The Last Doughnut Part 14
Title: The Last Doughnut
Author: Marsabi
Summary: When Damian disinherits Luke, can he survive in the real world?
Warning: Angst -well you know- the confrontation is here
Rating: PG
Part 14 Day Grief
His father was calling his name.
“Luciano ? Where are you? Luciano?”
Luke knew he must answer and soon. His heart skipped. His breath was caught in his throat. He needed just a second longer.
“Luciano?”
He was at his computer about to press the send button, about to destroy his relationship with his family forever, and he might be about to get caught -
---yet all Luke could think about was that he hates and loves them at the same time.
An hour ago, he finally went to the safe and tried the old combination. Damian had not changed it; his father was shrewd as a fox but so arrogant. It was beyond his imagination to ever think that anybody could outwit the great Damian Grimaldi. Of course, his father had never sat down and spoken to Reid. If he had, he might have been more cautious.
If he had taken the time to really watch Luke with Reid, Damian might have seen that he had underestimated the depths of Luke’s heart too.
Now it was done, except for a push of a button. He would send it to Reid and wait.
Luke rubbed his eyes tiredly and rested his elbows on the table. His finger still hovered about the mouse.
“Luciano! What are you doing? Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
Luke looked at Damian, who was standing in the hallway now. “Sorry.”
“I want you to tell your mother that I have to go out. She’s upstairs resting and I don’t want to disturb her. What are you doing? You look guilty,” Damian added, and started to walk over to him.
Luke tried to be quick with his response. “I was writing- I’m sorry- I know you hate it when I write my stories. “ Luke felt the smile he forced onto his lips turning numb.
Damian’s eyes were on him. He was closing the gulf between them with every step.
I’ll go to Reid. Soon this will be over and I’ll go to him. I’ll tell Reid how blue his eyes are and how sweet his voice is and how our bodies fit together so well . I’ll make love to him as if it were our first time- ----
Luke pressed down on the send button.
I’ll hold him and love him forever.
Luke closed his lap top just as Damian reached him.
“You’re right, I don’t like those stories. Waste of time, “ Damian said.
“So you’ve always told me.” Luke felt his stomach tightening.
“And yet you don’t listen, right?” Damian held a lecturing finger in his face. “ Cause here you are again writing. Those foolish stories. You need to grow up and take your responsibilities more seriously.”
“Do I?”
”Yes. Why not focus on what’s important?”
“And what’s that?” Luke felt the rage boiling inside of him and kept his gaze down.
“That you’re the heir to Grimaldi Shipping.”
“I’m not the heir to anything! “ Luke spat the words out at his father before he could stop himself. He looked up at him, all of Luke’s resentment suddenly visible in his expressive eyes.
Luke pushed away from the computer and stood up slowly, his feet felt like they were in concrete.
He’d done it now. There was no going back.
The information had been sent at least; he’d done that right. Reid would take care of it and he would be safe.
“What the hell is this, Luciano?” Damian hissed out softly. He suddenly grabbed Luke by the shoulders and pulled him close. “What are you talking about?”
Luke flinched. He turned head and tried to pull his arm free.
“I’m not your heir,” Luke said, his voice cracking. “I’m not anything to you.”
Damian released him in surprise, and Luke rubbed at his skin where his father’s fingers had been. Then he hugged himself and rocked back and forth on his heels like a child.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Damian said coolly.
“You’d deny it? I have the letter you sent me.”
“What letter?”
He came at Damian, flinging words at him like weapons: “You stand there and act like you don’t know. You make me sick. Grimaldi heir? Bullshit!”Luke’s rage spewed out of him. “ You disinherited me, remember? Then you went after my boyfriend - his job, his reputation. For what? So I’ll be that perfect son again? Guess what? “ Luke blinked back tears from his eyes. ”He never existed! “
“I didn’t send a letter- “ Damian denied .
Luke laughed hysterically. “You’re such a liar!”
“I didn’t send a letter.” Two spots of red were coloring Damian’s cheeks. His voice had turned razor sharp.
“He didn’t send it. I did.”
Luke and Damian both jumped at the sound of her voice.
Lily stood there at the bottom of the staircase. Her eyes like chips of ice.
“You did?” Luke repeated.
Lily gave a slightly, regal nod. “I did,” she repeated.
Luke felt like his head was about to rocket off of his body.
“Why?” Luke said in a small voice.
