**Last chapter before the big game — and the big universal. 💕

Take it as you want to. This is something really interesting because I know a few of you mentioned that Lacey and Soren are dancing around that obvious elephant in the room. The doctor's visit.

Both of them are afraid. Very afraid.

And despite all their teasing and talking, they still lack some practice in communication, lol 😂

♛♚

"SOREN."

My whisper went completely unnoticed as he wrapped his arms around my waist and tensed.

Just before he could fling us to the side and into the empty stall, my arms flailed against his grip. I thrashed clumsily, desperate to turn and face whoever was watching us.

This couldn't be happening. Soren and I were free. We weren't running anymore.

Breathe.

"Lacey," he grunted as I thrust an elbow into his chest. We fumbled together in a mess of limbs and curses while I clawed in his arms until I was peering around the wall to examine the rest of the store again.

And then his heavy breathing met my ear. "Lacey," Soren hissed aggressively, his arms locking around my waist with all the momentum to throw us.

I would've flinched at the venom in his voice if I wasn't too distracted trying to find out who could possibly be watching us. Who cared anymore?

Soren and I had come out alive. We were fucking free.

No one was taking this away from us this time.

Breathe.

When he tugged my body, my heels dug into the carpeted floor to stay rooted in the spot where I could look out at the vast expanse of the store. "Soren!" I hissed back viciously, swatting at his strong hands.

Why did he have to be so strong?

My eyes wavered past the cozy nook of the dressing room, taking in the various skin tones and hairstyles of people shopping casually. As I searched for anyone suspicious, Soren faltered.

"Lacey, what are you doing?"

I couldn't answer him.

I couldn't barely understand his question.

Because my breath caught in my throat.

A wild recklessness raced through me as my eyes narrowed in on him.

Adorning a black Yankees hat, a lean man with a square jaw shifted behind a rack of clothing as he gawked at us curiously. Without shame or any type of practice.

Our eyes clashed and nothing could stop it. Excitement swelled in my chest, rocketing down to my toes with a fierceness that I didn't think was possible. My heart soared with disbelief, wrenching me right out of Soren's arms and towards him.

Happiness threatened to consume me when I finally called his name. "Nic!"

Mixed with that incredulity and relief, it seemed to overpower the faint music in the store. More than a few heads turned as I plowed right through the cramped aisles and thick air towards him.

With every inch of space between us that I closed, his expression got clearer. Dark brows furrowed in confusion and his lips parted slightly, as if he was daydreaming.

"Nic," I breathed again, relief clouding any type of sense.

"It is you," he rasped out with just as much relief, opening his arms for me to rush at him.

Too many memories raced to the front of my mind as he took a timid step forward, giving me permission to jump.

As soon as we collided, he went crashing back into the rack of clothing behind, grunting in surprise. I grabbed his sweatshirt clumsily to steady him and myself, rambling, "I'm sorry, oh my god, I'm sorry! Nic, I can't believe... I just..."

Nic chuckled warmly, roping his arms around my waist to give me a tight squeeze. "Raine, Raine, Raine."

Breathe.

The name rained down on me with some bittersweet feeling that made my heart sputter. A nostalgic taste of everything that had been important to that girl.

All the times Nic had walked into the studio with that knowing expression, all too aware of the fact that I'd been there all night. And yet, he'd just give me a mock reprimanding, "Raine, Raine, Raine."

Always with a soft smile, trying to tell me without words that he was worried about me.

"Nicolás," I teased breathlessly, my fingers brushing the back of his neck gently. The desire to flip his hat off playfully attacked so fiercely that my heart plummeted, bombarded with another wave of memories.

He groaned in my ear. "Don't call me that."

"Lo siento," I murmured, pulling away to finally meet his eyes. Something dark and desperate lurked beneath the familiar friendly shade of brown. "Nic. I... I thought you were dead."

Nic froze. With his arms still wrapped around my waist loosely, his eyebrows scrunched together with confusion. A domino effect seemed to occur as he processed my statement, still thick with hurt and disbelief — and betrayal.

Seth had lied to me. He'd always lied to me.

Breathe.

A ferocious need to cry rushed in on me, but I tried to maintain a neutral, relieved smile. My eyes burned with the unshed tears as they swayed over his expression, taking in the puckered lips and slight dusting of a beard along his jaw. "Dead?"

