Life After Dark: Book Two of the Dark Series

Chapter 80

Lucky's jaw clenched involuntarily as he watched his mother make her way towards him and Nikolas. His brother's eyes widened as he watched her progression with wondrous surprise. And Laura beamed as she closed the distance which separated her from her two sons.

"Laura," Nikolas said softly as she reached them. Without a second thought, he opened his arms and enveloped her in a warm embrace which told her how deeply seeing her on his birthday for the first time in his life affected him. He was overcome with happiness.

"Happy birthday, Nikolas," Laura whispered in reply, returning her son's hug with as much gusto as he bestowed upon her.

Lucky gazed at the reunion with mixed emotions. He was happy to see his brother, even though he'd never actually come out and called him that, happy. He'd seen him happy before...on his wedding day and earlier tonight at the party...but watching him with their mother... The reality of what the Cassadine/Spencer feud had done to him, and what Dawn had so painstakingly tried to tell him during their heartfelt talk on the terrace at Jacks, suddenly became clear to him. Nikolas loved their mother and denying them the relationship they so obviously craved had been wrong. Horribly wrong.

The other emotion was not a pretty one. He was angry. Infuriated. He still felt the pain and the confusion of knowing that his father raped his mother and that she married him anyway. Seeing her again brought back everything. The rage and hopelessness he felt when he helped Lizzie in the park on that gawdawful night. The insane feeling of betrayal and disbelief when Luke had tried to explain everything to him. Watching her, knowing that she was not the woman he thought he knew...the mother he loved, gave him a feeling of such sadness and despair that the only thing he could do was walk away.

"Lucky, wait!" Laura said, as she and Nikolas ended their embrace. When he stopped and kept his back to her, she moved closer to him to face him. "Honey? Where are you going? I want a hug from you, too."

"No, Mom," Lucky said, his eyes void and empty as he shook his head. "Enjoy your time with Nikolas. Meet your new daughter-in-law. I'm leaving."

"But Lucky?" Laura persisted, confused by him and still reeling from the emptiness of her home. Why wasn't he there? And, why the cold shoulder? "Don't go!"

She reached out to touch him and he flinched from her touch. With another shake of his head, he left. Laura turned to face Nikolas with hurt and inquiring eyes. She went back to stand before him. "What was that about? Nikolas, do you know what's going on?"

"I...I..." Nikolas faltered. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to tell her what he'd done. He didn't know if he was ready to face her walking out of his life again only seconds after seeing her for so long. Instead of voicing a reason, he shrugged. An overwhelming sense of relief consumed him when the clouds in Laura's blue eyes faded a little and she held out her hand to him.

~*~

"My, my, my."

Carrie turned slowly at the sound of the low flirtatious voice. A hint of a blush caused her to smile as she eyed her admirer. He looked...good, she thought. The black tuxedo was amazing on him, and the shine of his bald head didn't blind her as it had in the past. And he was boasting a smile that could sink a thousand ships or at the very least melt a hundred hearts. She cocked her head to her side and folded her arms across her ample chest, as she said, "Good evening, Marcus. I didn't think you'd make it."

"And miss the opportunity to see you in your designs? I wouldn't miss it for the world, Mrs. Jensen," he said with a winning smile.

"I've told you before. My name is Carrie."

"Very well...Carrie," he replied. His brown eyes were warm as they traveled over her from head to toe. She was a fine figure of a woman, and she looked pretty damn good in that dress, too. Looking at her in all her finery, he found it hard to believe that she was the mother of two beautiful daughters and one of whom was his own age, too!