Chapter 186: More confusion

Lucas’s fingers curled tightly into the bedsheet.

“I don’t know. I…” He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, then forced the truth out. “What I’m feeling.”

A heavy, sharp silence fell.

“I feel scared,” Lucas said again, his voice barely above a whisper.

And that did it.

Something in Alex’s expression shattered. Pain flickered across his face, deep and unguarded, as if the words had cut straight through him.

“Please don’t be scared of what you’re feeling,” Alex said quickly, his voice dropping, almost fragile now. “Don’t look at me like a stranger. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Lucas didn’t respond. He couldn’t. His chest was too tight, emotions clashing…fear, confusion… and something else he didn’t understand.

Alex’s hand twitched at his side, like he wanted to reach for him again but held himself back.

“I’m your Alex,” he said softly, almost like a reminder or a plea. “I would never…”

A sharp vibration cut through the moment with the buzzing of Alex’s phone. The sound felt jarringly loud in the suffocating tension.

Neither of them moved at first. It buzzed again.

Alex closed his eyes briefly, exhaling as if trying to steady himself before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the phone, glancing at the screen. Whatever he saw only darkened his already strained expression.

Lucas watched him, still tense, still trying to make sense of the storm inside his chest.

Alex hesitated… then looked back at him. The distance between them felt wider than ever.

And Alex didn't know how to close it.

Alex stroked his cheek lightly, “I will be right back okay.”

Lucas flinched lightly at his touch but didn't respond.

Alex stepped out into the corridor, the door clicking softly behind him as he answered the call. His voice dropped, controlled but strained. He moved a few steps away.

Back inside the room, the silence didn’t last long, because the door opened again.

Lucas didn’t notice at first, his shoulders were trembling, his face buried in his hands as quiet sobs slipped through.

“Lucas?” The familiar voice came.

He looked up slowly, “Dad…”

His father’s expression shifted instantly from relief to alarm as he rushed to his side.

“Oh my goodness, son, why are you sobbing?” he asked, cupping Lucas’s face, wiping at his tears with his thumb. “The doctor said you’ll be fine. You’re getting better.”

Lucas shook his head, his chest rising unevenly.

“Oh, Dad…” his voice cracked. “I wish I could recall it all.”

His father still.

There was something in that sentence. It was deeper than just frustration.

His gaze hardened slightly. “Does this have anything to do with that son of a bitch?” he asked, his tone turning sharp. “That Alex?”

Lucas blinked with a startled expression. He quickly wiped his face as confusion replaced his pain.

“Dad… why do you sound like you hate him?” he asked carefully. “Isn’t he my fiancé?”

“What?” his father barked, pulling back as if he’d been struck.   “Fianc…what the heck are you talking about?”

Lucas frowned, unsettled by the reaction.

“Did he tell you that?” his father pressed, his voice rising with disbelief. “Did Alex tell you he’s your fiancé?”

Lucas hesitated.

“He didn’t tell me directly but I once heard the doctor say it. Besides that, the way he talks, the way he acts…” Lucas swallowed. “It feels like we’re more than just… acquaintances.”

His father let out a harsh, humorless laugh.

“That manipulative bastard,” he muttered under his breath.

“Dad,” Lucas said, more firmly now. “You’re not answering me.”

His father turned back to him, eyes filled with something Lucas couldn’t quite place, like anger and worry.

“No, son,” his father said flatly, each word landing like a verdict. “He is not your fiancé. You’re engaged to Derby. Not Alex.”

The room tilted.

Lucas’s breath caught in his throat. Relief didn’t come, only a deeper confusion clawed at his chest.

“Who is Derby?” he asked, voice quieter now, almost afraid of what would follow.

His father frowned, feigning disbelief. “Don’t tell me you forgot Derby too? Your fiancée, Derby Ashton.”

Lucas blinked hard.

A flicker of memory of Derby surfaced.

“A party…” he murmured. “The mayor’s birthday party. The girl in a silver dress. She had dinner at our house with her father. But I thought…”

His father’s face lit up instantly and he cut him short. “Yes! That’s her. Thank goodness you remember.” He stepped closer, his voice warm and reassuring, carefully crafted. “You two agreed to keep things simple. A registry wedding. This Saturday.”

“What?” The word burst out of Lucas.

He dragged a hand through his hair, gripping at his forehead as if he could physically pull the missing memories back into place. “No… no, this doesn’t make sense. I…I would remember something like that. I should remember.”

Panic seeped into his veins.

“I need my memories back,” he muttered, his voice cracking. “This… this can’t be happening.”

“You haven’t seen her because she’s been out of town,” his father continued smoothly, not giving him space to think. “A business trip. I just informed her about your accident before I came in. She’s flying in tonight.”

Lucas stared at him, completely overwhelmed now.

Two realities were colliding in his head. Alex’s quiet, aching confession, and this sudden, suffocating claim that he was engaged to someone else.

It felt unaligned and unstable.

“Don’t worry,” his father added gently. “Everything will be okay.”

But it didn’t feel okay.

“Dad…” Lucas’s voice dropped, strained and fragile. “You just made it worse. I’m more confused now than I was before.”

“Come on, son…”

A sharp buzz cut through the tension. Lucas flinched as his phone lit up on the bedside table.

It was Derby calling.

His father picked up the phone immediately. A small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips before he masked it. “Perfect timing, Derby” he muttered under his breath, then handed the phone over. “It’s her.”

Lucas didn’t take it at first.

He just stared at the screen… then at his father… then back at the screen again, as if it might suddenly explain everything.

“Answer it,” his father urged softly. “She’s your fiancée.”

But Lucas couldn’t. His hand trembled slightly before he pulled it back. He shook his head and let the phone drop onto the bed beside him.

“I can’t,” he whispered. “I need time to process this. You just told me I’m getting married this weekend. That’s… insane.”

“Don’t stress yourself,” his father said quickly. “You’ll be fine.”

Lucas swallowed hard, his chest tightening.

“Dad…” he said again, slower this time, more deliberate. “Who is Alex to me? What do I have with him?”

A second of silence dropped, but it was enough but Lucas was confused.

His father straightened almost immediately. “Nothing,” he said firmly. “You have nothing to do with him. He’s confused… and now he’s trying to confuse you too. I think it’s time he stops playing this silly game with you.”

Outside the room, just beyond the slightly ajar door…Alex froze.

Every word hit like a blow. His jaw tightened, fists clenched at his sides as anger surged through him, hot and uncontrollable.

That was enough.

He pushed the door open. It slammed lightly against the wall.

“With all due respect, sir,” Alex said, his voice sharp, shaking with restrained fury. “What lies are you feeding him?”

Both men turned, surprised.