Chapter Three

Author's Note: I know it's been like six months since I've updated this story, but I got sick and felt like writing, so here's another chapter. Let's hope the next chapter doesn't take another six months ;)

Lucas had hoped the warm, quiet summer's evening beyond the doors of Chez Rouge would be at least somewhat comforting. But even being out here, away from everyone's prying eyes, didn't make him feel any better. He felt hot and cold at the same time, the icy sting of shock and horror melting away to the slow burn brought on by his mother's betrayal.

His mother looked at him with wet, hopeful eyes. At any other time he would have felt sympathy for her, but all he could think about now was all the phony tears of sadness she had shed when his heart had been ripped to pieces by her hateful scheme.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to defend myself." She sounded so calm and sure of herself. She was unbelievable. Most of Salem had just heard her plotting against her own son and she didn't seem to be rattled by guilt at all. Her cool response to the night's events made Lucas sick.

"That isn't what I'm doing. I just wanted to get out of there." Lucas stared hard at the woman he had trusted more than anyone else for so long. How could she have done this to him? She had spent so much of her life trying to protect him, then turned on him and destroyed his happiness. Fighting back the urge to break down in front of her, Lucas tried to focus on his anger. Anger was easier to deal with.

"There's nothing you can say to defend yourself. I heard the tapes. I know what you did to Sami. I know what you did to me and Will."

"Lucas, stop it. It's not what you think. I did what I did with you and Will's best interests at heart." she tried to explain.

A hollow laugh followed his mother's words, and it took Lucas a moment to realize that the laugh was coming from him.

"So that's how you've been justifying what you put me and Will through for all these months? That's what you told yourself when you saw how torn apart your grandson was? That's how you made yourself feel better when you watched me trying to get over losing the woman I loved?" Lucas could only shake his head, repulsed by her.

"Sami would have caused you and Will pain sooner or later if you had stayed with her. You should be thanking me for saving you from going through it later, when it would have hurt you even more."

"Right. You saved me," Lucas retorted sarcastically. "You saved me from marrying the mother of my child and starting the family I've always wanted. Thanks, mom. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kate flinched at the biting response. "You don't understand."

"I understand perfectly," Lucas corrected her, his eyes blazing. "I understand that you decided to take one of the most important people in my life away from me. You destroyed the relationship Sami and I worked so hard to build when it wasn't yours to ruin. You're so selfish."

"But I did it for you-" Kate began to protest.

"Stop saying that!" Lucas was on the verge of shouting. "You did it for yourself. You did it because you obviously hated Sami more than you loved me and Will."

Kate opened her mouth to reply, but Lucas' stony glare made her freeze before she could get a single word out.

"I don't want to hear it." Lucas could almost feel his blood boiling underneath a hot layer of skin. "Tell me, Kate, was I happy after I lost Sami because of you? Was I glad the wedding fell through? Was I living up the single life? Was I?" When she didn't respond, Lucas did start yelling. "Was I? Dammit, if you're such an expert on everything I want and need and feel, you should be able to answer the question. Come on! I'm waiting."

His mother closed her eyes and a sob escaped her throat. "No."

Satisfied, Lucas began to back away from her, back towards the restaurant's entrance. "At least you're telling yourself the truth about one thing. And I meant what I said before. We're finished. Don't waste your time considering me and Will your son and grandson anymore."

She let out an anguished wail and tried calling him back. He could hear her begging for his understanding as he walked further away from her, and he didn't like the way it was making him feel. He wanted it to feel like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders now that she was out of his life. He wanted everything to be okay now that he could go back to Sami and hold her and know she hadn't cheated on him. But the painful blend of fire and ice churning in his stomach hadn't receded. If anything, it had grown stronger.

He turned back around to face her. He wished he could look at her, see the tears streaming down her cheeks and be happy. It would have been so much easier, but he couldn't do it. She was still his mother. She had done so much for him, even if she had ended up hurting him worse than he had ever believed she could. Gritting his teeth, he tried to steel himself against her, hoping it would make the knots and twists worrying his insides go away.

