Hello All! Okay, for the record...I rewrote parts of this chapter to build more drama.
But anyway, its good to be on the site. I have had this idea mulling in my head for awhile and just need to get it out. Like my other stories, this will not be a love story. Sorry to disappoint. I have some ideas, but I am not sure how far I will take this. You're amazing support is always appreciated. Thanks again!
Laughter vibrated the cherry red mustang as it drove down the empty country road. The night was a typical night for a summer in North Carolina. The air was hot, sticky, and humid. A simple plastic knife could cut through the heavy blanket of humidity. Crickets sang their sweet serenades into the night loud and clear for everyone to hear. Heat lightening danced across the sky making a breath taking display.
Lucas Scott sat behind the wheel of the mustang as he maneuvered it though the heavy air. In the passenger's seat is where the laughter came from. His wife, Kate, of three years sat convulsing in a pregnant induced giggle fit. She could not control the tears filling her eyes and falling out of the corners of her eyes. She snorted more then once which caused her to laugh even harder.
Lucas on the other hand sat straight faced with eyes forward on the dark road ahead. He had one hand on the wheel and the other holding his head. He could not muster to find amusement in what Kate thought was. He shook his head as she carried on.
In between spurts of giggles, Kate spoke "Come on Lucas, it was so funny!" as she wiped the corner of her wet almond eyes.
Rolling his eyes, Lucas replied with "Oh yeah, hilarious."
Lucas and Kate spent their evening at a dinner celebrating the many awards his newest book received. There were over a hundred people there. Lucas, who always had been gifted with a way with words, stood before everyone and delivered an acceptance speech. Standing before people had never made him nervous, but this one time, he fumbled through like a football player trying to make a touchdown while pushing through his opponents.
"I want to thank my head editor Mr. Grinch…I mean Greenwich" Kate brought chin down and mocked with a deep voice.
Shutting his eyes for a brief moment, Lucas's cheeks colored at the thought of calling the man who gave him the chance to publish a Grinch even though he really was one in front of him. He would often come home from meetings with Paul Greenwich and in frustration call him the Grinch. Kate had warned him several times not to call him that just in case something like this would happen. Lucas had not seen any harm in it. Till now.
"Or how about when you forgot your wife's name?" Kate inquired seriously even though she was anything but serious.
Yeah, Lucas would be kicking himself with that one for awhile. She was his wife and best friend. She had complete faith in him that this book would be an utter success and it was not because she was his wife. She was the type of girl to shut down something if she didn't see it going far. Kate believed in the book more often then he did. She would stay up at all hours of the nights inspiring him with whatever she could. She made cookies, talked him through his ideas with a whiteboard, and other crazy ways.
Kate alone made the book survive the rollercoaster of emotions Lucas had for it. One minute he would love it and spend every conscious moment on it. Kate would always be understanding when his devotion was obvious. One time he sat before the computer screen for an entire afternoon typing away as the words flew out of his head and through his fingers. He had lost track of time as the inspiration flooded his mind. Nothing could break his focus. Except for the squeak of the chair next to him as his wife sat down. He looked up slowly only wanting to have his attention diverted for seconds for fear of losing his flow. His blue eyes met with her browns which were accompanied by raised eye brows. Stupidly, Lucas looked back at his computer screen.
"I understand, you would rather get this chapter done then come out to see what the sexes of your future children are. I get it." Kate spoke calmly.
Lucas barely grunted in agreement when his eyes shot up. He looked up at his pregnant wife. She rested her small arms on the bulge of her stomach with a smirk on her face. Lucas let his head fall into his hands as his neck failed to hold it anymore.
"Oh no." Lucas groaned. "I completely forgot! I was totally lost in it and I…"
Tapping on a bright orange sticky note on the right hand corner of the computer screen, Kate interrupted "That's why I put this up here."
Boy or girl? The big reveal at 2:00.
Allowing another groan out of his gut, Lucas nodded. He had seen the note when he originally sat down. The inspiration took off immediately and he totally forgot about getting up to eat let alone to see the sex of his baby. Then he stopped. Did his wife just say sexes? He dropped his hands and looked her square in the eye. Kate allowed smile to come across her face as her husband picked up on the newest piece of news.
"Did you intentionally say sexes?" Lucas inquired almost afraid of the answer.
Shrugging her shoulders, Kate replied. "I might of. If you were there, you would have found out with me."
