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

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Not edited. 

Lucas sat at the table in the beach house kitchen with a solemn look on his face. He'd just finished explaining everything about Ellie to Tara, Keiran and Jace and the three looked dumbfounded. He'd expected some sort of reaction but this quiet was daunting.

They all looked at him as if he'd grown anothed head or in the very least, horns.

Keiran was the first to rouse himself from his shock.

"So you're saying your father told you to have sex with his mistress and since you never did she's come back to claim your body?"

Lucas grimaced at the way Keiran phrased everything that had just taken him twenty minutes to explain in one simple sentence.

"Well, yeh, kinda."

Keiran looked at him and started to laugh and within moments Tara and Jace had joined in.

"Guys this is serious!"

"Oh we know that Mr Hotpants but it's funny."

"Mr Hotpants?" Jones spluttered as he joined in with the laughter.

Adam walked in and after a quick explanation he too started laughing.

Lucas sat and found that their laughter was catching and when Keiran spoke next he let his laughter go.

"We'll have to enter you in the next Cougar Desires episode!"

Minutes passed by with jokes about Ellie want Lucas being thrown about. Eventually after all the jokes were exhausted  things became more serious.

"Why does your mum put up with it?"

"To be honest, I wish I could answer that fully. I mean, I have no idea what goes on in their bedroom... And I don't want to know!" he shuddered "But I do know thar he treats her like a real queen when they're not.. in there.. doing that!"

Lucas squirmed in his seat. If he could he'd tip acid through his ears to enter his head and clear his mind of the images that would scar him him life otherwise.

"So she puts up with him cheating for that... wow" Jace sat in shock, like sure everyone knows thinhs like that happen but to actually know someone who does it, well... it seemed wrong.

Lucas looked at Tara and her eyes met his.

"I don't share the same ideas on this as my parents. I believe in being faithful in a marraige... and expect the same loyalty in return."

She nodded and smiled widely. Another tick for Lucas... a major tick, probably the biggest tick of all.

"Have you been with anyone since you married Tara?"

Keiran's demanding question set them all on edge as they waited for an answer.

Not taking his eyes from Tara he replied.

"I considered it. I went on a so called date but got the limo to drop me off before taking her home. The whole thing lasted through the meal itself. I wasn't interested."

"So why go out with her in the first place if you weren't interested?"

Lucas sighed shaking his head and looked at Keiran.

"Imagine finding out that the woman you thought would be the consentingmother of your children was in fact a frightened young girl who was forced into getting married. Then consider the fact that I fucked up royally with her and letting her go was the only thing I knew, the right thing to do would be to let her go. Imagine the nights when her pain haunted you to the point where you were afraid to sleep because of the hatred in her beautiful eyes. I tried to forget those eyes and all I did was compare the two. I couldn't accept that I loved her; God at the time I really didn't know if I liked her but she got under my skin in ways I never thought possible. I hated her father for putting her in the position he put her in but I hated myself even more. After that failed date I decided I'd stay true to our vows until we were divorced. I won't apologise for trying to move forward but I will now and always apologise for the reasons behind me trying to in the first place."

The unspoken words hung in the air like a cloud. The difference in its density was that with each day Lucas surprised her more and it was thinning out and the once black colour was now grey.

She didn't know what tomorrow would bring to their lives but for today she'd grab every piece of happiness she could take in. If they didn't stay together then she would have good memories to help buffer the bad.

Jones cleared his throat and stood up.

"I'll make coffee while you tell them more of what Ellie's capable of."

Lucas simply nodded and turned to look at his wife. Tears slowly made thier way down her cheeks and with the sublte wipe of his thumbs his wiped them away before leaning in to softly touch her cool lips with the warmth of his own before pulling her up and sliding her to sit on his lap.

She didn't resist. She needed those arms that held her close. She needed the reassurance that only he was capable of giving her as she lent back into his chest as he buried his head into the nape of her neck and whispered...

"I love you Tara Porter."