The Stone Knight (gay)✔️

16. The reason for his departure.

With a satisfied feeling, Lucas closed his laptop. In just two hours, he and Madeleine had put together a playbook for her anniversary party. When she invited him to a meeting in the conservatory of the large house, he had serious doubts. The first question that had escaped him had made her sigh in defeat.
"Dylan is not here. How long is it going to take for you to be comfortable in the same room again, Lucas? I understand and support your quest for independence, but I don't see why you're trying so clearly to avoid contact with Dylan."
The look on his face prompted her to get up from her seat and sit next to him on the couch.

"Independence and Dylan simply don't go together, Madeleine. I've tried many times in the past year to get him involved, but he...", sighed Lucas defeated. Despondently, he rubbed his hair. "In all these years Dylan has always treated me well, I will not deny that. Except he never saw me as a member of the family. He didn't know any better than that I was a staff member in his household, and that's how he always treated me. Even on vacations...", he added in a creaking voice.
He bit his lip to keep the rising tears away.
"Do you have any idea how much it hurts to be in someone's presence all the time and know they don't see you?"
He blew out shaky. He said too much.
"Do you really think you'd tell me something I didn't know for a long time?" she said to his dismay.
Startled, he slid backwards. "How? What? Since when?" he stammered with eyes open.
"Annika," she stated softly.
Having placed her hand on his hand, she felt the shock wave that was passing through him.

Annika Hansen. The day she was introduced to him, something had snapped inside. Blond, blue eyes and a handsome face had beamed during the tour of the house. As far as he knew, this was the first time Dylan had taken a woman to the big house and introduced her to the family (and to him). Everyone seemed to like her so much. Three Stone men hung from her lips.
He was overwhelmed by a suffocating sense of superfluousness. During a sleepless night, he had put together a plan to make place voluntarily. He was going to retire before he was asked to leave. It was time to stand on his own two feet so that everyone could start a new phase.

A soft hand brought him back to the here and now.
"Your timing was striking enough. On top of that, I know you well, my dear boy," she said, wrapping an arm around him. "And rest assured, Lucas. My lips are sealed."
A tender kiss on his cheek broke his last resistance and silent tears flowed down his cheeks.
"Oh, dear boy," Madeleine said, taking him in a warm embrace.
"I'm so sorry," he hiccups. "I never wanted this to happen, but..."
Embarrassed, he left his head hanging.
Two hands include his face. "But you love him."
Eyes full of unconditional acceptance and sympathy looked at him.
"Yes," he nodded.
For a moment he showed all his emotions and then recaptured himself.
"The situation is unrealistic and unfair to all concerned."
Relieved, Lucas watched Madeleine move back and give him space. As always, she assessed his mood flawless.

"I would really appreciate it if you were to convince Dylan to leave me alone."
A soft smile appeared around her lips.
"I'll do my best, Lucas, but you know what he's like. Once he's set his sights on something, he won't just surrender."
"Hm," he nodded. "I remember how much effort it took him to accept Noah's conception. But despite their false start, he went out of his way to acknowledge him as his son. It's because of that tenacity that he's so close to Noah now."
Lucas looked at the clock in the conservatory. It got late. Shaking his head, he collected all his stuff. "Sorry for my abrupt departure, Madeleine, but it's time to quit before..."

"Mother? Do you know who owns that wreck that stands in front of the conservatory?"
Dylan appeared so suddenly in front of him that the folder of loose papers slipped out of his hands and fell to the ground.
"Oh, are you here? Given your penchant for ugly monstrosities, I'll just assume it's yours."
Keeping his head down, Lucas collected the papers and got up.
"Thanks for the tea, Madeleine. We'll keep in touch," he managed to say before lifting his heels and taking off like a spear.
"Hold on, wait a minute," he heard shouting behind him.
Cursing himself, he held his stride.

He prepared for the inevitable inquisition, but was instead cruelly reminded of the cold hard facts.
"Is Annika on the list?"
His fingers visibly pinched the folder he held to himself as a shield.
"Madeleine said she couldn't come."
Dylan nodded. "True. Luckily, she was able to make time. It's a surprise."
Lucas ignored the sting of pain upon hearing Dylan's rejoicing tone.
"Where can I send the invitation?" he asked with a pen at the ready.
"Oh, that won't be necessary," Dylan waved nonchalantly. "She's staying here. I invited her for the weekend."

Lucas froze. He hadn't quite recovered from his emotional revelations to Madeleine. "I'll add her to the guest list," he struggled to squeeze out.
Dylan, meanwhile, had walked around him and blocked his route.
"I'm glad to see that you've taken my comment about your clothes to heart," he remarked nodding to Lucas' new sweater and pants. "Too bad you didn't do the same with your hair," he said extending one hand.
Before his fingers could touch him, Lucas stepped away from him with an audibly jerky catch-up.
"If that's all, I'd like to leave."
Dylan looked at Lucas, who refused to make eye contact. After making excessive space, he watched Lucas get into the wreckage and drive off with splashing gravel.

"Really, Dylan? Was that comment about ugly monstrosities really necessary?" his mother rebuked him as soon as he stepped into the conservatory.
"I just don't recognize him anymore. He has seamlessly stepped into his old life of cheap clothing and inappropriate vehicles. It's like the last 12 years never existed. Doesn't that bother you?"
His mother looked up to him with honest surprise. "The Lucas you see now is the real one. He's not the Lucas who, for the sake of all of us, pressed himself into a straitjacket that you measured on him, Dylan. Now that his contract has ended, he can live as he pleases. I would really appreciate it if you took his feelings a little more into account."
She got up smoothly and walked past her snorting son.

"His feelings!" he cried angrily. "I've been trying to take his feelings into account for over a year. Is there no one interested in the effect his departure has on me?" Surprised, she looked at him. "In which way did you take Lucas into account?" With arms crossed, she took him in defiantly. "Let's hear it with your answer. I'm very curious!"
Dylan straightened his back and cleared his throat. "It's just very annoying to see a well-worked in employee of my staff..."
"Oh my goodness!" interrupted Madeleine indignantly. "Please tell me you don't seriously mean this."
"Why not?" he countered. "His departure is impractical for everyone. Just because you agreed doesn't mean that it's easy to not have him at home."

Madeleine hooked her arm around his elbow. Together they walked on.
"So, you miss him?"
Sulking, he shook his head back and forth. "That's not fair, Mother. You know very well that there is a world of difference between your missing and my missing."
A little smile appeared around her mouth. "Maybe it's time for you to think carefully about why you've always kept Lucas at a distance." She pressed a kiss on his frowning forehead.
"Goodnight, Dylan" and left behind a bewildered man.