Hearing that, I laughed right in his face:
“Don’t sweat it, Alexander. You’re a Reed, not a Sinclair, remember?”
When Dad took them all in years ago, Alexander made this big deal about keeping his birth name instead of taking ours.
Dad didn’t give a crap–just let them do whatever they wanted.
Now Alexander was finally looking me dead in the eyes.
Those eyes that used to be so soft when I looked at him? Ice cold now. Like I wanted to erase him from my life.
Lucas’s lips twitched the moment I threw Alexander’s surname in his face–his eyes lit up, and his grip on my hand got even tighter, like he was scared I might bail on him too.
Alexander’s throat bobbed before he asked again: “Are you seriously marrying this guy?”
“Alexander, who the hell do you think you are, hassling Ellie like this?”
My dad’s voice boomed from behind us. He marched over next to me, glaring daggers at Alexander.
Alexander’s shoulders just dropped right away, and all the bragging he did before was gone.
“Sorry…” he mumbled.
He always
I saw that
acted like this around my dad–like some second–class citizen because he was the adopted one, the charity case.
- old look on his face, but
this time I didn’t jump in to make him feel better.
Back in the day, I’d constantly tell him how Dad was only tough on him because he saw potential. That he wasn’t below anyone in our family–hell, he was lined I up to get more shares than me eventually.
to do was play the But I guess all my father’s money and my constant support meant jack shit compared to Penny’s manipulative bullshit. All sh victim card-“We’re both outsiders in someone else’s house, Alexander. I get how hard it is“—and suddenly he started resenting the hell out of us.
Alexander’s eyes kept bouncing between me and Lucas before he plastered on this fake smile for my dad: “My bad. It’s Ellie’s birthday and engagement party, and I haven’t even said congrats yet.”
He lifted his glass toward me hopefully, but Lucas blocked it with his hand:
“Ellie hates alcohol. I’ll drink for her.”
Lucas grabbed the glass and knocked it back in one go, his Adam’s apple working as he swallowed.
When Alexander heard Lucas basically marking his territory, his face went went totally pale.
He must’ve remembered all those times I used to block drinks for him at parties.
Too late for regrets now, buddy.
Alexander’s eyes got all red. He gave this sad little smile, backed away, and took off.
After everyone cleared out, Lucas cocked his head at me.
“So, is my fiancée taking me home tonight?”
My face went hot instantly. “What?”
71.4%
Chapter 6
Lucas stared at me forever before asking in this totally defeated voice: “You don’t want to bring me home? I get it, I’m just a cripple–makes sense if you’re grossed out…”
Lucas was talking so soft and needy, total opposite of his Ice King rep, that I instinctually blurted out reassurances:
“No! That’s not it at all. I don’t think you’re gross. I just spaced on where you’d stay. You came all this way from the capital–I should’ve figured out your housing situation.”
Lucas’s assistant coughed into his hand, failing miserably to hide a smirk–even his staff knew he was laying it on thick.
Lucas grabbed my hand with these puppy–dog eyes: “You really don’t mind that I can’t walk?”
My eyes dropped to his legs as I nodded, then naturally traveled upward.
Damn, he’s stacked…
“What are you staring at?”
My face burned, and I quickly looked away. “Nothing, I was just…”
“Look, I don’t care about any of that stuff. We can always do IVF down the road if we need to.”
Lucas squeezed my hand. “Why would we need IVF?” he asked.
I stuttered, too embarrassed to spell it out.
Lucas sighed: “Some things are better handled the old–fashioned way,
don’t you
think?”
My eyes went wide as I stared at him in shock.
Wait, was he saying he could…?
Lucas grabbed the arms of his wheelchair and slowly stood up.
The guy who’d been sitting in that chair was a freaking tower–at least a head and a half taller than me, had to be 6’3” minimum.
He pulled me into his arms super gently. “I just hurt my legs in the car crash. They’re mostly better now after two years. I’m just t everywhere. All that other stuff is just gossip.”
I felt like such an idiot.
But I knew that “too lazy to walk” was just a line. Playing up the whole disability thing probably helped people underestimate him.
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
If Lucas had some agenda against my family, hadn’t I just walked straight into a trap?
That realization had me breaking out in a cold sweat.
Lucas, completely clueless about my mental freak–out, asked: “You cold? Let’s head back if you’re cold.”
I nodded like a robot, my mind racing a million miles an hour.
Lucas smiled and slid a vintage Art Deco crystal bracelet–one I’d saw before–around my wrist.
When I saw it, I blurted out: “Holy shit–were YOU the one who saved me back then?!”
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