"Seth... he... he told me you were dead," I stuttered weakly, remembering the moment all too well.

On a dark, winter night, in a moment when I'd threatened to leave him. It wouldn't have been the first friend that Seth had killed to keep me silent or complacent or with him. I'd always known that he was ruthless... I hadn't even questioned it.

And everything had spiraled out of control from there. Less than a month later, I'd been trying to burn Seth alive.

"He... he told me a lot of people were dead."

Including his older brother. And I'd always just believed him... trusted him.

On cue, everything shifted with the soft, approaching footsteps. Saturated with a million dark, lingering memories of this unexpected reunion, the air crackled with a tension that only Soren could elicit.

Every nerve stood to attention when the warmth of his body enveloped me, waiting for an explosion.

Breathe.

Soren didn't say anything. With deadly precision, he laid a hand on the small of my back to let me know he was there.

It felt foreign. As his rough fingertips danced along the hem of my t-shirt gently, I felt myself relax into it.

This wasn't a warning. It was merely a gesture to let me know that he was there if I needed him. An attempt at comfort, not a territorial threat.

An easiness spread through my veins with his mere presence and I smiled, thankful that Soren was there.

Nic, oblivious go Soren's looming figure, let me detangle from his embrace without argument.

"Ray, I thought you we-"

"It's Lacey now," I informed him softly, still feeling the aftermath of his first greeting.

My legs shook slightly with the old nickname and I mustered up a small smile, hoping he would understand.

I couldn't do nicknames with him when I didn't feel like that person anymore. When I didn't even know that person anymore.

Breathe.

My gaze travelled the full length of his body, taking in the usual ratty Adidas shoes and blue jeans splattered with paint.

But concealed within the baggy black sweatshirt, he displayed the colors proudly with a bright, blue t-shirt.

Breathe.

"Lacey, huh? You're Lacey now," he mused with a mild amusement that had my eyes flying up to meet his. Despite his tone, there was worry etched deep into his dark eyes that wounded me in some strange way.

He'd worried about me for so long.

"I didn't know if you were going to survive. I tried to find you. I..."

I shook off all the guilt that tainted his words with a nonchalant wave. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Nic swallowed the words like they hurt, rocking back on his heels. Poised with an awkward discomfort, he looked trapped. As if he didn't know what to say.

Desperate to somehow claw my way back to our easygoing friendship from months ago, I asked lightly, "What are you doing here?"

That did it.

His eyes brightened to an everlasting, fading brown that complimented his darker skin. "Oh, I'm here with my sister. You probably know her. If what I heard about Bloodline is..."

His words died on his tongue as he glanced away from me.

And then he stumbled back, shock exploding through his features. With his gaze heavy over my shoulder, I knew what had evoked the sudden reaction.

Soren.

Still casually hovering behind me, Soren grumbled something under his breath. And then in one swift motion, he swooped me under his arm and sidled up to join the conversation.

"Mierda," Nic breathed, jerking away from us. Warm fingers dug deeper into my hips, preventing me from reaching out to comfort my old friend. "No fucking way. You're... uh, you're- fuck, you-"

In a bitter tone, Soren murmured, "Whatever you're thinking, yes. That's probably me."

Nic's eyes flashed violently, darkening within a blink.

Breathe.

When I glanced up to find Soren regarding him with the same type of animosity, my breathing hitched. A darkness swirled into the oceanic shade of green, invading ruthlessly. Soren pinned Nic with a look cool enough to freeze him in his place. "And you are?"

A faint blush trailed up through Nic's cheeks under the deadly scrutiny. Swatting at Soren's chest in warning, I tried to give Nic a reassuring look.

While Soren consistently had this effect on people, he wasn't going to hurt him.

"Soren, this is Nicolás, better known as Nic. I went to school with him," I explained cautiously. "He joined the gang not long after I met Seth."

Soren glanced down at me and I could already see the waves softening. So without looking away, I murmured, "And Nic, this is Soren..." I floundered for a second, but as I gestured to him, the words tumbled out. "Mi amante."

Heat flooded through me when Soren let loose a husky chuckle. "Tu amante, sí?"

Breathe.

