finally happened!”
I immediately regret everything, Lucas looks equally miserable and somehow that only makes everyone laugh harder.
Elaine beams at us.
Completely shameless and for the first time in years…Neither of us really minds.
Because for once…Everything is exactly how it’s supposed to be.