The Billionaire's Match (Book 2)

Chapter 32

I need her head on my heart, she needs to hear it beat for her. –Abhi Ditto

Lucas' POV.

Shooting back the remainder of the bottle, I grabbed a full one from the wet bar as I staggered to the patio. The cool night air of Naples sobered me as I looked out over the hills. Filling up my tumbler, I sipped the whiskey as I closed my eyes for a brief second. It was always her face I saw. Laughing, smiling, and glowing with pleasure as she tightened beneath me and worst of all, the crashing hurt that tortured me for the past month. The ache in my chest intensified as regret ate away at me. Without thinking twice, I took my phone out of my pocket as I placed the receiver to my ear.

"Hart." Ethan's voice sleepily muttered into the line.

"Mio fratello you are not asleep." I replied confused checking my watch, "It is barely 10 P.M your time."

I felt like I could have heard his grin through the phone before he responded, "You don't know what I was doing to be blissfully asleep."

"Madre de puta." I murmured back, "Please spare me the details."

"Are you drunk?" He questioned, "How many did you have to drink?"

"Not enough." I replied bitterly finishing the remnants in my glass, "Are you going to scold me dad?"

"No." He laughed, "It's unusual for you to be drinking like this."

"It's Evelyn." I replied gripping the railing as silence met me.

"What about her?" He asked sternly.

"I'm in love with her." I said for the first time as the weight of my chest lightened.

"What!" Ethan barked.

"I hurt her Ethan." I said feeling the ache return as her shattered face filled my vision.

"What do you mean you hurt her?" He questioned.

"I said something..." I replied.

"You always say something Luke and so does she." He remarked, "But you love her?" He said again.

"With all my heart Ethan." I said desperately.

"Does she feel the same?" He questioned.

"I can only hope." I replied on a deep sigh.

"I should have known." He said wearily, "How blind do you think I am? I see the way you look at her. I've seen it for years. No one else gets under her skin as much as you do. Fuck Luke." He uttered, "There is nobody else I trust more than you with her but did Evelyn tell you what happened to her?"

"No." I responded puzzled as I picked up the bottle to refill the tumbler.

"She was almost raped." He said softly as I felt my body froze.

The bottle slipped from my hands crashing towards the ground as I swallowed the lump past my throat.

"What?" I whispered feeling my throat work overtime as anger, remorse and the overwhelming urge to rush over and protect her surged through me as I suddenly felt weak to the knees.

"You know the worst of it?" He said on a bitter laugh filled with pain and guilt, "It happened right under my nose. She was fifteen years old. Nico, Dillon and I were bored out of our minds. We went to the park a few times, needing an extra player since you weren't there that summer and met Jake. We invited him back to the house. They had a secret relationship for a few weeks. If Dillon hadn't heard her scream...I don't know what would have happened." He said, "She made us promise not to say a thing especially to you. The scar I have." He carried on, "I got it from knocking a vase into his head. The splinters ended up cutting me also. She made us swear we would never report it either. Since then, she has never dated. Underneath that tough exterior, I see her fear. I've been with her to therapy a few times but I can see that trust is hard for her. You're a fucking idiot you know that?" He said to me, "Quite possibly an even fucking bigger idiot than I was."

He continued speaking as numbness took over my body.

"You had her trust Luke." Ethan sighed, "And you fucked that."

"I would do anything to protect her." He said, "Especially since I already failed her.

"God." I whispered nauseated immediately sobering up as my stomach roiled. An overwhelming amount of pain consumed me as I struggled to breathe.

"This prick is still walking around scot free." He continued on harshly.

"Ethan..." I said as emotion welled in my throat.

"Don't give up on her Luke. You claim to love her. Now prove it." He said to me.

Ending the call, I pressed another button as it connected me to my secretary, "Schedule my jet to takeoff tomorrow afternoon." Before ending the call.

Glancing at the phone in my hand, I dialed a number I regretfully knew at the tip of my fingers as I wanted impatiently as it rung twice before the call was answered...

"Buonanotte papa."

A/N: Hey loves.. super super sorry for the extremely late upload. I want to express my greatest gratitude to everyone who awaited patiently for each upload. This story is soon coming to an end and as sad I am, you can hear more about them in my upcoming books. Be sure to check out 'THEBILLIONAIRE'S ULTIMATUM' 'THE BILLIONAIRE'S ARRANGED WIFE' and 'THE BILLIONAIRE'SCHRISTMAS REVENGE' available on my page. 

Till the next time lovies..

oxoxox...Allison :)