Shaking off his teasing tone, I grappled with the loose clothing on the rack to stay standing. Soren could flip a switch quick enough to give me whiplash. Anything cold in his expression had melted within the second that the endearment left my lips.

Breathe.

In. Out.

"Fuck, that's his brother. They've been looking for him for years," Nic sputtered in disbelief. "He... they-"

Soren snickered. "Well, I'm not exactly hiding, am I?" With a grand gesture of his arms, he glanced around the bustling store. "I'm right here."

I didn't miss the challenge in his voice.

But what I nearly missed was the challenge that echoed in the dark brown eyes across from us. Something that I'd very rarely seen in Nic fought forward.

Shocked, I nearly stumbled back. And when his eyes turned on mine, there was some fierce plea that made me gape. "Fuck, you just got with another King, Ray. You're... you-"

"Don't call her that."

"That's what I knew her as."

"But she asked you to call her Lacey," Soren ground out, dropping his arm back over my shoulder. "Respect that."

"Respect?" Nic scoffed, steering his gaze back to the man I loved. "Tell me, did you really fuck over your brother?"

Breathe.

My heart lurched with the sharp swerve in the conversation.

I glimpsed at Soren just in time for those green eyes to flash violently. Both swirling oceans deepened to a depthless hue that could've shipwrecked anyone in its path. A catastrophe waiting to happen.

For one long second, I thought there was going to be a brawl in the middle of the store.

Desperate to defuse the situation, I fumbled with my words, "Nic, that's no-"

"Ray, you don't understand-"

"I do," I cut him off strongly. I was so sick of people telling me that I didn't understand. "I do understand."

In the strange lulling silence, as Nic shot me a look of skepticism, Soren admitted softly, "Sí. I fucked over my brother."

His quiet confession brought Nic to a standstill. His brows rose with the same faint trace of skepticism, suddenly drilling Soren with a hard look. "And you killed Drew?"

"Nic, I-"

Soren squeezed my shoulder tight enough to cut me off. "Sí, lo maté. ¿Sabes por qué?"

In a slew of Spanish, Nic answered him too fast. My head spun with the slurring, aggressive words that tangled together. I didn't know what he had said, but it didn't seem to affect Soren the way he wanted it to.

When I cast a wary glance up at Soren, there was only a slight twitch in his lips. Just barely edging into a cruel smirk that I hadn't seen in so long. "It was kill or be killed. I was protecting the woman I love."

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Breathe.

My eyes darted back and forth between the two of them anxiously, trying to catch up with the tense, unspoken argument unraveling in front of me. Between racks of clothes and air conditioning, it suffocated me.

Thick with an undeniable strain, the air sifted heavily between all three of us. It cracked like ice when I gasped for air, tripping over my words to defend Soren. "Nic, I- he... he's not a bad guy. Whatever you've heard... whatever- I swear, he..."

Nic didn't even look at me. With his dark eyes still trained on Soren, he nodded his head curtly. "And you're in charge of Bloodline now?"

"Sí."

And then surprisingly, Nic released a ragged sigh. Long and low, it resonated like a white flag across the battlefield. His expression dropped with a bittersweet defeat, as if that answer had elicited his sudden surrender.

"My sister talks about you a lot. Seems like she's got high hopes for you."

His sister?

Nic ripped his hat off jerkily, frustration laced in the short motion. "Man, you're just like... a legend," he laughed dryly. "I've just heard so much about you. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what's true or not."

A cool, taunting laugh left Soren's lips. "It's probably all true."

"Yeah?"

With a nonchalant shrug, Soren tucked me closer under his arm. "I killed my brother. I worked with the cartel for a few years. I ran the city's largest prostitution ring. I pined over my brother's wife for three years. And then I fucked him over when he tried to sell her."

My knees nearly buckled under the force of his words. As if I'd been sucker punched, I gasped for oxygen, taking in all of those confessions at once. It still hit me too hard — every time he admitted everything.

I still hadn't gotten over it.

Though his words were hushed, all of his confessions hung in the air without an ounce of anger or remorse or fear. Only a lazy carelessness that brought on a wave of vicious, unrelenting nausea.

