Pawned Virtue - #wattys2015 BK4 TPBS - Completed 1st draft

-37-

Not edited. 

Tara stood frozen after speaking his name unawares. Her heart rate jumped so high that she was sure if she looked she'd see the distinct thumps across her chest.

Lucas was the first to recover as his eyes swept over her to ensure that she hadn't hurt herself. At least that was what he told himself as he felt the inner stirrings that made him want to pick her up and run to the nearest bedroom. He had to get her back. He needed her more than he needed air to breathe. He needed her more than the night sky needed the moon. He needed... her.

"Are you ok?"

She nodded slowly as she was still unable to speak.

He sighed in relief and without a second thought he pulled her into his chest and held her close. The feeling was magical until Tara pushed him away and found her voice.

"No" she pushed his arms away and took two steps back amd another when he raised his hand to touch her again.

'No! You can't do this Lucas. Every time you get... nice... you make me feel like shit. You make me feel like I'm a nobody. You don't own me!"

She took another step back and ran into Adam who stood by waiting beside Jones after chasing her. She whirled around and looked at him and Jones.

"Who told him?"

Jones and Adam both shook their heads.

"No one told him..." Adam started.

"Bull shit! It's just a coincidence that he's here right?" she scoffed at the thought. "I trusted you!"

"Tara... please... no one called me. Please, you have to believe me." Lucas would beg with everything in him if he had to.

"NO!"

Tara looked at the faces of the three men and saw the pain and hurt they were all feeling and almost caved in to the guily that she was feeling.

She had to leave. One last look at Lucas tore her heart to shreds as she moved away. Having spent so much time at this house she knew exactly what she was going to do and turned and ran.

She ran down the small walkway between the house and the garage pushing herself to go faster and faster. Blinded by the tears that fell she quickly brushed an angry hand across her face to get rid of them as she made it to the driveway that led past the front of the house. She could see the gates getting closer as she ran and aimed for them.

Closer and closer they got until she wasn't running anymore. She'd been engulfed by two warm arms and held against a firm chest with a face buried into the side her neck.

She found herself weeping as she clutched the arms that held her. Arms that drew her down to the ground with them and held her close on his lap.

He was crying with her. Months of pain were in this moment and together they wept for the unsure future they had. He rocked her gently and whispered "I'm sorry. I'm sorry" over and over again.

How long they were sitting there was anybody's guess. What could have been minutes seemed like hours... days. Two broken hearts that cried for everything they'd lived through.

When the afternoon shadows fell across the drive the gentle sea breeze swirled around them but neither felt the coolness of it. Both too wrapped up in the pain they were feeling to be aware of anything but each other.

Tears stopped falling to be replaced by an occassional sobbing gulp when Lucas spoke in a voice just above that of a whisper.

"I'm so sorry Tara. Please don't leave me."