I crane my neck to get a better view, trying to see past the head in front of me.

"Should I put you on my shoulders?" Dad asks seriously. I toss him a glare and smack his shoulder. "I'm just kidding, sweet pea!"

"Now is not the time," I mumble.

"He'll show," Mom answers from my other side.

I sigh and lean back in my chair, crossing my arms. "I wouldn't put it past him not to. Maybe I should go look for him."

"He'll show," Dad repeats and kisses my temple. "Even if he doesn't, it's okay."

"He can't miss his own graduation."

It was hard enough dragging Lucas here. He fought me tooth and nail when we woke up this morning. And I do mean fight. He was pissy about graduating, said it made no difference if his mom wasn't here, and didn't exactly like it when I said he's not doing her any favours by ditching. We got into a screaming match that scared Uncle Jax and Landon out of the house and Lucas proceeded to ignore me while I got ready for his ceremony. I was going either way and he knew it, knew he couldn't stop me. He reluctantly got ready too but not before angry fucking me bent over his desk. We were still mad at each other on the drive over and we parted ways when we got here.

I came to the field where the ceremony is being held and he went to student hall to get into gown. At least that's what he told me. I didn't spot him when all the graduates came out and took their seats at the front. I've been sitting here with Mom and Dad for the past half hour with no way to know if Lucas is going to attend the ceremony. He won't answer my calls either.

"Any luck?" I lean forward to look down the row where Uncle Jaxon is sitting. Beside him is Landon, Lizzie, and Mason who's holding Emilia. I can't believe she's already five-months-old.

"No," Uncle Jax pockets his phone with a sigh. "It's up to him if he wants to show, Liv."

I frown but don't say anything. The thing is his graduation was really important to Aunt Emily. I know so because she had big plans for this day, plans she entrusted me to see through during her final days. When she was saying her goodbyes to me, she made sure to leave me with this one last job to do for her. She was really excited about this day and I don't want Lucas to miss it. Nobody else knows about this so I stay quiet, sulking in my seat instead. I clutch my laptop closer to me and silently hope he walks across that stage.

"Why are you carrying that?" Uncle Nate asks from beside Mom. Aunt Del and Ava are with him, here for Zack. The rest of the family will be at the after party because three former Fighter's Den boxers are already attracting too much attention. "Do you want me to put it in my car?"

"No," I keep my eyes ahead, trying to hold back a smile. If this goes through, it's going to be great and I don't want anyone to even guess what's going to happen. "It's okay."

"She's being weird," Dad stage-whispers to Mom. "Do it back to her."

Mom leans in closer to me. "Did you accidentally search up something you don't want us to see? Is it porn? Because that's fine."

"Mamá!" I gape at her. Down the row the Cages and Hunters lose their shit, audibly snickering and doing an awful job of hiding it. Only Ava blinks in confusion. I bury my face in my palm.

"Not that kind of weird." I don't have to look at Dad to know he's horrified. I can hear it in his voice. "Let me live in my fantasy world where my daughter doesn't know anything about sex."

"While dating my son?" Uncle Jaxon snorts.

"Shut up!" Dad and I hiss at the same time. Uncle Jaxon's hands go up in surrender.

"He showed!" Lizzie suddenly gasps.

My head snaps back to the stage. Sure enough, Lucas is making his way to the very front row of chairs and takes a seat near the end. My chest pulses happily, knowing what's going to come next because of it. He really showed.

"He actually listened to you?" Landon asks is disbelief.

I hold back a smile, unable to take my eyes off the stubborn asshole that I love beyond belief. It's not always easy but it's so, so worth it. "He has his moments."

The ceremony starts, our Dean stepping up on stage to give his speech. It's the same old pat-on-the-back he gives all the graduates and then he steps aside. Names start being called by alphabetical order and I quickly open my laptop and get to work. I retrieve the file I stored away in a labyrinth of folders so no one would accidentally stumble across it. By the time I find the file, the B's are coming to an end which means Lucas is almost up. I click on the video and press pause at the very beginning, waiting anxiously.

"What is that?" The words are croaked. It was Uncle Jax but everyone is staring at my laptop screen.

"Surprise," I smile at him.

Uncle Jax raises a hand into his mouth, noticeably pulling in a deep breath as he stares at the thumbnail of Aunt Emily grinning. She took these videos months ago, way before things took a turn for the worst, and prepared accordingly.

"Emily," Mom whispers, tears already gathering in her eyes. She lifts a hand to the screen, her fingertips resting on Aunt Em's face. "Oh my God...what is this?"

"You'll see," I lean over to kiss her cheek before turning the laptop around.

A couple of names are called before we finally hear "Lucas Cage" and I click the video just as he steps up on stage. I stand up and raise the laptop above my head, calling out his name as loud as I can. His face is all kinds of bored and glum when he looks out at the audience but when his eyes land on me, double-taking on the laptop, his footsteps stop so suddenly that everybody else follows his line of sight from curiosity. But I don't care about them. I only watch Luc as his mouth parts, like the breath was just knocked out of him.

