Page 71 of Shifted

"Hope, I just want to say I'm sorry... I never meant to hurt you. I never would-"

"But you did, and if you do it once, you'll do it again. I watched it with my parents, and I sure as hell won't have Joely watch it happen with me." I knew how easy it would be for me to kill him right here and now. But the complications were mixed in between. The fact that I'd never be okay again, the cleanup, the cameras. Lucas down the hall and Sally, the secretary outside the room. Along with Back Bay right behind me, it would be me confirming myself as a killer.

"I know, Hope, I know it's over." He raised his hands. "I just want to say I'm sorry." I couldn't believe someone like this could be related to Grayson. I couldn't picture him laying a hand on Bella, but Reed said it himself. He didn't do relationships. He was worried about Grayson harming Bella with alcohol. But really, he was afraid about his reflection.

"Good, now go." He nods, and as he turns, Lucas comes to face him. From the looks of his face, he heard our conversation. They stood a foot apart, staring down each other's throats, but Reed seemed cordial, while Lucas looked ready to go to war. Now he knew where my injuries were, laud, why I was taking it easy and hiding my concussion. A forced CT scan showed a small skull fracture that caused the swelling on my head.

He was lucky that I didn’t press any charges when I should’ve. But I didn’t want to drag or fight this out. I simply never wanted to see him again, and if I did, it wouldn’t be Hope seeing Reed; it would be Angel.

"Lucas," he looks at me. "You got my food?" He nods, walking past Reed, who shuts the doors behind him and locks them.

"I'll make sure he's put on a list," he says, throwing me the Dunkin bag. I silently thank him. “Are you okay?” he asks, and I nod my head, wanting to move on; he was a small blip in my life—a flaw in the system, a mistake along the way, and a lesson learned.

"Whatever he did to you, he’ll pay,” he reassures. He could probably sense I didn’t want to talk about it. If I had, I would have told him. But I wanted to keep a seal on this and move forward with my life as if he never existed.

Lucas goes to the blue couch, clutches a pillow in anger, and shoves his head into it, groaning. Something else is bothering him. I haven’t heard of any recent relationship struggles or failed dates—anything truly burdening him in his life—so I wonder what causes his dramatics.

"Alright, get it out…" I said, moving out from behind my desk and sitting across from him, biting into my sandwich.

"Mothers," he mutters, annoyed.

"What about them?"

"Well, mine's been particularly annoying recently. She wants grandchildren, and I don't know why she asks me and not Ashley?" His sister was definitely not the motherly type. She disliked kids; she was honestly afraid of Joely.

"Maybe because her son is a sexy bachelor who won't go out there and get some?" He removed the pillow to scold me. Maybe that wasn’t what he was exactly looking for, but at least he found it funny.

"Jennifer and I were not going to make it... Trust. Me." He sat up, crossing his arms. I had never noticed the number of tattoos he had on his arms. "They are for those in my life who have died." He claims as he notices my observation. But I noticed an odd relic was drawn on his upper bicep.

"Are you checking me out, Taylor?" I wouldn't lie. Lucas was extremely attractive. But he was truly my baby brother. But very far from my type, and what I’ve learned is that I was going nowhere with anyone. Instead, I would just preserve the time I remember with Joely’s father. He was the love of my life, and that’s something that has proven to be true. Even if it’s just me who thinks of him, he gave me my child, and I loved him. That was simply enough.

"Don't be dumb, Lucas." He shrugged.

"It would be weird to date my baby sister for sure," he said, and I stuck my tongue out at him. I think Papa Reign would not approve!" he said, speaking about his father. This time, my pillow flew into his face.

"I think I'm done with love; I'm just soul-searching now. Maybe I should sell everything, buy a van, and spend my life driving down the coasts, homeschooling my child. Hey, I have the money to do it," he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and how I will never understand." He raised a brow. I technically baited him on that one. It was a safer world without him or anyone knowing who I was, especially him seeing me like this right now.

"It’s the secret life of Hope Taylor, Lucas; that's what it is!" He laughs at me. In his eyes, I'm simple and clean-cut. I wouldn't touch a fly, let alone a sniper.

"Yeah, where you probably secretly sell feet pics." He teases.

"Okay, out! Get out!" One thing was for sure, Lucas was still a pain in my ass.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Hope Taylor

I hand her purple butterfly backpack to her as she rushes through the doors. Each morning is like this. At first, she hated the thought of leaving her mommy all day. But then, when we finally arrived at daycare, she couldn't wait to be with her friends. I follow behind her as her room teacher waits for all the children on the carpet for morning story time.

Walking over to her little cubby, I hang up her red raincoat. As I look up, I meet her eyes after two months. Zoe goes over to the carpet as the swarm of parents places their children's items away.

Behind her is her husband, Isaac. He was actually here with Maya in person. I wasn't the only one to notice his presence. But then the unexpected happened, and Maya approached me.

"God, you were smart today. I totally forgot Zoe's raincoat, and by the time we were in the car, we were going to be late." She started a simple conversation with me, and it took me by surprise. I honestly didn’t know how to react at first, so I just smiled.

"Oh, Joely grabbed her coat for me this morning. She's pretty much the real Mom in the mornings. I get stressed trying to get all my stuff for work," she laughs. As I look at Isaac, his face is glued to his phone, as if I don't even exist.

---