Lucian

Chapter 24

[Lucian]

I cannot stand the silence anymore. I really cannot. I have been standing in the hallway like this for the past five minutes. I am waiting for Madelyn to get back in. She will get back in..
I am not the type of person who gets self conscious easily but, what if she decides to go back to Nickolas. Give him another try. Fuck, this is messing with my head. It is like high school all over again. All three of us went to the same school. Until they left for college, got married, and I was forced to take over my father's business right after I graduated high school. And now I have raised our income with forty six percent and I have made my dad's company what it is today. I am good at what I do but if I could go back and choose where to go myself I would have chosen college. Like they did. And then I would have been with Madelyn. I do not even know if she remembers me.

It has been quiet out there for a while. Maybe I should make sure Madelyn is okay. Fuck, if I could, I would punch Nickolas in the face and I would tell that fucking woman to be mine. Marry her, whatever, she's fucking addictive. If he has laid his dirty hands on her they will be ripped off.

That is enough waiting. I swing the door open and walk out. Both of their heads snap in my direction. I look from Nickolas to Madelyn and then to the hand he has raised above her head to hit her. Fucking bastard. His eyes widen and he lets go of her.

"No, I wasn't going to-" Nickolas starts to defend himself and I shoot him a wicked smile. My first fist connects with his jaw and sends him a few feet away. I reach out and grab for his collar. My second fist hits his left cheek.

"Lucian stop!" Madelyn cries from behind. Cazzo. Nickolas groans in pain and I give him one last look before dropping his shirt. He falls to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I turn to look at Madelyn. Her eyes are round and big, tears spilling out of them. She is looking at Nickolas. Still not me. Why are you not looking at me Madelyn? What is so interesting about him?

I look at Nickolas too. Blood is gushing out of his nose but I did not even hit him there. He is blacked out and his whole face looks in pain. Mother fucker deserves it. He laid his hands on her and was about to hit her. He has made her cry multiple times. I do not care about the money he owes me anymore. He owes this woman right here his fucking life.

"D-did you..is he okay?" Did you kill him. I know that is what she was about to say. It was at the tip of her tongue. I did this for her. He was hurting her. I am not the type of person to ignore someone if they need help.

"He is fine. He is just blacked out." I tell her and watch for her reaction. Her face hardens and so does mine. Why is she angry about this? He was hurting her.

"Why would you do that. Oh my gosh- you could have killed him! You can't do things like that." She breathes heavily and I watch her with surprise in my eyes.

"I can, if he is hurting you I will make sure he does not do it again." I tell her honestly. She looks at me like I am crazy. Just like my mother used to do. I narrow my eyes and look away.

"No, Lucian. You can't." Her voice flicks back and forth to mother's voice and I clench my jaw. 'You can't do that Lucian. Your father and I want what is best for you. Okay il tesoro?'
[Honey]

"He will wake up." 'What have you done! She will not wake up you coglione! You killed her!' I did not kill him. Or her.
Flashbacks begin to appear in my head and I try to blink them away. No. Stop. Cazzo.
Our nanny, Chiara, grabbed the sandwich I was eating and looked at five year old me with humor in her eyes. 'Come on il tesoro, I want to show you something.' She told me and I smiled as I followed her up to my room. She always used to sneak me candy bar without my parents knowing. We always went to my room and I always kissed her on the cheek to get a candy. 'Here, sit down.' She patted a spot on my bed. I sat down and she stood in front of me. There was something off about her. There was something new to her eyes. 'Wait here.' She said and went to lock my door. Something felt wrong and the familiar sound of a click made me shiver. She locked the door and came back to me.
'I have a chocolate for you." She smiled and I went to kiss her cheek to get it but she stopped me. 'This one..is really big so I will need a bigger payment.' She told me and I furrowed my eyes in confusion. 'Two kisses?' I asked and she laughed but shook her head. 'No il tesoro, I need you to-

"Lucian are you okay?" Madelyn's sweet voice pulls me out from my flashbacks and back to reality. I look at her to find her standing closer now. She touches my arm and I flinch. "You are tense." She whispers and slides her hand to my back and brings me in for a hug. It takes a moment for me to realize what she's doing. I wrap my arms around her and pull her small body to me. I relax into her arms and inhale her sweet scent. She smells like herself and like my shampoo. Like mine.

'I need you to do something you can't tell anyone okay?'
'What?'
'Yes, not even your parents. You know how mad they get when I give you candy. So, repeat after me. I won't tell a soul. Say it.'
'I-I won't tell a soul.'

I. Won't. Tell. A. Soul.