Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 76984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“I’m glad I have you here today.” Lucas turned to Chloe. “There’s something I need to talk about with you both. First, the good news, at least to me. After I got off the call with Erin, I heard from Sloan, my attorney. Tomorrow will be my official last day at Iron Gate. It’s being announced at close of business today.”
“Back up. What the hell are you talking about?” Chloe narrowed her eyes, leaning forward in her chair. “Is everything okay? The bastard didn’t fire you, did he?”
“Honestly, I’m firing myself—walking away from Iron Gate for good. I made a deal our father’s greedy heart couldn’t say no to. I agreed to sell my portion of the company in exchange for him letting me decide how Mom is cared for. Basically giving me guardianship over her day-to-day life.”
“What the hell do you have on him? He’d never agree to that in a million years. He’d be giving up too much money and control if he released her to you.” Chloe’s eyes grew wide as she moved to the edge of her seat.
“I’ve kept a secret for him.” Lucas glanced down at the table for a beat. “I’ve hidden it for twenty years. He needed my shares, so I used it as leverage. I finally had him in a place where he’d give me what I wanted so that I wouldn’t expose him. In the end, I won—and so did Mom.”
Lucas glanced at me, giving me a sad attempt at a smile. His eyes showed the weight of his words.
“Twenty years ago, Mom had her accident. Does this have something to do with that?” Chloe asked. I stared between them, almost wondering if I should even be here.
“Yes. It has everything to do with it. Mom wasn’t driving the snowmobile when it crashed, Chloe. I was.” Lucas’s eyes filled with tears, and mine did too.
Chloe collapsed in her chair, all the air leaving her lungs. “I don’t understand. You and mom fought before the accident. It’s the one thing I remember about that night. You kept begging her to let you drive and she refused.”
“Once we got on the path, she changed her mind. She let me drive for a little bit. I tried to be a hotshot, but ended up crashing, destroying her life and yours. Dad knew and told me to keep quiet. Pretend Mom nearly killed herself.” Tears began to fall down his face. I glanced over at Chloe. Lucas’s pain and struggle had brought her to tears too.
“Oh, Lucas, everything makes so much sense now. You changed that day, and I thought it had been because you were sad about what happened to Mom.”
“Do you hate me, Chloe?”
“You were what, seventeen? Of course, I don’t hate you. We should have rallied around each other as a family, worked through what happened honestly. Instead, you built a wall around yourself, suffering with guilt and shame alone all these years. I understand the sadness and emptiness I felt from you now.”
Chloe rose from her seat and wrapped her arms around a sobbing Lucas, his hand still in mine.
“Maggie.” Lucas gazed at me with cloudy eyes. A strong man brought to his knees. “I wanted you to hear the truth too. No more secrets in my life.”
Chloe released her arms around Lucas, returning to her seat. “I love you, Lucas. You were always there for me, more like a parent than a brother.”
“I hated myself for what I did to you. You never had our mother at your side guiding you through life. I tried to fill in where I could, but I started college shortly after the accident, leaving you alone with our father. Barclay’s mother tried to help, but it wasn’t the same. I robbed you of having the support our mother gave me. You were so young. I wondered if you’d even remember much about her at all.”
Chloe wiped her cheeks, taking a few deep breaths. My heart was breaking for them both.
“I did miss having her, but I am not going to blame you for something you did at seventeen. It was a horrible accident that hurt us all.” Chloe wiped away a tear falling down her cheek. “I have beautiful memories of her. She’d read to me every night, sometimes making the stories up as she’d go. I had more love from her in a short time than some children get in their entire life. Let it go, Lucas. Forgive yourself. She would want you to.”
“Knowing you don’t hate me for what I did helps, but I don’t know if I can shake the guilt.”
“Promise me one thing.” Chloe looked directly at Lucas. “You’ll get some help. Talk to a professional. You can’t work through this on your own.”
“I know you’re right,” Lucas agreed. “I’d thought about it over the years, but the idea of sitting down face-to-face with a stranger and talking about the incident was too much for me to handle.”