He watches the video, the one I've seen a million times now of Aunt Emily cheering and jumping up and down with so much energy it's like she's right here with us. I know Lucas can't hear the video but it's obvious with the way Aunt Em points to the camera that he knows she's cheering for him. I yell out "that's my sweet boy!" at the same time Aunt Em screams it in the video because Lucas deserves to hear that, and it looks like a choked sob escapes him as he sinks to the floor of the stage with his hands covering his mouth. All he does is shake his head, unable to tear his eyes away from the video and noticeably growing more emotional, the iciness in him melting away like it always does for Aunt Em. I feel my own throat constrict in response.

Thunderous applause breaks out when everyone else sees the video, the cheering growing incessantly louder for Lucas. It seems to jolt him out of his trance and he stands up again, quickly looking away and putting his usual hard face on, refusing to be vulnerable in front of audience. Still, he glances over every few seconds to make sure the video is still there and though his face is stoic, his eyes are full of longing and the barest hint of happiness. His mother made it to his graduation after all.

Lucas steps off the stage after collecting his degree and heads straight for our seats. The Dean doesn't even bother asking him to return to his assigned spot and merely watches him with a smile. The audience is wearing similar grins and I have to laugh because this might be the first time all of BU can actually stand Lucas. It's pretty hilarious.

I hand the laptop to Uncle Jax so he can watch the video, because that same longing expression is on him and his kids, and then I bound down the row to meet Lucas halfway.

He picks me up when I reach him and buries his face into the crook of my shoulder, his body shuddering. I clutch him tighter, my fingers threading through his hair to help him calm down. He'll always be the brooding man that doesn't trust a soul but not with me. Never with me. He lets me see all of him.

"What was that?" He rasps when he pulls away from me and sets me down. He visibly swallows, adam's apple bobbing. "That video...where did you get it?"

"Aunt Em made it when you started your final year," I explain. "She just wanted to make sure she covered all her bases."

"But how did you get it?"

"She had it saved on a USB she hid in her room. When she was saying goodbye to me she told me where to find it and gave me instructions on what to do with it."

He searches my eyes. "You two planned it?"

"Yeah," I reach a hand up and cup his face, my thumb brushing across his cheek. "I'm sorry I fought with you this morning. I didn't want you to miss out on what she did for you. She trusted me to get it done."

His lip tips up in the barest hint of a smile, the one he only ever gives me. He dips his head until it's level with mine, bringing our foreheads together. "I fucking love you, Livvy. Even when I fight with you and make things hard for you. Fuck, I'm still working on that shit."

"I know," I whisper and close the remaining distance between us. Our mouths meet and I know our fight is long forgotten. I think arguing has always come with the territory. Lucas and I are used to challenging each other and pushing each other at every step, but we're also there to catch each other when it's all said and done. It's not perfect but it's us. It's so fucking us.

"Was that what I think it was?" We're forced to pull away when Zack asks the question breathlessly, jogging over to us. He looks at me, eyes alight. "Was that really Aunt Em?"

"Yeah," I grin. "She had a few aces up her sleeve."

"Man, that is so like her," He shakes his head wistfully. He squeezes Lucas' shoulder. "Bet you're glad Liv dragged your sorry ass here, huh?"

Lucas scoffs and yanks away but he does reach for my hand, his thumb brushing across my inner wrist. I wink back, knowing it's his way of saying thank you.

"C'mon," Zack starts for the row our families are seated in. "Let's get out of here."

"Your name hasn't even been called yet," I point out.

He holds a roll of paper up, showcasing his degree, and points to the Dean as a silent explanation of how he got it. I roll my eyes. These two seriously don't give a shit about graduating but I can't say I'm surprised. I have no idea what they'll do next but something tells me they're going to take the world by storm.

Our families stand to join us when they see us head their way and slide out of their row. Hugs are exchanged alongside congratulations and then we hightail it out of there when a crowd starts to form around us. People walk up and ask for pictures but Uncle Nate kindly declines and has Sebastian lead us out.

As we head for the parking lot, rowdy noise catches my attention along with everyone else's. The Hockey team is gathered around a car, all of them in their jerseys and clearly drunk off their asses. I do a double take when I notice Beck because he looks absolutely wasted, but not in the way his teammates are. He looks...miserable.

My steps slow down without meaning to and Lucas stops with me. Knowing he doesn't like Beck, I try to shrug off what I just saw and start walking again but Luc grabs me by the shoulder. I look at him in question.

"Fuck happened to McCarthy?" He asks. If even he can tell then I'm definitely right to think something is wrong.

"I have no idea," I admit. I haven't talked to him since the day he came over. I see him around and we exchange a wave or a smile but that's it. Besides, he's sort of been AWOL. I don't know what's going on with him but it's like he's shrinking into himself. He's different somehow and not in a good way.

