Lucas

Was I expecting to come to an uncomfortable dinner and wonder how Mark and Vivian can live with themselves? All while I plan to screw them over the way they screwed Allie and Jadon? Yes, I was.

The plan is simple: get whatever evidence I can so this can actually be investigated.

If I got any sort of evidence or even a confession, I'm good. I don't know that Mark or Vivian would do actual jail time or something for covering up the accident, but I want retribution for Jadon and Allie.

However, I wasn't expecting this to be a dinner party with Mark's friends, business associates, and some other rich people I don't know.

Kat makes an annoyed whining sound. "Seriously, this is a fucking work party for his friends and not even for us." Her hand is around my arm and it just feels wrong.

"Didn't you say that this was–"

"Ah! Lucas, Katrina," Mark greets us as we enter the dining room with a big smile and I wonder how much he truly knows. There are catering staff walking around with trays of hors d'oeuvres and I'm tempted to follow them to the kitchen just to stay the hell away from Mark.

Also, that's where I met Allie...

"Welcome, we are so glad you could make it."

He is in a much nicer and much more expensive suit than I am wearing, but I don't care. He greets me with the same smile he always has and I can't help but see he's not the person I've always thought he was. I used to look up to him and admire him for everything he had built. He never wanted anything from me but has always been supportive of my dating his daughter.

"Dad, why are all these people here?" As if she wasn't expecting some sort of crowd. Kat is messing with her hair. Floofing it, or whatever it's called when a person with long hair messes with their curls. She curled it earlier and is in a tight pink dress that barely makes it halfway down her thighs.

Six months ago, we would have made a stop upstairs in her bedroom before showing up to whatever this is. Now, all I want is to leave her here and never see her again.

I'd rather be helping out with Jadon's bath right now and read him that dragon book he always makes Allie read to him.

Hell, I wouldn't mind getting yelled at by Allie once again. Anything with her over this.

Whatever I can get tonight, I'm taking and getting out of this. I'm so done with waiting to be with her, and I'm concerned Ted may be able to sink his teeth into her without her realizing it.

"They're here for the party," Mark says and I know this couldn't have been planned so last minute. "Come," he puts an arm around my shoulders. "There are some people I would like you to meet."

An hour of weird foods in tiny napkins and fancy toothpicks, and I am now acquainted with a Senator, two surgeons, and a few other people Mark associates with regularly. Kat left to get a drink with her mom and I have yet to see her since.

Mark and whoever this white-haired bore is in front of me are talking about stocks or something. I don't really know. I haven't paid attention.

"Excuse me," I tell Mark. "I'll be right back." I give him the bathroom excuse.

He nods and I head toward the stairs as though I am going to the bathroom. I keep an eye on the man while he continues holding whatever conversation he was having with the boring old guy.

Mark's study has a desk inside that matches the dark wood of the floor, bookshelves, and even the damn door. There are also two short leather sofas that face one another with a table between them.

He has a drink cart that makes me roll my eyes. Does this entire family have issues with alcohol or is there something else going on?

Not my problem.

He doesn't have locks on the drawers of his desk, so I flip through the files in hopes of finding anything related to Allie or Jadon.

I can hear the distant chatter and occasional laughter from the party downstairs from here.

There is nothing specifically named "The Accident I Covered Up," so I have to look through every file. It's only one drawer with about fifty files which doesn't take too long to look through and find absolutely nothing at all.

"Shit."

He wouldn't keep something like this on a computer, right? Not if it can be tracked or something?

He may just not have the evidence at all.

I shove the files back into the drawer until I notice something at the bottom.

Accident Report

"Gotcha."

"He's not too bright. He will do the right thing." I jump out of my skin hearing Mark's voice just outside the door. "He's here, isn't he? So clearly he isn't getting anywhere with her."

Quickly, I grab the file and close the drawer as quietly as possible.

"He's been trying to make his way in with her and she's falling right into it."

Ted? Why the fuck is he here?

"That's why you need to quit with your little tantrums and stay with her whenever she pisses you off. Get over whatever your problem is, and stay there. I will settle Lucas down."

What the fuck is going on?

"But if you keep leaving her for your little whores, she won't take you back again, and he will weasel his way in with her."

The door to the study opens and I slide down underneath the desk. My heart is racing right now.

Please don't come to this side of the room.

Mark speaks up again after the door shuts. "This was the deal we made, Ted, and you are not holding up your end of it. I needed you to do this a year ago and get her out of this town. If he were to suspect something, he would try to be the little hero. We cannot afford that right now. I have too many opportunities coming up and I won't screw them up because you can't wrangle an annoying little girl because of some old teenage jealousy over Lucas Kennedy."

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I grab for it while sticking the file in my mouth to hold it all together.

"Is that your phone?" Ted asks.

"No, yours?"

Fuck.

They're going to find me.

"Hmm." Neither of them revisits it, and they go back to their conversation while I silence my damn phone.

It's a text from Allie.

Allie: I'm sorry for the way I acted. I was hurt and I know there are issues, I just need to know that this isn't a waste of my time. I wouldn't mind having a conversation with you sometime if you wanted to have a serious one.

Even if Ted wasn't so damn shady, he would never deserve her. I send a text back to her while Ted and Mark spill the fucking tea.

Lucas: Can I come over later?

I knew something wasn't right about this relationship. He never had anything for her and the only reason things were so damn perfect was because they never were. He's with Allie because Mark wants him with Allie.

Holy shit, Ted's covering up the accident for Mark.

My phone lights up with her response.

Allie: To stay the night?

I wasn't planning on it, but...

Another message comes in.

Allie: Charity is here, but she's leaving to go out with some guy.

"Fix it and get her out of my hair. Whatever you need to do to get her away from him, I'll manage it for you. He'll be knee deep in wedding planning with Katrina and if I offer her full trust to her in exchange for grandchildren, she'll keep him busy."

I can't fucking believe this.

They don't stay much longer, and once they are gone, I take pictures of the entire file before sending them off to Joel.

I'm not even saying goodbye to Kat in person. I'm especially not saying my goodbyes to Mark.

I slip out of the house and head for my car and send off a text to Allie before leaving this damn place. I have the file, and she is going to get a look at it tonight.

She's going to see why Ted is the wrong choice and why I did this for her and for Jadon.

Lucas: I'm on my way.