Luca's POV

I watched Elizabeth's face fall as Allison pulled me away and through the crowds of dancing people. She held onto my hand tightly almost squeezing as if she was afraid I would run away. 

She pulled me out of the room and to an empty hallway out of sight. I could still hear the violins faintly coming from the room and I watched Allison in curiosity.

I wanted to know what she was doing here. If my mother caught wind of her then everything I had done to prove to them I wasn't the same man I was when they first sent me to New York would be in vain. 

Allison remained oddly silent as she paced up and down in front of me. It wasn't like her to be silent in any situation. She looked deeply disturbed. "Allison?" I said trying to get her attention and her head snapped up at me.

Her eyeballs were bulging and her nose was flaring. A thin scowl etched it's way to her thin red lips and she breathed heavily, her body shaking like she was about to combust. "What the fuck," she growled and I quirked an eyebrow. "Why were you holding her like that!"

"What?" I questioned in confusion. What was wrong with her. What was she so mad about.

"Elizabeth!" She yelled.

"We were dancing. How else do you dance?" I questioned.

"You've changed Luca," she growled poking an accusatory finger in my chest.

"Changed," I repeated. "How have I changed?"

"Before you would defy heaven and hell for me and now?" she asked. "You don't even answer my texts like how you used to. You can't even sneak out of this house to come see me. So here I am thinking that my fucking boyfriend would be happy to see me but no he wants to know what I'm doing here instead so he can get rid of me and go back to dancing with his perfect girlfriend."

"You know I'm only doing this for us!" I yelled in anger. "To make you happy."

"Oh yes I'm so fucking happy my boyfriend is in love with another woman!"

I went deaf. My adam's apple bobbed in the back of my throat as I gulped hard.

Love?

I didn't. Did I?

I didn't love Elizabeth. We had a great time together. We've been spending a lot of time together. I cared about her a lot... but she knew it wasn't... I didn't... we knew we were just pretending in front of everyone. But at the same time, there wasn't much pretending from the time we came to England.

"See you can't even deny it," she laughed sardonically and I just stared at her. My eyes frantic as the wheels in my head turned. "You know what even if you do love her what makes you think she'll love you?" I quirked an eyebrow at her. "You're rotten and you were unfaithful to me and most probably every other girl you've been with. That girl in there seems smart to know scum when she sees it."

I took a dangerous step forward and she took one back as she visibly gulped at my straight posture."I wasn't unfaithful to every girl I've been with mind you and if you're forgetting," I leaned in close as if to tell her a secret. "You cheated on me first." She shut her blue eyes tightly as if the words I said were a dagger I plunged into her chest. She kept on walking back and I kept my voice low as I stalked her with slow steps. "I just wanted you to feel what it was like." Her back hit the wall and she stared up at me frightened. I caged her between my arms and tucked the hair falling in her face behind her ear. "To love someone. Make it your goal to make them happy and then they betray you and for what a drunken one night stand," I seethed, taking a step back and creating space between us.

She looked at me with rage-filled eyes. "If I'm so horrible why are you with me!" She yelled. "Why didn't you break up with me and stay in New York." She stood up straight and I turned away. "Tell me why?" she yelled fisting my jacket in her hands as she stared up at me.

"Because I promised!" I yelled and her brows furrowed and she took a step back. "That day your fucking worthless father beat you beyond recognizable I made you a promise that I'd always take care of you." She blinked at my words and ran a hand through her blonde hair.

Her eyes were wide and they moved around frantically as she thought about what to say next. "I don't want to be with someone who will be thinking about someone else and that is exactly what you do," she pointed out. "When you came over to my house with that girl I had you for two minutes and in those two minutes all you spoke about was going to find her!" She yelled. "If she is so perfect, I am so horrible and you are none the better. Who do you think would love you for who you really are. All your tattoos. The hair and your horrible attitude. Me, not her."

