CHAPTER FIFTY

                    WALKING OUT OF THAT HOTEL MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE BEST FEELING SHE HAD EXPERIENCED THAT YEAR ALONE. The stale air and dim lighting of the room had been suffocating, and as they stepped into the open, the cool breeze against her skin was like a breath of fresh life. Lucy tilted her head up, letting the sunlight wash over her face, savouring the warmth that reached deeper than just her skin.

Beside her, Rio walked with a slow but steady stride with their bag over his shoulder. They didn't speak but the quiet between them wasn't heavy, it was freeing. The weight of those walls was finally gone and with it, a sliver of hope for what might come next.

For the first time in a long while, Lucy felt like they were moving forward. Away from the shadows. Away from the chaos. And toward something better. At leat, she hoped.

As they turned the corner about a block away, Lucy spotted a car waiting for them. It was sleek and blacked out, blending in with the shadows of the city. Standing beside it, leaning casually against the door, was Juan. His grin stretched wide across his face, an expression of ease that felt surprisingly comforting to her.

"There they are." Juan called out, straightening up as they approached. "I was starting to think you'd changed your mind about leaving."

Lucy couldn't help but return the smile, though hers was tinged with exhaustion. "As if we'd stay in that room one second longer."

Juan shook his head with mock disappointment and grinned. "I thought you two might've gotten too comfortable. Looked like a cozy little prison back there."

"Not quite." Rio muttered with a smirk, bumping fists with Juan.

Juan's grin softened as he turned his attention to Lucy. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug and wrapped his arms around her. She felt the genuine relief in his embrace, the way he held her a beat longer than expected.

"I'm happy to see you up and walking, hermosa." Juan whispered, his voice low enough for only her to hear. "Healthy, and out of that mess. It's good to have you back."

Lucy felt a lump form in her throat, moved by the genuine warmth in Juan's words. She nodded slowly, blinking away the weight of everything they had been through. "It's really good to be out." she said, pulling away and giving him a grateful smile.

Juan swung open the car door with an inviting gesture. "Come on, let's not linger here. We've got a world to dive back into, people to reconnect with and so much to catch up on."

Rio rolled his eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips as he ushered Lucy into the backseat. He followed her in and shut the door firmly behind them. As Lucy secured her seatbelt, Juan glanced up at the rearview mirror, catching Rio's eye. His eyebrows arched in a silent question, a look of concern and curiosity flickering across his face, silently asking what Rio had yet to voice. The tension in the air was palpable, each of them aware that the real conversation was still looming ahead.

Rio subtly shook his head, a quick gesture that said it all. Juan's lips twitched in understanding as he looked away, the familiar grin sliding back into place.

"Alright then." Juan said, turning the key and starting the engine. The car hummed to life beneath them, a low rumble that matched the undercurrent of tension in the air. "Let's get this show on the road."

"How've you been, Juan?" she asked, her voice breaking the silence in the vehicle as he drove them through Detroit. She caught his gaze through the mirror for a moment.

Juan's eyes flicked up at her, the grin on his face widening. "Me? I've been good, Doc. Keeping busy, you know. Got a new place downtown, you should come to my house warming party."

Lucy let out a soft laugh and shook her head in amusement. "Sounds like you've been making the best of it."

Juan shrugged. "You know me. Gotta roll with the punches. Besides, I'm still here, aren't I?"

She nodded and after a pause she shifted slightly in her seat, her tone more serious. "What's next?" she asked quietly. "With everything going on... what now?"

"I thought you wanted to let me handle it." said Rio, tilting his head to the side as he offered her a meek smile.

"I do." she nodded. "But I want to know now."

Juan and Rio exchanged another look, one of those silent conversations Lucy was used to but never quite liked. Rio shifted in his seat, turning toward her as his hand came to rest on her knee, his thumb tracing slow circles there.

"Turner's being handled as we speak." Rio said quietly, his eyes meeting hers with a calm steadiness. "There's a team making sure he won't be a problem for much longer."

Lucy exhaled slowly, feeling a wave of relief wash over her at Rio's words. She didn't want to admit how much the thought of Turner being dealt with eased some of the tension in her chest. "Good. That's good."

Rio's thumb stilled for a moment before he continued. "Beth's next."

The mere mention of Beth's name sent a cold knot twisting in Lucy's stomach. Hatred flared within her, a deep resentment she had tried to keep buried but it always surged to the surface at the thought of that woman. Once one of her closest friends now completely ruined.

Lucy clenched her jaw, biting down on her lip before speaking, her voice steady but laced with emotion. "I want to deal with Beth."

Rio's brow furrowed, his hesitation immediate. He glanced at Juan who pursed his lips, clearly uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed. "Lucy..." Rio started, his tone cautious as he looked at her. "Beth deserves to die for what she did. She didn't just cross a line, she burned the whole damn bridge."

"I'm aware," she interjected, her voice firm. "that's exactly why I want to confront her. She didn't just betray you, she ruined my life too."

