The Fake Boyfriend Gambit - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

The two little ones were happily stuffed, dozing off in their beds.
I curled up against Lucas, poking his side. "Hey, when did you gather all that evidence?"
Lucas stayed silent, giving me the cold shoulder. He was still pissed that I'd approached Jason knowing full well how dangerous he was. That day, when I spotted Jason's car nearby, I'd intentionally sent Lucas away.
"Don't be mad," I coaxed. "If I'd told you my plan, you would've stopped me."
"Did you even consider how I'd feel?" he snapped.
An angry husband is tough to placate. I pasted on my sweetest smile, wrapping my arms around his neck and turning on the charm. "Of course I thought about you!"
"How exactly?"
"I was thinking about what amazing dinner my wonderful husband would cook tonight."
Lucas's grip on my waist tightened painfully as he buried his face in my shoulder. I felt dampness spreading through my shirt. His arms squeezed until I could barely breathe.
"Ow... that hurts."
"Do you have any idea how terrified I was?" His voice broke, his whole body shaking. "What if I never saw you again? Why do you keep leaving me behind, Jessica?"
I'd never abandon him. If Jason hadn't released me, that recording would've gone viral across every news outlet, destroying the Sinclair family.
"Shhh, I came back, didn't I? And I came prepared." I stroked his soft hair as his sobs grew rougher.
"What if he'd hidden you away somewhere? What if I couldn't find you?"
Silly man. "Lucas, if you don't stop crying, I'm going to kiss you."
He lifted his head from my shoulder. His eyes were red-rimmed, making him look like a fragile little rabbit - utterly teaseable.
"Liar."
I wasn't lying. Licking my lips, I leaned in. Sweet. Soft. Perfect.
[Lucas's POV]
I've always loved Jessica.
Everyone mocked me for being the Langford family's bastard child - no family, no friends. The household staff took every opportunity to make my life hell. Only Jessica ever noticed me.
I remember five-year-old Jessica shoving a bag of animal-shaped cookies into my arms. Back then, when I was starving, I'd sneak kitchen scraps. Those cookies smelled incredible, but I couldn't bring myself to eat them.
Jessica planted her hands on her hips and declared, "Lucas, if you don't eat these cookies right now, I'll kiss you!"
Liar. Total liar. I didn't eat them, and she never kissed me. Later she tried, "If you eat them, then I'll kiss you!" Still lying.
Jessica's life was nothing like mine. Even as an adoptee, she had loving parents and an overprotective brother. In the Yu household, she could do no wrong - Jason always had her back.
On her eighteenth birthday, I watched Jessica gaze at Jason with stars in her eyes. She told me she loved him, that he loved her too. My chest ached, but I thought: As long as she's happy.
Then she vanished. My world went dark. When news came of her death, I lost everything.
I should've been braver.
In the years after, I haunted her apartment, surrounded by traces of her. Sometimes I'd swear I saw her beside me. I made endless vows: If I got another chance, I'd protect her properly.
Then came the miracle - waking up on my eighteenth birthday again. This time, I clawed my way to power in the Langford family. The Sinclair family would pay. I'd spent three years dismantling them in my past life; after my death, they'd all met terrible ends. This timeline would be no different.
But Jessica still sees me as that insecure boy from before. She still gets that glow from protecting me. So I play the part - as long as it makes her happy. Sometimes it's hard to maintain the act, but she hasn't noticed yet.
That day in the hospital when she reached for me, I broke. As I held her and she whispered, "Honey, hug me," all I could think was: I've missed you so damn much.
The End