Page 64 of The Destruction You Desire

My breath catches in my throat at his confession.

"It's okay, P. I'd trust Letty with my life. She's no threat to you or Kayden."

I nod, knowing that he's right. "I really like her."

"She's pretty awesome. She just…" He lets out a long sigh and falls back against the bench. "She just listened, understood. Told me what I needed to hear. I know I've fucked up. I know I should have believed every single word that ever fell from your lips, and I'm so fucking sorry that I didn't. But this, P." He lifts our hands. "What happened, it's doesn't need to be the end for us."

"If it was the end, I don't think we'd be sitting here right now." His eyes light up at my words and I realize that he read into them more than I expected.

"I don't know what you want from me, Luc."

"I don't want anything from you. I just want you."

"And if you can't have me?"

His lips part to respond but he thinks better of it. "Then I wait until I can."

Our server appears, breaking the silence that falls over our table, placing our breakfast in front of us.

With my eyes focused on my food, I let my mouth run away with me as I take a trip down memory lane and tell Luca all the things I explained to Leon about Libby's pregnancy, her disappearance, Mom and Kayden's accident and all the things that have happened since that resulted in us living in Aunt Fee's house.

"I don't know how you're still standing, P. All of that would have broken most people."

"Meh. Maybe I'm not most people."

He laughs. "You got that right. You're one of a kind."

"I had him. I couldn't fall apart. I had to be there for Kayden. Until Aunt Fee agreed to take us in, I was all he had."

"You should have—" He swallows his words.

"Reached out? Oh yeah, because that would have gone down so well." I lift my free hand to my ear, mimicking being on the phone. "Hey Luc, remember me. I told you that your dad got my sister pregnant and you called me a liar. Anyway, that kid is now in critical condition in the hospital and I need help.I'm sure you'd have dropped the phone and come running right away," I deadpan.

"I—" He drops his head into his hand. "I'm sorry."

"You keep saying that, but those words don't fix anything, Luc."

"How much do you owe, for your mom and Kayden?"

"A lot. And there's more to come. Kayden still has a way to go."

"He's a tough kid."

"You have no idea."

"Can I meet him properly when we get back? Like Lee did."

"Can I trust you not to fuck it up?" I ask, knowing that if he loses his shit again and disappears, it'll rip Kayden apart. He's wanted his brothers in his life for a long time. I'm not about to let Luca into his life if he's not serious.

"Did you ask Lee that?" he asks, narrowing his eyes on me.

"Uh…" I hesitate, knowing that I didn't.

"Forgive me for being less concerned about your brother's intentions."

A scream rips from my lips, my entire body jumping from the seat when his palm slams down on the table.

"You have no idea what Lee is capable of. You don't even know him."