"You should have left it alone!" he screamed at her. "I would have been so much better off if I had listened to Sami in the first place. I never should have let you near her or me or Will. I'll never forgive you for this, never!"

Lucas realized that screaming at her wasn't helping either. His shoulders sagged in defeat and he stepped back inside the restaurant, glad he couldn't hear her pleas and cries anymore. Not that he wanted to be in the middle of a crowded restaurant full of curious people who were going to watch his every move either. He would have just left the restaurant completely and went home if it hadn't been for Sami.

Sami... Even thinking about her made the ache inside him increase. Although it had been his mother that had hurt him and Sami more than anyone else, he had hurt Sami, too. As much as he wanted to put all the blame on his mother's shoulders, he couldn't. He had made his choice. When Sami had come to him in her wedding dress with her eyes filled with so much heartbreak it had nearly killed him, he could have given her a chance.

Everything would have been different if he had believed her, but he hadn't even let himself try. If he had believed her, she wouldn't have been hurt by Kate's attempt to set her up. Ultimately, he had been the main source of her pain.

He swallowed hard as he stepped back into the restaurant completely. Sami was already walking towards him, nothing but hope, love and concern in her eyes. No resentment. No anger or accusation. No hurt. None of the emotions he deserved were present on her face and for some reason, that made him feel even worse. He had to turn away because it hurt to look at her.

Once she was in front of him, she reached for his hand. Her touch was soft and warm, but it brought back memories of the horrible way he had treated her over the past few months.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, her voice so gentle, so... forgiving. It made all of the awful things he had said about her after their failed wedding resound in his head with painful clarity.

He tried to answer her but no words came to mind or out of his mouth. She seemed to sense his desire to be away from everyone else because she led him out the doors of Chez Rouge. Thankfully, his mother was already gone.

Lucas found his voice once they were outside. "I really didn't think she was capable of this. I can't believe we lost so much because of her. God, I feel so stupid. I should have known you wouldn't cheat on me. I'm sorry." The last two words tasted bitter coming out. Judging from the way Sami was looking at him, the words meant something to her, but to him they just felt cheap and useless. They weren't enough, not after what he had made her feel.

"Lucas, it's okay." She stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. "It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that we have another chance. I know you're going through a lot right now, but it's going to be okay and I'm going to be here for you in any way I can."

"Why?" He ignored the part of him that wanted to forget everything so he could hold her again and moved away from her. "I wasn't there for you."

She stared at him intently, as if trying to figure out what he meant, before speaking. "Your mother tricked you. This is her fault, not yours, and I don't want it to keep us apart. I just want you."

She finally became frustrated when he stepped away from her outstretched arms a second time. "But obviously you don't want me. Is that why you're acting like this?" Instead of reaching for him, her arms were now crossed in front of her chest defensively.

He gave her a look of disbelief and closed the distance between them, framing her face in his hands. "It isn't that at all. I want to be with you again, too. It's just not right. She hurt me and I hurt you. Why should I get off so much easier than she did?"

"Because I love you. I forgive you, Lucas," she said softly. Then she leaned in to kiss him, moving slow enough that he could have stopped her if he had wanted to, which he didn't. He had missed her too much to keep resisting her.

He also couldn't stop himself from kissing her back once her lips were pressed against his, gentle and reassuring. When he returned the kiss and pulled her closer to him, Sami almost melted into him, her arms winding around his neck. They didn't stop kissing until both of them had to pull away and gasp for air. Sami looked up at him and gave him a grateful smile, one more thing Lucas knew he didn't deserve.

"Let's go home," she whispered, her warm breath hitting his cheek. "I know we can sort this out. All we need is some time."

He was too emotionally drained to do anything but go with her. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he enveloped her shoulders with his own arm in response as they walked towards his car.