Lucas

It was supposed to be a good day for her and instead, I walked in on that.

"Allie?"

She's got tears running down her cheeks and I have trembling hands that I'd like to redirect to Ted's face. I would love to kick his ass right now.

"I have to go–"

"Allie, wait!" I reach for her hand just when she turns around. The only way out is through the door he just walked out of, and she's not going anywhere near him.

She stills and her shoulders go stiff, and I let her go immediately. I wouldn't do what he just did, but she may not be thinking that right now.

The little crescent indents from his nails and his actual handprints are on her arm with bits of red and pink skin around. If she wasn't here right now, Ted would be a dead man.

She still has her back to me.

What the fuck else has he done? I didn't hear the entire conversation, but I heard enough to know he was being an asshole.

Allie clears her throat. "Why haven't you left her, Lucas?"

This isn't the time to go into Kat. I need to know if he did anything else to her. "Allie..."

"You said you were leaving her and that you wanted this. You made it seem like you wanted to make this into something, but you're still with her, Lucas."

"I–"

"Is it because she has money? Because she's pretty?" She turns to me and her eyes are already red and puffy. Her lip is quivering, and I don't even know what to say to her.

My chest is starting to ache. "I'm–"

"I don't want an excuse, Lucas. I want something real. I don't know what I was thinking, but I can't be someone's toy or whatever this is to you."

"It's not like that!"

"You told me you were going to leave her. You say you're not doing anything with her and that you'll end it soon, but how soon is that? A year? After you marry her?"

"I'm not marrying her!"

"That's not what she thinks. I know she posts pictures with the two of you constantly. I see the way you look in each of them. I keep telling myself that it's not real, but Ted makes a good point about you." Allie shakes her head at me and I don't think I've ever felt so small in my entire life. "He was right about one thing, and I'm seeing it now."

Oh fuck, what the hell did he say?

"He's not a bastard. Jadon is a person. A great kid with a big heart that made it when I wasn't sure he would. And, no, you didn't know, but Ted was the first one to show up for me. He's angry right now and redirecting it in a way he knows would hurt me. I won't..." she takes in a deep breath and I just want to get us out of here.

"I won't let you in, Lucas, because if you were going to leave her, you would have done it. You're not married and you don't have assets or anything between you. Again, it all boils down to the things she has that I don't."

"Allie, she has nothing on you. Please." I try to reach for her hand but she takes a step away from me.

"She has money and is everything I'm not. Those girls get everything, and I'm not like that. I just... I need to finish school, Lucas, and start working on my business. I don't have time for a man that acts like a boy." She gestures with her hand toward the balloons I put on her desk earlier.

"So, what? You're saying you and I are done? You can't just give me more time?"

She lifts her shoulders up. "Time for what? And there's nothing between you and me, not really. You're in a relationship. If you wanted me, you wouldn't be with her. Ted wants me, Lucas. He saved for a ring and everything to make something permanent. He has plans for us. That's the difference between you two."

"Are you fucking serious? After what you just told him and what he said about Jadon? You would take him back?"

She shakes her head. "No. I'm saying he wants commitment and you have no intention of making anything real between us. You've never said you wanted to get married or tried to make plans with me. You've made plans for Jadon and followed through, but all you do is act like some teenager with me. I can't afford that right now."

"Allie, don't do this." Please, fuck, don't do this.

She bends over and picks up her purse and phone from her desk. "There's nothing to do except stop crossing boundaries. I can't fall for someone that can't possibly return my feelings or just wants to get in my pants before he ties himself to the pretty girl."

"Allie, you don't understand. It's not about Kat. Or Ted. It's about the accident!"

Her brows pull together and she frowns. "What about it?"

God, I hope this works. I don't know what else I can do. "Joel showed me the file for the accident with the reports. I think Kat's dad paid a dirty cop to scrub the file."

"People don't do that, Lucas. This isn't a movie and Mr. Vandenburg wouldn't have any reason to pay a dirty cop to not solve a crime. He's never even met me and probably doesn't even know who I am. They have such a thing as unsolved cases, and I happened to be in a crappy location for the accident."

She adjusts her purse on her shoulder. "Besides, Ted and my dad looked into it and both came up with nothing. There's nothing, and it sucks but Jadon and I survived. We turned out fine. I don't have the time or energy to focus on it. I've moved on from it, Lucas, and you should, too."

"You both could have died, Allie."

"We're still here. We could have died in several possible accidents over the past few years. Anything can happen, Lucas, but I keep moving forward. It's what I do. Again, it's just an excuse while you try to make up your mind about Kat or me, and I already know the answer."

"Allie, it's you, I promise you that. It's not her. I've been waiting to confront her dad and hear it straight from him."

"And then what? Do you think he's going to just walk to the police station and hand himself over? That's not how it works." She straightens her shoulders and looks away from me and toward the door. "I need to leave. You can still pick up Jadon and we will figure out a schedule for time shared with him along with everything else. As for you and me, we can't even be friends, Lucas. I can't get played by you. I have more at risk now."

"Allie, please." She sidesteps me and moves toward the door. "Don't do this. If you want, I'll end it now with her. You can come too, and I'll drop everything with the accident. We can move you guys in tonight and be a family, please, just don't do this."

"I'm not the one who did anything, Lucas, and I won't force something between us out of pure emotion. I just fell into those pretty eyes and am the one that gets hurt waiting while you still have someone that you clearly have feelings for. I get it. You've known each other a long time and have a mature relationship together. And if you weren't ready to commit before, you shouldn't try to do it so suddenly."

"I just need time, Allie. I want you, please believe me."

"And I need someone less complicated."

She leaves me standing in the office alone, wondering how in the hell I'm going to get myself out of this.

I won't give up on that accident. I know Kat's dad is covering up for someone, and I have a feeling it's for himself. He's not getting away with hurting her and almost killing my son just to protect himself.