Criminally Yours

28.

L U C I A N

My blood was boiling. She didn't even think about it before deciding to pack her bags and leave.

I reached for my phone and dialed my moms number.

"Lucian? What is it?" She asked surprised. I didn't normally call my mother.

"Amara is leaving for a while," I started, but before I could continue, I was interrupted.

"You stupid boy. I can't believe you caused her to walk out again. This time with a baby! Just like your father!" She yelled, her Italian accent seeping through. "Ava and I are the only ones with some sense in this family."

"If you were in my position you wouldn't have trusted her either!" I slightly shouted through the phone.

I could almost feel the eye roll at the other end of the line. "Why did you call me?"

"Can you try and get Ava to talk to her?" I pleaded.

"And why can't you do that?"

"Ava won't listen to me," I stated. "She only likes you."

I heard some incoherent grumbling. "I'll see what I can do. You better get this shit figured out Lucian. She's the only girl I've ever liked," she finished before hanging up the phone.

I sighed. I wanted to keep an eye on her, but I knew that if I did it would only make matters worse. I decided to try and distract myself with work.

My body was jittery, and unfortunately, I wasn't able to focus on the tasks I had missed. Rachel's name would wander into my head every so often, and I couldn't think straight.

I was sitting at my desk whining about some bullshit when I made the decision to visit Rachel in her cell.

The basement was located in the furthest corner of the first floor. It was cold and dark, with no interior design whatsoever.

Rachel was placed in a sound proof room that was made specifically for the mentally unstable.

I neared the door to her cell and gripped the handle so hard my knuckles started turning white. I was going to make her pay.

I pulled the door open and noticed that she was curled up in a corner on the opposite side of the cell. Her hair was knotted and she was breathing heavily.

"Look at me," I commanded.

Slowly, she raised her head to meet my gaze. The bags under her eyes had blackened severely, and her body frail, but even after our history, everything she'd ever done led to no good. I hated her more for it.

"Amara wants to see you," I mentioned.

"Why? You're going to let her kill me?" She sneered back.

I crossed my arms. "As much as I'd love that, all she wants is to talk."

A singular red eyebrow rose. "And what would she like to speak to me about? You know, I heard some shouting earlier. Trouble in paradise?"

I stepped towards her and without hesitation, backhanded her across the face. She brought one of her cuffed hands to her face and closed her mouth.

"I'm not sure what she wants from you, but if it weren't for Amara, you'd be dead," I reminded her.

Before she could speak another word, I exited the room and locked the door tightly behind me. I had seen enough of her.

I should have let Amara speak to her, but even if I had, would she still be harboring those feelings about my distrust with her before I found out the truth?

I knew it would be smart to give her space, but I needed to know she was okay, so I pulled out my phone and quickly sent her a text.

Did you make it to your parents house safely? Let me know. I love you. I'm sorry.

A M A R A

My head was pounding and I couldn't focus on what was in front of me. My phone buzzed, but I ignored it knowing it had to be Lucian.

My mother and father welcomed me with open arms. They didn't understand what I went through, but knew that I needed some space away.

They had always been pissed at Lucian, but kept quiet because of my feelings towards him. I wished they would have told me the truth, but that most likely wouldn't have done any good either.

As I walked into their small apartment I was greeted by Roman.

"What are you doing here Mara? Shouldn't you be resting?" He questioned.

"I'm need some space right now. My head isn't in the right place," I responded blankly. That was the half truth.

He frowned, but opened the door wider for me to enter. I adjusted my backpack and walked into my parents kitchen.

My father wasn't to be seen, but my mother looked at me regretfully. Immediately after seeing her face, I broke down in tears.

"Oh, Amara. It's going to be alright," she consoled as she made her way towards me. Her arms wrapped around me shortly.

I cried into her shoulder for a while, before my headache seemed to be unbearable.

I knew it wasn't smart to take aspirin while pregnant, so I pushed through it and trudged to my room. A nap would help clear my mind.

My phone buzzed once more as I started closing my eyes. I lifted the screen to see multiple text messages from Lucian.

Did you make it to your parents house safely? Let me know. I love you. I'm sorry.

Amara? All I need to know is that you're safe. You can ignore me after that.

I sighed.

I'm alright, was all I could muster.

Soon enough, I was able to fall asleep.

I woke up with excruciating pain in my abdomen. My hand flew to my stomach, and I screamed loudly.

A few seconds passed.

"Amara? What's wrong?" Roman asked, my mother and father trailing behind him.

"I don't know," I cried, clutching onto my bump.

"Oh my god. Call 911. NOW!" My mother yelled as she rushed to me. She removed the blanket I was sleeping with with wide eyes.

"Shit," she whispered. "Okay Amara, I need you to keep your eyes up. Do not look down and try and walk as quickly as you can," she instructed.

I stared at her with confusion, but still nodded warily.

She grabbed my hand and guided me downstairs. I tried my best to keep my eyes forward, but I could feel what I could only assume was blood dripping down my legs.

At least five minutes had passed, but the ambulance was not outside. Immediately, I was rushed to a hospital, but before I could fathom the rest of the situation, the EMT made my eyes go dark.

•••

"Amara? Can you hear me?" A male yelled.

I could feel my mouth moving, but no words came out.

"Amara!" Another voice shouted. My vision went blurry again.

"We think it's placental abruption. We need to deliver this baby now, or both of them won't make it. She's lost a lot of blood," a muffled voice commanded.

"What?" A strained voice sounded. There was a crack in his words. It was definitely Lucian.

"L-Lucian," I groaned as loud as I could.

"Yes Amara, it's me," he responded quickly.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

"You're going to be okay," he started, "everything is going to be okay."

Before I could respond, the world went black.