Like he'd do it all over again without a second thought.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

A heavy weight pulsed at the back of my skull, bringing a hazy veil of darkness down over my vision. I was going to be sick. I was going to be fucking sick.

My heart hammered against my ribcage, leaping when a familiar feminine voice cut across the store. "¿Nic, qué tal? ¿Qué está pasando?"

A slur of words followed it, too far away for me to understand. But I couldn't mistake her voice.

Low and lilting and seductive in a way that still made me lick my lips.

As the entire store skewed, my gaze flickered towards the sound of her voice, waiting. Just waiting.

Tucked underneath Soren's arm and waiting for the implosion. I didn't understand. This didn't make sense. They were part of two different gangs. They were siblings?

When she sauntered around the corner, her eyes widened in shock. Deep and dark, they raked over all three of us before she muttered something vulgar under her breath.

"Camila."

"Reina. Lacey."

"Reina," Nic mused softly, his eyes finding mine. "She mentioned a new Queen. A Lacey."

And he'd have never known it was me, would he? He'd never have known that I'd ended up with Bloodline, would he?

I had to push the thought away, if only to face the tattooed Queen that was barreling forward in a tumbling mess of clattering hangers and frantic Spanish. "What are you doing here?"

Nic skidded to the side when she tossed all the clothing at him and then tried to throw her arms around me. With a grunt, Soren yanked his arm away to let her engulf me in an embrace.

"I had no idea you were Nic's sister?" I breathed, still trying to connect all the dots in my head.

"You know Nic?"

I didn't even hear the question. "Why are you two in different gangs?"

That silenced Camila. After a long moment, she detached from me and shot Nic a look of remorse. "We... had a few disagreements. Spent a few years not talking."

"What?"

"It was a few years ago, Ray," Nic sighed, juggling the heap of clothing with exhaustion.

"Ray? Raine? You're the Raine to that he went to school with?"

I nodded sheepishly, trying not to cringe at the old name.

I hated it. I hated it so much that it made me dizzy with disgust. Another wave of nausea knocked me over, wobbling as I collapsed against Soren. Immediately, his arm snaked around my waist to steady me.

Breathe.

"I can't believe I knew him and I didn't meet you."

Camila tugged her teeth between her teeth. "Yeah, it was... he wasn't exactly talking to me."

"Why?"

"I stole a girlfriend of his."

Soren snickered in my ear. "It's always about a girl."

Camila gave him a short scowl, but then something struck her so intensely that she nearly jumped. "Oh, carajo, Lacey! O told me everything! You and Seth and you- you..." She jerked away with a tender look, her gaze drifting down my tattered t-shirt. "And the bebé!"

Soren talked to her about me? And Seth? And the baby?

When?

"You're pregnant?" Nic snapped in disbelief. The harsh edge in his voice sent me reeling back in shock. "What the fuck?"

A blind sickness had taken me hostage. As both Nic and Camila started to shoot various questions at me, I felt myself sink further and further into it. Bile crept up my throat when Camila waved a hand through my blurry vision.

"Have you found out your due date? Have you been to a doctor?"

A doctor. A due date.

Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Those simple words pierced my heart in a volatile way. With all the intent to shatter what was left of it.

"No, not yet," Soren murmured from beside me. "We have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday."

Everything spiraled into chaos when he finally mentioned it. The earliest appointment we could get. Camila seemed to take it casually, but I heard it.

In the edge of his voice, in the slight hitch of his breathing.

Soren was just as scared as I was. If not more.

We'd somehow reached a silent agreement to not talk about it. Over the past few days, we'd distracted ourselves with all the newfound freedoms we had. Reading and writing and drawing. Julio and Adrian. Watching movies and sports and trying to shop in peace.

And in one moment, Camila had cracked our perfect little silence with that reality — fractured it.

She'd fucking shattered it.

Because it brought on an unstoppable ocean of anxiety. A numbness spread through my limbs, paralyzing me as my heartrate spiked dangerously. I was going to be sick.

Broken pants escaped wildly, tearing up my throat to reveal exactly what I was. Broken.

Soren pressed his palms against my hips gently in a delicate attempt to ground me.

But I was already sinking. Drowning.

My wobbling legs finally gave out and I collapsed against a flat black darkness that had never scared me so much.

Darkness. So much fucking darkness.

