CHAPTER 105: SHE ISN’T A SHADOW

Lucien’s POV

" Know your fucking place." I felt like laughing after hearing that statement from Raphael and it wasn’t the happy kind of laugh.

I should know my fucking place. That was more than rich from a bastard who didn’t know where his loyalty belonged and my fist was just a second from connecting with his jaw if not for that look that flashed across her eyes when she rushed between us

It was as if she was saying the same thing and it freaking reminded me of her birthday when she had said something similar. This was a game of deception for her and that was all it was....

Only if she knew, lover or husband I didn’t give an ass shit about the tag she gave me and the only freaking reason I was still playing this game with her aside from teaching someone who forgot his place was because she was probably going to hate my guts if I tied her on my bed and fuck those brains of her which loves to tick me off as much as her body makes my dick twitch.

But I couldn’t do that, those are just voices in my freaking head I had to ignore, just like the one that was freaking whispering to me to crush Amber’s neck right now. It took every ass shit control in me not to break her neck after she finished ranting about chasing shadows.

She looked completely shattered, her face was smudged with mascara, and her face was all puffed up from crying and ranting. I was pissed, that wasn’t an understatement.

After Braelyn ticked me off by running off with her sweet husband, I had taken a detour to clear my brain. Amber finding me and telling me a half ass confession I already knew only made things worse.

I didn’t care that she might have been one of my longest pals, the only reason her mouth was still running was because of Joey.

"That’s enough, you might kill her," Joey said, gripping my shoulders. His jaw rolled, he was trying his best to keep his shit together.

Not everyone was tolerant like him to hear the girl you always had a big crush on confess to your best friend and admit she always knew about your feelings but chose to disregard them in her pursuit of your best friend.

He was a fucking saint ....that wasn’t me.

"You are still trying to protect her after what she just admitted." I snarled at him, still pissed off.

His grip tightened, his eyes barely looking at her. "It isn’t worth committing murder because of her. ." he sighed. Lies, I could freaking read his eyes. He still foolishly liked her.

I never understood his feelings for her...

"Oh, it is, she should learn how to school that mouth of hers." I hissed. Amber, being faced by death and knowing perfectly that I could snap her neck now, didn’t know when to shut her mouth.

"Why are you begging him?" She hissed glaring at me. "Does the truth hurt so much?" She asked and I snapped at her

I was glaring hard at her. Joey’s knuckles turned white. "Please stop talking, Amber. You have gone too far already." He begged her diligently.

She didn’t stop or even listen to him. She went along saying shit she doesn’t know. "Helping Braelyn doesn’t change the fact that you were completely helpless. It wouldn’t bring her back to you or even get Braelyn..." She stated....

"Just shut the fuck up..." I hissed at her, tightening my grip. Joey was startled, he held my hand.

"Don’t listen to her Lucien.." he begged, Amber laughed

"Why shouldn’t he listen? We both know the truth. A worse fact is that no matter what you do, even if you get in her panties a hundred times, it will all be a dirty affair. Braelyn would never be yours the same way you could never get the shadow you are trying to catch in her..." That snapped something in me remembering the way she held Raphael’s

.

The way they danced felt like the most natural thing. She would always be his in the public eyes, even if eventually I could claim her a hundred times behind closed doors in my room.

Braelyn had too much to lose by walking away. I could not be selfish.

"Do you think I don’t fucking know?" I barked, eyes turning red from rage. "Yes, when I first saw Braelyn, it was because I saw her ...but they are not the same and will never be the same." I spat unable to say that name out loud

The same name which plagued my mind. One I wished I could forget but dreaded the thought of forgetting her touch, voice or laugh...

"I know no one would be like her, and it hurts me every night, but Braelyn isn’t a fucking shadow, she is the light that forgot how to shine, and stop talking like you know me...."

I heard Joey scream somewhere. The vindictive look she was giving was getting into me.

"Can you just stop Lucien...this isn’t the place..." He hissed and kicked me in the stomach, knocking me out. My hold freed and I stumbled back holding my stomach.

I wasn’t mad he kicked some sense into me before I committed murder in the presence of cameras. Amber fell to the floor, and her tears didn’t stop

Joey rushed to her side to help her. "Stop getting on his nerves Amber..." He said, trying to help her up. His words infuriated her

Slap!!! Her palm ran across his face. She clenched her jaw. Joey just stared at her dumbfounded. His jaw slacked before he yanked her off the floor pulling her away.

"I will handle this..." He said, walking past me, his gaze lingered on me. It was subtle but I could see it. His resentment and something complicated.

I was his rival but also the one bastard he had to stand because of our ties. "Just take her away," I said coldly clenching my hand.

"Let go of me ..." Amber protested, trying to break from his hold. "I don’t want to go anywhere with you."

Joey stopped for a moment, and for the first time in forever, he snapped at her. "Stop making a fool of yourself. Doing all this wouldn’t make him see you. He never saw you and never will." Amber yanked out of his hold using every strength in her body, then slapped him across the face before storming away.

His jaw clenched and maybe it was because of his old feelings that he couldn’t easily let go of he ran after her

It didn’t matter what they did, I should have been looking for Braelyn’s... instead, I was losing my mind over ghosts.

..