Mended (Lucian & Lia #3)(38)
And just like that, I’m a crying mess—but I’ve never been happier. Life is funny that way.
Lucian
“So…how are things going with Rose?” Fuck, I can’t believe this. Men don’t go around trying to play cupid for their friends. I’m only doing this for Lia. She is going to owe me tonight—and I’ll find a satisfying way for her to pay me back.
Max looks surprised at my question before recovering. “What things would those be, Luc?” Well hell, he’s not going to make this easy for me, is he? I guess I could offer him a big raise to just date Rose and make my woman happy, but the f*cker already makes damn near as much as I do.
When he continues to sit there staring at me, I sigh, exasperated. “Oh, cut the shit, are you still talking to her?”
Giving me a blank expression he asks, “Why would I be? The police haven’t picked her up lately, have they? That’s generally the only time she contacts me.”
“I’m just going to put this out there,” I finally say, tired of this dicking around. “Lia is worried about Rose because she’s been acting strange. She says her father is pressuring her to date someone that he knows and Rose is buckling under the pressure. Lia believes that if you’ll get off the fence and go after her, all will be right in everyone’s world.”
I have the desire to just flat-out laugh my ass off as Max visibly struggles to hold his composure. It’s obvious he wasn’t expecting what just came out of my mouth. “Luc, there is nothing between Rose and me. Sure, I helped her out a couple of times when she went after her ex-boyfriend with a shovel, a gun…and a sewing machine. But that’s all. Anything else is just her imagination.”
“You know,” I say, conversationally, “you’re in more denial than I was when I first met Lia. You can lie to yourself as much as you want, but you and I both know that you want her.”
“I’ve never denied that I’m attracted to her,” he says defensively. “That doesn’t mean anything, though. I have sex with women I find attractive on a regular basis. Life moves on though, and so do I.”
“I’m not suggesting you’re a monk,” I snap testily. Damn, talking to him is what I would imagine it would be like questioning some teenage girl who’s two hours late for curfew. “It just appears you have some feelings for this one. I’ve never seen you in my office rattled over * before.” Yeah, I know it’s a crude statement, but it’s true.
“For f*ck’s sake, Luc, can you not talk about her like that?” I want to grin; I really do, because I have him now. He just played right into my hands with his indignant response.
“My apologies,” I say smoothly and see his face tighten in recognition. For a lawyer who makes a living out of his ability to avoid being bated, he just fell neatly into my verbal trap.
“Look,” he begins quietly, “I do care for Rose. I’ve never met a woman quite like her. She’s not my usual type of woman, though.”
“Disposable, you mean?” I ask, without a hint of judgment in my voice. I’d been the same before Lia, so I certainly have no room to talk.
“Yes, exactly. Rose is…aggressive, but she’s long term, whether she admits it or not.”
I lean back, crossing my legs as I study my friend. He and I have been close for years, but there are periods of his life I know nothing about. Not for the first time, I find myself curious. To me, Max is a man who should be living the picket fence dream. Why he avoids it like the plague is a real mystery. Feeling as if I’ve pried enough, I say, “I’m not going to push you on this because it’s none of my business, but just give it some thought.” Attempting to lighten the tension surrounding us, I joke, “After all, she doesn’t do so well with idle time. She’s probably looking at five to ten years if her Tupperware order comes in late.”
Max relaxes in his chair, chuckling in wry amusement. “She’s hell on wheels. I know grown men who don’t have half the balls she has.”
“That’s true,” I agree. “Normally, I’d recommend you run as fast as you can in the opposite direction, but despite all of her gun-wielding ways, Rose is a good person. If I had never met her, I’d believe that just because of the way Lia cares so much for her.”
“How’s Lia doing by the way?” Max asks in what is probably equal parts genuine affection and the need to change the subject.
“Other than throwing up almost every morning, she’s great. She gets more f*cking beautiful by the day.”
“It still amazes me that you’re so besotted now.” Max shakes his head in wonder. “I never thought it would happen, but I couldn’t be happier for you. She’s the real deal, my friend, so don’t do anything to screw it up.”
“I won’t,” I say with complete conviction.
“How’s the detox going?” he asks in a low voice. He knows well that I’d never want Cindy to find out.
Running a hand through my hair, I tell him the same thing I’ve told Sam and Aidan. “It’s been hell at times. Having to downplay it to Lia is one of the hardest parts. I don’t want to hit her with more stress, but I’m not going to lie, my skin is crawling most nights. I ended up medicating to take some of the edge off before I lost it and scared her. The nightmares are beginning to tap down, which is a relief. If I wasn’t afraid I’d never stop, I’d be smoking a pack a day right now.” I remember well the first few weeks after stopping cocaine cold turkey. I’d wake in the middle of the night covered in sweat, with my heart racing. I’d sit against the bathroom wall trying to calm myself without waking Lia. If there had been an ounce of coke left in the apartment, I fear I would have caved and used it. The side effects have lessened, but the urge still sits there, just below the surface, as it probably always will. When I look at Lia, carrying my child, I believe there is nothing I would do that would take me away from her.