“For us! Our family!” Lily came right up to Luke , until they were face to face. “You were destroying us. Ripping us to shreds. Damian spent the whole summer in Malta upset. Your brother and sisters cried over you. And did you care? No. You’re off with that snake of a man.”
Luke stepped back from her twisted face.
“Cara, calm down,” Damian tried to restrain her. She shook him off.
Lily drew in a sharp breath.
“I thought if I fooled you with those papers from Damian’s lawyers and you assumed that we cut you off financially, you’d come back to us.”
“Why didn’t you just have him do it? Why lie and fake the letter?” Luke asked.
Lily glanced at Damian. “You’re his only child- his blood. He’s fond of the others, but…” She shrugged, “ I didn’t think your father would ever need to know. I thought it would be a few days, maybe a week, and you’d return to the house. But you didn’t. All these other people started helping you.”
“Cause they care about me!” Luke’s voice came out high-pitched.
“Care about you?” Lily gave a shrill laugh. “ They let you get beaten up. I care about you. Your father and I care. ”
“Why do you care?” Luke said in a frozen tone.
The simple question rendered Lily speechless.
“You’re my son,” Lily finally stammered out.
They watched each other like children in a staring contest, daring each other to blink.
“ None of this is for me. “ Luke spoke haltingly. “I used to think, when I was a boy that you were a terrific mom. But now I see that you didn’t protect me. You put your own wants ahead of me. Always. You let bad things happen, so that life could be easier for you. “ Luke swallowed back the bitterness nearly choking him. “ That’s how you care for me? What kind of mother did that make you, in the end?”
“Luciano, enough! Stop this. Your mother can’t take any more of the pain that you’re causing her. “
“She committed fraud, “ Luke said to Damian. “She had fake legal documents drawn up to let me believe that you-“ He shook his head. “How can you defend her ?”
“She’s my wife,” Damian said simply. “Her intentions were good.”
Luke sucked in some air painfully . He stared at Damian. “And going after Reid? Using Casey? Was that you or was that Mom?”
“Going after that man? That was a pleasure. ” Damian’s face was a cold mask. “Your mother needed my help .We wanted to save our family. Can you understand that at all? She came to me. So I went after him, yes. I’d do it again. He’s nothing . Garbage. Worse than trash.”
Luke’s breathing was the only audible sound in the room. He felt like his lungs were straining.
“You’re not going to touch him. Or hurt his reputation again.” Luke narrowed his eyes at his father. A small, warning voice inside of his head told him to stop. Not to say any more. He was supposed to wait for Reid. But Luke just couldn’t take it one more moment.
He stepped all the way to Damian, so that there was only a sliver of space between them.
“ Do you know why you won’t ever trouble him again? Cause I went into the safe this morning, copied your files and took your flash drive. I have the crooked books. I have the proof. I have it all,” Luke told Damian rigidly, “And if you ever hurt Reid , I’ll send you to jail.”
The threat hung there in the dead silence.
“Well, “ Damian said crisply, almost proudly. “You are not so different from me after all.
Go ahead. Try. You can’t threaten me and succeed.“
“It’s not just you I’m threatening,” Luke answered back and looked at Lily.
Lily stiffened, her eyes glazed with hurt. “You’re threatening me now?”
“Your forged documents are a crime. “
“I wanted to stop you from ruining your life. Is that a surprise? “ Lily said, focusing on Luke’s face. “Everything I’ve done has been for you. To save you .“
She reached a hand out to him. Luke ducked away.
“I’m saving myself.” Luke whole face hardened.
Lily began to sob. She buried herself in Damian’s shoulder.
“And by the way,” Luke said to Damian, “those stories you hate? With Maddie’s encouragement, I sent one to a little magazine in New York and it’s going to be published. Want to know what it’s about? “ Luke’s mouth trembled a second and then twisted up in grief. “Me. The camp. Being gay. It’s just a small press, but who knows what’s next? Now everybody can read about your queer son.”
“Just go, “Damian said quietly, wrapping a protective arm around Lily. “You’ve done enough damage here, Luciano. “ Damian gestured to the door. “You have your wish. You’re free. Go and don’t ever come back.”
Luke picked up his computer and headed to the door. He could feel their hatred at his back. With trembling fingers, he stepped into the harsh sunlight. He walked a few steps to his car and then halted. He put one hand on his car to steady himself.
Luke closed his eyes, feeling the end of everything now.
