Love Me, Lucas Eaton

Chapter Three

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 ~

𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐬

I look over my shoulder and see my brother standing there. I thought he'd still be in the kitchen. How long have I been standing here? I didn't think I'd be having this conversation when I opened the door earlier.

Elena's chin drops to her chest, muffling a sob into the palm of her hand. "Did Layla tell you about this?"

"I swear she didn't say anything. I thought you two just had a fight, this is the first I'm hearing about you being pregnant."

"I don't know how to be a father, and I don't think I want to be one," I cut into the conversation. I glance between Elena and Griffin. My brother looks like he wants to sock me across the face. "Being in the same town might be too hard for the both of us if you plan on keeping the baby."

Elena clears her throat. Her small hands ball into fists in front of her face. "I'm not going fucking anywhere! This place is as much my home as it is yours, and I'll be raising my baby here!"

A bottomless pit grows in the center of my stomach. Hearing Elena declare that the baby is only 'hers' made me feel sick.

"If you plan on staying here too, you'll be forced to live with seeing your child around town. You'll need to live with the fact that you won't get to know them!"

Without another word, Elena storms away from my house. She hops in her car and without a backwards glance, she speeds away.

I close the front door, white-knuckling the door knob for a few seconds before taking a step back.

My eyes weren't in focus. I spun around in my foyer and saw Griffin's arm winding up.

He rears his fist back and knocks me square in the jaw. My head goes backwards in the direction of the door, and my body follows the same direction when I lose my balance.

"What the fuck?" I clench my jaw and bend over in pain. "Dude!"

"You're a fucking asshole! You're lucky I don't beat your fucking ass right now! How dare you say any of that shit to Elena!"

"I didn't tell her anything that wasn't true! What was I supposed to do? Lie to her?"

Griffin wraps his fists around the front of my t-shirt. My older brother is a pretty big pacifist, he'd never raise his fists unless his life or the life of his loved ones are in danger.

His face contorts into one of rage and he pushes me back into the front door.

"You can think whatever the hell you want, but Elena is a part of this family ... now more than ever! She doesn't bullshit, when she gives birth if you aren't at a good place, she'll never allow you to meet your kid. You need to think about that and figure out if that's what you really want."

Griffin shoves me against the door again, and he goes directly for the low blow. "Do you want Elena to raise a baby alone like Piper? Elena might not have the support system that Piper does, and she's my wife's best friend, that baby is going to come around for holidays with Elena!"

"Fuck you!" I shouted, not having a comeback.

[ ]

Monday morning starts like shit. A late spring rainstorm started early in the morning, and it hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.

I walked into the garage, shaking out my soaking wet jacket before hanging it on a rack, and the group of hardcore grown men were gossiping like schoolgirls.