Lucas' P.O.V.
I headed out of the car back towards her building, knowing she'd be out of class soon. I should have asked what class she was in so I could have waited for her outside her door.
Too late now.
I hung around the entrance of the building waiting for her to emerge. My hands were deep in pockets and I was lightly kicking around a small rock between my feet. I miss playing soccer. I need to find a community team to join again. I haven't played since Ivy died. She was always at my games, cheering me on from the sidelines.
"I hope you weren't too awfully bored waiting on me." Her voice made me look away from the small rock.
"Your journals kept me entertained." I winked at her. "Can't wait to see what happened to Ian."
She flushed pink with embarrassment. I loved seeing her cheeks turn that beautiful shade of crimson. She looked almost mortified.
"Oh God, your already there?" She cringed.
"Sure am." I nodded with a playful smirk.
"I'm wondering if maybe I should have started you in college. My high school journals are so embarrassing, depressing, and cringy."
"No way! And miss this fun?" I shook my head at her. "I'm glad I get to read about high school you. She's quite comical."
Rose groaned in embarrassment.
"I'm glad you think so, because many others didn't." She took my hand as she began to walk. I smiled happily that she'd initiate our hand holding this time.
"So where to now, Rose? Have another class?"
"Not until later. We have a couple of hours to kill, and I want to use them to get to know you," she said, guiding me through the familiar campus. I was surprised by her words.
"Oh? Is it cause you're falling in love with me that you want to get to know me better?" I teased her, grabbing her in my arms and pulling her back.
"Asshole. I shouldn't have said anything." She shook her head as she smacked at my arm. It was really cute, making me chuckle.
"We both know you didn't mean to say it, but I'm sure as fuck glad you did." I kissed her temple, making her go still against me. "Tell me what you want to know and I'll share."
"Give me your life story, the same way I gave you mine. We'll start there."
I sighed, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders right now. She wanted my life story, but like hers, it was a sad one. It seems only fair though, and the fact she wants to know everything about me, makes me jump for joy. She's starting to want me more and more with each passing day, and I couldn't be happier about it.
"Okay, Rose. Let's go to the car. I'll spill my dirty little secrets to you." I winked at her.
We headed towards my car hand in hand. I opened her door as usual, allowing her to sit in the passenger seat. I took my place behind the wheel. I turned to face her, taking a deep breath before beginning my sad tale.
"I was born here in New York. My mother met my father in college and fell madly in love. They had Lisa the year after graduation and me two years after that. Growing up we never needed for anything monetary. Dad's business had taken off and he'd become a millionaire in no time, reaching a billion around the time I turned 7. The better his business did the worse his mood got. You'd think it'd be the other way, but not with dad. The more success he had, the more work he made for himself. We all walked around eggshells at home, trying not to trigger him in any way. There was no laughter in our home, just rigid smiles. That is until I met John and Leo." I smiled sadly at the thought of John in his casket.
"Dad and Mr. Darius became close business acquaintances, allowing John and Leo to come over often. Their home became my second house. I found myself going over as often as I could to get away from Dad. I didn't know at the time that he was hurting my mom. She didn't show it, and neither did he. He kept it hidden behind closed doors, even from Lisa and I. Lisa would go with me to John and Leo's often as well. Even though she was the only girl and two years older. Anything beats being home with that man. Around the time I turned 12 dad's fists found me any time I didn't meet his expectations." I couldn't look Rose in the eyes as I told my story, keeping them fixed on the sky outside my windshield.
"He hurt Lisa one night when she missed curfew by 1 minute. I yelled at him, knowing I'd get it twice as bad, but that it would make him leave her alone. It was the only time I ever let him hit her. Any time she'd do something wrong in his eyes, I'd be sure to do something worse to keep his anger fixed on me. I couldn't keep mom safe though. I'd hear him rape her often, leaving her in tears and bruises that I'd end up tending to. Dad began to train me to take over his business when I reached high school. He had me on a set path, and there was no getting off it. I didn't mind as much because John and Leo were on the same path which meant we had a lot of classes together. They were the two that made life barrable."