Rio studied her for a long moment, the weight of her words sinking in. The thought of her putting herself in danger again gnawed at him, especially after everything. Juan kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but the tense set of his jaw spoke volumes about how he felt about the plan too. Neither of them liked it.

"I don't know, ma..." Rio murmured, his voice thick with reluctance. "This isn't just a confrontation. Beth won't hesitate. And I won't risk losing you."

Lucy's eyes hardened. "I'm not asking for permission, Christopher."

Rio almost flinched at the way she said his name. It hit harder than any raised voice could and he let out a sharp breath, his jaw tightening. "That's not fair, Lucy." he muttered, his hand dropping from her knee. "You know I'm trying to protect you."

Lucy leaned in and kept her tone firm as she said, "I get that you're trying to keep me safe, but you can't make this decision for me. This is about me and her and I need to do this for myself and my own terms."

"Your terms?" he scoffed as he shook his head in disbelief. "What? You think you can just waltz in there and have a little heart to heart? She'll twist whatever you say and use it against you. She'll see your vulnerability as a weakness, and she'll exploit it. Like she always does."

"Who said anything about being vulnerable?" shot Lucy as her frustration got the best of her. "I'm going to break her fucking nose."

"Lucy, listen to me—"

"No, you listen!" she interrupted, her tone sharp. "I know you want to kill her and I understand, I really, really do but you have to give me a chance to talk to her. I've known her almost my entire life and I need to get some things off my chest before you do."

Rio's expression hardened as he processed her words, the tension in the car thickening. Juan pursed his lips and tried to focus on the road in front of him as he led the car down the street.

"I'm fully aware of the risks." Lucy added, her voice steady but laced with emotion. "But this is about more than just her. It's about my healing. I can't move on until I face her and say what needs to be said."

"Lucy, you're playing with fire." he said, frustration seeping into his tone. "You think she's going to listen to you? This isn't some therapy session for your problems."

"Stop the car." 

"Lucy, don't be stupid." 

"I need to get out." She fumbled with her seatbelt, her voice rising. "I can't sit here while you treat me like I'm some child who doesn't understand what's happening."

Even as the words left her mouth, she knew she was being irrational. Deep down, she understood Rio was trying to protect her but the frustration twisted inside her, leaving her on edge. Her emotions were spiralling and she couldn't stop it. She needed space, needed air, something to release the pressure building inside her.

Juan glanced nervously between them, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Uh, guys, maybe we should just—"

"Juan, stop the car!" Lucy snapped, her eyes blazing.

He hesitated, looking to Rio for guidance. Rio shook his head, a warning etched in his features. "Keep driving, Juan. Just ignore her."

Lucy's frustration boiled over, a wave of anger that she couldn't hold back any longer. She had never been the type to sit idly by, especially not now. Her hand shot out, fingers curling around the cold metal door handle. The click of the latch echoed sharply in the tense silence of the car. "Let me out!" she shouted, cutting through the air like a knife.

Juan's eyes widened as he saw the door begin to crack open, his foot instinctively lifting from the gas. But before he could even think to stop the car, Rio was already in motion.

In one swift movement Rio lunged across the backseat, his body slamming into hers with just enough force to keep her in place without hurting her. His arm hooked around her waist, pulling her back toward him as he used his weight to press the door closed with a loud thunk. "What the hell are you doing?" 

He grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her to face him. His grip wasn't painful, but it was firm. His dark eyes locked onto hers, burning with frustration. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? You can't just throw yourself out of a moving car, Lucy! What's gotten into you?"

"Let go of me!" Lucy yelled, struggling against his hold as her breath came in ragged bursts. Her heart pounded, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. She shoved at Rio's chest, but he didn't budge, his strength keeping her pinned to the seat.

"Not until you calm down!" Rio shot, his voice unyielding as his grip tightened just enough to hold her in place. He reached up and grabbed her chin, turning her face toward him, forcing her to meet his gaze. His fingers pressed into her skin, not painfully, but with enough force to make sure she couldn't look away. "You need to stop this. Don't ever try to open that door again."

Lucy's breath hitched as she stared back at him, their faces inches apart. The intensity of his gaze cut through her anger. She could feel the tension radiating off of him, the fear beneath his anger. 

"Do you hear me?" Rio demanded, his tone softer now but still firm, not releasing her chin. "You think you're proving something by acting like this, but all you're doing is putting yourself in danger."

Lucy's jaw clenched, a fresh wave of defiance bubbling up inside her. "I don't care. Stop the car or drop me off at her place. I'm not asking again."

Rio fell silent, his gaze locked onto hers as he searched for some sign of compromise. But as the seconds ticked by, his expression turned cold. He finally leaned back in his seat, releasing her chin and the tension that had filled the air. "You heard her," he said to Juan, his voice flat. "guess we're stopping in suburbia."

lucy is being hella unreasonable it even annoyed me and the parents are fighting