The Legacy series: The Love series, the Wrapped series, and the Burning Souls series.

by Mj Fields

  When the song ended he kissed her and picked her up and twirled her in a circle as she laughed.

  When they got back to the table, prime rib and chicken parmesan was waiting piled on platters in the middle of the table. Josie took Tessa aside.

  ���He���s beautiful, Tessa, and funny and looks at you like he���s head over heels.���

  ���He isn���t alone, Aunt Josie. I am head over heels in love with him,��� Tessa gushed.

  ���Be careful, baby girl. I don���t want to see you knocked up before you graduate,��� Josie said.

  ���We haven���t had sex, Aunt Josie. And by the way, why aren���t you having this talk with Jade?��� Tessa asked, laughing.

  ���Has she?��� Josie asked.

  ���No,��� Tessa said.

  ���He���s living with you, right?��� Josie asked.

  ���Yep,��� Tessa said.

  ���That���s why I am talking with you and not her.���

  The girls went up and decided to sing Never Gonna Get it by En Vogue. When the finished Tessa looked at Phoebe,. ���Phoebe, you can sing, girl.���

  ���Pretty good?��� Phoebe said beaming.

  ���Damn good,��� Tessa hugged her.

  ���We���re God damn Rock stars,��� Phoebe laughed.

  * * *

  When Alex, Lucas, and Tessa returned from dinner John was in the recliner, ���Josie called said she gave you and Lucas jobs?���

  ���Yep,��� Tessa laughed.

  ���What���s so funny,��� John asked.

  ���Lucas has never had a job in a kitchen,��� Tessa laughed. ���She didn���t care because she thinks he���s cute.���

  John laughed, ���He���ll do fine just be careful, she���s a cougar.���

  ���I will be careful,��� Lucas smiled.

  ���You kids need to get to bed, big games tomorrow,��� John reminded them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Tessa was up cooking breakfast her hair braided in pigtails, Lucas smiled as he watched her dance around singing Down with the Sickness by Disturbed as she cooked. She didn���t know he was there.

  When the song finished he clapped, she jumped and laughed loudly.

  ���You are so damn hot all the time,��� Lucas kissed her, ���Good morning Baby.���

  ���I made breakfast.���

  ���I love you,��� he said quietly.

  ���You better, wanna hear the Angry Monkey song?��� she asked. He chuckled, she rolled her eyes, ���Head in the game Lucas,��� she yelled and cranked the song. She was dancing up to him and he started dancing with her, ���Damn boy can you suck at just one thing?���

  ���Not in my nature,��� Lucas winked.

  John came in, he shook his head and grabbed a plate and ate as they danced around the kitchen, Alex came in and laughed, ���Angry Monkey song Tessa?��� she smiled and pulled him up to dance. Eventually the two younger kids came in and laughed. Lucas grabbed Kendall and made her dance, her face turned red and Tessa laughed.

  When the song ended and Tessa turned down the radio, they all sat and ate.

  When breakfast was over Lucas and Tessa did dishes while John and Alex went outside to move equipment. The two little ones took Chewy outside.

  ���How are you, Lucas?��� she asked him. ���You ready for today?���

  ���It will be weird without you there,��� he said softly and kissed her neck. ���How are you?���

  ���I���m good, but I want you to kick ass today. I���ll give you a prize when you get home if you win.���

  ���Really?��� he said. ���But it���s not Friday.���

  ���It���s been Friday for two days,��� Tessa laughed.

  ���Okay, if you win I���ll let you,��� Lucas chuckled as he sucked lightly on her neck.

  She smacked him. ���Gee, thanks.���

  ���Nah, I���ll think of something,��� Lucas said, raising his eyebrows.

  ���That look doesn���t freak me out anymore; it kind of excites me,��� she whispered.

  He kissed her and grabbed her butt hard. ���You haven���t seen excited yet.��� His hand reached lower until he was almost touching between her legs, he picked her up and she gasped.

  He released his hand and pulled away. She was taking deep shallow breaths, and she grabbed his hand and brought him to the bathroom. She locked the door.

  ���Tessa, what are you doing, baby?��� he bit her lip as she started to pull down his pants. ���Oh, god,��� he said as she went to her knees.

  ���You guys almost ready?��� Alex called from the kitchen.

  ���Yep, just grabbing something. Be out in two,��� Lucas called out as he reached for her. She slapped his hand and he laughed. ���Can���t wait for tonight, Tessa. What���s wrong, baby? Are you mad.���

  ���Yes, at myself. This is crazy. I don���t think I will stop next time we are alone; it���s all or nothing Lucas.���

  Lucas took a deep breath. ���It doesn���t have to be that way. I can calm down. Sorry, Tessa.���

  ���Don���t be sorry. I want you more than anything I have ever wanted. I need you. I can���t even kiss you anymore without wanting more. I feel like I am losing it.��� Tessa put her hands in her hair and wanted to scream.

  He tried to hug her, but she pulled away. ���Don���t do that, Tessa,��� Lucas pleaded.

