Forever Lucas

Lucas’s POV

It had been two years since everything fell apart.

Two years since the Marinos. Since Helena. Since betrayal tore through all of us and left scars that never really healed.

People say time fixes things.

I don’t believe that.

Time doesn’t fix anything. It just teaches you how to live with the silence. How to pretend the weight isn’t there when it still sits on your chest every morning.

The house was quiet today. Too quiet.

Sunlight poured through the windows, warm and peaceful, lighting up toys scattered across the floor. The kind of scene people dream about. The kind Jason and Emily fought so hard to have.

But every time I stood here, something felt off.

Like peace was fragile. It could crack at any moment.

Maybe I just didn’t know how to live without chaos anymore.

I leaned against the kitchen counter, arms folded, listening to the faint sound of cartoons coming from somewhere down the hallway. Coffee filled the air, mixed with something sweet Emily had probably been baking earlier.

Normal life.

Jason loved this life.

Watching him with Emily and the kids felt like watching someone finally get everything they ever wanted. The way he looked at her. The way they laughed without trying.

Sometimes I felt something twist inside me when I saw it.

Not jealousy.

Just… a heavy feeling. Like I was happy for them but stuck somewhere I couldn’t escape.

“Uncle Lucas!”

I barely had time to react before Noah ran into my legs, almost knocking me off balance.

I laughed, crouching down. “Hey, easy. Why are you running like somebody’s chasing you?”

He grinned, breathless. “I wanna play! Aurora said no. She slammed the door!”

I shook my head dramatically. “Sisters, huh? Dangerous creatures.”

He giggled.

Footsteps pulled my attention up.

Emily walked in slowly, one hand resting against her stomach. She smiled, but she looked tired. Not just tired… drained.

“You’re spoiling him,” she said softly. “He’s supposed to be napping.”

I lifted Noah into my arms. “Naps are optional. I’m pretty sure that’s official.”

Noah cheered.

Emily laughed quietly, but then her expression shifted for a second. Her hand pressed lower against her belly. Her breathing changed.

It lasted barely a moment.

But I saw it.

“You okay?” I asked, straightening.

She nodded too quickly. “Yeah. Just some pain. Probably nothing.”

I frowned. “You sure?”

She shrugged. “Baby’s probably just being dramatic. Maybe she misses Jason.”

I smirked. “Two more days until he’s back. You’ll survive.”

She smiled again, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Five months pregnant.

Jason already talked about this baby like she was his whole world. They didn’t know the gender yet.

I did. Somehow I ended up planning their gender reveal.

Funny, considering I knew a hundred ways to kill someone but had no clue how to organise balloons and cake.

Life had a strange sense of humour.

“You should call your doctor,” I said quietly.

Emily rolled her eyes. “Lucas, relax. This isn’t my first pregnancy.”

Before I could argue, Layla walked in holding a glass of juice.

“So this is where everybody disappeared,” she said, handing it to Emily. “Drink.”

Emily sighed. “I don’t need babysitting.”

“You do when you look like you’re about to faint,” Layla replied.

I caught the look Layla gave me.

Worry.

Real worry.

Emily had always been strong. Sometimes too strong. She pushed through pain like it was nothing.

Usually I admired it.

Today it made me uneasy.

“Come on,” Layla said gently. “Go lie down for a bit.”

Emily hesitated but nodded, letting Layla guide her away.

I watched them go, unease settling heavily in my stomach.

Something felt wrong.

I shook it off and turned to Noah. “Alright, champ. Let’s go destroy your toy kingdom.”

We barely reached the hallway when it happened.

A scream.

Sharp. High. Filled with pain.

My blood froze.

Another scream followed, louder this time.

I spun toward the sound.

The nanny appeared, eyes wide with panic.

“As I quickly placed him into her arms. “Take him to his room. Now.”

I ran.

Emily was doubled over near the couch, clutching it tightly. Her face was pale, sweat covering her skin. Layla knelt beside her, trying to keep her calm.

“That’s it,” I said firmly. “We’re going to the hospital.”

“No… I’m okay…” Emily whispered weakly.

“No, you’re not,” Layla snapped, panic cracking through her voice.

I didn’t waste another second.

I picked Emily up. She felt light. Too light. Her body trembled against me.

Every instinct screamed at me to move faster.

The drive was chaos.

I weaved through traffic, horns blaring behind me. Emily cried out from the backseat, each sound hitting me like a knife.

“Hold on, Em,” I said, gripping the wheel tighter. “We’re almost there.”

Layla held her hand, whispering something I couldn’t hear.

My heart hammered so hard it hurt.

“Jason’s gonna kill me,” I muttered. “If anything happens…”

No one answered.

The air felt heavy.

Then... A horn blasted.

Bright lights filled my vision.

Impact.

Metal screamed as the truck slammed into us. The world tilted violently. My body jerked sideways.

We spun.

The car rolled.

Glass shattered. Airbags exploded. Someone screamed.

Everything flipped again.

And then... Stillness. Silence filled the air.

My ears rang so loudly it felt like drowning. Smoke burned my throat. The smell of gasoline hit me hard.

Pain shot through my ribs.

“Emily…” I croaked, trying to turn.

No response.

“Layla?”

Nothing.

Panic clawed through me.

I tried to move but pain exploded through my side. Blood dripped down my hand.

I reached back blindly, fingers trembling.

“Emily… please…”

Nothing.

The silence was worse than the crash.

And suddenly I remembered what I had been thinking earlier.

About the quiet.

About how peace felt wrong.

I was right.

The calm had never been safe.

It was just waiting for the storm.

Darkness blurred my vision.

I fought it.

God, I fought it.

But it dragged me under anyway.

The last thing I felt was cold fear settling deep inside me.

The storm had finally arrived.

And this time… it took everything with it.

Darkness swallowed me whole.