Beck finally catches my eye and looks over my shoulder at Lucas. He barely tips his head in acknowledgment at both of us before looking away again and stumbling to his truck.

"You should go figure it out," Lucas mumbles. I look to him in surprise and he must see it because he shrugs, clearly trying to brush my reaction off. "Fucker needs you, right? Go. I'm waiting here."

I bite the inside of my cheek to hide my impressed grin. Lucas will always be rough and tough at the core but he's come a long way from what he used to be. Sometimes he takes even me by surprise.

I go up on my tiptoes to kiss him in thanks and quickly jog over to the team. They greet me drunkenly and I offer a half-hearted wave, my gaze set on Beck. I find him inside the car sprawled in the passenger seat, taking another swig from an already half-empty bottle of alcohol. I duck my head, knocking on the window lightly. He startles and seems to hesitate a moment before rolling it down.

"Hey," He rasps. His gaze is unfocused. "What're you doing here?"

"Wondering if you're okay." I cross my arms, a frown pulling my mouth down. "What's going on, Beck?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"You're nowhere near it. Seriously. I'm asking as a friend."

He stares down at the bottle in his hands like it holds all the answers and swallows harshly. "We didn't qualify for the frozen four. I played a shitty game this whole year. My chances of being scouted are shot."

My stomach bottoms out in sympathy. I know how badly he wanted to go pro. "Oh, Beck...I'm so sorry."

"That's not even it," He whispers. "I did it on purpose. I ruined my future because I had no choice."

What? My brows pull in together. I was with him until he said that. Now I have no idea what he's talking about. "Why would you do that?"

"Huh?" He blinks at me for a moment then sucks in a breath, realization flickering in his eyes. "Fuck. Nothing. Never mind, okay? You should go."

"Beck—" I start.

"Please, Olivia. The point of getting drunk is not having to think about anything. Talking about this isn't helping me."

"But what did you mean on purpose? You—"

"Olivia." This time his tone holds a hardness I've never heard from him. I blink in surprise. "I'm drunk. I'm saying shit that doesn't make sense. It was nothing, okay?"

I know when to quit. I can tell by the way he looks away and his jaw clenches that he won't tell me anything. Maybe if this was a few months back he would've but our relationship isn't like that anymore.

"Okay," I relent softly. "I...I hope things get better. And you can always talk to me."

"Sure," He mutters. He shifts in his seat uncomfortably, still not meeting my eyes. "Thanks. I'll see you around."

"Okay," I repeat. I hesitate for just a moment, hoping to catch his eye, but to not avail. "Bye, Beck."

"Bye." He rolls up the window before he's even done saying the word. I'm not offended but I do feel bad for him. Maybe he knows he'll see the pity in my eyes and that's why he won't look at me. Either way, I leave knowing there's nothing else for me to do here.

"Did he make you upset?" Lucas demands when I reach him, searching my eyes.

"No," I quickly shake my head. "No, I'm upset for him. I think he's going through something really bad but he won't tell me. I'm not really his friend anymore."

Lucas crosses his arms. "If he's keeping his distance because of me tell him to calm the fuck down. He doesn't need to worry about that."

"No?" I raise a brow.

He shrugs. "You're mine. End of. He can be your little friend if he wants."

I roll my eyes. "Thanks, but I don't think he wants to. I tried, right?"

"You tried," He agrees. "Come on."

He grabs my hand and leads me back to his car. The rest of our family has drove off back to the Cage house for the after party. When I buckle my seatbelt I catch Lucas watching me intently and pause.

"What?"

"Thank you," He says quietly. "For the video. For getting me through losing Mom. For putting up with me when you had every right to walk away instead."

My chest warms and I cup his face, smiling. "You know I forgive you. You've more than made up for everything."

"I haven't," He rebukes seriously. "I still have a long way to go but I'll do it. However long it takes, firecracker. You're what I'm fighting for everyday."

My lips part when my breath knocks out of me. I'm not used to this side of Lucas but I've learned it goes miles deep. Everyone always told me that Lucas was capable of love in a way no one else is and I'm finally starting to understand that. That reason Uncle Jax told me to stick around for? This is it. He's it.

"I love you," I whisper.

The barest smirk forms on his face. "I know."

I smack his shoulder and he laughs, a genuine laugh that I haven't heard from him in months. And I know he's going to be okay someday because he won't give up on getting there. He's too fucking stubborn, isn't he? My mouth curls as I watch him drive, heart fluttering when he winks over at me.

Freaking devil.

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A/N

WHAT DID I TELL YOU GUYS! That character development? Immaculate. 10/10. So worth it. I'd die for Lucas. I can't believe there's only one chapter left!

Also, that mention of Beck? Hmm. All I have to say is, keep an eye out for that one...

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Happy Reading :)