***
At the farm, Luke quickly threw the saddle on his horse. He had just come from a talk with Holden. It hadn’t been easy. Holden had been very upset that he’d been kept in the dark. Luke had wanted to be the one he heard it from first. But now he was sorry he’d come. It was more than he could take.
He just wanted a ride. He wanted to gallop into the woods and cry his eyes out. Then he’d go and see Reid. He had sent the information to him just an hour ago, but it felt like an eternity of time.
The barn door creaked open. Luke jerked his head in that direction.
“What the hell is going on?” Reid asked him, his feet planted. “I get the email message and then nothing? Nothing? What the hell? “ Reid came up to Luke and the horse. “If Holden hadn’t called me I’d be on my way to that house.”
Luke rubbed a hand at the nape of his neck. “It’s over. It’s done.”
“What-?” Reid looked at him, his mouth aghast. Then a stream of profanity came out of his lips. “You confronted them without me? Without anybody?”
Luke climbed up on the horse. “I need to ride. “
“No,” Reid tried to grab at him, “We need to talk. How fucking stupid are you?”
“You have no idea what happened there!” Luke shook his head. “Look, just wait for me with Dad. Or go back to Al’s .Whatever. You really don’t want to stop me from riding right now.”
“And you really need to talk to me. “ Reid grabbed at him again. “Right now!”
“You want to talk to me?” Luke said furiously, “Fine. Get on.” He pulled at Reid. “Get on or go away.”
Reid looked at where Luke held him. Then he looked up at Luke.
“Pull me up,” Reid demanded angrily, “There is no way we are putting this off!”
Luke helped Reid up onto the horse. Reid sat awkwardly behind him, and grabbed at Luke’s waist.
Luke made a clicking noise and dug his heels in. The horse took off out of the barn, racing for the woods
Author: Marsabi
Summary: When Damian disinherits Luke, can he survive in the real world?
Warning: Angst -well you know- the confrontation is here
Rating: PG
Part 14 Day Grief
His father was calling his name.
“Luciano ? Where are you? Luciano?”
Luke knew he must answer and soon. His heart skipped. His breath was caught in his throat. He needed just a second longer.
“Luciano?”
He was at his computer about to press the send button, about to destroy his relationship with his family forever, and he might be about to get caught -
---yet all Luke could think about was that he hates and loves them at the same time.
An hour ago, he finally went to the safe and tried the old combination. Damian had not changed it; his father was shrewd as a fox but so arrogant. It was beyond his imagination to ever think that anybody could outwit the great Damian Grimaldi. Of course, his father had never sat down and spoken to Reid. If he had, he might have been more cautious.
If he had taken the time to really watch Luke with Reid, Damian might have seen that he had underestimated the depths of Luke’s heart too.
Now it was done, except for a push of a button. He would send it to Reid and wait.
Luke rubbed his eyes tiredly and rested his elbows on the table. His finger still hovered about the mouse.
“Luciano! What are you doing? Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
Luke looked at Damian, who was standing in the hallway now. “Sorry.”
“I want you to tell your mother that I have to go out. She’s upstairs resting and I don’t want to disturb her. What are you doing? You look guilty,” Damian added, and started to walk over to him.
Luke tried to be quick with his response. “I was writing- I’m sorry- I know you hate it when I write my stories. “ Luke felt the smile he forced onto his lips turning numb.
Damian’s eyes were on him. He was closing the gulf between them with every step.
I’ll go to Reid. Soon this will be over and I’ll go to him. I’ll tell Reid how blue his eyes are and how sweet his voice is and how our bodies fit together so well . I’ll make love to him as if it were our first time- ----
Luke pressed down on the send button.
I’ll hold him and love him forever.
Luke closed his lap top just as Damian reached him.
“You’re right, I don’t like those stories. Waste of time, “ Damian said.
“So you’ve always told me.” Luke felt his stomach tightening.
“And yet you don’t listen, right?” Damian held a lecturing finger in his face. “ Cause here you are again writing. Those foolish stories. You need to grow up and take your responsibilities more seriously.”
“Do I?”
”Yes. Why not focus on what’s important?”
“And what’s that?” Luke felt the rage boiling inside of him and kept his gaze down.
“That you’re the heir to Grimaldi Shipping.”
“I’m not the heir to anything! “ Luke spat the words out at his father before he could stop himself. He looked up at him, all of Luke’s resentment suddenly visible in his expressive eyes.
Luke pushed away from the computer and stood up slowly, his feet felt like they were in concrete.
He’d done it now. There was no going back.
