Page 66 of Lilly
Chapter Fifteen
Lucas
“Lucas?Oh my gosh, are you okay? Where are you? What are you doing? Do you know it’s Lilly’s twenty week scan tomorrow?” Mum practically shouts down the phone atme
“Mum, calm down. I’m fine. I’ve just been working and trying to get my head straight. And yes, I’m aware of the scantomorrow.”
“You’ve been getting your head straight?” she fumes. My mum hardly ever gets angry, but I can feel her practically vibrating with fury down the phone. “Well, I hope you’ve had some great epiphany because while you’ve been off doing that, Lilly has been here wondering what the hell she did wrong and having to deal with everything alone. Do you have any idea how scared and confused sheis?”
“Yes, actually, Ido.”
“You left her, Lucas. She came looking for you and you had just gone. Disappeared into thin air. Did you not think to warn her? To tell her you needed some time? She’d have understood,Lucas.”
“I—” I go to say more, but clearly, she hasn’tfinished.
“She’s been a mess, Lucas. She’s needed you and none of us could find you. You could have been dead in a ditch somewhere for all we knew. You’ve got two babies on the way, you cannot be that selfish any more, LucasDalton.”
Whoa, my full name…she meansbusiness.
“I know, Mum. I’msorry.”
“Don’t apologise to me. There’s only one person you should be apologisingto.”
“Yes, I know. Iwill.”
“You had better have something big up your sleeve, my boy, because nothing short of one seriously grand gesture to show her what she means to you is going to get her back. You might be my son but I won’t defend you after the way you’vebehaved.”
Ouch, that hurt. I thought my mum of all people would understand my need to escape. Obviouslynot.
“I’ve been working on something for her,” Iadmit.
“Good.”
I barely get a chance to put the phone down before it’s ringing again. My heart jumps into my throat but I reason with myself that Mum couldn’t have told Lilly I was in contact that quickly. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Joe’s name on myscreen.
“What the fuck is going on, Dalton? You fall of the face of the earth for weeks on end and then when I look at your accounts they’re all but empty.” That’s the greeting I get from my friend and accountant. I shouldn’t be surprised really, after the amount of money I’ve spent in the last few weeks. I probably should have warnedhim.
“I made aninvestment.”
“You don’t fucking say. I hope it was a wiseone.”
“Yeah, me too,” I say, picturing what I’ve been working on. I hope it’s worth it too. “Lilly’s pregnant,” I admit. Joe is the first person I’ve said it aloud to, and it feels fuckingweird.
“No shit, man. That’sawesome.”
“Isit?”
“Yeah, I think a sprog is just what youneed.”
“Two.”
“What?”
“She’s havingtwins.”
“Fuckme.”
“Nah, you’realright.”
