Page 49 of Fighting for Lucy

The other half of the time it had felt like it was the two of them against the whole world.

Those were the moments that had bonded them so closely.

Closely enough that she ached to have him there by her side. His presence would comfort her, make her feel safe, and shedidn't want to sound like an ego, but she believed her presence would help him, too.

Fingers clicked in front of her face, and she blinked and looked over to see Cassie watching her with concern.

“You doing okay, Luce?” Ella asked.

“Yep.” Although her fingers were convulsively stroking through Cotton’s curly poodle hair. “Painkillers are doing their job, I'm clean and in fresh clothes, and I'm thrilled I don’t have to have surgery. I’m happy to be home,” she said, throwing in a smile for good measure.

That was all true of course. The shower had been heaven and she’d washed her hair three times and her body four, thankful for the waterproof brace on her arm. It wasn’t until the water began to run cold that she’d been able to drag herself out. Her favorite leggings and oversized hoodie, along with a pair of fuzzy socks, made her feel more like herself, and she really was glad that surgery wasn’t on her upcoming schedule. Cotton had followed her around everywhere, even lying on the bathroom floor while she bathed, and the dog’s presence was comforting in and of itself.

“I don’t think she was asking if you were clean or in pain,” Cassie said.

“How are youdoing?” Ella repeated her question. “This is us. We’re a family, the four of us, you can tell us anything.”

Usually, she would agree that was true.

But talking about Zander with Scarlett felt weird. She understood why her friend was angry, she knew the kind of life Scarlett and Zander had lived as kids, and knew the bond they shared. But she also knew Zander, and how badly he’d suffered watching his friends die and how deeply it had affected him.

There was no doubt in Lucy’s mind that Scarlett wouldn’t hold onto that anger for long. She was too sweet, and she loved her brother too much. She’d even seen her friend approachinga doctor at the hospital to ask about her brother’s injuries when she thought nobody was watching.

That wasn’t what was bothering her. What was bothering her was whether Scarlett would be okay with her and Zander being a couple.

More than that, would Zander?

He liked her, but she knew he was on the fence about taking things any further. His demons were screaming in his ear that he was no good for her, no good for anyone, and he had to be alone as his penance for his sins. It wasn’t true, but she had no idea how to convince him of that. Especially if he wouldn’t even give her a chance.

“It’s Zander, isn’t it?” Scarlett said flatly. Tate shifted a little closer to her and Scarlett immediately leaned into him. It was kind of weird seeing the two of them together. Their relationship was about as new as it could get, and most of the time they’d spent together, had been hiding out from both law enforcement and Raul Castillo’s men, so she wasn’t used to seeing her friend and this man together.

“I hate to sound like a broken record, but you need to talk to him,” Lucy told her friend, snuggling Cotton closer so she could press her face into the soft fur. She was so happy that Scarlett had found a man who had her back, who would be there for her, give her that sense of belonging she had always craved, and the acceptance she deserved, but she also knew her friend still needed her brother.

More than that, Zander needed his twin.

While Scarlett had Tate, Athena Team, and Prey, Zander had nobody in his corner right now other than her, and he needed more. Deserved more.

“He told me what happened, and when he did, I understood why he felt like he had no choice but to do what he did,” Lucy continued. In the briefing earlier, Zander had not gone into anydetail on what had happened to his team beyond saying they’d been killed, and while she didn't want her friend to hear the gruesome details she knew that Scarlett was going to have to if she was going to get past this.

When Scarlett began to pick at her cuticles, a sure sign she was stressed, Tate reached over and grasped her hands, stilling them, then entwining their fingers together. “I'm scared,” she whispered.

“Of what?” Lucy asked. The only way to fix a problem was to acknowledge it. You couldn’t fix what you didn't know was broken.

“Losing my brother for real,” Scarlett admitted. “If I listen to him then I have to accept what he tells me. I have to understand. I have to forgive him for letting me believe he was dead.”

“Why is that a bad thing?” Lucy asked without judgment. She’d known Scarlett for years, and there truly was nobody else on Earth with a bigger heart, she just wanted to understand what Scarlett needed from her so she could provide it and the siblings could reconnect.

“Because if I forgive him, then I have to admit how much I love him. How it doesn’t matter that we grew apart in foster care, and that a wedge was driven between us when he joined the Army, I always loved him. I always will. He’s my brother, my twin, my other half. Sorry, Tate,” Scarlett said with a small smile as she looked up at her boyfriend. “If I have to admit that nothing could make me stop loving my brother, no matter what he does, no matter any mistakes he might make, no matter how noble he believes he has to be, then I have to risk losing him all over again. I couldn’t survive that. I know I couldn’t.”

With her admission, Scarlett began to cry, and Tate immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

Watching the couple, Lucy felt her own eyes tear up. She wasn’t usually much of a crier, but lately, she’d shed so manytears, and she was starting to admit to herself that tears weren't necessarily the weakness she had always believed them to be. They were real, they were an outpouring of emotion, and they were part of life.

Over the years she had proven herself strong enough and capable enough to do whatever she set her mind to. So why did she keep feeling the need to maintain her independence to the point where she was uncomfortable sharing her emotions with the people who cared about her?

This should be a safe place. Her family should be a safe place, all the people in her life loved her and would never put her down because of her condition. This was what Zander should have right now. What she had gone through was nothing in comparison to what had happened to him and his team, and yet here she was, surrounded by people, while Zander was alone.

That broke her heart because even the toughest of warriors should have his team at his back. And these people in her living room with her would be his team if he’d let them.

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