Truths

Lucas wasn’t looking forward to going back home. His place was supposed to be a sanctuary for him, and now all he needed was her.

“You and I need to fucking talk.” He motioned for Liam to follow him outside. At least if he killed him, Lucas wouldn’t have much of a cleanup if the murder took place outside.

Liam followed him out. Lucas kept walking and walking until they were both standing in the pasture a mile away from his house.

“What the fuck did you do to her?”

Liam shook his head. “This again? I’ve never touched that girl! I’m not interested.”

“That’s a fucking lie.” Lucas’s eyes blazed. “You didn’t accidentally go to her room.”

“I get too drunk. I was out of my mind. I have to deal with you and my wife because I made a fucking mistake?”

“Liam, I know your history.”

Liam frowned, “You don’t have a fucking clue about my history.”

“You’re telling me not one of those girls was telling the truth?”

“They all wanted a piece of the action,” Liam snarled. “You were always the one they wanted. The fucking gentleman: hot piece of ass Lucas Foster.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Then kill me. That’s what you do best. You’re nothing, Lucas. You’ve ended up with nothing, and you will die with nothing.”

“You haven’t fucking changed.”

“No, I guess I haven’t.” Liam smiled. “I tried to get along with you, Lucas.”

“I pulled you off that girl on prom night,” Lucas recalled.

Liam turned to leave. “Selective fucking memory. I’m getting my family and we’re leaving.”

“And say what? You’re a predator?”

“No, that you still have your fucking vices and we can’t be around it. Get ready for the entire family coming over soon. Get it out of your head that I’m the dick.”

“This is my fault?”

“No, it’s your little girlfriend’s fault, dipshit,” Liam cursed. “She’s a fucking psychopath.”

Lucas charged him, tackling Liam to the ground, pummeling him like he should have done before. Lucas didn’t give a shit if Courtney was watching or if the kids had spied. He had warned Liam.

“Get the hell off me!” Liam spit, trying to wiggle out from underneath the tank of a man his cousin had become. “I’m sorry, okay? I was out of line!”

Lucas, who’d really wanted Liam to continue digging himself a deeper hole so he could beat his brains in, hovered over his cousin and frowned. “I loathe you, asshole.”

Liam growled. “The feeling is mutual.”

Lucas got up, leaving Liam in the grass. Once he got back to the house, he bypassed the kids and Courtney, making sure they had a good breakfast and enough snacks for the road.

He liked Courtney and the kids, but Liam was always such a thorn in his side. They tried to get along, but then this happened. If anything, the way Liam disregarded Layla’s fear pissed Lucas off more than ever.

“It’s been a long time, Lucas,” Courtney said as Liam entered the kitchen.

She could see his busted lip, and it didn’t even matter to her to ask what happened. The two were always fighting, but she was also tired of her husband’s antics.

“We want to stay with Cousin Lucas!” Corey protested.

“No, maybe this summer.” Courtney nodded to Lucas. “Would you like that?”

Lucas shrugged. “They’re always welcome here.”

~But not you, Liam,~ he thought to himself.

“Are you ready for Larry and Patty?”

No, he wasn’t. He wouldn’t be able to have Layla there when they came. “Sure thing!”

As his family packed up, Lucas was too caught up in thinking about getting back to his little hippie.

“We’re heading over to her parents’ for a few days.” Liam smiled at Lucas. “What shall I tell them happened to my face?”

Lucas shrugged. “I don’t give a fuck.”

Courtney sighed. She had only heard the rumors about her husband after they were married, and it had become a tumultuous marriage after that.

The kids brought them peace and connection, but Courtney always felt like her husband was keeping things from her.

Lucas watched as they drove off, happy that his house was quiet again.

Now, he was off to Layla’s house to make her feel good.

When he arrived, the gate was open and Dinah was running around with Layla in the backyard, but another truck was there.

Colt.

“Hi!” Layla waved as Lucas stepped out of his truck, cringing at the sight of Colt eyeballing one of Ron’s old cars.

“Hey.” Lucas stood next to her. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

Layla smiled. “He’s going to buy that old Mustang from my dad, so I guess Dad told him to stop by today.”

She didn’t even know. She’d no idea how gorgeous she was and how Colt wanted her, but Lucas did, and he wasn’t happy.

Colt was in his way.

“Heya, Lucas!” Colt waved as he stepped away from the ’66 Mustang. “What brings you here?”

He gazed over at Layla, who was playing fetch with Dinah a good ways away from them.

“Oh, I see.” Colt winked, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Still keeping her all to yourself, Foster?”

“She’s free to see other people,” Lucas said begrudgingly. “We’re just friends.”

Colt raised his eyebrows. “That night at the party…”

“I was out of line,” Lucas snarled, wishing Colt would vanish into thin air.

Colt watched as Layla returned to them. “Yeah, I’m going to buy it, but I’ll bring the check and my tow truck when your dad gets back.”

“Sure thing!” Layla nodded. “My dad will be sad to see it go. He just doesn’t have the time to work on it.”

Lucas never took his dark glare off of Colt. No one was touching Layla. Ever.

“Well, if you’re not doing anything next Saturday, maybe we can get some dinner?” Colt asked Layla, glimpsing Lucas momentarily.

