“Good,” Lucy replied. As she looked at Riley, she realised that the only thing she felt now when she looked at him was sadness for what they had lost. She was no longer hurt or angry. She had finally let it all go.
“I am glad that you’re happy,” he said, as he looked from Lucy to Tucker. “That you’re both happy.”
“Thank you,” Lucy replied, grateful for his words. “I should go see my dad.”
“Okay,” he said with a sad smile. “See you around.”
“Bye Riley,” Lucy said, before she let Tucker lead her away.
“Finally!” Tom exclaimed the moment Lucy and the others walked through the door. “I thought you had lost your way here.”
“It took a little longer than we thought,” Tucker laughed, as Lucy walked over to kiss her father. “But it’s all sorted now.”
“How are you doing, Peanut?” Tom asked, as he looked up at his daughter.
“Better,” Lucy replied, and gave him a smile, before he turned to Alison, who was still standing at the door next to David.
“And what about you, Sweetheart?” He asked as he held his hand out to her.
“Better, too,” Alison replied, as she walked across the room and took his hand. “I know everything is going to be okay now.”
“Good,” Tom replied as he kissed her hand. “And if there is ever anything you need. You just have to say, okay?”
“Okay,” she nodded with a smile. “Thanks, Tom.”
Tucker filled Tom in on everything that had happened, and Tom was happy that they were finally going to make Trent McAlister pay for what he did. He held Lucy’s hand the whole time, and Lucy knew he still wished he could make this all disappear.
A couple of hours later they said their goodbyes to Tom and headed for the door.
“Can I speak to Lucy for a moment before you leave?” Tom asked. Tucker, Alison, and David left the room, and left Lucy alone with her father.
“What’s up?” She asked, as she sat back down beside her dad.
“I wanted to make sure that you’re okay with all of this,” Tom said, as he reached out his hand and took hers once again. “I want him to pay for what he has done to you, but I also want you to know that if you don’t want to dig up the past again, I will support you too.”
“I need to do this, Daddy,” Lucy replied with a reassuring smile. “I need this done.”
“And then what?” Tom asked, and Lucy could see the sadness in his eyes. She didn’t reply, as she didn’t know what to say. “You’re going back to New York, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know if I belong here anymore,” Lucy replied honestly. “The truth is, I don’t think I ever did.”
“This is your home,” Tom replied, as he squeezed her hand. “But I know you need to do what’s best for you.”
“I don’t know what’s best for me anymore, Dad,” Lucy sighed and gave her dad a sad smile. “I wish I did.”
“You do what your heart tells you, Sweetheart,” Tom said. “You love him, don’t you?”
“More than I thought I could,” Lucy replied honestly.
“And that scares you,” Tom said, knowingly.
“I am scared he will give up so much for me,” Lucy replied as tears stung her eyes. “And he will hate me for it.”
“He loves you, too, Lucy,” Tom assured her. “He always has. He will never hate you, so let him love you.”
“Okay, Dad,” Lucy nodded with a tearful smile. “I should go.”
“I will see you tomorrow, Peanut,” Tom said as Lucy kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you, always,” she replied, before she walked out the door to find Tucker.
“Are you okay?” Tucker asked Lucy the moment he saw her.
“I am,” she assured him with a smile, before she leaned up and kissed him. “But I think I will use the restroom before we leave.”
“Okay,” he replied. “I will go let the other’s know.”
Lucy turned and walked down the hallway towards the toilet, and smiled to herself because she could feel him watching her as she walked.
She turned back towards him and gave him a smile before she pushed open the door.
Lucy was still smiling as she walked in through the door. She walked to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were a little puffy and teary, but she looked happy.
She turned on the water and splashed some onto her face, before she reached for some paper towels and dabbed her face dry.
Lucy patted down her hair and took a deep breath before she turned to leave but stopped cold when she saw Trent standing in front of her.
