Chapter 70: Freaking out
LUCIAN’S P.O.V.
"Lucian... I met a man in the town I ran to. Because of him, I had to run away from the town. And I’m sure he’s coming after me, even as we speak."
The moment Teresa’s words hit my ears, I felt like someone had yanked the rug from under my feet and replaced it with a bed of nails. My jaw tightened, and a deep, unsettling tension coiled in my chest like a snake getting ready to strike. A man? Ares, restless as ever, was already losing it, pacing in my head like a caffeinated hamster on a wheel.
"What man? Why was she even talking to a man? And why in the world did he seem to matter enough to make her run?" Ares was growling, spitting, and throwing a pity party all at once. And then came the guilt trip: "This is on you, Lucian. You pushed her away. Congratulations, genius. Now there’s another man in the picture."
"Would you shut up for one second?" I snapped inwardly, pinching the bridge of my nose like that was somehow going to ease the migraine building in my skull. Outwardly, I tried to keep my composure. Barely. "Teresa, go on. Tell me everything." My voice was calm, but inside, I was ready to start a one-man demolition derby.
She hesitated, her fingers twisting together like she was trying to braid invisible ropes. "I... I met him in a small town called Windmere. It’s about seven or eight towns from Redfield, surrounded by mountains. The people there were so kind... but this man, Adrian, he was different. Nicer. He helped me through my pregnancy, even when I refused his help..."
My jaw clenched so hard I was half-expecting to crack a molar. "Nicer? Nicer? Oh, that’s rich," Ares sneered. "Let’s see how ’nice’ this Adrian really was."
"And then," Teresa continued, her voice dropping to a whisper, "everything changed the night my house caught fire. It was my fault—it was so careless of me. I—"
"Wait." My voice came out sharper than intended, slicing through her words. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?" My gaze scanned her as though injuries were going to magically pop up under my scrutiny.