I ran a hand through my hair. Allison stepped up and unexpectedly kissed me. My eyes widened when she slipped her tongue in my mouth, pressing her body against mine. "Luca-" someone called and I broke the kiss. I turned around to see Carlos standing with his eyes wide and jaw hanging.

Oh, fucking hell!

"You fucking prick," he called me. "She is a good girl. How could you?" He began walking over to me.

"Oh shut the fuck up you know nothing," I growled. He advanced on me and I stood my ground as he came to stand just inches away from me. "Give me an excuse to fuck you up. My hands have been itching ever since you turned your eyes on Elizabeth," I growled at him.

Allison gasped. "I fucking knew it."
I wanted to kill someone. Why was everyone so fucking irritating. "I'm leaving. Decide what the fuck you want. I won't wait for you forever." With that, she left leaving me and Carlos alone.

"What are you even doing here?" I asked Carlos moving to go past him.

"Just tell me why you would cheat on Liz," he said and I stopped. I wanted to swear him and tell him to fuck off while he still had all his teeth but I had to tell him the truth before he went and blabbed to Stephanie about what he saw.

"I would never cheat on her," I said turning around. "If she was mine."

"What are you talking about?" Carlos asked and I sighed.

"I need a drink," I groaned and began walking again.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Fuck. Did you not hear me. I need a drink so I'm going to the kitchen."

The entrance of the house was now clear of any people. I walked to the kitchen all the while hearing Carlos's footsteps behind me.

Nosy motherfucker.

I walked into the kitchen and he came in after me. I went to the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Irish whiskey. I took out two glasses and poured one for me and Carlos. He took a seat at the island and I passed the glass to him.

"Elizabeth is pretending to be my girlfriend. The girl you saw is my girlfriend," I started and downed the glass of whiskey.

"Wait why would you need a pretend girlfriend if you already had one. This makes no sense."

"Did you see my girlfriend?" I rolled my eyes. "My mother and Harry don't approve. They think she is the cause of my so-called bad behavior. That's why I don't live here because of her and my friends they sent me to New York." I poured another shot of whiskey into the glass and drank it down faster than the first. Carlos was still sipping the whiskey in his glass.

Pussy and he thought he could fight me.

"So when Steph told us she was getting married. My mother wasn't so sure about me coming back home. She didn't want me to go to Allison's or she didn't want me to attend the wedding with Allison and then I lied and told her I broke up with Allison. Then she wanted to set me up with Abigail-"

Carlos let out a low whistle. "Ai Está loca," he said under his breath. "I understand. Say no more," he laughed.

I smirked because I was glad Abigail wasn't only trying to sink her claws into me. "So that's it," I explained. "I just asked Elizabeth to pretend to be my girlfriend so that my family would think I've changed and most probably let me live here again. So that I could be with Allison and have my life back." I poured another glass of whiskey.

"ay, Dios mio," Carlos finally downed the whiskey in his glass and ran a hand through his hair. "This is crazy."

I nodded and drank the third shot like water. "If you dare say any of this to anyone else-" he held up a hand.

"Relax Mi hermano," he chuckled. "It is not my business to tell."

I nodded and poured another shot. But as much as I drank I couldn't drown out Allison's words. My head hurt. What was I going to do. Elizabeth also told me she wanted to leave and I still hadn't concluded how I felt about that. I didn't want her to go and yet maybe it would give me a clear head if she did. I drank the shot down and slammed the glass down on the counter.

Fuck.

I ran a hand through my hair trying to think. "We should probably head back to the party," Carlos said, standing.

I nodded and placed both glasses in the sink before moving to walk out of the kitchen with him. I wasn't sure if it was the alcohol speaking or not because Carlos didn't seem like a half-bad guy after all. "So that means Liz is available?" He asked.

I take it all back.

Fucking twat.

"No she's not," I growled and he chuckled.

Carlos swung his arm around my shoulders and I glanced at him sideways with a raised eyebrow. Did he suddenly think we were friends. "Mi Hermano my uncle Albert used to tell me that we only allowed one great woman in our lives. Don't make the wrong choice," he said patting my back as we walked to the event room.

