Holy crap. This was not the way he wanted to tell her about the gamble, that was for sure. As he watched her high-tail it straight to Samuels' guard, Chanelle cleared her throat bringing back his attention to the game. Of course, Laura had to appear during the last course, which could either make him the winner or tie them off at best, because he won the last round even after they re-dealt the cards.
"Now, now, Lucas. Are you sure you can handle this now? You look a little...sick." Now, Chanelle had resolved herself to psyching him out-which wasn't working.
"Not at all. Please, let us continue." Just saying that made the wind knock out of him, but he refuses to let his pain show, and waits for his cards as she deals. His heart was painfully beating, and with each beat, it felt like a part of his body shattered with its rhythm. This is it. The make it or break it point of no return. He would either win, or they would be tied and everyone knows Chanelle hates ties.
The cards felt unusually smooth underneath his fingertips that were surprisingly not sweaty, and before he lifted the cards, he stared a long good time at her face. She was desperate, and he knew it. Her eyes were narrowed on the backs of his cards, and her fingernails looked even more grotesque as they twitched. At this moment, he catches sight of Laura running out of the casino, with her hair swishing to and fro behind her.
"This is for you, Laura." He whispers, pulling the cards up from the table. With wide, incredulous looking eyes, he turned them over and slapped them to the table. A tone of joyous disbelief enters his voice, "I win."