“Lucky?” Came the soft-shocked voice from across the table. “Is that you? I must be going insane. It can’t be you. You are….”
“Em?” Shock and surprise filled his voice.
“You are alive? How? Lucky?” She tried to speak as the tears rolled down her face.
“Shhh. It’s okay. Please, sit down.” He said softly. He didn’t want to draw attention.
“Sit down? You are alive and you want me to sit down? Lucky I want to jump up and down. I want to cry from the rooftops. I can’t just sit down.” Emily said excitedly.
Lucky began to panic. This couldn’t happen. “Emily, sit down!” He demanded firmly.
The look in his eyes left no question. He was ready to bolt. She took her chair. “What’s going on? Please Lucky, talk to me.”
Lucky looked around. It wasn’t safe. “Not here.” If somebody saw them together her life would be in danger.
“Where? I need to talk with you.” She said in a pleading voice. He stood up.
“I’ll be in touch.” He said cryptically before heading out the door.
--
Emily paced her floor nervously. He’ll be in touch. What was that supposed to mean? How would he find her. He didn’t know where she lived. He didn’t know where she went to school. He didn’t even know why she was in California.
“What do I do? Do I call Luke? Do I wait? Do I go back to the restaurant? Do I stay here?” She mumbled the questions as she paced. It had been two days since her encounter with Lucky. “He is probably half way around the world. Why did I let him out of my sight?”
“Because you knew he would come back.” Came the familiar voice.
Emily almost screamed. For two days she hadn’t heard anything and suddenly his voice was in her room. She began to turn and stopped. “I am hallucinating, right? I am going to turn around and find an empty room.”
“I guess you have to take that chance.” Came the reply.
It sounded so much like him, a little softer maybe. “Don’t disappoint me Spencer.” She said as she spun on her heel. Her face lit up when she saw him standing in front of her.
“I already did that once. I would hate to do it again.” He tried to smile.
She stared into his eyes. His brilliant blues were like old friends. The hollow look they held were new. He sounded like Lucky, He looked like Lucky, he even dressed like Lucky. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the man in front of her was a shadow of her former best friend. “Then don’t, Spencer. Talk to me.”
He wasn’t ready for this. “Wouldn’t you rather ask how I found you?”
She decided to play it safe. She wasn’t going to let him leave again. “Okay, how did you find me?”
“Well, it wasn’t easy. What are you doing in California?” He stalled.
“Monica and Allen sent me to boarding school. Can I have a hug?” She wanted to reach out for him. Fearing the action would spook him, she asked instead.
Lucky walked towards her timidly. “What did you do wrong?” He asked as he wrapped his arms around her. Holding her, he felt an emotion he barely remembered.
Emily smiled. Lucky felt weak. However, he was alive. She could deal with, weak, afraid, tired, and hurt. As long as he was breathing, as long as he could hold her she could deal with anything. “You don’t want to hear this story.” She said softly. She wanted to help him. Telling about herself was only wasting time.
“Please, go first. Please, I need to hear you.” Telling her would be hard. He needed time.
Emily nodded. “As you wish.” She told Lucky all about Juan and being sent to camp. “Then when summer was over he was still around. They sent me off to boarding school. It isn’t so bad. I don’t really miss him.” She admitted. The only person she ever really missed was holding her.
Lucky felt weak. Slowly he pulled away from the hug. He continued to hold her hand. “Sit with me.” He motioned towards the couch.
“Of course.” He seamed weak. She feared he would pass out. “Can I get you something to eat?” She knew food was as much as he would accept.
He held her hand tighter. “NO. Don’t go. Please.” He pleaded. “I need to hold on to you right now.”
Emily slid closer to him. “Okay.” She said soothingly as he wrapped his arms around her. “Can you tell me about it?”
Lucky nodded. If he couldn’t tell Emily, he couldn’t tell anybody. She took it well. The shock and horror in her eyes were quickly replaced with love and understanding. She let him hold her. She didn’t speak. She wiped his tears as he spoke. She was perfect. “Help me, Em.” He said softly as he finished his story.
Emily caressed his face warmly as he finished his story. She ached for him. She wanted to make everything better. He needed so many things. For now, she would focus on the basics. “Stay here tonight. I will make you dinner. We will discuss everything else in the morning.”