Chapter 3
I don't own anything
Ian's POV
My night on the couch was rather exhausting. I laid awake most of the night replaying my moment in the kitchen with Lucy in my head on a never ending loop. I'm the one who leaned in and initiated the kiss. I am the one who cheated on my girlfriend. I am the one who has been lusting after another woman and been having taunting dreams about her all these years. Before long, the sun began to rise causing the bright rays to stream in through the plethora of windows wrapped around the living room.
Knowing it would raise a red flag for Lucy's parents to find me on the couch, I decide to get up and go whip up some breakfast for everyone. It took me a little bit to find my way around the unfamiliar kitchen but I soon found my bearings creating a delicious aroma wafting throughout the house. Since I'm not entirely sure on what her family prefers for breakfast I make a wide variety of foods such as eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and French toast.
Roughly fifteen minutes later Lucy comes bouncing down the stairs looking as beautiful as ever in a pair of dark was jeans and a red and black plaid button up shirt with a black tank top underneath it. Her hair is pulled up in a high ponytail in wavy curls. Lucy applied a light amount of makeup that is noticeable yet subtle at the same time.
She offers up a small smile before her eyes flicker away from mine to roam over the plethora of food.
"You didn't have to do all of this, Ian."
Shaking my head I tell her it's no big deal.
"The bedroom is all yours if you want to get around for the day. Maggie and Lewis will be here in about half an hour. I'll set the table while you get ready." Reaching out towards the plate in my hand, she snatches a piece of bacon from the plate as I am moving to put it in the microwave to keep warm.
"Thanks, Luce." I dry my hands on the towel next to the sink after washing the last cooking pan. "I made sure to add chocolate chips to some of the pancakes for you, they are in the microwave as well. I'm going to go take a shower."
Lucy nods her head silently then gets to work setting the table for the six of us. Things have never been awkward between us but that moment between us just now was the definition of awkward. It's like neither of us know how to act around the other right now. She avoided my gaze the entire time we were in the kitchen together. Not wanting to dwell on the topic I simply make my way up to the guest room to shower, shave, and put on a fresh pair of jeans and a faded blue t-shirt.
I return to the kitchen nearly thirty minutes later just as Maggie and Lewis are walking through the door with Georgia already in Lucy's arms. We take a few minutes to greet everyone then move to the kitchen where we all take a seat and enjoy breakfast. Everyone complimented me on my cooking skills in between bites of food.
Everyone worked together to clean up the kitchen after breakfast allowing us to get the kitchen back in order within no time. As we were finishing up I notice Lucy and Maggie have disappeared leaving Julie alone with Georgia to fawn over. Remembering I forgot my phone upstairs when I changed clothes earlier I head for the staircase.
Once I make my way to the second level I stride down the hall to the guest room. I haut in place when I hear soft voices creeping out of the bedroom. Standing outside of the bedroom I can faintly hear Lucy having a conversation with Maggie. I'm guessing Lucy doesn't realize Maggie didn't shut the door tight behind her when she entered the room.
"What's wrong Luce?"
Lucy releases a heavy sigh while slumping back against the pillows stacked up at the headboard. "Something happened with Ian last night and I don't know how to process it."
I hear movement in the room and assume Maggie is getting on the bed as well. "What happened with you two? I thought you were just friends."
"I thought we were too but after last night, I don't know. I took him out to show him around and we ended up at Tanner's with the plan of dinner and a drink. We ended up ordering a boat load of alcohol when playing a few games of pool. Ian and I started making bets to make the game more interesting."
"That doesn't sound too bad. What kind of bets were you making?"
"I bet him if I won, he had to sleep naked for the rest of our stay and cook me dinner for a week once we are back in LA." Lucy starts to explain the start of our night to her sister only to exclaim, "Oh don't give me that look!"
"Really Lucy," Maggie says, shaking her head. "You wanted him to sleep naked while sharing a queen sized bed with you? Friends my ass." Maggie snorts with a laugh.
"We had been drinking and you know I get really flirty when I drink a lot! Besides, we've had enough romantic scenes on the show to know he is not bad to look at when undressed. But anyways, long story short… We got home really late and had this moment in the kitchen."
