Page 54 of One Nightstand With My Ex's Uncle

EMILY’S POV.

“What do you mean!?” I asked, stopping Sadie.

“What do I mean? What can you not understand in all I just said? You have to kiss Lucas, so my friends can think you guys are so in love that you’d even kiss on a short school trip.” She said, and I felt like smacking her. Why was she the way she was?

Was it that easy to kiss just anyone?

“I can’t. Why would you force me to kiss him? I won’t.” I said, turning away, and folding my arms.

I was yet to figure out what I’d do with his pregnancy, but I was to go around kissing him on the whim of an eight-year-old? That was unacceptable. Too annoying.

Did she think she could boss me around because of some secret? I owned my body, and she was no one to…

“Hey, mum, I kind of have something to tell you about Emily.” I heard Sadie say angrily, and I turned around sharply.

“Sadie.” I hissed.

“Yes, do you know that she broke…”

“I’ll do it.” I said, bending to her height, and she looked at me, as if trying to read me. “I said I’ll do it.” I whispered strongly, as I heard Lady Mira’s voice in the background.

“You know what, mum? Maybe you’re better off not knowing. I wouldn’t want to give you a migraine, you know.” She said, without smiling, and I sighed, in relief.

She ended the call, and led the way to Lucas, who was watching little waves wash off the sand at shore.

“I’ll bring them very soon. Once you hear me scream, ‘really?’ That’s your cue.” She said, storming away.

I went to Lucas, and held my hands behind my back.

“Uh, how… how do you like the view?” I asked, rubbing my sweaty palms together, and he turned to me.

“Oh, the view is quite nice. You’ve been quiet all day.” He said, raising a brow.

“Yes, I… I had a few mood swings. That’s all.” I replied, wiping my hands on my dress, and he nodded.

We spent awkward minutes staring at the water, but there was nothing I could say. I couldn’t even leave.

At last, I heard Sadie.

“Really?” She asked, loudly, like she had heard a lovely joke.

“Alpha Lucas.” I said immediately, and he turned to me.

“Please call me Lucas. You don’t call John Alpha, do you?”

“Uh, okay… It’s Sadie’s doing.” I said, and pushed myself on tiptoes, and kissed him, with an arm wrapped around his neck, and the other on his beating chest.

He was shocked, I could tell he wasn’t expecting it at all.

“Sadie! Aren’t those your parents?” We heard a girl scream.

“Gosh, why are they embarrassing me? Must the whole world know just how much they love each other?” Sadie asked, and I could hear her friends cooing with envy.

“I guess Sadie’s parents love each other the most. They can’t even wait.” A boy said, and I kept on kissing Lucas, feeling more miserable, as they watched.

Spoiled kids. Weren’t they supposed to leave when elders were kissing?

Lucas kissed me back, and it felt like we traveled back in time. We were suddenly alone, in a room again, kissing passionately. His kiss reflected mine— longing, desperate… like he had been waiting for that moment.

But I was probably wrong, wasn’t I?

Why would he want to kiss me again? He was probably doing it for Sadie.

So this was what kissing him while I was sober felt like. It was lovely.

It was only when minutes passed that I realized Sadie, and her friends were long gone. We had been so lost in our kiss that we didn’t even know when the kids left.

“Sadie made you do that.” Lucas said awkwardly, turning away. He probably shared in my embarrassment.

“Apparently, she’s nothing like the angel you think she is. She’s been blackmailing me because of what she heard.” I said, taking a few steps away from him.

“I never said she was an angel.” He replied, calmly, and I bit my lip, only to drop it immediately.

It felt like I was tasting his lips on mine.

I ought not to like it.

I ought not to be thinking about it.

Not when I was carrying his baby.

If he knew, then it would be one more person who was out to destroy me to save his face, and pride.

“A piece of advice.” He said, turning to me. “If Sadie’s blackmailing you, blackmail her too. So, she can realize how it feels. Trust me, she has countless secrets too.” He told me, then left.

Of course, blackmailing Sadie was going to be great, but how was I to find her weakness?

As night fell, we went into the tent provided for us, and Sadie slept between us.

“Sorry about Emily kissing you. She had to do it to prove to my friends that you guys are the best.” Sadie said to Lucas.

“You’re getting scarier every day, Sadie. What wouldn’t you do to win?” Lucas asked slowly.

“Losing gets on my nerves. Doesn’t it get on yours?” She asked, fiddling with the blanket.

“I know when to let things go, Sadie. There are some things you don’t need to fight for. By not fighting for it, you have already proven it’s yours, and no one else’s.” He said, and Sadie pouted, folding her arms.

She was too young to understand. I didn’t blame her.

We all slept after silence reigned for minutes on end, and when I woke, Sadie was wrapped around me like an octopus holding on to the face of the mouth which tried to eat it alive.

She was warm, and smelled nice. Who wouldn’t love such an adorable girl? Only that she was too ambitious, bossy, selfish, and…

There were just too many bad adjectives for Sadie, but could I blame her? It was the environment she grew in that was to blame.

