Chapter 204 - MCIW [13] UNEXPECTED CONFRONTATION
Breathlessly, I emerged out of my hiding place. My cheeks burning in humiliation. I wonder how he was able to know I was there.
Lucas Nicholas, as if he read my thoughts, gestured to my foot which was still wrapped with a bandage. "Your toe was sticking out." He supplied the information for me.
The remark turned the color on my cheeks even brighter.
If the situation were a bit different I could have laughed at my own stupidity. But instead of laughing I found myself swallowing hard by the way he looked at me. His melting gaze was turning my knees into jell-o that if it weren't for the crutches supporting me, I would have fallen to the floor.
"Come here." He ordered, patting the space beside him on the long Victorian sofa. "We need to talk." He added with a dangerous glint upon his black onyx eyes.
I swallowed hard and ignored my increasing heartbeat. Slowly, I made my way to the sofa where he sat while I silently wish for some kind of miracle to happen and save me from an impending doom.
But the heavens, it seems, didn't hear my prayers. I reached the sofa and occupied the space beside him with hesitation.
"Since you knew about one of my illicit affairs, we might as well talk about divorce now." Lucas said with his cold, hard gaze locked to mine.
I lowered my head to my lap where my fingers were clasped together. The mention of divorce was tearing my heart into two. But it was knowing that I was the reason behind that decision is what hurts the most.
"But before we discuss it, I must ask you one thing." Gently, his thumb and forefinger caught my chin and?slowly he raised my face to his until his deeply penetrating eyes caged my own. "Why did you cheat on me, Alexandria?" He asked, for a moment a flicker of pain and sadness crossed his eyes but it vanished as quickly as it arrived, leaving me wondering if it hadn't been my imagination.
"I-I don't know why I did, Lucas…..I don't know why I cheated on you…. I don't remember anything…. " I replied in a barely audible whisper.
His jaw tightened and his inky eyes lit up with fire that for a second I thought he would hit. I closed my eyes and waited for his hand to hit my face but the blow I was waiting for did not arrive. When my gaze fluttered open, he was still furious but he was making no attempt to hurt me.
"The only thing that stops me from hurting you now is the promise I made to you before we got married. I have promised that no matter what happens, through thick and thin, through ups and downs, I will never hurt you and when I said I won't hurt you that includes not laying a heavy hand on you. Even if you broke your promise in front of the altar by not staying faithful to me, I will remain true to my promise to prove to you I don't break mine."
His words cut through me like a dagger. Like a lethal weapon each sword spoken pierced through my soul. How could I hurt this wonderful man? At the thought of all the pain I caused him, tears fell from my eyes then another and another. Quietly, I weep as guilt ate me inside.
I lifted my hands in an attempt to touch his cheek to give him the comfort he needed but then I remembered how much he hated me and how badly I wronged him in the past. I was undeserving to even lay a hand on him, so I let my hand drop back to my lap.
"I-I'm s-sorry for everything I have done... I'm really sorry, Lucas…. If divorce is what you need to prove to you how sorry I am, I'm giving it to you willingly and without any objections…. I accept nothing from you, not even a cent. Just please allow me some visitation rights to our son that would be enough for me."
The fingers that were holding my chin loosened and his hand dropped to his side. A frown suddenly made its way into his temples. He said nothing. He just continued to look at me as if I were a stranger.
I can't help but ask myself if I have said something wrong.
At first he said nothing. He just stared at me as he battled an inner dilemma.
A lingering silence passed between us before he finally spoke, "Return to your room now. We will talk again next time. You need to rest and recover your strength. " He said, rising from the sofa.
He poured himself a glass of whiskey and
strode to the floor to ceiling window, completely ignoring me behind his back.
"Nic?" I called him.
"We'll meet again at dinner." He said in dismissal. He didn't even glance at me.
I expelled a sigh. After wiping the wetness on my cheeks, I gathered my crutches and wordlessly made my way to the adjoining door that separated our room.
Once inside,?I slumped on the bed and reached for the remote control on top of the night table and turned the television on. I need some noise to drive away the deafening silence lurking at every corner of my room.
I haven't been lying on the bed for long when a soft knock sounded on the door. It was so soft that I barely heard it at first. When I lowered the television volume just to make sure I wasn't imagining it I heard the knock clearly this time.
With a frown on my forehead, I grabbed my crutches and made my way to the door to check who my visitor was. Upon opening the door, I saw no one at first but then a soft voice calling me made me look down.
"Mama…"
A cute raven-haired boy, with black onyx eyes was staring intently at me.