If The Stars Could Reach Us - Lance Stroll

𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

❝ Wʜᴀᴛ's ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ɪs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴛᴏᴘ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠɪɴɢ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢ ❞

・・・・・・・・ ō͡≡o˞̶

𝓛𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮'𝓼 𝓹𝓸𝓿

"Dad?" 

"Lance. Where are you?" 

His voice sounded somewhat panicked, yet experience told me not to take it too seriously. My dad was a drunk, and he loved to overexaggerate.

"I'm home. In London," I replied. Maya softly squeezes my hand and tilts her head. I shrug my shoulders. "Why? What's going on?" 

"It's your sister." 

"What's wrong with Chloe?" 

I felt my heartbeat quicken, and for a few seconds, it felt like I stopped breathing. The seconds seemed to take hours, especially since my dad didn't answer me anymore.

"Dad?! What happened to Chloe?"

"She... She and Scotty were in a car accident. She's in a medically induced coma." 

His words hit me like a truck. My sister and brother-in-law were in a coma. 

"What happened?" 

"We don't know for sure. But we're guessing it was a drunk driver." 

God. The irony of it all. The amount of times my dad had stepped in the car drunk to go get more booze or whatever he thought was important. It always surprised me he never killed someone. I let out a choked sob. 

Maya strokes my back, "What's going on, Lance?" 

I swallow hard, "My sister and Scotty have been in an accident." 

"Who are you talking to?" My dad asked. "Is it that Beaulieu girl?" 

I sigh; was my dad seriously going to pick a fight over my relationship choices when he just announced such terrible news? 

"Yeah, Dad. I am here with Maya." 

"Oh, okay. Yeah... that's good. You need someone around you now. I'm getting a jet ready to pick the both of you up and bring you over to Montreal, okay?"

"Uh—yeah, that's okay. Thanks." I was doubtful, but he sounded honest. 

 "I'll text you, Lance. Please come here. And bring Maya." 

"Of course, text me the details, and we will come." 

Maya was shaking her head, but I gave her a reassuring squeeze in her hand. She smiles and patiently waits for me to disconnect the call with my dad. 

"I'll see you soon, son." 

"Bye, Dad," I hang up the phone and notice Maya's troubled expression. I smile and softly squeeze her hand again, "It's going to be okay." 

"I'm sorry, Lance," she begins. "I... I know this is a hard situation... but your Dad hates me." 

"He invited you, Maya. He wants you there." 

"So what? That doesn't tell us anything. What if he wants me there and humiliates me like he has always done, insults me, or... I don't know?" she sighs and nods after a few seconds. "Okay. I will come with you."

I shake my head, "No, baby. If you truly don't want to go, I am not forcing you to come with me. Your comfort is important to me, too." 

She smiles, "I know, and I love that for you. But... I think I need to return. I think it is healthy for me to return. And your dad needs you, and you will probably need me to physically be there, so we're going." 

"Thank you," I whisper; I feel the tears burning in my eyes, and it doesn't take them long to roll down my cheek. Maya gently wipes them away, smiling at me in comfort, rather than pity.

"Of course." 

・・・・・・・・ ō͡≡o˞̶

The jet ride was uneventful but strained, and Maya's hand in mine was the only anchor in my storm of emotions. My dad was already waiting for us, the dark green Aston Martin parked neatly next to the plane Maya, and I had just stepped out of. 

"Lance," he greeted me, his voice rough. "Maya."

"Hi, Dad," I said and gave him a quick hug; it was just a test to see if he smelled like alcohol. Surprisingly, I did not. 

My father's gaze lingered on Maya, "Thanks for coming, Maya," he said, not quite meeting her eyes. "I... I appreciate it." 

Maya grabbed my hand, glazing over at me, before looking back at my dad, and nodded, "It was not that much of a hassle." 

"It's all just... I would've understood it if you didn't come along. I have not been nice to you, and I know I haven't," My dad looked at me, and I knew he was trying to apologize. He has never been good at it, hence why I never have been good at it. "I guess what I am trying to say is... I'm sorry." 

Maya squeezed my hand lightly; she looked surprised but nodded, "We started off on the wrong foot." 

"And I take responsibility for that." 

This time, it was me who was the most surprised one. In all of the years I stayed in that house, taking care of his drunk ass, he never took responsibility for anything. 

"Shall we go to the hospital?" I broke off the tension that was slowly rising. "Is there any news already on Chloe and Scotty?" 

"No news yet," My dad turned to the car. "But we should go, indeed." 

This time, I gently squeezed Maya's hand before following my dad to the car. The driver was waiting, smiled at us in a greeting, and then opened the door of the Aston Martin for us. 

"Good to see you again, Lance," he said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Peter, thanks," I reply and smile at him before I turn to Maya. "Peter is one of our long-term employed personnel." 

Peter turned to Maya, "Ah, madam Beaulieu," he reached his hand out, and Maya shook it. "I know it's been a while, but I'm sorry about your dad. He was a great captain." 

"You knew my dad?" 

Peter nodded hesitantly, "Not exactly. But he's been at the mansion a few times to get the cat out of the tree. He started as a rookie, but even as the captain, he came to rescue Hallow." 

"Hallow was my and Chloe's childhood cat," I explained. "A true troublemaker." 

Maya smiled, "Well, I'm glad to hear my dad made an impression on you." 

Her hand automatically found mine again, and Peter started the car to get us to the hospital. All I could hope for was that everything was going to be alright with Chloe and Scotty; everything else was a concern for later. 

・・・・・・・・ ō͡≡o˞̶

A/N: hi, besties; I am back. Sort of. But I wholeheartedly promise to finish this story. It's just that life has been chaos, and the chaos is getting a little bit too much. Physically and emotionally. 

So, thank you to everyone who stuck with this story and who stuck with me. I don't think words would ever describe how grateful I am. Especially to the readers I see repeatedly in my votes and in my comments; but also the silent readers, the ones who make my 'reads' go up. 

Thank you!