15
The next evening was one to be remembered by Luke. It was the night he and Faith had set out to get to know one another again. Luke couldn’t help but to look forward to the evening. After receiving the divorce papers and worrying about where his son was spending his time, Luke needed a bit of relaxation with a woman he cared for deeply.
Luke arrived at the cottage five minutes late. For some reason, he had always had a problem with being on time for his past dates with Faith. He really wasn’t surprised to see that hadn’t changed and neither was Faith. In fact, she was relieved that something about Luke hadn’t changed.
"Ah Luke. Late as usual," Faith smiled, opening the door for her ex-fiancée.
"Sorry about that. I got held up at the club," Luke blushed. "Some things never change, huh?"
"No," Faith laughed. "I made dinner."
"What?" Luke arched a surprised brow as she led him to a table. "You can cook?" The last time he could remember, Faith couldn’t even boil water.
"I know. Quite unusual for a spoiled stuck up, rich girl," Faith grinned, remembering a past conversation, where Luke had called her exactly that. Luke was definitely surprised. He hadn’t expected her to remember. He did. They were having an argument. He had wanted to go to a wrestling match and she was insisting on an art gallery. They had argued for over an hour about the subject. But she had won and he had called her a spoiled, stuck up, rich girl. "You remembered."
Faith laughed. "I remember everything you’ve ever told me. Memories were what got me through being away from our daughter."
Luke sighed, feeling rather guilty. He should have known that Faith was lying. He should have been more insistent. Maybe if he was…his daughter’s life could have been different. She would have loved both her parents and never known the hatred of Helena Cassadine. Luke would never have gotten involved with the mob and he would never have raped Laura.
"Luke? What are you thinking about? You’re so far away," Faith lightly touched his hand, trying to make the faraway expression in his eyes disappear.
"Faith…do you ever wonder how our lives would have turned out if Helena hadn’t gotten between us?"
"All the time," Faith blushed. She couldn’t believe how easy opening up to Luke was. It was just like it used to be when they could tell each other anything, and everything. "I used to dream about you, Portia, and I. One happy family."
Luke sighed, true regret in his voice. "I wish I had talked to you face to face. Or found you and….I don’t know."
"Helena would have came after us Luke. You know that. There was no way she would let us be together. We would have had to move around a lot."
"But we would have been together. The three of us against the world. Just like Lucky, Laura, and I…"
"And that’s another thing. You wouldn’t have had Lucky. I know how much he means to you. How it had hurt you to side with Portia like you did."
Luke bowed his head, remembering the dimness of betrayal, darkening his son’s eyes. "I don’t know what’s going on with Lucky. I used to be so intuned with him…it was scary. Another extension of myself. But now…"
"He’s a young man now. It’s natural that you two would grow apart."
Luke bit is lip, wondering if he should tell Faith about what had pushed him and Lucky apart in the first place. Should he tell her about Laura’s rape? No. What use would it be to tell his ex that he had raped his wife at a campus disco? "I just can’t believe that he’s coming apart so easily. That Helena did such a good job on him, that even after her death she still has her claws into him."
Faith touched his hand gently, her heart breaking at the pain in his eyes. She wanted to kill Helena for even laying eyes on Luke’s son.
"Luke…don’t worry about Lucky. It may not seem like it now, but he is a good boy. It will be that goodness that will prevail over Helena’s evil."
"I once thought that too."
"Will I know it, because he’s your son and like his father, he’s stronger then Helena. It’s maybe taking him awhile to see that for himself, but when he does, Helen’s control will be gone."
"I pray that you’re right," Luke sighed, taking her hand in his. "I’m just sorry that Portia can’t know her brother when he’s in his right mind."
"She will, though. I’m sure of it."
A silence fell between them. Deep and comforting. The kind of silence that had fallen between them years ago, when Portia had been conceived. Their eyes met in a warm gaze and it was then that Luke knew he loved her. That he had always loved her and that she felt the same.
"Faith…I…"
"Shhh. I know and I do to," Faith got out of her seat, no longer hungry. "No one’s home. Nikolas is at Stephan’s and Portia went shopping. We can go to my room."
Luke frowned, the familiar feeling of guilt rising in his chest. What about Laura? Despite their problems, she was the mother of his children. But then again, Laura was the one who wanted the divorce. He didn’t even know if she loved him anymore. Whereas, Faith did love him and he cared for her deeply. They could now have the life they should have had all along.
"That sounds like an great idea," Luke took her hand and followed her up to her room, where they made love until the early morning hours; all thoughts of their troubled children banished from their minds.
~*~
As Luke slipped out into the darkness after his time with Faith, he was unaware of Portia watching him from her bedroom window. Her blue eyes were bright with hatred. So her mother had slept with him. She wasn’t surprised. Her mother was the slut of the family, after all.
Looking up at the dark sky, Portia once again promised revenge for the Cassadines. The Spencer’s weren’t going to know what hit them.