"What kind of moment?" Maggie asks softly, all joking aside.
"We kissed, he took my shirt off, hands were well, basically everywhere."
Maggie gives Lucy a knowing look. "What happened next?"
Lucy's voice is much softer than it had been, sounding as if she were upset. "I suddenly remembered he is still seeing Sophia so I pushed him away. I told him to sleep on the couch before grabbing my shirt and bolting upstairs. God… I just… I wish things were different."
"How so?" Maggie prods lightly.
By now Lucy is laying back in the pillows with an unsettling look on her face. "I wish he wasn't with Sophia. The kiss was amazing but he's with her so…" Lucy lets her sentence linger in the air.
"Tell me this," Maggie begins. "Say he wasn't dating her, what do you think would have happened last night?"
I find myself holding my breath as I await her reply. I know it is wrong of me to be eavesdropping on such a private moment but I have to know how Lucy truly feels. In all the years I have known her I have seen her countlessly lie about her feelings in regards to something in order to put other's best interests first. For once, I want Lucy to get what she wants.
"If he wasn't with her then I certainly wouldn't have prevented him from removing a lot more than just my shirt. Is it bad I want to go downstairs, find him, and kiss the hell out of him? I haven't felt a spark like that from a guy kissing me since… I can't even compare him to any of the other guys who have kissed me."
It is nearly impossible to keep the rather large smile off of my face due to what she just confessed. Turning away from the bedroom I quietly make my way back downstairs. Finding Georgia in the living room with Julie I decide to head that way. Julie offers for me to hold Georgia for her while she helps Lewis find something in the kitchen. With Georgia on my hip we wonder around the house until we end up at the back door. Lewis said she is still in the process of learning how to walk, though, she can crawl like a fast little maniac.
Out in the backyard I grab a small bouncy ball from her toy bin they keep out back on the patio. I sit Georgia down in the grass then drop the ball in front of her. She releases the cutest little giggle when I help her stand up by her little fingers wrapped around both of my pointer fingers as she walks. She kicks the ball with her feet making it roll only a few inches in front of her from each little kick.
I laugh along with her when she lets out a loud squeal in happiness at playing with the ball. We continue moving around the yard for another ten minutes or so before she sinks to her knees and starts crawling. She wiggles her way about fifteen feet forward then looks back at me with the cutest look a baby can express. I can tell she wants me to goof around with her so I fall down to my hands and knees to scurry after her. Georgia lets out another squeal then takes off across the yard. I stay right behind her the entire time making her crawl faster and faster.
The feeling of something landing on my back startles me out of my playful zone. A curtain of brunette silk cascades around my face. Lucy's warm body molds to every curve of my body.
"Do you offer free pony rides kind sir?" Lucy's teasing voice rings through my left ear. Her legs are draped along each side of my body as she lays her stomach along my back.
"That depends on what the pony gets in return?"
"You'll get it in time," her voice sounds promising.
"Well in that case, let's go! We have a baby to catch."
I take off chasing after Georgia which causes Lucy to giggle profusely from her place on my back as well as Georgia who is quick on the move.
Finally we call it good when I am worn out half an hour later and Maggie announces it is time for Georgia's nap.
"God," I flop over onto my back in exhaustion starting up at the sky watching the clouds moving rather fast. "I am beat. I feel like I am the one who needs a nap."
Lucy looks back at the house for a moment before gesturing for me to get up. "Come with me." Lucy laces her fingers with mine as she leads me deeper into the yard.
Lucy doesn't speak one word the entire walk to wherever we are headed. We walk through a few trees before we end up at an open meadow with a rather large lake in the middle of the area. Lucy leads me towards this large weeping willow. She lays down on the ground underneath the tree in the shade from the rather warm sun.
"Are you just going to stand there, Harding?"
I roll my eyes at her sarcastic tone before joining her on the ground.
"I used to come out here when I was a kid and wanted to escape reality for a bit. I would lay underneath this tree as I stared up at the sky watching the clouds pass by. I've written many songs out here. The peace and quiet is quite relaxing, not to mention it is completely secluded."
Looking around I take in all of the beautiful scenery. My gaze is pulled more towards the beautiful woman sitting next to me rather than the landscape.
