Chapter Twenty-Two
Once again Lex found herself drifting back to the real world, one throb at a time. Braving the expected stab of pain, she slowly opened her eyes, gasping softly when her gaze focused.
Through the narrow slit of her eyelids, Lex found Lucas dozing in a chair beside her. Ignoring the pain in her head, her gaze greedily absorbed the sight before her.
Lucas had matured in the years she'd been away, his boyish charm replaced by raw masculinity. His gangly frame had filled out, the shoulders still broad and hips still narrow, but now covered by a heftier layer of muscle. The beige pants of his UEO uniform covered his long legs, his booted feet crossed at the ankle. But the most noticeable changes were above his shoulders.
His blond hair, a tad darker now, was cut much shorter, well above his ears. His angular jaw, now a little fuller, was darkened by five o'clock shadow. His face had filled in since his teens, though his dark lashes lay against the still prominent high cheekbones, and a hint of his dimples peeped out from either side of his mouth. In her absence, the cute boy had been replaced by a handsome man.
As Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his slumber, a glint from around his long neck caught Lex's attention. Squinting, she focused her eyes.
Just visible beneath the collar of his uniform, lay a golden dolphin suspended on a slim chain. Lex smiled as she recognized the first of many gifts she'd sent him on his birthdays. Lex fervently hoped the presence of the chain meant Lucas had forgiven her for leaving all those years ago.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer," he murmured in amusement, startling Lex because she'd been so absorbed in her perusal of him that she'd failed to notice his lashes drift open. "We've got to stop meeting like this."
Lex laughed, wincing when a bolt of pain shot through her skull. Lucas began to rise from his chair, to get the doctor. "No! I don't want to sleep anymore," she said.
Lucas settled back in his chair. Before he could argue with her, Lex spoke. "Still talking to me, huh? That's a start."
The dimples she loved so much popped out as he grinned. "Well, if you had shown up a few months after you'd left, I probably would have strangled you, but I like to think I'm above that now."
Lex chuckled softly, relieved that their easy comradery hadn't been destroyed. "I can't believe you joined the UEO. I never pictured you as career military."
Lucas shrugged. "Didn't have much choice. When Bridger retired, the new captain gave me an ultimatum. Enlist or get lost. Since the SeaQuest was the only place I'd ever truly fit in, I chose to stay here."
"Doesn't sound like I'll like this new captain very much," she said. When Lucas' gaze slid away uncomfortably, Lex frowned. "What? What aren't you telling me?"
Lucas forced himself to look at her, a pained expression on his face. "The last time I opened my big mouth, you took off. I'm not saying anything this time."
"Lucas," Lex sighed, "it wasn't your fault, it was me. I just wasn't ready to face my father at that time. If there had been any other way, if he hadn't have come, I would have stayed with you till the end of time."
Again Lucas' gaze slid away, an awkward silence filling the room. Lex frowned. "Alright, Lucas, you're making me nervous. What aren't you telling me? Considering the fact that my head feels like it's going to explode, I sincerely doubt I'll be running anywhere any time soon."
Lucas hesitated, choosing his next words very carefully. "I don't think the Captain would allow that anyway."
Lex's brow furrowed deeper. "What are you talking about?"
Lucas leaned forward, his blue eyes focused on his tangling fingers. "Seven years ago you weren't ready to confront your dad, Lex. Are you ready now?"
Lex sighed. "Don't tell me. The new captain contacted my father the minute I came on board."
"Not exactly," Lucas hedged.
"What do you mean?" For some inexplicable reason, Lex felt her gut clench.
"He means the new captain IS your father."
Lex's heart plummeted as she turned her head to find her dad standing in the doorway.
Once again Lex found herself drifting back to the real world, one throb at a time. Braving the expected stab of pain, she slowly opened her eyes, gasping softly when her gaze focused.
Through the narrow slit of her eyelids, Lex found Lucas dozing in a chair beside her. Ignoring the pain in her head, her gaze greedily absorbed the sight before her.
Lucas had matured in the years she'd been away, his boyish charm replaced by raw masculinity. His gangly frame had filled out, the shoulders still broad and hips still narrow, but now covered by a heftier layer of muscle. The beige pants of his UEO uniform covered his long legs, his booted feet crossed at the ankle. But the most noticeable changes were above his shoulders.
His blond hair, a tad darker now, was cut much shorter, well above his ears. His angular jaw, now a little fuller, was darkened by five o'clock shadow. His face had filled in since his teens, though his dark lashes lay against the still prominent high cheekbones, and a hint of his dimples peeped out from either side of his mouth. In her absence, the cute boy had been replaced by a handsome man.
As Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his slumber, a glint from around his long neck caught Lex's attention. Squinting, she focused her eyes.
Just visible beneath the collar of his uniform, lay a golden dolphin suspended on a slim chain. Lex smiled as she recognized the first of many gifts she'd sent him on his birthdays. Lex fervently hoped the presence of the chain meant Lucas had forgiven her for leaving all those years ago.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer," he murmured in amusement, startling Lex because she'd been so absorbed in her perusal of him that she'd failed to notice his lashes drift open. "We've got to stop meeting like this."
Lex laughed, wincing when a bolt of pain shot through her skull. Lucas began to rise from his chair, to get the doctor. "No! I don't want to sleep anymore," she said.
Lucas settled back in his chair. Before he could argue with her, Lex spoke. "Still talking to me, huh? That's a start."
The dimples she loved so much popped out as he grinned. "Well, if you had shown up a few months after you'd left, I probably would have strangled you, but I like to think I'm above that now."
Lex chuckled softly, relieved that their easy comradery hadn't been destroyed. "I can't believe you joined the UEO. I never pictured you as career military."
Lucas shrugged. "Didn't have much choice. When Bridger retired, the new captain gave me an ultimatum. Enlist or get lost. Since the SeaQuest was the only place I'd ever truly fit in, I chose to stay here."
"Doesn't sound like I'll like this new captain very much," she said. When Lucas' gaze slid away uncomfortably, Lex frowned. "What? What aren't you telling me?"
Lucas forced himself to look at her, a pained expression on his face. "The last time I opened my big mouth, you took off. I'm not saying anything this time."
"Lucas," Lex sighed, "it wasn't your fault, it was me. I just wasn't ready to face my father at that time. If there had been any other way, if he hadn't have come, I would have stayed with you till the end of time."
Again Lucas' gaze slid away, an awkward silence filling the room. Lex frowned. "Alright, Lucas, you're making me nervous. What aren't you telling me? Considering the fact that my head feels like it's going to explode, I sincerely doubt I'll be running anywhere any time soon."
Lucas hesitated, choosing his next words very carefully. "I don't think the Captain would allow that anyway."
Lex's brow furrowed deeper. "What are you talking about?"
Lucas leaned forward, his blue eyes focused on his tangling fingers. "Seven years ago you weren't ready to confront your dad, Lex. Are you ready now?"
Lex sighed. "Don't tell me. The new captain contacted my father the minute I came on board."
"Not exactly," Lucas hedged.
"What do you mean?" For some inexplicable reason, Lex felt her gut clench.
"He means the new captain IS your father."
Lex's heart plummeted as she turned her head to find her dad standing in the doorway.