The Consequence

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Five

-Now-

What on Earth did she mean it wasn't Lucy? Who else could it be? It WAS her. I was convinced. It looked just...just like her...

I had been driving like a crazed man almost in my struggle to get to Chantelle's house. I was lucky she had thought to text me her address after she put the phone down because otherwise I'd have been shit out of luck.

Considering she lived where our high school was and Luke lived in the city, it was actually more unbelievable that they had stayed in touch. She was about a thirty minute drive from the city which is no mean feat.

My mind was hardly on how they had managed to keep up a friendship though when all I could picture was how defeated Lucy had looked when she left that office. What got her involved with Tony fucking Holt? Why her as well?

Why of all people did Lucy's life have to be ruined? What did her parents think? Her dad must be sick with worry – he was always on the strict side but you could see the love for his daughters. I bet he was devastated.

I bet he hated me even more than he already did. He only put up with me because he knew that Megan loved me. We weren't the sort to sit and watch the game together, hell the one time I went to a football game with him, he belittled me the whole way through. When I didn't turn up at the funeral, I bet that just proved his point that I wasn't good enough for her.

He was right – I lied to her for years in an effort to keep her safe and it didn't even matter, she suffered anyway. Lives were lost for my mistakes. I should never have been arrogant enough to believe that I could balance both lives. How could I have been so fucking stupid?

I slammed my hands on the steering wheel in frustration and bashed my head against the headrest. My knuckles were as white as the headlights in front of me as they tightened more on the wheel. The feeling of inner hatred and turmoil only stirred more as I approached her house.

I was the same now as I was back then. I am trying to mask it by 'saving' my siblings. Who was I kidding? I couldn't save them – I couldn't save myself. Maybe it was better if I just disappeared again? If I carried on driving down this road I could be back on the motorway in ten minutes and back at my flat and away from all of this mess before the night was over.

I sighed, I wasn't giving up. Lucy was my only connection to Megan and I wasn't letting her waste her life away again. I was going to Chantelle's and I was confirming what I already know then I was going to go back to that place and get her out of there.

That was that. I don't care what Chantelle said – that was Lucy and there was no changing my mind.

*****

I stood up, my head shaking in denial. "I don't believe you. I won't believe you." I muttered. How can it be true?

Chantelle stood up with me, I could see the sympathy and hurt in her eyes and she looked so honest but what she was saying was impossible.

"It was Lucy – I know it was."

"Jamie, it isn't. I am sorry." She replied. "Luke, please tell him."

My eyes darted to him in betrayal. Luke knew? He sat there while Chantelle told me everything and he knew all along? I had been here days and he hadn't brought it up once! It had been three years!

I could feel the anger at the situation starting to get the better of me. "Calm down." Luke told me as he stayed sat on the sofa.

CALM DOWN! "How the fuck can you ask me to calm down?" I snapped, my breathing flaring out of my nostrils. "Don't you fucking dare."