Page 18 of Love Loathe Devotion (Tightrope #3)

I pull up outside Lucas’s house and kill the engine, staring at the cozy-looking home with its wraparound porch and the sound of Joey’s laughter echoing faintly through the air.

It feels wrong to barge in when they finally have some peace, a rare moment outside the hospital walls.

But I need to talk to him. I need to say this out loud to someone who will understand what the hell is happening to me.

The front door swings open before I even knock. Lucas stands there, broad as ever, his arms crossed over his chest, an easy grin tugging at his lips. “Well, look what the cat dragged in.”

I smirk, shaking my head as I step onto the porch. “Miss me, buddy?”

“Like a hole in the head.” He claps me on the shoulder, then jerks his chin toward the inside. “Come on in.”

The house smells like home-cooked food and something sweet—maybe cookies. Sam’s touch is all over this place, making it warm, making it theirs. I hate that I’m about to throw something heavy into the middle of it, but I have to be honest with my best friend.

“You want a beer?” Lucas asks, already moving toward the fridge.

“Yeah, sure.” I take the cold bottle he hands me and twist off the cap, rolling it between my fingers.

Lucas narrows his eyes. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

He raises a brow. “Bullshit. I’ve known you too long for that. Spill.”

I huff out a chuckle, rubbing the back of my neck. He sees right through me. Always has. Lucas glances toward the living room where Sam is curled up with Joey, reading to him, and then motions toward the backyard. “Let’s take this outside.”

I follow him, stepping onto the porch and into the yard where the air is cooler, fresher. We settle into a couple of chairs, and I stare at the bottle in my hand, picking at the label. My pulse thrums in my ears as I search for the right words.

Then, before I can stop myself, I blurt, “I’m falling for Laney.”

Silence. Lucas stares at me, blinking once, twice, before his brows draw together. “You’re what?”

I let out a breath and meet his gaze. “I know it’s fast. Hell, it’s reckless as fuck, but it’s happening.”

His expression shifts from shock to something darker. “Eddie…” His tone is careful, edged with warning. “You know she’s been through some shit. Are you sure this isn’t just you feeling protective? Because that girl needs stability, not some whirlwind romance.”

“It’s fake or she thinks it is.”

I hold up a hand before he can keep going. “I know, man. And I get why you’d be pissed, but it’s not like that.”

Lucas exhales sharply. “Then tell me what the hell is going on.”

I nod and take a swig of my beer before diving in.

“She came to my show a few weeks back. That night, she was attacked backstage.” Lucas’s hands clench into fists, his jaw tightening.

I keep going. “Some asshole stuck her with a needle, likely GHB. When I got to her, she was barely conscious. I took her home, made sure she was safe.”

Lucas leans forward, his voice low and dangerous. “Tell me you handled it.”

My grip tightens on the bottle. “Yeah. I did.”

His eyes flick to mine. “And?”

“I handed him over to Nico.”

Lucas nods slowly, understanding flickering across his face. “So, he’s handled.”

“Permanently.”

Lucas lets out a breath, some of the tension leaving his shoulders, but not all of it. “That still doesn’t explain the fake relationship.”

I take another sip of my beer and lean back in my chair.

“The label’s been on my ass about settling down, about my image since I went to that gay bar and did that set for Hadley’s wedding.

Reggie said they needed me to have a ‘steady influence’ by my side before the tour.

It’s all bullshit, but it was either play along or deal with their interference. ”

Lucas’s eyes darken. “And you chose Laney for that? Jesus, Eddie, she’s been through enough.”

I shake my head. “You don’t get it. It had to be her.”

Lucas goes still, studying me. “Why?”

I swallow hard, the words scraping against my throat. “Because she’s the one.”

Lucas’s eyes widen slightly before narrowing again. “You sure about that?”

I let out a humorless chuckle, running a hand through my hair. “Hell no. I don’t know how or why, but she makes me want to give her the world. To be a better man.”

Lucas exhales, leaning back. “Sounds like you’re not falling, Ed. You’ve already fallen.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I open my mouth to argue, to deny it, but he tilts his head toward the house. I follow his gaze and see Sam standing by the window, Joey in her arms, his tiny hand pressed against the glass.

Lucas smiles softly. “That’s how I feel about Sam.”

I stare at him, the weight of his words settling deep in my chest. My throat tightens, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Fuck.

I’m already gone for Laney.

I run a hand down my face, exhaling sharply. Lucas chuckles, shaking his head. “Yeah, you’re screwed, man.”

I groan and finish off my beer. “Yeah. No shit.”

Lucas claps me on the shoulder, his grip firm. “Then don’t fuck it up.”

I nod, the determination settling in my gut. “I don’t plan to.”

I watch the condensation bead down the side of my empty beer bottle, trying to gather my thoughts, when Lucas breaks the silence again.

“Does Laney know it’s real for you?”

The question hits harder than it should. I look up, meet his eyes, and slowly shake my head. “No.”

Lucas smirks, a knowing tilt to his mouth. “You should tell her.”

I sigh, leaning back in my chair. “I don’t want to rush her. She just got out of that mess with that prick, Randy.”

Lucas’s expression shifts instantly—his jaw tightens, and there’s pure disdain in his voice. “That wasn’t a relationship, Eddie. That was a goddamn joke. That asshole didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.”

I nod, my jaw clenched. “Trust me, I agree.”

Lucas sets his bottle down a little too hard. “Did you know he made her change her degree? From music to PR? Told her she wasn’t good enough to make it.” He scoffs, anger thick in his voice. “Made her give up the thing she loved most.”

I go still. A cold, furious still. My hands clench the neck of my beer bottle and, for a second, I genuinely have to breathe through the violent surge of rage rolling through me.

“I swear to God,” I grit out, “if I ever see that prick again...”

Lucas nods grimly. “Yeah. You and me both.”

I shake my head slowly. “She has a fucking amazing voice, man.”

Lucas raises his brows. “You heard her sing?”

I glance at him, my expression softening at the memory. “Yeah. She was busking downtown. Singing one of my songs. Midnight Dune. I didn’t even recognize it at first—she made it her own. It stopped me in my tracks, man. I stood there like some starstruck idiot, just listening.”

“Why the fuck was she busking?”

I shrug. “Not sure but I have a feeling she’s broke. She was staying with her friend, Christie, after he had her fired too, so money would be my guess.”

Lucas stares at me for a second, then shakes his head. “And she never told us Randy threw her out. Got her fired. But... I guess I’m not surprised. That man was poison.”

I look out toward the horizon, the quiet of the yard wrapping around us like a blanket. “She sings to the kids on the peds ward, you know that? Sits with them, holds their hands, sings whatever they want.”

Lucas nods. “Joey talks about her all the time. Says her voice makes the pain go away.”

A soft smile tugs at my lips, something warm blooming in my chest. “She’s.

.. she’s different, man. She’s got this light.

Not just talent—heart. Soul. She’s kind in a way that feels rare.

Like... she’s never been jaded, even after all the shit she’s been through.

Like she’s a brand new soul. She should be selling out fucking stadiums, man. ”

Lucas watches me for a long moment. Then he nods slowly. “Yeah. Sounds like you’re not just falling, man. You already did.”

I run a hand down my face and exhale. He’s right. I’ve already fallen.

And now I just have to make sure I don’t lose her before she realizes she’s mine too.