A heavy darkness, heavy with heat that suffocated me. A trickle of sweat ran down the back of my neck. A soft breeze skimmed along my damp cheeks.

Rough fingertips grazed along my forehead to push a damp lock of hair behind my ear. "Lacey, fuck. You're scaring me."

An immense amount of worry bled through the thick words. Soren was worried. Soren was scared.

I didn't want to worry him. I didn't want to scare him. Soren was supposed to be fearless.

Forcing my eyes open, I blinked rapidly to face those faded green eyes. Under the awning of the store, cascaded in shadows, a fringe of gold danced across my vision, slighting the glistening oceans that were staring down at me.

He was worried. He was scared.

Soren released a shaky sigh as our eyes met. "Fuck, Lacey. Should I bring you to the hospital? Are you okay?"

A hospital.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." I tried to convince him, but my bottom lip trembled. "I'm okay. I promise."

Soren nodded, swallowing thickly. A struggle unfurled within his eyes, darkening with the warring emotions. I could see it happening. He was debating whether he should bring me to the hospital anyway.

"Really, Soren. I'm okay."

And I was.

I hadn't expected to run into a shadow from the past, a man who had known me best when I was Raine. Just as I was starting to feel like I could be Lacey.

I hadn't expected Camila to pop our bubble. Our protection, our type of fucking armor. Our pathetic attempt at pretending that everything was guaranteed to turn out okay.

"Was this because of what she said? About the doctor?"

A rush of tears flooded through me, yanking out a low whimper. "I'm so scared, Soren. There's just so much. The universal and the doctor and the baby and you and I..."

So much that seemed so indefinite and improbably. So much that could go wrong.

"Hey, shhh, shhh," Soren soothed, pressing my head against his chest.

In the crackling summer heat, as he cradled me to his body, I came undone. Every fear and worry and possible disastrous outcome unraveled into another chaotic meltdown.

And yet, Soren stood steady and stable and fucking strong. Always so fucking strong for me.

It was over. Everything was over, but Soren and I were still struggling to function, to cope — to fucking heal.

Was it possible to heal when we kept suffering from new wounds?

"Will you hate me?" My words came out weak and muffled against the crisp button-up that he was still wearing. "Will you hate me if I... if I..."

"Lacey, there is no possible way that I could hate you. Absolutely none," he murmured in a pained voice, as if the thought actually hurt him.

Breathe.

With a gentle tug on my hair, he tilted my chin up to face him past the tears. "Will you get that through your thick skull? I love you and I will always love you. I am here with you. When you want me to be, when you don't want me to be, okay?"

That was too much pressure to put on him. I couldn't keep expecting Soren to be there.

"You're scared too," I stated, watching for that perfectly hidden fear to come surging forward. Soren masked it well when he didn't want people to see it. "You're scared."

He chuckled softly, ducking down to level his eyes with mine. And as he did, sunlight crossed between us to expose that fierce fear that I knew existed. "Of course I'm scared. I know you think I'm fearless, but I'm afraid of so many things."

"You're always strong, Soren. You're the strong one. Always there to pick me up and help me."

A bitter smile captured his expression. "Do I have to remind you of the time that you literally brought me back from the dead?"

Some loud cry erupted at the violent memory, but Soren reserved only a calm fondness when he mentioned it. "Why does that... why are you..."

He sighed as I trailed off. "I can't make you believe it, Lace. I can only keep reminding you."

Breathe.

Soren always reminded me. Siempre.

Two warm palms cupped my cheeks. I swayed to stay steady, to stay staring into them, to stay strong. "Fear does not make you weak, Lace. It gives you the opportunity to face those fears."

"And we will," I murmured hopefully, watching that ring of gold fight forward. "Together."

"Por supuesto, mi pareja. We always work together."

His soft reminder only sent me plunging into a dark abyss, gasping for air.

And reason.

What had I done to deserve him?

"I love you, I love you so much," I blubbered, watching the palette of colors smear together with new tears.

Tan and green and black. Tan skin and green eyes and dark curls. I loved it. Cocooned in those comfortable colors, I let myself simmer to a sniffle, listening to his shaky breathing.

Soren was afraid. And that was okay.

