Twice The Trouble Book 2 of 2: Twice The Love

Chapter 75: Changes

Lucas

What's keeping him? I was at one of our hotels in California where he was staying. It didn't take me hours to know his location, thanks to Bryce, who was already vacationing here.

With the perks of being a De Los Reyes, I could travel anywhere I wanted. I could ride a private plane to wherever I pleased. It saved me a lot of time and time was what I needed in this situation. I had to settle this once and for all. It was time to face my father.

One step at a time.

I'd been thinking a lot. How I hated myself right now. Why didn't I listen to Sophia's explanation before? Why did I leave Courtney's house all of a sudden? Why didn't I ask for her side of the story?

I hated myself for being such a narrow-minded person. The moment I learned that Sophia had been corresponding with both my parents, it didn't occur to me that I was taking her for granted. I came clean and only thought of myself. I blamed her for everything when in fact I was the most at fault.

Well, her words gave me the drive to come to my senses. I needed to make it up to her once I returned to the Philippines. Sophia still wanted me. I could sense that. She wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with her. But I didn't want to rush things. This time, I wanted to take it slow. No more secrets, no more lies.

"Lucas." I was dragged out of my reverie the moment I heard my father's voice. I didn't notice that he'd already stepped inside my luxurious hotel room.

"Father," I acknowledged his presence.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Dude, are you done yet--" Bryce stopped himself when he saw I wasn't alone.

Father walked to a nearby couch and made himself comfortable. "Now this is unusual. Three days before New Year and you two just happened to be visiting me. Kindly correct me if I am mistaken."

"Calm as ever," Bryce retorted, crossing the room to grab a beer from the mini-fridge. "Aren't you surprised how Lucas found you right away?"

Brent De Los Reyes answered. "Not at all. I always knew the two of you easily had the capacity to find out where I am." He thrust his fingers through his graying brown hair. "All these years, Bryce, and you never did come to visit me."

"So what? You wanted us to visit you for some father and son bonding?" Bryce laughed sarcastically.

Father looked between me and Bryce. "Sons, I know I've been busy. I wanted to see you grow up.I saw that you made a lot of friends. I don't want to deprive both of you of your freedom just--"

"What are you talking about?" I asked him.

Bryce's perplexed expression mirrored my own. "What the hell are you saying?"

Father turned his attention to me. "Lucas, I know what you're doing. I assume this has something to do with Sophia Ann Sta. Ana?"

"Hold up, just--just one damn second." Bryce waved his hands in front of him as if father was spurting nonsensical gibberish. "What the heck did you mean by 'freedom' and wanting to see us grow up?" My brother glared at our father. "You were never home. Especially when mother left. You remember why she left us, don't you?"

Father's face fell as he nodded somberly. "Yes. Bryce, I know you might never forgive me, but I regret everything I did to your mother. I wasn't a sane man then. I'm not making excuses--"

"Yes you are.Y ou know you are." Bryce downed his beer in one pull and tossed the can into the nearest trash can. "Whatever you say right now won't change the fact that you beat your own wife on a daily basis, in front of your 8-year-old children. And what is this crap about freedom? You tried to force me into becoming a CEO and when I took up a completely different course, one that wasn't business-related, you turned to Lucas!"