Dumbfounded, Lucas stared at her with his mouth wide open. That night they celebrated everything in twos. Two helpings of dinner and dessert. Kate was gracious enough to ask the technician put the sexes of the babies in an envelope so she could find out with her husband. A boy and a girl. They were absolutely elated that night.
Then there were other times where Lucas was ready to throw the whole laptop at a wall and call it quits. She would rub his shoulders knowing his tense body would relax. She made the book happen with her encouragement regardless of what it cost her. She would constantly make jokes. Somedays she called the book the other woman he spent his time with.
So when he forgot what his wife's name was in front of all people who made his book possible, including her, Lucas could not quite forgive himself. he owed every bit of success to her and yet he blanked entirely.
"If you tell Nathan and Haley this tomorrow at the BBQ, I will kill you." Lucas teasingly threatened knowing if Kate told them, the three would never let him leave it down.
Kate's face went completely straight. Her hands fell down to her stomach. "Did you hear that kids, daddy just threatened to kill us. First he forgets mommy's name and now he wants to kill us."
Lucas smiled. He loved her sense of humor. He loved her. He looked over at her. Kate's long almost black hair was tied in a long braid at her side. Her almond eyes sparkled with sliver and brown eye shadow. Even after five years of knowing her, the mere look of her caused Lucas's heart to skip a beat. His heart went to crazy when he first met her probably enough to concern his cardiologist but any man could understand the intense feeling a woman could leave a man.
Coming to a train crossing, Lucas slowed the mustang down. He looked down each side of the tracks seeing a bright light less then two miles away. "Well my lady, our midnight train is coming, shall we watch it?"
"I suppose we shall, might be the last time with just the two of us for awhile." Kate agreed rubbing her swollen belly.
Lucas turned off the ignition to the car, letting the keys drop, and put his arm around his wife's seat knowing there would be no cars at this time of night and the train would go for a long while. The two sat in silence and listened to the summer's orchestra playing its sweet tunes. The train barring down the tracks could be heard getting closer and closer.
"Did you know they are trying to pass an initiative where all the train crossings need to have those closing gates?" Kate asked.
Still looking straight forward, Lucas replied "Why should they? Everyone knows they need to stop when the flashers go off." As he finished his sentence the flashers in fact went off with ticking noise warning the train was getting closer.
Kate shrugged and Lucas took his eyes to look at her. She met eye contact with him with her eye brows popping up.
"I love you. You know that right?" Lucas inquired.
Making a silly confused face, Kate responded "Hmm…backtracking from the threats of murder now are we?"
Lucas laughed. "Yes, you could say that." He leaned to kiss her but headlights flashed behind them blinding them.
As Lucas went to curse the driver for having their brights on, the car slammed at full speed into the back of his car. Both Kate and Lucas heads lurched forward as did the car. Lucas lifted his head back up as his neck cracked. He rubbed the back of his neck at the feel of whiplash. Another bright light blinded him, but this time it came from the right.
That's when it hit Lucas like someone had smacked him across the face. Their car had been pushed right on the train tracks. The train belted out a loud blare of its horn. Lucas measured it only a quarter of a mile away and moving rather fast. He could only hear the sound of the training running down the tracks and the screams of his beloved. His only thoughts were paralyzed under the fear and agony of what would happen in a matter of minutes.
"Get us off the tracks, Lucas!" Kate's sharp voice brought him back to the cruel reality. The reality that needed him to do something.
Lucas fumbled for the keys to turn on the ignition. He could not find them there. Sweat beaded his forehead. His heart hammered harder than a hundred members of a drumline. It pumped so loud he could hear it louder than the upcoming train.
"They fell on the ground! LUCAS HURRY!" Kate screamed.
Lucas knelt his head down to grab the hiding keys and hit his head on the steering wheel. The hit made him pause for a second, but the roar of the enclosing train made him hurry. Knowing he wouldn't pick up the keys in time, he yelled,
"Get out of the car!"
Looking towards the love of his life, Lucas was blinded by the bright light. After pushing his door open and getting half way out, he went to grab Kate's shoulder and pull her towards his door when the train made contact with the car. The sickening crunch of the metals colliding screamed loud into the night. The force of inertia of the train pushing the car down the tracks made Lucas fall out of the car. He tumbled down a small ditch.
The last sound Lucas heard was the sounds of twisting metal and screaming. He could not tell it was both. He did not even realize the screaming was coming from him. Before he realized it, everything went black.