I remembered the stupid shit we'd get into when we were out together. God, I miss John.
"John and I got onto the soccer team at school, making me have games and practices that kept me out of the house. I made sure that Lisa would come with me to every practice and every game so she wasn't left alone at home. I really enjoyed soccer, still do actually. I payed all through highschool and into college. My freshman year of college I decided that I would not take over my father's business. He could go screw himself. Work until he dies. He was furious and beat the ever living shit out of me when I told him. He didn't say anything again after that, but that was because he was scheming behind closed doors. I found a contract on his desk a month later. I felt like I was reading some kind of contract that sold Lisa off to some businessman's son. Dad was trying to marry Lisa off, and get himself someone else to take over the business." I shook my head in the disgust I still feel over that contract.
"He can't do that!" Rose interjected, causing me to look at her for the first time. She had tears in her eyes, crying for me and my past. I leaned over and wiped away at it. The swelling on her cheek had gone down and she'd hidden the bruise beneath makeup.
"You'll find that when you have billions of dollars there's a lot you can do that you shouldn't be able to. I promised him I'd take over the business if he left Lisa out of it. We made an agreement and he even made a contract for me to sign. Words of mouth are not good enough for this man. I'm stuck with his business whether I want it or not. I started dating Ivy around this time. She was like this large light in my life, keeping me from drowning in darkness. She took up every moment of my life in college. She supported me and lifted me up when I was down. She was studying business too, and she swore we would run my dad's business together so that all that work didn't fall on just my shoulders."
I felt tears sting the back of my eyes as I thought of her bright smile, the one that always wrinkled her eyes on the side. I loved that woman so much.
"She came to all my soccer games. She helped my mom get away from my dad. Her heart was so pure and her spirit was unbreakable. She stood up to my dad countless times, not worried for one second that he would hurt her. He never did. I guess his fists were only reserved for his family. When mom left him he spiraled more. Began to get easily angry. Thankfully, neither Lisa or I lived with him anymore. Still he'll call from time to time and make us do something for him. Usually attend some kind of business dinner or meeting. That's about as much interaction as we will have with him. Lisa is frightened by him to the point she follows every one of his commands. I can't shake her out of it either." This last business dinner dad tried to pawn her off on the businessman's son, almost allowing him to date her. I, in not so many words, reminded him of our deal. He liked to remind me of the control he held over Lisa often, as if to make his point that he controlled me too."
"I was planning to propose to Ivy when she died in that car accident. The truck driver was tired and on a strict timeline. He had fallen asleep behind the wheel of his semi and killed John and Ivy upon impact. Mr. Darius was the only to survive the crash physcially, but he was brain dead the moment he arrived at the hospital. The news hit Leo and I hard and we wallowed for months on the ground, quite literally. I am not sure how I managed to graduate. I stopped playing soccer, stopped seeing my friends, and pushed everyone away, even Leo. Lisa had brought us back together, and that's when all that shit with Francesca started. Then came the party, and after that came the countless one night stands. The business I started made its first million in it's first year too. It's been a blur of alcohol, work, and different women, until I met you."
I turned to face her again, holding her gaze for this next part. The part where she saved me.
"You pulled me out of my stuper. Everything about you enticed me, not just your beauty. The more I got to know you, the more I wanted you. The more I wanted to better myself for you. Rose, you make me want to be a better man, and I haven't felt that way in a while. You've saved me from myself. So here we are sitting in my car with me pouring my life story out to you, because I fucking love you already, even though it has barely been a month since I met you. I've fallen hard and fast for you, and I hope you know I don't plan on letting you go ever again."
Rose stared at me with wide eyes, tears still streaming down her face. In seconds her arms wrapped around my neck and pulled me towards her. She held me close before she brought her lips to mine with such intensity that you'd think we'd both burst into flames. I felt all her passionate and unbridled love for me in that moment.
"Be mine, Rose. By girlfriend and no one else's."
"Thought you'd never ask." She smiled, kissing me again. "I'll be yours, for as long as you want me. Only yours." She nodded.
I rested my forehead against her own, closing my eyes and focusing on this moment before us. She's everything I need in this world.