We walked into the room and everyone was still dancing. The violins were still playing drowning out the sounds of people talking. Some people were sitting at the tables and among those people, I saw Elizabeth. She was sitting with my grandmother Scarlett. She smiled and laughed as my grandmother probably fascinated her with one of her adventurous tales.

Elizabeth's eyes widened when she saw me walk up to the table with Carlos. I could hear her questions as her eyes moved from me to Carlos. She would have some wise arse thing to say about this.  It almost felt like she was nice to everyone else besides me. She pretended to dislike me sometimes but I knew she could never hate me. I'd like to think that she liked me to some extent.

Carlos gave me one last pat on the back "Make the right choice. Don't let her slip through your fingers," he said letting go of me and walking over to where Christian was standing with an elderly man that looked a lot like him.

I walked over to Elizabeth and my grandmother smiled up at me. "Son where have you been?" She asked.

"Just talking to Carlos about something," I explained while taking a seat next to Elizabeth.

She leaned into me her brown eyes wild and full of what I could mistake for concern. "Why do you smell like alcohol?" She questioned.

She looked beautiful. Her brown chestnut hair was pin straight falling over her shoulders and over her large bosoms that peaked over the sweetheart dress. I tried not to look at her like that but it was hard when she was so fucking attractive.

I leaned into her. "Because I've been drinking princess. Want a taste?"

Her juicy red lips parted and her cheeks heated up. "Are you drunk?" She asked.

"No, I haven't been drunk since I was twelve," I laughed and she looked horrified. I had a high alcohol tolerance level. My grandmother cleared her throat with an arched eyebrow. "I mean- ur."

James suddenly sat down next to me, saving me from having to face my grandmother. He let out a breath as he looked at the centerpiece on the table. Henry and Harry soon came over and sat at the table.

"Those women have gone mad I tell you," my grandfather declared dramatically with a finger in the air.

"James mate what happened?" I asked.

"It's Amelia, your sister, grandmother, and mother," he sighed. "They've been making us take pictures for the last hour. My feet are cramping in these dress shoes mate," he groaned.

"There you are," came my mother's voice and the men groaned. "Luca you and Liz need to take pictures," she called and all of them let out great sighs of relief, and then it was my turn to groan.

Elizabeth got up from her seat ready to fulfill my mother's orders without complaint. I stood up and followed them to the side of the room where a camera was set up in front of the large windows that's curtains were drawn making the night sky and luminescent moon the backdrop.

The cameraman was busy snapping a picture with Stephanie and my least favorite cousin from Harry's side of the family. Fucking asshole. Hate was not the appropriate word. It wasn't strong enough to express my dislike for him and his obnoxious mother.

"Hey hey look who's here," Michael said and I clenched my jaw. He came over and shook my hand. "It's great to see you mate." My eyes flickered between him and Stephanie and Steph gave me a pleading look. Begging me with her eyes to be nice.

"Yeah great," I forced out and he chuckled clasping my shoulder. All this touching was spiking my nerves.

Michael is the son of Harry's sister. Merelda. She didn't like me nor did she like my mother. She passed around snide comments every chance she got about how my mother and I were lucky that Harry took us in. Especially me. She despised me but as I got older I learned to have fun with it. Since Michael was here his mother couldn't be far.

If the pup was here the bitch couldn't be far.

"Hello there," Michael said to Elizabeth and she smiled.

"Hello," she greeted him back.

I looked around and noticed my mother was gone. I searched around with my eyes and saw my mother and Merelda talking in the corner of the room. My mother's face was scrunched up in anger and her body language was showing me she was growing furious by the second.

"Luca, why didn't you introduce me and this young lady?" Michael's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"What for?" I asked, turning to look at him. "Where's your bat of a mother. The flash on the camera spooked her away?" I asked and he scratched the back of his head. The smile on his face instantly falling.

