Jackie’s POV“Darrell,” I repeated, testing the name on my tongue while he smiled, nodding. “Do you go to our college?”Darrell shook his head. “I was there to meet someone when I saw you bent over your car. I got worried when I saw you were pregnant. So, I helped.”I was glad someone was around to help because I didn’t know who to call out to at that moment. It was rare for a stranger like him to go out of his way to help me and even stay with me until now, with Paul included. He seemed like a nice guy.“I am sorry for keeping you from meeting the person you wanted to see.”“Nah, it’s alright. I already called them.”I looked around the bed before spotting my phone, which I wanted, on the small bedside table by my left-hand side. I grabbed it and swiped through to call Lucas, hoping that he would answer my calls this time. I was not liking how he was ignoring my calls ever since he went to Rochester. Moments like this needed us to stay in touch with one another and not keep things aw
Lucas’ POVI was beginning to regret having this girl in on my plan. I could tell she was attracted to me. And it was not going to be good if I wanted us to be partners under the family company. All I wanted was to have people on my side and not catch an infidelity case.Something told me Jackie had heard her speak because when I returned to the call, it had ended. I was worried that she overhead what Maddie had said to me, and I knew I was in deep shit. Looking back at the girl sitting on the couch across my bed, I began to think the name Maddie was cursed.“So, I spoke to my dad about it, and he says he is aware of the meeting back at Hamilton Inc. He told me he isn’t interested in selling his shares to anyone but when I mentioned that you were Lucas Hamilton, he became shocked. He said something about you finally coming to your senses. Do you know my dad or something?”I perked up at the last few words she had uttered. I didn’t know who her father was, so it was surprising to me ho
Lucas’ POVI would know him anywhere. I would know the man I once thought was my uncle, anywhere, even though he had an identical twin brother. But the shock of seeing him made me freeze. I was told he had died yet he was in front of me, alive and staring up at me. My heart was leaping fast and a rush of cold flowed over me.In fear, I stepped back, almost stripping on the steps. I eyed the man lying on the steps with wonder and curiosity flowing through me. He was dead but how was he alive?“You’re not Henry,” I said with a shaky voice.“What?” I heard Ruth say.“Lucas,” Mom called to me from behind.I had so many questions the more I looked at him. If he had been alive all these years, why had he abandoned me? Why did he stay away when I needed a father? My eyes started to prickle, and my heart burned when anger and sadness filled me up.
Chapter’s Soundtrack: Let You Go by Morgan PageJackie’s POVI was stalling.Ever since Darrell showed me the picture, I invited him in and have stayed in the bedroom I shared with the man I thought was my everything. I still believed he was my everything, but the recent happenings made me think otherwise. The picture matched with the words I heard from the Maddie girl from before. My heart was hurting, and my eyes were threatening to spill tears. I was scared of what Darrell had to say about Lucas.A part of me believed he would never hurt me. But then again, our relationship was still new and not even up to a year, we were still new adults and Lucas had still been sleeping with women months ago before we started dating. The train of my thoughts made me wonder the possibilities.What if I was just another woman for him? We had a lot more years ahead of us and anything could happen.When Paul turned on the large bed, I sighed and covered him with his baby blanket before walking to the
Lucas’ POVDad and I have been talking for hours, catching up on the things that happened years ago and currently in our lives. I told him all about the struggles I went through, the things have been up to, especially how I made enough money through racing and the shares I had in the company. He was all smiles as I told him everything and it felt so good to have someone like him with me. Before I knew him as my real father, I always loved his presence. He had been my best uncle and now I was with him, as his real son, I felt even more happy and relaxed in his presence.“Lucas,” he said in his soft voice. “I am so proud of you.”My heart fluttered at those words. So many times, I wished the man I thought was my father would say them to me. I used to hear Henry say those words to Axel and it always hurt but now, I got to hear them from my real father. I had to bite my lip and take a deep breath to control my tears.“I always wanted to hear those words,” I said, and he placed his hand on
Jackie’s POVAs I turned my head on the bed, I felt a dull headache and forced my eyes open, chasing the heavy feeling of sleep way. My eyelids were heavy and narrowed, as well as swollen. Dry crusts were pinching my eyes and my throat felt like I swallowed sand. I remembered crying before I slept all because of Lucas. My heart ached once again when I remembered why.He was cheating on me.I wanted to still believe he wasn’t cheating but when bad boys fell, trouble followed. I wanted to hate myself so much for being so careless with him, with my heart, with my body. I fell hard for his charms and now he was cheating, with a girl that was the type of girls he hung out with in high school and possibly in college; pretty, popular and rich.I pushed the images forming in my head away and rolled over to my other side. My waist felt heavy, and my bulging stomach made me feel uncomfortable. As the days clocked by, the changes from my pregnancy became more prominent. Every part of my body fel
Part Two“Did you even love me?”| | |Jackie’s POVTwo months Later…“Hey, Jackie? I’m off to the clinic!”I heard Andrea’s voice from where I was in the small kitchen. With my hand on my right hip, I made my way toward the living room and saw her at the door, in her blue scrubs. I smiled at her, and she smiled back.“When will you be back?” I asked and she shouldered her bag.“At two in the afternoon then head back at eight to the hospital,” she replied and opened the door. “If you need anything, let me know, okay?”I nodded and she stepped out of the house, shutting the door. I sighed and turned around, heading back to the kitchen. Once there, I sat on a chair and pulled my plate of food closer. I grabbed my fork and stared at the steaming white spaghetti and sauce. Immediately, I got flashes of the time Lucas had cooked for the first time.I dropped the fork and glared at the fridge ahead of me. I hated this. Each time I tried to move on, to not think of that bastard, one thing al
Lucas’ POVDay and night, every passing hour, Jackie was all I thought about. I knew she was hurt and it hurt me that I did that. I felt stupid for breaking up with her just to protect her, to protect our future, to protect my little family. I felt as if I was not man enough. I could have just told her everything, down to Henry’s wicked ways of living but I was scared. I was scared of him finding out that she knew about him, about everything that I knew about him.I still wished Jackie wasn’t pregnant, that way she could handle herself more without me worrying. Secondly, I was going to miss out on a lot of things during her pregnancy. In at least three months, she was going to give birth to our baby. I don’t think I can stay away from her then. I cannot miss welcoming my child into this world. This cruel world. He wasn’t even born but I wish he would grow up without knowing any of the evil th