Page 124 of Perfect Three

ChapterFifty

Jack reached out totouch Sebastian as he shivered.He knew how hard this was for him to see Lucy drunk.Sebastian told him how when he was young, he had often seen his mother so drunk she couldn’t stand.She’d become belligerent, yelling and screaming abuse.This had to bring those terrible memories back.

Sebastian gazed at Lucy.“It hurts.It hurts a lot, but we both know this is different.Guess it was kind of funny at first.I can see that now.Anyway, she admitted she was trying to block out her pain.That fucking daughter!”

Jack heard the outrage in Sebastian’s voice, the same rage he felt whenever he thought of Allison.

“At least she came to her senses.At least she rang us.”

“I guess so, but I don’t have to like her.Six fucking weeks of heartache hell because of her!”Sebastian put another piece of ice cube in Lucy’s mouth.“When I think of what might have happened if she hadn’t turned up today, it scares the shit out of me.”

Lucy sighed and wriggled down the bed, her eyes still closed.She’d finally stopped crying.Then, before they knew it, she fell asleep.

Jack rolled her onto her side, just in case she vomited again, although he thought she’d be okay.

“Thank goodness.At least she can sleep it off.”

“Hope she’d got some paracetamol in the house.She’s going to need it!”

“I doubt it.I looked in the fridge.It’s empty except for a bottle of out-of-date milk.”Sebastian’s voice sounded so forlorn.“I don’t think our girl has been looking after herself, Jack.”

“She’s had no one, Seb.At least you and I could lean on each other.Lucy’s had to bear her pain alone.She wouldn’t share it with anyone, you know her, she just bottles it and pretends she’s fine.Anyway, who could she share it with?Certainly not Geoff.You know he told us both Lucy kept assuring him she was fine each time he called her.He had to promise Lucy not to fight with Allison anymore.”Jack sighed.“Think she’s lost a lot of weight too.It feels like she has.”

“That daughter has a lot to answer for, Jack.”

“Yes, but we can only thank her that she came today, Seb.”He shivered.“I can’t stop imagining what would have happened if she hadn’t.”

Sebastian lifted his head and his gaze bored into Jack with horror.Even under his dark skin, Jack saw how pale he looked.Jack reached out again and took his hand.

Sebastian’s tears ran freely as he spoke.His voice was filled with the agony of what might have happened.The strong, dominant man was gone as his voice cracked in fear.“She’ll be okay, won’t she?”

“She will, Seb.She’s ours once more.”

“We’ve got her and we won’t let her go again.”

“We’ll never let her go, Seb.She belongs with us forever.”Sebastian lay alongside her.He kept wiping away his tears with the back of his hand as he watched Lucy sleep, his other hand in Jack’s.

Sebastian sighed, then glanced at his watch.“Fuck!”He sat up angrily then got to his feet.“Shit!I’ve got to go back.I arranged that meeting for two o’clock this afternoon with the two new prospective staff.One of us has to go.”He turned and stared out the window, then moved to face Jack again.“Why the fuck did I make it for today?Maybe I can cancel it.Think I can ring Walt and get him to do it?”

“I doubt it now, Seb.It’s too late to change it.They’d be on their way or even there.You need to vet them for your own peace of mind.You know you never trust anyone to do.”

“I know.”Sebastian sounded torn.

“Do you want me to go instead, dearest?”

“No.It’s okay.”He sighed, leaned down, and brushed a stray hair from Lucy’s face.“I can do it.”Fear crept back into his voice as he asked, “She’llbeokay?”

“She’s going to sleep for hours, Seb.Go.”

Sebastian stared at a sleeping Lucy as he took an enormous breath.“You look after our girl.The meeting should take less than half an hour.I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

Sebastian kissed Jack.He then kissed Lucy’s forehead and walked to the door.

“Don’t drive fast, Seb!”

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