CHAPTER SIX.

Damn

Willow, breanna and Alexa stood in the doorway , their eyes wide , jaw dropping. All things considered, Alyssa supposed she could have told them rather than them finding out like this, They were her family and best friends.

what she couldn't deal with and most certainly didn't want to face was the man standing behind them.

'Dear God, please, please, please let me be hallucinating'

Grant met her gaze, glanced at Lucas then back to her again "Hello Alyssa"

Alyssa felt the blood drained from her head and her eyes started to spin she put her hand on the bench to steady herself , she wasn't hallucinating, she wasn't dreaming, it was real ,the man she has been dating for the past few months was standing few feets from her, looking very polished in a black trouser and a Ralph Lauren grey T shirt.

the question was how long was he standing there, how much did he hear?

Based on the burn of steel in his eyes and the hard flex of his jaw, long enough

"David" she dragged a tired hand through her hair "how did you, when....?"

"he was pulling off the highway, heading for the B&B " Alexa voice was cheerful, she glance briefly at Lucas then turned to Alyssa "we ran into him, Imagine that"." you should have called and told me you weree coming" she smiled, a smile that didn't reach her eyes "I would have picked you up forom the airport"

"my meeting in New York was cancelled, so I thought I would surprise you, seems I succeeded" Grant walked towards Lucas and stretched his hand "David Thatcher"

"Lucas Ramirez"

Alyssa felt as if the ground should open up and swallow her as she watched the two men looked into each others eyes and shaked hands, wondered if the situation could possible get any weirder.

"Must be awkward" David said evenly. "Meeting your wife's boyfriend"

"No more awkward meeting your girl's husband" Lucas shrugged

"you are not my husband" when her voice, cracked, Alyssa cleared her throat and frantically searched for an explanation. when she couldn't find one that makes perfect sense, she ran a hand through her hair "David this isn't what it looks like"

"So you are not married?" he asked her raising his brow

"Well, yes, sort of, It is complicated" Alyssa took a long deep breathe of air, feeling the wide space of the garden coosing in on her "but it is really more of a misunderstanding"

"you mean you are really married?" Breanna spoke fir the first time since they came back " you and lucas?you each other?" willow chimed in with her eyes growing wide

"were married" Alyssa corrected giving a wrak smile "long time ago, briefly"

"This is a joke right ?" Alyssa smiled weakly, she wished it was a joke but it wasn't , she wished it was a dream but it wasn't

when Alyssa didn't reply, Willow asked " but when..how?"

"Three years ago, while I was still in college, I was going to tell you all but every thing happened so fast, We came to our senses a couple of hours later"

"you were only married for a couple of hours?" Alexa asked

"yes" she chuckled, "we realized we made a mistake and we flied fot annulment, haven't seen each other until a week ago"

"He called you his wife" though David comment was directed at Alyssa, has stern gaze at Lucas

"That is the funny part" Alyssa managed a dry laugh "there was a little glitch in paperwork, and it seems the official annulment never went through"

"so you are still married?" Breanna asked

"Yes" every where went still

"we are your family, Alyssa" Breanna said quietly, furrowng her brows, "how come you could not tell us something as important as this"

the hurt of her cousins and sister's face was like a dagger cutting through her heart "I'm sorry, I wanted to, but I didn't know what to will think of me for marrying a man, I barely know" Lucas shot her a look but didnt day anything, Alyssa continued "Lucas and I agreed it was best to keep it a secret from our families and the press"

"let's get one thing straight" he narrowed her a dark gaze "for the record, I never agreed to anything, you asked me to keep it a secret and I reluctantly, honored that request, we didn't make the mistake of filing for an annulment, you did"

"you lied to me then you wanted me to quit school and play housewife" Alyssa snapped "cook your dinner and greet you at the door each night with a smile on my face"

"I asked you to change, school, not quit", Lucas said "" And housewives don't play, they work hard Alyssa, I didn't want you working because I got enough for both of us, I wanted you to build a home, a life with me and I will make no apologies for that"

she opened her mouth to respond to him, after holding everything for three years then close it, Damn him, three years suddenly felt like yesterday they were standing in the hotel suite, same old argument, finding out the real reason he hand married her

the only difference of course, a huge one was that her cousins, sister and boyfriend were standing here too