"Lace, Lace, Lace." Soren ran a hand through my tangled hair. "You are it. A lover, a mother, a leader. We are going to get through it, okay?"

I could only keep repeating myself. "I love you, I love you, I love you..."

Until he finally pressed his lips against my trembling ones. "I love you too, Lacey. I love you too. Okay? Okay? Please stop shaking... and crying. Please stop."

At the pained edge in his voice, I faltered, swinging my head away from him again. It knocked me out of the shade and I squinted against the onslaught of sunlight sweeping in from the right.

"It's so bright."

"Do you want to get an Uber back?"

"An Uber?" I laughed out loud.

Soren Calloway getting an Uber? Why did that make me laugh like an idiot?

"Well, at least you're laughing now. That's a step in the right direction."

It was short-lived. The uncontrollable giggles halted when I heard the soft footsteps approaching. "Is she okay?"

My vision sharpened and I swiped at my cheeks vigorously before looking up at a cautious Nic. Did he even know me anymore? Did I know him? Could we even be friends still?

"Are you okay?" he repeated, asking me this time.

Giving him my best smile, I nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm okay. Yes."

Nic nodded and swallowed hard, shuffling uncomfortably. He probably had no idea what the fuck had just happened.

Or maybe he did and he knew that he had triggered a part of it. With a guilty glaze in his eyes, he mumbled, "Cam got your stuff. She's on her way out right now."

"My stuff?"

Soren snickered, shooting me a sheepish smile. "I told her to just get what she thought would work in blue."

Blue. Just as I tried to muster up a thank you, my eyes caught on the crumpled collar of his shirt. "You bought it?"

"If mi Reina thinks I look handsome, I'll wear it."

My lips twitched up into a smile and this time, it wasn't fake. It wasn't fake at all. With a simple statement, Soren was somehow able to make me feel better. Lighter. Leveled. Grounded.

"Lacey." Her voice floated over the layer of music softly as she stepped out of the store. With a plastic bag hanging from her wrist, she closed the gap between us timidly.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that you... that it-"

What was she sorry for? This was my fault. This was because I'd thought it would be simpler to avoid everything and it had backfired. It had hit me with full force and sent me spiraling.

When I didn't answer, she asked, "What's wrong?"

I knew what she meant. So I simple told her the truth. "Nothing yet."

A wariness danced across her expression, but her eyes flickered down to where Soren had pressed a comforting hand against my waist. "Everything will be fine."

"Thanks," I whispered. "Thank you for that."

"O says we're merging. And even if we can't make that happen, I've still got your back."

I nearly burst into tears, letting a gratefulness overwhelmed me. Another person that had my back. Another friend. Another family member.

Nic sidled up with a sheepish grin and opened his arms again. "You'll be there tomorrow, huh?"

He didn't even have to say anything else. "Yeah, I'll be there."

So with a gentle promise in his eyes, he untangled from my arms and let me fall back into Soren. "I'll see you tomorrow, Reina. We can talk more. Catch up."

Catch up. Nic was alive. A happy laugh finally came forward.

"Reina, Reina, Reina," Soren slurred teasingly into my ear. "It's very close to your old name. Did you ever realize that?"

Trying to decipher the undertone in his words while I watched Camila and Nic retreat, I could only give him a jerky nod.

I'd never thought of that.

With every step they took away from us, I sank further into Soren's arms.

Into a comfort that I only found in him.

Into an easiness that I could only find with his presence.

Into a tranquility that was so fucking dangerous.

**THERE WE GO. Lacey has another meltdown? 😭

I think this is strange. Personally, I find this hard to write about. To reconnect with friends after an abusive relationship is hard. You don't feel like the same person anymore. 💔

I was so unsure with who I was and what I was doing that I didn't know how to act anymore. I'd been isolated from several people and connecting with them afterwards both hurt and helped me. It does make you realize how different you are now, how much you've changed and how much people notice.

So I think having someone there that Lacey knew before she really got into her relationship with Seth is good. Maybe he'll also be able to help her. Hopefully, we'll find out more about him soon. 😅

BUT DO YOU LIKE NIC? 💕He's kind of eh for me right now, but he was a really good friend to Raine when they were in school. ☺️

I LOVE YOU ALL! ❤️❤️ Vote and comment and shower me with besos! 😘