“Are we leaving now?” She asked, in a sleepy voice.

“Yeah… we are.” I replied, but fell asleep again. The next time I woke, Lucas wasn’t in the tent, and Sadie was singing as she drew a squid in a book.

“Rise and shine, princess.” She said, then continued singing, as she colored her squid in a deep blue.

“Good morning.” I said, taking out my bag, where I had kept my toothbrush. I smoothed out toothpaste on it, and went out of the tent to brush.

Lucas was talking to some parents, and I figured it was best to walk past.

After brushing my teeth, I sat alone on a rock, until I heard much noise, and saw they were loading things back into the bus.

I made my way to the tent, and packed my things.

“Where were you?” Sadie asked, coming into the tent.

“Somewhere.” I replied flatly, stuffing a book into my bag.

“Keep acting out.” She said, picking up a stuffed bear, before dashing out of the tent.

She really thought I was a toy—her toy. Someone needed to remodel her whole thinking, and flush out all the things she had been taught.

She couldn’t be that age, and act that way.

We got back into the bus, and it was a silent ride on my part. Lucas and Sadie kept on talking, but I was lost in thoughts.

In mere months, my secret would be out. Would Lucas deny me? What if he said it belonged to a stranger?

We got home, and I made my way straight to my room. Shortly, there came a knock on my door, and I stopped in the middle of pulling my dress over my head.

I sighed, and stopped, adjusting the dress, and making my way to the door.

My hands turned the knob, and I opened the door. It was Katie, and she was in less formal clothes. She had a black T-shirt on, and a pair of blue boyfriend jeans. It would have been completely formal if she had not tucked the shirt in, and if she didn’t have her ID card hanging down her neck.

Seriously? An ID card even though she wasn’t at the company?

“Hi.” She said in a flat tone.

“Hi.” I replied, opening the door wider, and letting her in.

She tucked her short hair behind her ear, and moistened her lips, as she walked in.

“I just came to check on you. You’ve been a little off lately. Are you okay?” She asked, and I ran a hand through my hair subconsciously.

“I am.” I answered, even though the opposite of those words were ringing in my head.

“Are you sure about that? I could give you the days off until John returns. Just so you can, I don’t know, catch up, and… get better or something.” She said, and I looked away.

I didn’t want her to be nice or caring towards me.

“The doctor said it was stress. But I’ve rested enough. The trip was also refreshing. I got to leave this house, go far, and I also saw the sea, and fish, and different things far from this toxic environment, so I guess I’m fine.” I replied, and she stared at me.

“What makes it toxic?” She asked, and I looked at her.

“You should know. Thanks for asking after me. I’ll gladly accept whatever work you have for me.”

“Fine. When you’re ready, meet me downstairs.” She said, and walked out of my room.

“Crazy idiot.” I muttered. Even though I said I was fine, couldn’t she have given me the day off? I was just returning from a journey.

After taking a shower, and dressing in a casual T-shirt and Jeans like Katie did, I made my way out of my room. From the mezzanine, I saw Katie laughing with Lucas, and stopped.

He wasn’t feeling disgusted with her, or angry that she slept with John when he was still my fiancé?

I thought he didn’t like women, but really I’d never seen him curt with one. Katie was a woman, and I was one too, but he had been nothing but friendly and accommodating.

Or was he hiding his true self like John? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was. After all, they were Grangers.

I got down, and Katie passed me my laptop, which I had left with her, and she provided me a document to work on.

I took it without saying a thing, and began to work.

Breakfast was prepared by the maids, and I kept mine because I was without an appetite. Working felt good. At least, it made me take my mind off the hole I found myself in.

Shortly, after Lucas left, Katie got up from the sofa, and walked towards me.

“Emily.” She called, and I looked up at her.

“Yes?”

“Can I see you?” She asked, and I raised a brow.

“Okay.” I replied, and waited.

“No. Not here. Outside.” She said, and I saved my work, and shut the laptop, placing it on the table, before getting to my feet, and following her.

She stopped in front of the pool, and I folded my arms.

“I’m listening.”

“I like Lucas.” She said, and the whole thing began to feel weird. Why was she telling that to me?

“Okay, you do.” I said, as I didn’t have anything else to say.

“I like him a lot, and it has been a long time. No man has ever managed to make me stop liking him. It is something serious. I’m hoping we get married.”

Why was she telling me all that? What if they got married, and I gave birth to Lucas’ child? What kind of scenario was that?

“Okay.” I said, wanting to leave her presence quickly.

“Sleeping with John was never my idea, wish, or joy. I just… I had no choice, and I regret it every day. It haunts me day and night. I hate the fact that I had to be the one you saw that night, but you should know it isn’t happening again because I really like Lucas. No, I love him.”

“I get it.” I said, but it was actually after I said the words that I truly understood her message.

She wasn’t apologizing. She was saying something else.

A warning.

It was her way of telling me to back off.