The Devil's Trap

45.

I didn't know what to think when I saw that message popping off. Did I make a mistake trusting Lucas back into my life? It feels as though ghosts from the past are creeping into our life again. But this time it's different, it's not just me, there is Alice. I couldn't help but wonder about that text. Why was he still in contact with veronica, and what could be so urgent? Am I letting my mind run too wildly?

Lucas came back, so I handed him the phone hoping for an explanation or at least a reaction but when I handed him the phone telling him that I think he got a message he only looked at the phone and respond by telling: it's nothing important.

I couldn't believe it, it felt like I was back in the hospital with my dad, stupidly waiting for Lucas to call back, and when he does he just says he was busy as an excuse for him not answering.

On the way back, I couldn't say anything, my mind was too busy processing everything that was happening, when I thought that everything was getting better, everything came crashing down, I knew at that moment that deep inside me I still have feelings for this man, My heart was aching at the possibility that he could be lying again.

I felt fingers brushing along my hand, I looked up to Lucas, and he looked worried, his eyes holding many feelings that I failed to name, like a silent raging storm.

"Are you alright? You haven't said a word since we left"

"I'm good, thanks" I looked back at Alice and she was deeply sleeping, the poor thing must be so tired from running around.

"She's so beautiful" Lucas commented when he saw my eyes lingering over Alice.

"She is, and she's so innocent, I don't want her to be sad, ever" As if reading what was going through my mind Lucas grabbed my hand in his and reassured me.

"I promise you, that I will be the best father she can ever have, I will never make her sad, and I will make sure the smile never leaves her face" he squeezed my hand "Both of you" he added.

I held Alice in my arms, while Lucas was getting our things from the car, and my mom was waiting for us at the door, I was about to enter but my curiosity got the best of me.

"Mom can you hold Alice for me, I need to speak with Lucas" My mom gave me a concerned look but I tapped her shoulder to let her know that everything was alright.

I went back to Lucas who was getting the bag and basket from the trunk, he noticed me then noticed Alice was no longer in my arms.

"Where is Alice?" he asked

"Back in the house with my mom" He nodded "I need to talk to you about something"

Lucas closed the trunk, now standing and waiting for what I had to say.

"Look, I wasn't going to say anything since it doesn't concern me, but it might concern Alice so U need to ask you" I paused for a moment to catch my breath, I hated confronting people, it only brings back bad memories.

"What is it?"

"I'm not going to lie, back at the beach, your phone was close to me and when you got a message, I saw what it was and who sent it. So know I'm asking you not for my sake but Alice's, what is going on? What's the matter?"

"Emily, everything is alright, I'm handling everything" he easily tried to dismiss my concerns.

"NO, everything is not alright, because last time you told me that everything was fine, I came back to our house to find that you have been sharing OUR  bed with another woman, so don't give me the everything-is-fine crap because I'm fed up. If Alice is going to wake up one day to find her father gone again, then you don't need to be here in the first place, you're just wasting everyone's time" Lucas's hand made its way to my face close to my eyes erasing my tears, when did I start crying?

When I looked at looked, the look in his eyes and the expression on his face tore my heart, even more, he was on the verge of crying.

"I will never leave you, ever again, I'm here to stay, I promise. I love Alice more than anything and I love you still more than anything, leaving both of you is like leaving my whole soul and roaming like a dead man cursed to be still alive. I made the mistake of letting you go once, and I'm not going to do it again, how could I? When you're everything that I had been searching for. I was tricked in the past, I didn't know who you were, and when you left I felt that a part of me was missing, I could never be whole without you. Even if you weren't the little girl I was searching for I was going to leave everything to come and find you, then I learned the truth and I hoped every day to die. One night, I was so drunk, I drank every night that was my only way to sleep and maybe ease my pain, but that night no matter how much I drank, the pain of leaving you didn't go away, so I took a knife and cut myself, and for the first time in a very long time I saw you smiling at me, I was about to hold you in my arms but then darkness took over me. Luckily Stephan came to check on me that night and found me in that state, I was saved. I was going to do it again, but our memories kept me from doing it." I looked at his hands and noticed for the first time the scars of the cuts, I caressed them gently 

"I lived without memories, but then  I found you, and I found you holding a beautiful gift too. I'm the luckiest man on earth, I don't deserve you, and I'm a prick, but I'm here to stay Emily. I don't know what Veronica wanted to say but I assure you no matter what she has to say, no matter was could be going on, nothing can keep me away from you" 

He grabbed my face again, his face inches away from mine, he kept repeating 'I love you' with tears in both his eyes. I closed my eyes when I felt his lips caressing mine, ever so gentle, ever so soft, I could stay in between his arms forever, I could caress his lips forever. But suddenly his lips left mine with a loud bang. I opened my eyes to see Lucas falling to the ground with blood stating his shirt.  I looked at my hands and they were painted red. It took me a moment to realize while I held Lucas's falling body: Josefine shot Lucas.