"Come now I know some things were said the last time can't we just bury the hatchet?" He asked in a voice of friendliness as he smiled. By some things he meant his mother calling me a bastard that got a free ticket for taking their family name. I would have preferred it if I had my father's name Griffith on my birth certificate instead.  But since I was unable to wipe my own drool off my own chin at that time. I couldn't have done anything about it and every time I told my mother I wanted to change my name she would go silent. She would say she didn't want a name to separate us.

"Boys play nice," Steph said in a warning tone.

I wasn't in the mood. If Merelda upset my mother it would be the tip of the iceberg for me. I turned to Michael. "If my mother cries tonight I will dismember you. Get that shrew away from her now," I roared and he gulped. He ran off in the direction of the creature he called mother and I watched as they exchanged a few words. My jaw clenched and I felt a hand on my arm.

I looked down to see Elizabeth who was staring at me in bewilderment, her eyebrows furrowed. I let out a breath trying to calm myself down.

"Luca what's the matter why-" Steph tried to ask and I gestured with my head to Merelda.

A look of understanding dawned on Stephanie's face. "Oh..."

Christian walked over to us with a juice flute in his hand. He handed it over to Steph who gulped it down in one go. And she wonders why I call her Stephen. "Why are you two looking murderous?" Christian asked.

"Least favorite aunt," Steph growled.
"Where are your mum and dad?"

"They talking with my brothers over the phone. Dante and Emiliano's flight got delayed."

Soon my mother walked over to us and Harry joined. "Shall we take a family photo?" My mother smiled trying to hide her anger.

Liz stepped out of the way. "What are you doing dear. You too," my mother told her and she looked at me.

I grabbed onto her hand and pulled her to me and in the frame of the camera lens. Christian and Stephanie stood in the middle and my mother and Harry beside them. We all had to turn sideways to fit. I placed my hands around Elizabeth's waist and stood behind her. The dress was soft and the material felt thin under my hands.

The guy snapped a few pictures making us stand in different ways. After a long while, he let us go and I rubbed at my eyes. Few more minutes and I would of went blind.

I turned to walk away. I needed another drink and Steph blocked my path.  "Luca, why don't you and Liz just take one?" Steph asked.

I shrugged and stepped back in the frame again. I stood beside Elizabeth and the cameraman picked his head up. "How about a comfortable pose," he suggested.

I stood behind Elizabeth and wrapped my arms around her center while her back was flushed against me. I saw the goosebumps form on her skin and I absentmindedly ran my hand over them causing her body to stiffen. I chuckled causing her to turn around and glare at me. It was oddly satisfying knowing that she was at least attracted to me by her body's reaction every time I touched her.

After a while of taking pictures, my mother and Harry called for the music to stop and tapped on their Champaign flutes. "If everyone could please join us outside for some fireworks," Harry announced.

Everyone began moving to the door. After what felt like an eternity of walking through the crowd of people we made it to the door and the open grassy field outside, where men were setting up pyrotechnics.

I caught a glimpse of Steph in the front waiting eagerly. In honesty, I was eager too. I thought it was stupid that they didn't want to know the gender in the beginning but I kept my comment to myself.

The first firework was launched into the sky, everyone watched patiently waiting for it to burst and reveal either pink for a girl or green for a boy, and then it burst and the sky lit up in green fireworks.

Stephanie held onto Christian and began crying. I saw my mother standing next to Harry who looked at the sky in wonder while my mother wiped away tears of happiness from her eyes.

I looked down at Liz who looked at the sky with a beautiful smile on her face before she gazed at Stephanie with a loving look in her eyes. All this time I thought about how my family accepted Liz. I failed to realize that she accepted them too.

I saw her begin to shiver and I took off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She looked up at me with a brilliant smile on her face and nudged me with her shoulder. I smiled down at her and then I just had another realization.

Allison might have been onto something earlier.

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

A/N

And finally, he realizes it.

But does Liz???

Or is she is still thinking about Beckett...

And will Luca act on his feelings?

Insert comment here...

💜P. A