Layla pursed her lips together. “I’ll have to let you know. I’ve been so busy getting ready for graduation and other commitments.”

She glanced at Lucas, who had inched closer to her. “But please don’t hesitate to ask me again, Colt. I would love to, whenever I get the chance.”

Colt, feeling mildly defeated, nodded. “Of course. I’ll take you on that date, Layla—no matter what big, bad, burly obstacles stand in the way.”

Lucas’s fists were balled up so tightly that he began to shake.

“Well, y’all take it easy and let me know when Ron gets back, okay?” Colt tipped his hat. “Lucas. Layla, it’s been a pleasure.”

They watched Colt drive off. There was an awkward silence between them until Lucas spoke up. “I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t trust most people, Lucas.”

“He just wants to fuck you.”

“Isn’t that what you want?”

“They’re all immature little pipsqueaks. I told you to find a real man.”

“Colt isn’t interested in me, Lucas,” Layla said in a sour tone. “He’s only interested to see how far he can go with me. I’ve already checked into him.”

Lucas turned to face her. “Why would you care?”

Layla softened. “I’d like to find the right guy one day, I guess.”

She turned to head into the house. Dinah was at her heels, as was Lucas once he grabbed his bag.

“You’re young. You’ll find the right one.”

Layla shrugged. “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. Have you been doing your meditations?”

Lucas was caught off guard. Of course she’d stop talking about herself and focus on him.

“Yes,” he fibbed.

“Thought you were a good bullshitter.”

Lucas chuckled. Damn, she was a little spitfire.

When they entered the house, Lucas immediately took her into his arms. “Are you okay?”

Layla breathed in his scent, letting it intoxicate her. “I am now.”

They held each other for what seemed like a good while before Layla pulled away. She led him into the kitchen and poured them both a drink.

Lucas eyeballed her. “Since when do you drink hard shit or anything at all?”

“I just felt like having a drink.” Layla shrugged.

“This isn’t you, Little Hippie.” Lucas hesitated, but he lifted his glass and sniffed the contents.

He watched Layla down her shot and gag. “Yuck.”

Lucas put his full glass back on the table and reached for her. Layla moved away. He could see there was a little stumble in her step.

“How much did you have when you slipped away before?” He remembered not seeing her for a few minutes before Colt left.

“Who cares?” Layla asked flippantly, waving her hands in the air.

“I care.” Lucas was behind her now, trying to prevent her from falling over. “Let’s get some food in you, okay?”

She shrugged. “Whatever you say, hot stuff.” Her drunken giggles echoed throughout the kitchen.

As much as Lucas would have loved to watch Layla get plastered for all the right reasons, he knew better. She was hurting deeply.

“Let’s go for a ride!” Layla jumped into his arms, planting kisses all over Lucas’s face.

“Layla…”

“Stop babying me!” she yelled, pulling away from him and stumbling backward. He caught her before she fell. “You don’t understand! I don’t want to feel… I want to be numb…”

Lucas sighed. “That’s exactly how I want to be, Layla, but you told me it’s not healthy.”

Layla laughed. “Take me to that house, Lucas. Take me back to that abandoned house.”

Lucas sure as hell didn’t want to do that, but she begged him.

“Maybe tomorrow.”

“Tonight! It’s not even dark yet. You—”

“—care a great deal for you, Layla. I promise we’ll go. Let’s get some grub and relax, okay?”

Layla pouted and Lucas chuckled.

“Trust me. You don’t want to do something you’ll regret, baby girl.”

Layla hiccuped. “Oh, sorry.” She giggled. “I want you to fuck me on this table, Lucas.”

Lucas, who’d been sorting through the pantry for a nice meal to make, felt her demand go straight to his cock. He couldn’t take advantage of her though.

“How about some corned beef?”

Layla grinned. “I want your beef, Lucas.” She rolled her head back and sighed. “Why are you making me wait?”

Another hiccup.

“Because you’re not in the right frame of mind, and I’m not going to fuck you when you won’t remember it.”

Lucas pulled out some pots and pans and canned foods. She watched him as he did so, taking in every ounce of his body.

“I’m so horny though.”

Lucas laughed. “I’m sure you are. Trust me, the table would be taken if you weren’t drunk.”

“How come—”

Lucas whirled around. “I’ve never fucked you while I was drunk. I can handle my spirits, Layla. You can’t.”

Another hiccup. “You could get a lot of truths out of people when they drink,” Layla reminded him. “More than you ever thought you would.”

Lucas started frying up the food as Layla continued conversing.

“Paul was like that. He’d be drunk and telling me how I should wear a wig or lose weight or gain weight or wear tighter clothing or quit my job and do something meaningful with my life…” She sniffled. “Or fuck him this way or that way…”

She moved her hands in different directions as if to give Lucas a visual.

Lucas, who was already steaming at the mention of Pipsqueak, hated that her thoughts lingered on him.

“Men…men can”—another hiccup—“hurt you so bad. They rape you and beat you and tell you you’re too pretty to look sad all the time. Why don’t you smile?! ~Why don’t you smile more, Layla~?!”

Lucas turned around just as Layla threw the bottle of Jack Daniels against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces.

Lucas gathered her up in his arms and cradled her against him.

“I’m smiling, Lucas…I’m smiling…”