"You said you were tired; let's take a nap." Lucy says after a while, curling into my side with her head on my chest and left hand resting up on the middle of my torso.
I don't protest about her actions but cannot say I'm not surprised by it. Lucy body is completely relaxed against mine. A few minutes pass before I see she has drifted off to sleep. I know we're in a grey area right now and still need to talk but I ignore that and focus on this moment right now with Lucy. I allow myself to enjoy the moment, wrap my left arm around Lucy's body, and fall asleep as well.
We stir roughly three hours later bringing the time to just after five in the evening. Lucy and I both agree we should talk about what happened last night prior to heading back to the house. Shifting into a sitting position we both hesitate to initiate the much needed conversation.
"I don't want things to become weird between us, Lucy. I had an amazing time last night with you at that bar. It reminded me how much I miss hanging out with you like that."
Lucy nods her head silently as she tucks a stray hair behind her ear. "That is the last thing I want to happen Ian. I really like you and I too did enjoy our time at the bar. I also really enjoyed when we came home and had a little fun in the kitchen." A light pink blush creeps up on her cheeks as she admits the truth.
"Why do I sense the word 'but' approaching?" I wonder wearily.
"But, despite me feeling that way, Sophie is in the picture which means it doesn't matter what I feel towards you. I think we just enjoy the rest of our time here and then let things go back to how they were before the trip that way Sophie doesn't get upset with you for hanging out with me."
I sigh at her response. "Lucy," I murmur softly at her.
She shakes her head and interrupts before I can even begin my sentence. "Don't Ian. It's fine, we'll be fine. You've got Sophie so that's all that matters. We better head back to the house, dinner should be ready any time now." The sadness in Lucy's voice brings down my mood as well.
Lucy and I both turn around towards the house to head back. The walk back is completely silent between us.
Just before we make it to the house Lucy spins around to face me with a look of contemplation on her face. Lucy rises up on her toes, places her hands on my biceps, and then leaves a lingering kiss on my cheek.
"That was for the pony ride." Lucy moves so swiftly I don't even have time for my brain to register what happens until she's gone.
Dinner went rather smoothly with Lucy's family. She didn't say much to me, she also kept her head down from my gaze. After helping clean up dinner I slip upstairs unnoticed to the bedroom while Lucy joins her family in the living room for some wine in front of the fire. I make a few phone calls on my phone to book myself a flight out of Memphis then start to pack my bag. Once I have everything packed up I sit my bag near the front door downstairs out of sight where it wouldn't be noticed. Tucking my phone in my back pocket I move to the living room to join Lucy. Her eyes flicker over to me with a curious look as she silently wonders where I've been.
We all sit together in the living room watching some generic romantic comedy on Lifetime. By the time it is over Maggie and Lewis are heading out the door with a sleeping baby in their arms and Lucy's parents are off to bed. Glancing down at my watch I see it is 10:47. My flight is at 11:55 meaning I need to get going.
"Do you want to watch another movie Ian or are you ready to call it a night?" Lucy rolls her head to the side to rest it on the couch to look at me from my place at the other end of the couch.
"Actually Luce, I have to get going."
Lucy sits up straighter due to my words. "Get going? What do you mean?"
Pushing myself up from the couch I gravitate towards the entryway. "I have a flight to catch out of town tonight. I need to leave if I am going to get there in time."
"Ian why are you leaving? You don't have to go." Lucy protests with great determination as she jumps to her feet instantly closing the distance between us.
I sigh lowly. "There is something I need to go do before heading back to LA. I'll see you in a few days. Have a safe flight back home." Placing a kiss to Lucy's head I turn away from Lucy I walk out the front door to the taxi I had previously called.
I now sit in the back of a smelly taxi visualizing Lucy's hurt expression when I told her I was leaving.
As I am exiting the airport I grab my phone out of my back pocket to scroll through my contacts. After selecting the desired phone number I lift my phone up to my ear.
"Sophie, I'm in New York. We need to talk."
So, Ian is in NY to see Sophie. What do you think will come from that? And once again I got over 60 reviews for the last chapter. I love you guys so so much!
PS who wouldn't want Lucy to have a "pony ride" from Ian? lol
