Tea Parties and Feather Boas (Luke Kuechly)

Chapter Eleven: Complicated

Luke stood in shock. He was not prepared for this. He probably wouldn't ever have been prepared for Lawson to show up, but here he was. What should he say? Lydia didn't want to see him. She had made that all to obvious.

"Well she found a dope for a boyfriend. " Lawson commented. "Didn't know she was married, huh? Trust me the shock will wear off."

Luke shook his head, bringing himself to respond not appreciating being called a dope. "I'm her boss. She nannies my daughter."

"Whatever man just let me in." Lawson rolled his eyes, trying to push past him, obvious oblivious to Luke's career as an NFL linebacker.

"No," Luke stood in the door way, keeping the other man from entering.

"Yes, that's my wife in there."

"Your 'wife' doesn't want to see you and technically I could have you arrested for trespassing."

"Oh, does the little man think he's all big and tough," Lydia's husband taunted the taller man.

Unbeknownst to both men, Lydia had woken up and was standing right behind the corner. "I'm just trying to protect her from you. You've obviously hurt her." A small smile made its way onto the woman's face.

Lawson tried once more to push past Luke but the linebacker pushed him back a little harder than needed, causing the smaller man to stumble back. Luke felt confident that Lawson would leave now, that is until he felt a fist collide with his jaw. The bigger man stumbled back slightly, holding his jaw in pain and a few curses left Lawson's mouth as the held his hand in pain.

Lydia's eyes widened, she'd never known Lawson to get physical like that. If anything he was the opposite, he was the one who broke up the occasional fights in their circle of friends.

Luke barely had time to think about fighting back when Lydia stepped in. "The hell was that, Lawson!?"

"It got you out didn't it?" Lawson replied. "How have you been, baby? You look good."

"Leave," Lydia said firmly, pointing to the door.

"Come on baby girl, you know you don't mean that."

"She said leave!" Luke replied, rather angrily.

"Not without my wife."

Lydia had reached her last straw with this man. He angered her more than anything else. "I am not your wife anymore! So go back to Savannah! Sign the damn divorce papers! And let me get back to my life!"

Lawson was taken aback. She had changed. The Lydia he knew wouldn't have yelled like that. She would have resigned silently and followed him begrudgingly. Sighing, he raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, I'll leave, for now, but we're not through. It'll take a lot more than that to get me to divorce you." And with that Lawson walked out, leaving Lydia and Luke in peace for the time being.

Luke never took his eyes off of Lawson as he left the property. He was so concentrated that Lydia almost made him jump when she said his name. "What?"

"I said do you want this?" Lydia smiled weakly, holding up an ice pack. "He got you pretty good."

"Thanks," Luke smiled weakly, placing the ice pack to his cheek.

"I'm sorry about him," the young woman apologized. "I've never seen him like that."

"Don't apologize for him. It's not your place to do that for him and you shouldn't feel like you have to, Lyddie."

She giggled. "Lyddie? I like it."

"Good, cause you're stuck with it," Luke chuckled. "Well I'm gonna head to bed. Sleep good... Lyddie," he said grinning, kissing her cheek softly without thinking about it.

Lydia swallowed, her cheeks heating up as her heart skipped a beat, and she stood there surprised. Luke soon realized what he did, shocked he did that. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry I didn't mean-"

"No, you're fine. It's nothing, really." Lydia tried to assure him and probably herself, her heart still pounding in her chest.

"Ok... Well... Goodnight then," Luke shifted awkwardly, waiting for Lydia to make the first move to go up stairs.

"Goodnight," Lydia said rather quickly, before indeed making a dash up the stairs and to her room.

Closing the door behind her, she slid down it. Who knew a simple gesture could cause such a reaction. Forget butterflies, she had a freaking hurricane in her stomach.

As Lydia Miller went through her bed time routine her mind went into overdrive. Analyzing everything that had just transpired, she cursed her overactive mind. It's what she did. It's what she always did. This situation scared her, She couldn't afford to loose this job. It just couldn't happen. It's was several hours before she fell asleep that night.

Luke also laid in bed, tossing and turning that night. Had he crossed a line, again? Was this gonna push her away for good? He needed her, finding another nanny right now was not an option, not to mention Isla loved her. He had no idea how to keep his feelings in check, he just needed to think of his little girl. He could do anything for her. Who thought such a simple gesture could complicate or at least make him feel like he'd complicated everything.