CHAPTER
TEN
Lucky, Elizabeth, and Nikolas
returns to the cottage to find Lily setting on the front porch, her arms
crossed, determination in her eyes.
"Lily what are you doing
here?" Nikolas asked, his voice revealed no emotion.
"We need to talk. About her,"
Lily nods to Elizabeth, not noticing Lucky standing beside her.
"Not now. I have too much to
do. We’ll talk tomorrow," Nikolas sighed irritably.
"Then I’ll just stay out
here then because I’m not leaving until I have my say."
Lucky places a hand on his
brother’s shoulder. "We’ll go ahead. Go ahead and talk."
"But Lucky…" Nikolas
begins to protest.
"Go. We’ll be fine. I’m sure
Elizabeth can show me where the room is."
Nikolas sighed and nods.
"Fine. I’ll see you in there."
Lucky just smiled and led Elizabeth
past Lily and into the house.
"Was that?" Lily’s face
is pale. She had thought Nikolas’s brother was dead.
"Yes it was and it’s a long
story that I don’t want to go in with you," Nikolas coldly replies.
"In fact, I don’t want to go into anything with you anymore Lily. We’re
through."
"What?" Lily stares at
him in disbelief. "You can’t dump me."
"Yes I can and I just did. It’s over. Your treatment of Elizabeth tonight
was deplorable and so has been your treatment of me. I thought we had a good
thing going but I was wrong."
"We do have a good thing
going Nikolas! We share so much!"
"We don’t share trust. You
don’t trust me enough to have lady friends and that to me is
unacceptable."
"I trust you."
"Oh really? Then what’s was
up at the studio tonight? And the past couple of days that Liz has been staying
here. You’ve been acting like a jealous little brat."
"It’s just that I’m aware of
your feelings for her Nikolas…"
"Feelings that I have never
and will never act upon. Even if Lucky was really dead I would never act upon
them! She’s my brother’s girlfriend! Now I’ll count to ten and I want you off
my property! If you’re not gone, then I’ll remove you myself!"
"Nikolas please," Lily
was now openly crying`. She didn’t want to lose Nikolas, he was all she had.
The only man she ever loved.
"One…Two…"
"Please…"
"Three."
"Just listen…"
"Four…Five…Six…Seven…"
Lily just stands there and stares
at Nikolas with disbelief, hoping that he’d change his mind.
"Eight…I’m counting!…
Nine!"
"Okay! Fine! I’ll go, but this isn’t over Nikolas! I’ll get you back! I
know I will!" Lily runs off the porch and into the night.
"Nikolas?" Lucky sticks
his head out the door. "Everything ok out here?"
"Everything’s great. I just broke
up with another girlfriend, but other than that, everything’s fine,"
Nikolas sighed, turning to his brother. "But that’s not for you to worry
about. Did Liz show you the room?"
"Oh it’s great. I like it," Lucky nods.
"Liz thought you would. She
picked everything out you know. You’re a Lucky guy Lucky. Liz loves you more
than anything."
"I love her too. And
Nikolas…it’s okay. I know how you feel about her and how hard her staying here
has been on you and I’d like to apologize for that," Lucky steps outside.
"Lucky…it was nothing ok.
Liz is a friend and your girlfriend. Making her safe for you was my pleasure
and I’m glad that she can have you back."
"But you love her…"
"And want her to be happy
and you’re what makes her happy," Nikolas grins. "That’s all I
want."
"Has anyone ever told you that you’re too noble?" Lucky smiled.
"All the time," Nikolas
laughed. "Now let’s get in. I have a feeling that Liz is waiting for
you."
Elizabeth lays awake in her bed,
staring up at the ceiling, her mind on Lucky, how he was in the room next to
hers instead of thousands of miles away or dead. They hadn’t really gotten much
time to be alone with other yet and she couldn’t help wondering how much he had
changed. So far he seemed like the old Lucky, the one she had said good night
to the night of the fire, but she knew that couldn’t be so. Lucky had lost a
year of his life and it must have had some affect on him.
Sighing, she got out of bed and
went downstairs to the kitchen where Nikolas sat at the table reading a book and
drinking a warm glass of milk.
"Couldn’t sleep
either?" He looks up at her.
Elizabeth shakes her head.
"I thought I would, with Lucky being back and right next door…but I’m
worried I guess. How has this all changed him?"
"He seems fine to me,"
Nikolas motions for Liz to set next to him.
"Does he really?"
Elizabeth looks at Nikolas skeptically. "I mean, nothing seems off to you
or anything?"
"Elizabeth…what is it?
What’s bothering you about Lucky? I thought you were happy?"
"I am. I’m thrilled having
him back…it’s just that I’m worried about him. You know how Lucky is…he hold
things in until they get too big for him to handle. Nikolas…this experience
must have had a affect on him and if he keeps everything to himself…someday
it’ll explode, and it won’t be pretty. Get what I’m saying?"
Nikolas nods. "Yeah. I do
understand…Liz…do you want me to talk to him? See if I can get him to open
up?"
Liz looks at her hands and nods,
not looking at Nikolas. She needed for Lucky to get this out…so he can put it
all behind him.
"Ok fine. Tomorrow I’ll take
Lucky riding down at Wyndemere. I’ll get him to talk to me there."
"That’ll be great,"
Elizabeth smiled. "I’ll leave for Emily’s early. I promised to go shopping
with her tomorrow morning."
"Perfect," Nikolas yawns
and gets up. "Well I better turn in if I’m going to take Lucky horseback
riding tomorrow. See you in the morning Liz."
"Good night Nikolas and
thank you. For everything. Oh and I’m sorry about Lily. Lucky told me you broke
up with her."
"No big deal. It’s not like
it is with you and Lucky. We were no where near that intense."
"Yeah, but all the same. I’m
sorry."
"Thanks," Nikolas
forces a smile, watching her dash up the stairs. Turning out the lights, and
taking one more look around, he goes up to his own room and fall into a
peaceful sleep.