Before she could react, Trent drew back his hand and slapped her across the face, sending her crashing to the floor.
OH GOD! OH GOD! She cried in her mind. Not again!
Chapter 31
“Why did you come back here?” Trent demanded as he stood over Lucy. “You should have left well enough alone, but you had to be the fucking bitch I always knew you were.”
“I came to see my dad,” Lucy said, as she tried to get her bearings on the floor. “You had nothing to do with me coming back.”
She pushed up from the floor, but Trent kicked her, sending her back down to the cold tiles of the bathroom floor.
“YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER COME BACK HERE!” He screamed, as he began to pace up and down. Lucy tried to breathe through the sharp pain that was emanating from her ribs, but every breath hurt her. “You made everything worse. This is all your fault. You made me do this.”
She looked up at him and for the first time, she noticed the blood on his shirt. She had no idea where it was from, but she was scared.
“How did I make it worse?” Lucy asked, as she tried to push herself up once again. “What is my fault?”
“YOU MADE ME MAD!” He shouted, as he stopped pacing and spun around to face her. “You made me hurt her.”
“Who…who did you hurt?” Lucy asked, as she tried her hardest to push back the tears that were now burning her eyes. “Where did the blood come from?”
“I just wanted her to keep her mouth shut,” he said, as once more he began to pace again. Lucy knew he was coming undone quickly, and she was beyond terrified. “I wanted her just to shut up, but she kept screaming, so I made her stop. I made her stop for good. AND IT’S ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT. YOU HAD TO COME BACK HERE, YOU FUCKING BITCH!”
He pulled a knife from his back pocket and took a step closer to her.
“Trent please,” Lucy said, as she tried to push back further away from him, while the tears trickled down her face. “Please, don’t make this worse. Tell me, please, who did you hurt”?
“I DIDN’T HURT HER!” He screamed. “I FUCKING KILLED HER.”
“W…who?” she sobbed and tried to breathe, but it hurt too much.
“APRIL!” He spat as he walked towards Lucy and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up from the ground. “I cut her fucking throat.”
“OH GOD!” Lucy cried, as the pain shot through her once more. She was struggling more and more to breathe. She didn’t want to believe he was telling her the truth, but the blood and the way he was unravelling made her think that he was. He had killed April.
“Now I am going to cut your throat, too,” he growled at her, his face barely an inch from hers.
“Get your hands off her, Trent,” a voice said from behind them. Trent spun around and pulled Lucy closer to him. Lucy was surprised to see Riley standing there.
“This is nothing to do with you, Jones,” Trent snarled at Riley. “She is fucking someone else now, so you need to turn around and get the hell out. This is between Luc and me.”
“I can’t do that, Trent,” Riley said, as he held his hands up and slowly stepped closer to them. “This is my business. I won’t let you hurt her again. Not this time.”
“And what are you going to do about it, Pretty Boy?” Trent said as he pressed the knife to Lucy’s throat.
“I am going to do what I should have d
one nine years ago,” Riley said, as he calmly took another step closer to them. “Now, drop the knife.”
“Take one more step, Jones and I will cut her,” Trent said as he pulled Lucy even closer to him. As he did, he pressed against her ribs and sent a sharp pain shooting through her, entire body.
“Riley, please,” Lucy cried as she gasped for breath.
“She is hurt, Trent,” Riley tried to reason with him, as once more he stepped closer to them. “You have already taught her a lesson, don’t make this worse.”
“Don’t make it worse,” Trent laughed. “This is as bad as it gets. It’s too late to go back now.”
“He…he killed April,” Lucy panted, as her breathing became more laboured.
“I’m sure you didn’t mean it,” Riley said, as his closed the gap between him and them a little more. Still he kept his voice calm and even, and Lucy found it somehow calming. “Let Lucy go, and I will go with you, and we can tell them your side of the story. Don’t make it worse.”