  ���Seriously, what is wrong with me?���

  ���Sit down,��� he lifted her on the counter and lifted her shirt.

  ���Oh God Lucas,��� she whispered as his mouth covered her breast.

  They walked out of the bathroom and grabbed their bags off the floor. Tessa���s mom was pulling in. ���Thank you,��� she said and turned red.

  ���The pleasure was mine,��� Lucas smiled.

  ���How does that work?��� Tessa asked confused.

  ���You���ll see tonight, we are winning this game,��� Lucas laughed.

  They walked outside and he hugged her, ���Good luck baby,��� he kissed her head.

  ���You too, I love you,��� Tessa said feeling much more relaxed.

  ���You better,��� Lucas laughed.

  * * *

  Lucas, Alex, and Tommy were on fire. They won their game, and the coach told them afterwards that there had been all sorts of recruiters in the bleachers. Sadi approached Lucas as he walked off the field. ���We need to talk.���

  ���No, we don���t.��� Lucas kept walking.

  ���I���m three months late,��� she yelled.

  Lucas froze and quickly did the math in his head. He watched Tommy closed his eyes, then looked at Alex closed his eyes and hung his head. .

  ���Did you hear me, Lucas?��� Sadi asked, standing in front of him.

  Lucas said nothing. Sadi showed him a pregnancy test and a bill from a doctor���s visit. He squatted down for a moment, then stood back up.

  ���We���ll talk later,��� he said as he walked away.

  ���When?��� she demanded.

  ���I���m not sure.���

  ���Are you really living with her?��� Sadi yelled.

  ���Yes, Sadi. And you better leave her the FUCK alone. Got it?���

  ���Yes,��� she said quietly and walked to the bus.

  Lucas walked past t
he guys and into the woods behind the field. He fell to his knees and tried not to cry. His chest felt tight, and he was having a hard time taking in or expelling air. He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes and tried with everything he could to breathe. He flashed back to the only other time he had felt pain like this before.

  He was six when the school nurse called and asked why he was not at school. ���Mommy fell���, he���d said. Within minutes the ambulance was there, along with a white car with a seal on the door. They took his mom and then him. It was the same pain, the same fear, and the same inability to breathe.

  He looked up towards Tommy and Alex who were giving him space. He didn���t know how the hell he would face Alex or why he was still standing there. He saw John walk up to Tommy and exchange words. Alex walked towards the bus pulling in the driveway. It was the girls returning from their away game.

  He squatted back down and grabbed his head and released is cry into the air. This was nothing, he told himself. Telling Tessa was going to be the hardest part of this.

  John walked into the woods and knelt down next to Lucas and put his arm around his shoulders. ���Son, you���ll get through this. We will help you through this.��� Lucas shook his head no. ���The girls just pulled in; give me your keys and let���s get you out of here.���

  Lucas stood and wiped off his face off and walked towards his vehicle with John. He saw Tessa watched from the bus as John opened the back door of the SUV. Lucas got in on one side, Tommy got in on the other.

  * * *

  Tessa ran off the bus. ���Alex, is everything okay?���

  Alex avoided eye contact. ���Where is Jade? We need to go.���

  ���Alex, you���re scaring me.��� Tessa felt her eyes fill up with tears. ���JADE!���

  Jade turned and ran towards her, ���Tessa, what is it?���

  ���I don���t know. He won���t tell me.��� Tessa looked at Alex, whose eyes shoed deep concern.

  ���Phoebe,��� Alex looked down at his girlfriend who was now by his side, ���Can you ride with Becca? I���ll call you later.���

  ���Of course,��� Phoebe answered.

  Alex quickly kissed her head.

  The ride home was quiet. They pulled in and Tommy met them outside. ���What���s going on, Tommy?��� Jade asked.

  They heard yelling from the house.

  ���Lucas you aren���t going anywhere. Put your bag down, son,��� John said. ���I gave my word to the sheriff, and you certainly don���t need to be going anywhere right now.���

  ���No disrespect, sir, but I can���t stay here, I can���t see the disappointment in her eyes. Not again.��� His voice cracked.

  ���You have no clue how strong that girl is. Right now, you need people, and you have us. Now go get your ass the shower and let me talk to her. I���ll help you get through this,��� John said.

  They heard Lucas running down the stairs. The bathroom door shut a moment later. Tessa stood frozen. Everyone was looking at her.

  John walked out the door, took Tessa���s hand, and brought her to the deck. ���Daddy, what happened? Is it his mom? His dad, his sisters?���

  ���No, baby girl, they are all just the same.��� John took her hand and spoke. ���After the game, the blonde, Sadi I believe, asked to speak to him. She said that she was three months late.���

  ���She���s lying, Dad.���

  ���Well, she handed him proof stating otherwise, a pregnancy test,��� he said. ���Honey, Lucas looked at it and walked into the woods behind the school and broke down.���

  ���Are you sure?��� she asked, hoping he was wrong.

