Chapter 23: Caught Eavesdropping{22}
Lucian's POV
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I stepped out of the karaoke bar, the blaring music fading behind me as I joined my boyfriend's friends, Damian and Damon, in the cool night air. Tension hung heavy between us, thick and suffocating. I knew this conversation was long overdue, but I couldn't help feeling a ball of anxiety knotting in my stomach.
Damian, always the calm and levelheaded one, approached me with a furrowed brow. "Lucian, we need to talk," he said, his voice surprisingly soft considering the anger lurking in his eyes.
Damon, on the other hand, wore his protectiveness like a second skin. He wasted no time, shoving me against the brick wall with a force that surprised me. Glaring down at me, he hissed, "You hurt Mike, twice! And for that, I want to beat the shit out of you."
I could see the anger radiating from both of them, and I understood why. Mike was like a brother to them, and I had caused him so much pain. Gritting my teeth, I resisted the urge to fight back against Damon's aggression. I knew I deserved it. Instead, I waited for Damian to intervene.
Damian acted quickly, stepping in between Damon and me. He pulled Damon away, keeping a firm grip on his friend's arm. "Damon, calm down. Let's hear Lucian out," he said, his voice firm but gentle.
Damon reluctantly allowed Damian to guide him away from me. Their words became heated in the dimly lit alley, the anger and frustration spilling out unabated. They listed all the reasons why I deserved their wrath – how I had broken Mike's heart, how I had caused him so much pain. I stood there, quiet and still, letting their accusations wash over me.
But it was Damon's words that pierced me the deepest. "Ashley, being in the hospital, was already messing with Mike's head," he spat, his voice filled with venom. "And then you showed up, throwing gasoline onto the damn fire."
Something snapped inside me at Damon's words. How dare he blame me for everything that happened to Ashley? I felt my anger rise to the surface, threatening to spill over at any moment. But as I took a step closer to them, a voice whispered in my mind, reminding me of the truth.
Yes, Ashley is one of the very few people mike held the closest to his heart. So a hurt Ashley equaled a hurt Mike. But I had hurt him too. I had been selfish, caught up in my own pain, and in doing so, I had ignored his. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, deflating my anger in an instant.
Sighing heavily, I held up my hands in surrender. "Alright," I said, my voice filled with resignation. "You're right. I fucked up. I hurt Mike, and I was an asshole. I'm sorry."
Damian seemed to soften ever so slightly at my words, his eyes searching mine for sincerity. "Lucian, we just want what's best for Mike," he said, his tone softer now.
I nodded, my heart heavy with regret. "I know, and I promise you, I'll do better," I replied, my voice laced with determination.
Damon and Damian exchanged glances, clearly taken aback by my sudden change in demeanor. They seemed just as uncertain as I was about how to proceed. But before we could find a resolution, a sound interrupted our conversation.
It was a stifled laugh, barely audible, but enough to make us all turn our heads. And there, peeking around the corner of the alley, were Mike and Lanor, who had apparently been eavesdropping on our conversation.
Embarrassment flushed over Mike's face as he realized they had been caught. Mike's eyes widened, giving away his surprise, while Lanor merely arched an amused eyebrow.
"Uh, hey guys," Mike stammered, his face turning red. "We, uh, couldn't help but overhear." He admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.
Lanor chimed in, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Yeah, sorry for eavesdropping, but we were worried," she confessed, unable to hold back a small grin.
Relief flooded through me, mingled with slight amusement. Leave it to Mike and Lanor to eavesdrop on our tense conversation. I couldn't help but smile at their concern.
Turning back to Damian and Damon, I held up my hands, a small smile playing at the corners of my lips.
Damian and Damon exchanged a look, their expressions softening with understanding. Slowly, Damian nodded, accepting my earlier apology. Damon's harsh glare softened into something resembling forgiveness. The weight of their anger seemed to lift off my shoulders, replaced by a sense of slight acceptance.
As we all stood together, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. The road ahead was still uncertain, and healing takes time. But with my new friends by my side, I knew we would navigate the darkness together, emerging stronger on the other side.
We all turned around, walking out of the alley when Damian pulled me back by my shoulder.
Damon's POV
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I could hardly believe my ears. Damian, the usually calm and collected member of our group, had just threatened Lucian with his life. The tension in the air was palpable as I watched Lucian's face pale and his eyes widen in alarm. A part of me couldn't blame him – after all, Damian was not someone to be taken lightly.
The anger that had been simmering within us had momentarily subsided, replaced with a glimmer of forgiveness. We had accepted Lucian – albeit reluctantly – into our circle, and it seemed like peace had finally been restored.
But as we turned around to head back to the lively karaoke bar, Damian quietly pulled on Lucian's shoulder not to alert mike and lanor, causing him to stop in his tracks. I watched curiously as Damian leaned in closer, his voice laced with an underlying threat.
"Listen carefully, Lucian," Damian began, his tone icy and low, "I may have forgiven you for what you did to Mike, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten. Hurt him again, and I promise you, I will personally make sure you never see another sunrise."
Lucian's mouth opened and closed soundlessly, his eyes flickering between Damian's stone-cold expression and my wide-eyed gaze. The weight of Damian's words settled heavily in the air, and I found myself holding my breath, waiting for Lucian's response.
Finally, finding his voice, Lucian stammered, "I-I understand, Damian. I swear, I would never hurt Mike again. I regret what I did, and I'll do everything in my power to make it up to him. Please, just give me a chance."
Damian's grip tightened on Lucian's shoulder, his eyes narrowing as he continued to size him up. I knew Damian took Mike's well-being seriously – he was the one who had discovered Mike beaten and broken after the incident months ago, and had been there through his painful recovery, while Sandra was out of the country.
Gently pushing Damian's hand off his shoulder, Lucian took a hesitant step back, his voice laden with genuine remorse. "I know I messed up, but I'm just asking for a chance to make things right. I want to be a part of this group, and I promise to prove myself to all of you."
I watched as Damian studied Lucian carefully, his eyes flicking with emotion I couldn't quite decipher. After what felt like an eternity, Damian nodded once, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Alright, Lucian. I'll give you that chance. But remember, one wrong move, and I'll make good on my promise. Don't test me."
Relief washed over Lucian's face, and he offered a shaky smile. "Thank you, Damian. You won't regret this, I promise."
With that, the tension seemed to dissipate, and we continued on our way back to the karaoke bar. As we walked, I couldn't help but glance at Lucian every now and then. He seemed different somehow – humbled, perhaps, by the gravity of the threat uttered by Damian. It was clear that he had understood the severity of his actions, and the consequences he would face if he ever repeated them.
In that moment, as we walked side by side, I couldn't help but hope that Lucian had realized the weight of the trust we had just placed in him. Perhaps, with this chance, he would prove that he deserved our forgiveness, and that he could truly become a valued member of our group. Only time would tell.
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