The Only Exception

Part One - Chapter Thirty-One: Leaving for Italy

Lucia brushed her fingers through her hair as she checked that she had everything, she ignored the look that Lionel was giving her knowing that he wanted her to stay.

Lucia wasn’t going to change her mind especially not now that she was at the airport ready to leave on her flight with Francis.

“Are you sure about this?” Shakira asked as she moved to stand next to Lucia, she was proud of her friend for making a stand about this however she couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lionel right now.

No matter what Lionel had done in the past two months, it was perfectly clear right now that he was losing something important to him.

“I’m sure… I need to do this,” Lucia said with a soft smile as she moved to hug her friend, she was determined not to let anyone ruin this for her even Lionel.

Lucia knew that her husband was sad but he deserved what was happening right now, he had spent two months an emotional affair with his ex-girlfriend that had only gone and left him anyway.

Lucia wasn’t sure when Antonella had left, she only knew that it had been shortly after Lionel had learnt she’d been rushed to hospital.

“Then I hope you’re making the right decision for you and baby,” Shakira said as she pulled back from Lucia, she looked at her friend’s still flat stomach it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

Lionel would miss out on so much with Lucia in Italy and he wouldn’t see her properly again for six months; there wasn’t even a guarantee that when Lucia did come back that she wouldn’t file for divorce.

“So do I,” Lucia whispered in response, it hadn’t been an easy decision for her to make and she knew that doing this would led to problems but she needed to do this.

Shakira nodded her head as she looked over at Lionel, she could see that he was miserable and she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him; even if he had brought this on himself.

Lionel moved towards his wife as Shakira moved away to stand beside Gerard, he swallowed knowing that this was it.

Lionel hadn’t thought that his time with Lucia would be cut this short and he hated that there was nothing that he could say to convince her to stay.

“You’ll look after Poppy?” Lucia checked as she looked at Lionel, she knew that he would but she wasn’t sure what else to say to him right now.

The last few days had been awkward enough as it was and now she was leaving for six months, it didn’t make any of this easy.

Lionel nodded his head as he watched Lucia for a moment, he’d had so many things that he had wanted to say to her and now he couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Lucia we have to go,” Francis said as he interrupted Lionel’s moment with his wife, he hated to ruin the awkward silence but they did have a flight to catch and they had to get through security still.

Lionel glared at the art collector that was stealing his wife away from him, he would never be able to forgive himself for allowing her to slip through his fingers. Nor would he forgive Francis for giving Lucia somewhere to escape from him.

“I’ll call you when I land,” Lucia said with a stiff nod, she might not have been fond of her husband right now but she did still love him and she didn’t want him worrying about her.

Lionel nodded his head as Lucia shouldered her carry-on, he felt his heart clench as he realised that this would be the last time that he saw her in person for six whole moments.

“I’ll miss you,” Lionel said making Lucia pause for a moment, she stared at him before nodding her head and walking away before she gave him any false hope about their future.

***

“You okay?” Gerard asked as he walked with his friend back to the car, he glanced at the small Argentinian not knowing quite what to say to him right now.

Lionel stared ahead of him brokenly, his heart aching as he tried to find the words to describe how he felt right now.

Shakira was walking a head of the two men and Lionel didn’t blame her for a moment for not wanting to be around him; he had hurt her friend in the worst possible way and now she was gone.

“I just lost the love of my life,” Lionel whispered as he looked up at Gerard, he had said the same when he had lost Antonella but now it felt real, now he felt like there was a part of him missing.

Gerard sighed as he patted his friend on the shoulder in comfort, he was sort of glad that the paparazzi hadn’t noticed them yet since Lionel looked a mess and not like the world’s greatest footballer right now.

“She’s really gone,” Lionel said as he tried to keep the panic out of his voice, he had known that this was coming but he still wasn’t prepared for it.

Lionel had hoped that he’d have a little longer to prepare for her departure and now he had to head home to an empty house without her.

Gerard nodded his head, he was still surprised himself that Lucia had been able to get on the plane without Lionel; he had seen how apologetic his friend had been but it just hadn’t been enough to convince Lucia to stay.

“She’s still coming back,” Gerard said as he tried to cheer his friend up, it wasn’t much but he hoped that six months would show Lucia that she needed Lionel in her life.

The Argentinian was the father of her unborn child and Lionel would be a brilliant father when the time came if Lucia let him.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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Author's Note:

Thanks to everyone that read, commented and subscribed to the story so far. Part Two coming up soon.