  ���Yes, and he���s in a very bad place right now. Can you try to keep it together for him?��� John asked.

  ���Of course, Dad, I love him.��� Tessa began to cry. ���I love him so much.���

  He pulled her into his arms. ���He has over two months left here. Can you do that?��� John asked, ���Because if not, you need to tell me.���

  ���He has to stay,��� Tessa said quietly.

  ���Okay then, let���s go in,��� John said, standing and pulling her up.

  Tessa walked into the living room, and saw Lucas who sat on the couch with his arms crossed and his hat pulled down low hiding his face.

  Tommy got up and hugged Tessa and whispered in her ear ���You going to be okay?��� she shook her head yes. He left the room.

  Tessa walked over to the couch and sat next to Lucas. ���How was your game?���

  ���Seriously? That���s what you are going to say to me right now?���

  ���Yep.��� She took his hat and turned it around backwards. He looked up at her through those long black lashes and looked back down. ���So how was the game, Lucas?���

  He laughed uncomfortably. ���It was great, lots of recruiters, and we won. How was yours?���

  ���Good. We won, too,��� she said quietly. ���What happened after Lucas?���

  He turned his hat around and pulled it down, and she saw him taking in deep breaths. Tears flowed down his cheeks.

  She wiped them away, took his hands, and kissed them. ���You���re going to be fine.���

  ���How are you going to be, Tessa? Huh?���

  She started to cry. ���I���m going to be fine.���

  He looked up at her and took her in his arms. She felt tears hitting her face as he buried his nose in her hair.

  ���I���m so sorry, Tessa,��� Lucas whispered.

  ���I���m pretty sure this wasn���t planned.��� He shook his head. ���Okay, then we need to come up with a plan for you.���

  He let out a breath and shook his head. ���God, I love you.���

  ���I love you, Lucas. I���ll help you figure this out, okay?��� Tessa said. She wrapped her arms around his neck, took a very deep breath and slowly exhaled.

  Lucas���s phone rang. It was Sadi. He ignored it and immediately afterward received a text.

  - we need to talk���.Sadi

  - What do we need to talk about?...L

  - Our child���Sadi

  ���Do you need a minute?��� Tessa started to get up. He pulled her down and shook his head. ���Ask her questions, Lucas. I am sure you have several.���

  - how far along are you? L

  - Well let���s see we had sex a week before school started, you do the math���Sadi

  - Two and a half months?...L

  - good job���Sadi

  - What are you going to do?...L

  - what do you want me to do?...Sadi

  - well let���s see it didn���t matter last time so what the fuck are you even asking me for this time. By the way, I personally took you to get you on the pill, what the fuck happened with that?!...L

  - should have used a rubber, guess it didn���t work, not 100% remember? I plan to keep it���Sadi

  - so again, what do you want from me?...L

  - for you to be a man, basically the opposite of your father���Sadi

  - fuck you bitch���he started to write.

  Tessa shook her head. ���Don���t lower yourself to her level, Lucas. You are so much better than that.���

  - Ok you���re going to need to spell it out for me���L

  - First you need to get the hell off the farm and the farm girl, I shouldn���t be stressed right now���Sadi

  - Have to be here for three months, out of my control, as far as Tessa goe
s, I told you once today if I need to repeat myself here goes, LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE!...L

  ���Lucas don���t send that,��� Tessa said softly.

  ���Sorry, already did.���

  - As long as you don���t lay down with the dog then I won���t do a thing to her���Sadi

  - You also need to tell your brother to keep his hands off Jake���L

  - Jake started it���Sadi

  - Time to grow up Sadi; you���re going to be a mommy in less than seven months���L

  - As if you know anything about parenting?!...Sadi

  ���Lucas, give me your phone.��� Tessa grabbed it.

  - name calling does nothing, if we are going to parent a child together that needs to stop���L

  ���Is that okay?��� Tessa asked. He nodded.

  - Fine, I want you to be part of this pregnancy. And when your mom gets home I want to move in so that we can work on things and you need a job I want you taking care of us, not your daddy���Sadi

  As Tessa typed she saw his eyes starting to tear up again

  - lots of demands, head spinning, talk more later���L

  ���Is that okay?��� Tessa asked quietly. He nodded again.

  She pushed send.

  - Yes we will, now and forever this bond can���t be broken���Sadi

  ���I can���t ask you to be part of this Tessa,��� he said as tears fell down his face. ���I love you too much for this to be your life.���

  ���It isn���t up to you,��� she said. ���But if that���s what you need, I understand.���

  ���Can I please kiss you?��� he asked. She knew down deep that this would be a thing of the past all too soon. She took his face and kissed him gently. She slowly pulled away. ���I���m sorry, Tessa.���

  ���Don���t be. Let���s go for a ride,��� Tessa said. ���Anyone want pizza?��� She took his hand and walked through the kitchen to the door.

  ���Sure?��� Jade and Tommy said, confused.

  ���We���ll be back in thirty minutes.��� Tessa grabbed his keys off the counter. ���I���m driving.���