Page 80 of Deception
“I don’t understand,” she says and looks at Colt staring at Jennings. At least it’s not just her who has no idea what’s going on.
“You will. Soon,” Jennings says. “We’re all sorry. I hope you can forgive us, Lex.”
“I forgive most of you.”
“That’s fair,” he says with a sad smile.
Colt shakes his head. “What game are you running, Jennings?”
He just smiles. “Trust me, this is one instance where being able to plead ignorance will benefit you.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Lex mutters when he heads back inside.
“No idea,” Colt says. “Are you okay?”
Shrugging, she sighs. “Any meeting that involves my father is a crap shoot on how well I am afterwards. But I have to go. I need to talk to someone.”
“Not ready to share it with me?”
Lex shakes her head. “No, but if I’m right, I’ll have an answer for you by tomorrow night.”
“Forgive me?”
“Always,” she says, kissing him even though it still stings. “I gotta go.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Griffin’s Beach
Lucas
Sitting at his desk in his room, Lucas bounces his knee as he builds up the courage to talk to Lex. They’re home alone together after a mid-day dentist appointment, and he rarely has any one-on-one time with her.
Hailey may have pushed back about being adopted, but Lucas likes the life Lex and Colt offered. His only request was to keep his last name because it’s all he has left of his father.
Unlike his sister, his biological mom is still alive. She married Harold not long after his father died in a car accident, and it’s been hell ever since. Before Harold came into the picture, he doesn’t remember his home being bad outside of the fighting between his parents.
It’s strange to call Lex Mom when his mom is still around and… well, she’s just basically alive. But no matter what happens, Lex and Colt continue to give him the consistency he craves. The way it was when his dad was alive.
He still worries they’ll change their mind and think adopting him was a terrible idea. After he crashed Lex’s car, he was certain he’d be shipped back to his mom and Harold. He hadn’t expected Lex to stay the night with him in the hospital to make sure he was taken care of.
“Lex—Mom—can I talk to you for a second?” Lucas calls as she walks past his room.
Her curly hair always makes him smile, and she leans against the doorframe. Something has her distracted, and he notices the redness on her knuckles.
Maybe this isn’t the best time to talk about this.
“Please don’t ask me for help on your math homework again,” Lex says with a frown. “Algebra, sure. I was pretty good with it, but I think we learned pretty damn quickly that geometry and calculus are proof I’m more on the dumb side.”
Lucas laughs. “You’re not dumb. And I don’t need help with my homework.”
After the dentist, she took him out for lunch, and he enjoys having her all to himself. There’s an ease about her, even if she is distracted, and she always tries to give her full attention whenever she’s with any of the kids. It still baffles him how she so effortlessly makes him feel like he’s part of the family. Like he didn’t spend the first fifteen years of his life with other people.
“No math homework help? Okay, good. What’s up?”
“Um, I have a couple of questions. If you have time…”
Moving into the room, she takes a seat on the edge of his bed and smiles. “Always. What’s on your mind?”