Suddenly the door burst opened, and Tucker appeared in the doorway, his gun drawn and pointing straight at Trent’s head.
“Let her go, McAlister,” Tucker demanded. Riley used the distraction of Tucker to lunge forward at Lucy and Trent, knocking the knife from his hand and sending them both tumbling to the ground.
Lucy rolled away from Trent, curled herself into a ball, and closed her eyes. She was beyond terrified and just wanted the nightmare to end. Tucker immediately ran to her side.
As he did, Riley dragged Trent up for the floor and connected his fist with Trent’s face, sending him stumbling back.
“I should have done this to you a long time ago,” Riley said as he drew back and connected with him again, this time, he sent him crashing to the ground.
Riley turned to Tucker to help him get Lucy up, but before he reached them, Trent got up from the floor with the knife in his hand, and stuck it in Riley’s back.
As he pulled it out and went to stick it in a second time, a shot rang. A startled looking Trent stared at Tucker as he held out his gun.
He dropped his eyes down towards Lucy before he dropped to his knees and collapsed to the ground.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Lucy was afraid to open her eyes because she had no idea what had just happened.
“Lucy,” Tucker cried, and he finally turned back to her and lifted her from the floor. Lucy coughed, and Tucker panicked when he saw blood coming from her mouth.
“I think she has a punctured lung,” Riley groaned from where he lay on the floor. “You need to get her help.”
“I will send them for you,” Tucker said, as he carried Lucy to the door, and began to scream for help, just like he had all those years before.
Before Lucy knew what was happening, she was on a bed and being hurried along the corridor to the emergency room.
“I want Tucker,” she cried out, as they began to cut away her clothes.
“I am right here, my sweet girl,” Tucker said as he stepped closer to her and took her hand. “I am here.”
“Please don’t leave me,” she begged, just like she had the first night she met him.
“I will never leave you, Lucy,” he said, as he kissed her hand.
“Is Riley okay?” she gasped.
“They are with him now,” Tucker assured her. “But you need to stop trying to talk.”
“We need to get her to surgery,” the doctor who was working on her, told Tucker.
“Okay,” he nodded, but Lucy could see the fear in his eyes.
“Please don’t leave me, Tucker,” Lucy begged as they took her from the room.
“I am right here,” he replied, as he walked next to her bed as she was wheeled down the corridor. “And when they take you to surgery I will wait right outside that door until you come back to me.”
“You promise,” she whispered.
“I promise,” he replied.
“This is as far as you can come, Deputy,” the nurse said, as she looked up at Tucker. “I’m sorry.”
He leaned down and kissed Lucy on the forehead.
“Come back to me, Lucy,” he pleaded, before he released her hand and she disappeared through the doors.
Lucy woke slowly with a groan. She had a headache from hell, and her body hurt all over, but she was alive.
“Lucy,” Tucker whispered from next to her. “I am still here, just like I promised.”
“I knew you would be,” Lucy smiled, then groaned with pain.
“The doctor said you had a couple of broken ribs,” Tucker explained to her. “He said that one of your ribs punctured your lung. You also have a black eye, but thankfully there is no fracture on your face. You will be sore for a few days, but you are going to be just fine.”
“That’s good news, right?” Lucy sighed, and tried her best to smile.
“You scared the hell out of me, Silly Girl,” he said softly as he softly stroked her hair. “Please don’t ever do that to me again.”
“I will try,” she said with another weak smile.
“Thank you,” he said with a chuckle. “Is there anything you need? A drink or some pain relief?”
“Is Riley okay?” She asked, as she tried to move, but winced in pain.
“Please don’t try to move?” Tucker said, as he gently guided her back down onto her pillow.
“I need to know,” she looked up at Tucker. “He got hurt trying to save me.”
“He is okay,” Tucker replied with a smile. “The blade lacerated his liver but they were able to stop the bleeding in surgery, and he is going to be okay. He was lucky.”
“And Trent?” She asked because she needed to know.
