Chapter 4
North Mountain Sanatorium was quieter than I had expected.
Lucas sat under a ginkgo tree in the courtyard, a thin blanket draped over his lap, a cup of untouched coffee at his side.
He looked thinner than he had in the photos from my previous life.
When he saw me approach, he skipped the pleasantries.
"Vivian Grant. You finally gave up on Ethan Shaw," Lucas said.
I sat down across from him.
"Mr. Bennett, that's a rather rude first thing to say," I said.
He looked at me.
"I've been waiting ten years to hear you say that," he said.
I was struck speechless for a moment.
He picked up his cup, his hand steady.
"Your father sent a note saying you would marry me. I won't ask why. I just want to know, are you being sincere, or am I just your backup plan?" Lucas asked.
I said, "What if I said it was a little of both?"
Lucas set his cup down.
"Honesty sounds better than sweet nothings," he said.
I asked, "Why do you want to marry me?"
"Because I like you," Lucas said.
He answered so quickly it sounded almost calm.
I glance at his legs.
"Do you know what people say about you?" I asked.
"That I'm a cripple. That the Bennett Family will replace me soon. That marrying me is like being a widow before the wedding," Lucas replied.
"And you still want to marry me?" I asked.
Lucas lifted his eyes to meet mine.
"Vivian, my legs are broken. Not my heart," he said.
The words hit me so hard I couldn't speak for a long while.
In my previous life, Ethan had said he liked me too.
But his like had always come with guilt, endurance, and resentment.
Lucas was different.
He said the words like they were a fact he had decided on long ago.
I said, "I will marry you, but I have three conditions."
"Name them," Lucas said.
"First, you will not interfere in Grant Family matters after we are married," I said.
"Agreed," Lucas replied.
"Second, you will not dig into my past if I don't want to talk about it," I said.
"I'll try," Lucas replied.
I looked at him.
He corrected himself.
"Agreed," Lucas replied.
"Third, if you ever regret this, tell me ahead of time. I'll let you go," I said.
Lucas was quiet for a few seconds, then he smiled.
It wasn't a mocking smile.
Just a faint, warm lift of his lips.
"That's my line," he said.
Quick footsteps rushed toward the courtyard gate.
Ethan burst in, followed by a huffing orderly.
"Vivian, I knew I'd find you here," Ethan said.
Lucas set his cup back down on its tray with a soft clink.
"Mr. Shaw, this facility doesn't receive uninvited guests," Lucas said.
Ethan ignored him, his eyes fixed on me.
"Claire's sick. She has a high fever, and she keeps saying your name," he said.
I asked, "Why is she saying my name?"
"She says what you said yesterday upset her. She hasn't slept all night. Vivian, you need to go apologize to her," Ethan said.
I almost thought I had misheard him.
"Ethan, I called off our engagement. Why would I be responsible for her fever?" I asked.
"If you hadn't humiliated her in public, she wouldn't be sick," Ethan snapped.
Lucas looked at me.
"Would you like me to have him escorted out?" he asked.
Ethan finally deigned to look at him.
"Mr. Bennett, this is between Vivian and me," he said.
Lucas said, "She's my guest today."
Ethan laughed coldly.
"You really think she'll marry you? She's just using you to get back at me," he said.
I stood up.
"Ethan, you think far too highly of yourself," I said.
He pulled out his phone and hit play on a recording.
Claire's weak voice drifted out.
"Ethan, don't blame Vivian. She just cares about you too much. If she will come see me, I want to tell her myself that I'll leave. I won't upset her anymore," Claire said.
Ethan stopped the recording.
"Hear that? She's defending you even when she is this sick," he said.
I said, "Then you should be with her. Not here bothering me."
"She wants to see you," Ethan said.
"She wants to see me, so I have to go?" I shot back.
Ethan stepped closer.
"Vivian, don't make me say things that will embarrass you in front of the Bennetts," Ethan warned.
Lucas pushed the blanket off his lap and braced his hands on the armrests of his wheelchair.
The orderly rushed forward at once.
He did not stand. He just held himself steady.
"Mr. Shaw, take one more step toward her, and you won't leave North Mountain today," Lucas said.
Ethan's face hardened.
"Lucas Bennett, you are stuck in a wheelchair. You think you can stop me?" Ethan sneered.
Several orderlies across the courtyard froze in place.
Lucas did not get angry.
He just said, "Escort Mr. Shaw out."
Two orderlies stepped forward.
Ethan shook them off.
"I can walk myself out," he said.
Before he left, he looked at me.
"Vivian, if anything happens to Claire, I'll never forgive you," he said.
I said, "Your forgiveness means nothing to me."
Ethan left.
Lucas stared at the courtyard gate.
"Has he always been this foolish?" he asked.
I was caught off guard by the question, and blinked.
Lucas added, "And blind, apparently."
I laughed.
It was the first real laugh I had had since coming back to life.
Lucas watched me, his gaze not moving for a long time.
I asked, "What are you looking at?"
He said, "I'm looking at the person I waited ten years for. She's finally starting to see clearly."