Lucas opened his eyes, taking a step towards Audrey before wrapping her up in his arms. She didn’t come willing but after a moment of seeing that Lucas wasn’t going to let her go, she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into the middle of his chest.

“Why doesn’t he love me, Lucas? Why?” she cried.

Lucas moved his hand along her back, hoping that it was soothing her because he had no answer to that. He didn’t even know what to say or what to do. When she looked up at him with the same wide eyes as her sister, Lucas found that he couldn’t breathe past the lump in his throat. He shrugged his shoulder, moving a piece of hair out of Audrey’s eyes before saying, “Because he isn’t your person, Audrey.”

“How do you know? I love him so much, maybe he just needs time,” she suggested but Lucas had already started to shake his head.

“No, AA, listen to me. You deserve better, stop this. Please.”

“I can’t,” she cried.

Lucas wanted to smack some sense into her. Didn’t she understand that Levi was using her? How do you tell someone that without breaking them? But Lucas knew that even if he did, she wouldn’t believe him. She was just as stubborn as her sister, if not worse. Lucas knew that if a man ever placed a hand on Fallon, she would kill them in a New York minute, so why was Audrey waiting it out? What for?

“Audrey, he is using you.”

“No,” she said shaking her head. “He loves me, he is just scared or something. I have to try because if I don’t, I’m going to be alone for the rest of my life.”

Lucas’ heart broke. How could someone so beautiful think that?

“Audrey, there are other men out there…”

“That don’t want me. I’ve tried and I always find these ass**les. So yeah, sue me for trying to change him, sue me for believing that he’ll change for me. That he does love me.”

Lucas shook his head again. “Audrey, I’ve known him most my life. He isn’t going to change. I promise you, he isn’t. I’ll help find you find a good man. I’m on a team with 26 single guys! There has to be one of that team!”

Audrey shook her head. “I want him.”

Lucas’ shoulders fell in defeat. He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to change her mind, so why waste the breath? She backed away from him and moved a hand through her hair as she looked everywhere but at him. Lucas took in a deep breath and was still dumbfounded that Levi was the one that hurt Audrey. He was still angry and wanted to hurt Levi, but what would it do? Audrey was so engrossed in him and convinced she could change him that it would do no good. She needed to realize the error in her ways. Lucas couldn’t do it for her, neither could Fallon.

Oh f**k. Fallon was going to kill Levi.

“Fallon is going to kill him,” Lucas said quietly, “and you know it.”

Audrey looked up at him with her eyes full of tears. “You can’t tell her. Oh God, please Lucas, promise me you won’t.”

Lucas shook his head. “No way. If you don’t tell her then I am. I can’t walk around with this on my conscience! She’ll kill me for knowing and not telling her.”

Tears spilled over Audrey’s cheeks as she took a step towards him. “Please Lucas, I’m begging you. I’ll tell her. I promise. I just have to wait for the right time. Me and Levi are still working things out. This was the first time in weeks that he called me a bitch. We are making progress, I promise.”

Lucas shook his head. “Audrey you have to tell her. I can’t keep something like that from her.”

Audrey nodded her head, running her hand along her cheeks before saying, “I promise I will, soon.”

Lucas couldn’t believe he was about to agree to keep this from Fallon. Maybe it was the desperation in Audrey’s eyes. Her eyes were so sad, and so full of hope that Lucas didn’t think he could tell her no. Or maybe it was the fact that Lucas hoped and prayed that, for Levi’s sake, he did change because it was obvious Audrey loved him. She wasn’t a stupid girl, so she had to see something in him. But if Lucas heard or saw Levi even looking at Audrey wrong again, Levi would answer to him.

Audrey deserved better and Lucas didn’t believe for a second that it was hard for her to find a man. She was perfect in his eyes and if she gave him the chance, he could find her someone with no problem. She was every man’s dream, just like her sister. Lucas loved Audrey, and he would do anything for her, but even with his love for her it was still hard to agree with her request. Lucas took in a deep breath and shook his head in disbelief before looking up at Audrey. “You have a week.”

**********************************

Fallon noticed that Lucas was being uncommonly quiet as they all rode out to the airfield. She had tried several times to start a conversation with him, but he wasn’t really paying attention. Fallon thought maybe he was nervous about the upcoming playoffs but that wasn’t like him. Lucas was never nervous and she knew something wasn’t right.

Fallon moved her hand into his and when he glanced over at her, she smiled. “I’m gonna miss you.”

The side of Lucas’ mouth pulled up as he squeezed her hand. “I’m going to miss you more, baby girl.”

“Daddy, I’ll miss you!” Aiden declared from the back.

Fallon watched as Lucas’ smile grew before he said, “I’ll miss you more, bud.”

Lucas then brought Fallon’s hand to his lips and kissed softly. He placed their hands in his lap and took a deep breath in as he turned onto the street that brought them to the airfield. He parked and let go of her hand to get out. Worry filled Fallon as she got out and went to meet him at the back of the truck. Was it nerves that made him quiet or had she done something? She thought back to the last couple days and everything had been perfect. They were back to their old ways, and even though it scared Fallon, she was okay. Great even. She had missed the love they used to share and having another chance at it was a blessing.