Page 60 of The Vengeance You Crave
"What makes you say that?"
"Just tell me it's not Letty again," she begs. "She's with Kane now. She's happy. She doesn't need you—"
"It didn't have anything to do with, Letty,Mom."
She rolls her eyes at me.
"I'm worried about you, okay? Shoot me."
"We're all worried about you. Mom especially. Can you at least return her call at some point, it might stop her nagging at me so much?"
"Everything's fine. It's—"
"Don't bullshit us, Luc. We know everything isn't fucking fine or you wouldn't be here right now looking like that. Is it Dad?"
"When isn't it about Dad?" I mutter as Chelsea presses a cool wipe to my lip, making me hiss.
"Sorry."
Shane knows better than anyone what Dad can be like. When he found out about Nadine, and Shane's plans to only attend MKU part-time this year and not to even attempt to be a part of the team, he went nuclear. But before long, as it always happens when it's to do with Leon or Shane, Dad lets it go and just turns his frustration toward me as if I'm the one who's personally fucked him over.
I get it… I think. I'm the quarterback, I'm the one to possibly follow in his footsteps, to hit heights that he never managed to in his career. But fuck… I'm not actually him and his overbearing, controlling, asshat-ness is just too much to fucking bear.
I stare at my little brother, wondering how much to divulge. He'll remember Peyton. She basically lived at our house growing up, but he never really had anything to do with her, and he certainly doesn't know anything about the circumstances under which she left.
In the end, I decide to go with honesty, or at least a little of it. I know that Leon will only rat me out later if I don't confess now.
"Peyton is back."
"Pey… oooh."
"She's at MKU. I just… I wasn't expecting to ever see her again, you know?"
Chelsea continues working to clean up my face and I have to force myself to sit still while she does it and not knock her hands away from me.
Maybe coming here was a bad idea.
But then Nadine makes this cute little gargle noise and I look down into her giant green eyes and I realize that it's exactly where I need to be.
"Let me finish cleaning you up then you can hold her," Chelsea says softly, clearly sensing that what I really need right now is cute baby cuddles with the most precious little girl in the world.
Silence falls between us as Chelsea starts to work on my knuckles and Shane pulls Nadine onto his lap. They both might be young, but fuck if they aren't the most incredible parents. That little girl has no idea how lucky she is.
"Here," he says, handing his daughter over.
"Hey, baby girl. How's it going?" I ask, looking down into her sparkling eyes. Her lips curl up in happiness and she giggles, wiggling about in my arms. "Yeah, I'm happy to see you too."
Chelsea and Shane both get up and leave me with my girl for a few minutes before bringing over cans of soda.
"So I'm assuming it wasn't a happy reunion?" Shane says, unfortunately wanting to know more.
"No. When she left, we weren't on good terms."
"I remember. But that was what… five years ago? You were just kids then. Don't you think that it's time to let go of whatever it is?"
As he says the words, I find myself fifteen years old sitting in Peyton's backyard discussing plans for our summer when she turned to me and dropped the bomb that would not only change our plans for the summer, but for the rest of our lives.
Everything we thought we were going to have together was gone the moment I looked her in the eyes and called her a liar.