“He didn’t make it,” Tucker replied, unsure how Lucy would feel about this.
“It’s over,” she whispered, as the tears trickled down her face. “It’s really over.”
“Yes, it is,” Tucker said as he kissed her head. Lucy cried but wasn’t sure why she was happy, and she was sad too. How had this happened?
Then she remembered what Trent had said.
“What about April?” Lucy asked as she looked up into Tucker's eyes.
“Let’s not worry about anything right now,” Tucker said, as he took her hand. “For now, just rest.”
“No, I need to know,” Lucy insisted, but she already knew the answer. Still, she needed to hear the words. “Please.”
“Two of the deputies found her in her house,” Tucker said as he held her hand tighter. “They were too late. I guess he followed us back from the city and saw us all at the station.”
“Oh no,” Lucy said as she turned her face into her pillow and began to cry her heartbroken for her friend.
“Please don’t cry, my sweet girl,” Tucker said, as he climbed onto the bed and lay down next to her. “It’s all over now.”
Suddenly there was a soft tap on the door, but Lucy didn’t look up.
“Hey, you’re awake,” Alison said, as she opened the door. “I have a visitor for you.”
Lucy looked up and saw her dad walking on two crutches, being aided by a nurse on either side.
“He insisted on walking down to you,” Alison said, as she came further into the room, followed closely by David.
“Hey, Peanut,” Tom said, as he slowly made is way towards the bed. “I needed to come down and make sure my little girl was alright.”
When he reached the bed, he leaned down and kissed her softly on the cheek.
“How are you feeling, Sweetheart?” He asked her as he brushed her hair back from her face.
“Like I have been hit by a truck,” Lucy replied, honestly. “But I’m alive. Did you hear about April?”
“I did, Sweetheart,” Tom replied sadly. “She was such a sweet kid. It’s a real shame.”
“Do her parents know?” Lucy asked, as she looked up at Tucker.
“Her mom passed away a few years back,” Tucker replied. “Her dad is fond of his drink. He has been told, but I don’t know if
he even cares.”
“Then I want to pay for her funeral,” Lucy insisted. “I want her to have the best. She deserves it.”
“I will make sure she does,” Tucker promised her. “So please just rest, I want you home with me as soon as possible.”
Lucy smiled at him, as she realised just how lucky she was. She looked at her friends and realised she had people that cared.
“When can I go home?” Lucy asked Tucker when everyone else had gone, and they were finally alone.
“The doctor said maybe a day or two,” Tucker replied. “But you don’t have to worry. I will be right here with you until I get you home.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you,” Lucy said with a smile as Tucker kicked off his shoes and climbed up onto the bed next to her once again.
“Then it’s just as well that I plan on spending the rest of my life with you,” Tucker chuckled, as he slipped his arm around her and drew her closer to him.
“Can I ask you something?” Lucy said as she rested her head against his chest.
“Of course, you can,” Tucker replied.
“Do you want to stay in River Springs?” Lucy asked, surprising Tucker.
“I want to be where ever makes you happy,” Tucker replied.
“But what about what makes you happy?” Lucy asked. “Because that matters to me too.”
“If you said, you wanted to stay here…” Tucker said as he stopped and considered his answer. “Yes, I would be happy. I like my life here, but I love you. And being with you is enough for me.”
“But your life shouldn’t be just enough,” Lucy replied. “Your life should be everything you want it to be.”
“As long as I have you in it,” Tucker replied. “It will be.”
Chapter 32
“The doctor said I am free to go home,” Lucy said with a broad smile when Tucker walked into the room. It had been three days since her confrontation with Trent, three days since her surgery and she was ready to get back to her life. “He said I need to take it easy, but that there is no need for me to stay here. I just need to come back in a few days to get my stitches out.”
“That’s wonderful news,” Tucker replied and kissed Lucy on the lips. “I can’t wait to have you home and all to myself once again.”
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