You're Mine

Chapter Thirty

Riley

"Hi." Luke stood awkwardly as he watched his sister approach us slowly, gripping her bag even tighter than before. She threw me a sheepish smile of sorts before quickly hugging Leo, kissing his cheek in congratulations.

"Why don't we all talk down the hall?" Leo glanced behind him, to the shut curtain where his wife was sleeping. Everyone silently nodded and followed him, into an empty waiting area. I felt out of place. This was really a discussion for the three of them.

I turned to say as much to Luke but he met my eyes, minutely shaking his head. He wanted me to stay. I sighed and took a seat beside him, quickly squeezing his arm for comfort.

Victoria watched us but didn't say anything. Everyone sat silently.

"I'm-"

"No, I'm-"

They both stopped sheepishly.

"I'm sorry for ambushing you at Christmas." Victoria sighed. "Dad came to me and told me all about how sick he was, how you pushed away the company and him and.. I was so mad I just wanted to catch you out. But that wasn't fair. I know that and I'm sorry."

"Me too. I should've warned you." Leo nodded.

"We both ran away from dad when we were young- we know how manipulating he can be. So, if you say he was being awful as usual then I trust you. I just wish you felt comfortable enough to tell me he was sick." Victoria sounded strained. I saw that pain in her eyes I so often saw in Darren's- the guilt.

Luke sighed. "Until the past two years I was financially dependent on him. He told me he'd throw me on my ass if I breathed a word of it to either of you and I believed him." He met his sisters eyes, steeling his gaze. "Besides, Tori when did you ever call? Every few months? You even less Leo. I got dragged across the border away from you all and it was like you didn't give a shit."

"We did, we just.. you went. You never asked to stay with us so we presumed you dealt with him better than us." Victoria shook her head, those strands of her hair dropping onto her face. "It was easier to hope you wanted to be there, I guess. But it was wrong,"

"Selfishly, I think we liked that you were dealing with him. Hoped he would try and pawn on the company on you. I mean we disappointed him so much- Victoria has those kids at eighteen and I played pro baseball..you were supposed to be the legacy child. It'd why he's so hard on you." Leo huffed a laugh.

"I had to leave Luke. I chose to, in some ways but..." Victoria nudged him. I had never known that- that her and Joe had the kids so young, had been together since. "He nearly threw me out. I understand it more then you know Luke."

"We love you. We care that he's sick but we care more you felt you couldn't tell us, that you had to keep this to yourself for so long. We're sorry." Leo reached and clasped his arm.

"So sorry." Victoria sighed and then cast her glance on me. "I'm sorry to you too- you never should've had to see all of it and I hope you don't think less of me, or my brother."

"No." I shook my head. "Never."

I understood. What Darren had did all those years when I was younger was wrong- leaving me to live alone, running off because he couldn't stand to be in that house..it wasn't right. But I can understand it and it means I can understand why Victoria ran too.

Standing, I decided to give them a little space. Their chatter followed me out into the hall and I walked down and away, my phone beeping again.

It was Hollie, frustrated because she couldn't find Ashley. I peeked behind me and quickly skirted off downstairs to where I knew her station was- Luke shouldn't be long and he could always call me if he needed to find me.