The information had been sent at least; he’d done that right. Reid would take care of it and he would be safe.
“What the hell is this, Luciano?” Damian hissed out softly. He suddenly grabbed Luke by the shoulders and pulled him close. “What are you talking about?”
Luke flinched. He turned head and tried to pull his arm free.
“I’m not your heir,” Luke said, his voice cracking. “I’m not anything to you.”
Damian released him in surprise, and Luke rubbed at his skin where his father’s fingers had been. Then he hugged himself and rocked back and forth on his heels like a child.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Damian said coolly.
“You’d deny it? I have the letter you sent me.”
“What letter?”
He came at Damian, flinging words at him like weapons: “You stand there and act like you don’t know. You make me sick. Grimaldi heir? Bullshit!”Luke’s rage spewed out of him. “ You disinherited me, remember? Then you went after my boyfriend - his job, his reputation. For what? So I’ll be that perfect son again? Guess what? “ Luke blinked back tears from his eyes. ”He never existed! “
“I didn’t send a letter- “ Damian denied .
Luke laughed hysterically. “You’re such a liar!”
“I didn’t send a letter.” Two spots of red were coloring Damian’s cheeks. His voice had turned razor sharp.
“He didn’t send it. I did.”
Luke and Damian both jumped at the sound of her voice.
Lily stood there at the bottom of the staircase. Her eyes like chips of ice.
“You did?” Luke repeated.
Lily gave a slightly, regal nod. “I did,” she repeated.
Luke felt like his head was about to rocket off of his body.
“Why?” Luke said in a small voice.
“For us! Our family!” Lily came right up to Luke , until they were face to face. “You were destroying us. Ripping us to shreds. Damian spent the whole summer in Malta upset. Your brother and sisters cried over you. And did you care? No. You’re off with that snake of a man.”
Luke stepped back from her twisted face.
“Cara, calm down,” Damian tried to restrain her. She shook him off.
Lily drew in a sharp breath.
“I thought if I fooled you with those papers from Damian’s lawyers and you assumed that we cut you off financially, you’d come back to us.”
“Why didn’t you just have him do it? Why lie and fake the letter?” Luke asked.
Lily glanced at Damian. “You’re his only child- his blood. He’s fond of the others, but…” She shrugged, “ I didn’t think your father would ever need to know. I thought it would be a few days, maybe a week, and you’d return to the house. But you didn’t. All these other people started helping you.”
“Cause they care about me!” Luke’s voice came out high-pitched.
“Care about you?” Lily gave a shrill laugh. “ They let you get beaten up. I care about you. Your father and I care. ”
“Why do you care?” Luke said in a frozen tone.
The simple question rendered Lily speechless.
“You’re my son,” Lily finally stammered out.
They watched each other like children in a staring contest, daring each other to blink.
“ None of this is for me. “ Luke spoke haltingly. “I used to think, when I was a boy that you were a terrific mom. But now I see that you didn’t protect me. You put your own wants ahead of me. Always. You let bad things happen, so that life could be easier for you. “ Luke swallowed back the bitterness nearly choking him. “ That’s how you care for me? What kind of mother did that make you, in the end?”
“Luciano, enough! Stop this. Your mother can’t take any more of the pain that you’re causing her. “
“She committed fraud, “ Luke said to Damian. “She had fake legal documents drawn up to let me believe that you-“ He shook his head. “How can you defend her ?”
“She’s my wife,” Damian said simply. “Her intentions were good.”
Luke sucked in some air painfully . He stared at Damian. “And going after Reid? Using Casey? Was that you or was that Mom?”
“Going after that man? That was a pleasure. ” Damian’s face was a cold mask. “Your mother needed my help .We wanted to save our family. Can you understand that at all? She came to me. So I went after him, yes. I’d do it again. He’s nothing . Garbage. Worse than trash.”
Luke’s breathing was the only audible sound in the room. He felt like his lungs were straining.
“You’re not going to touch him. Or hurt his reputation again.” Luke narrowed his eyes at his father. A small, warning voice inside of his head told him to stop. Not to say any more. He was supposed to wait for Reid. But Luke just couldn’t take it one more moment.
He stepped all the way to Damian, so that there was only a sliver of space between them.
“ Do you know why you won’t ever trouble him again? Cause I went into the safe this morning, copied your files and took your flash drive. I have the crooked books. I have the proof. I have it all,” Luke told Damian rigidly, “And if you ever hurt Reid , I’ll send you to jail.”
The threat hung there in the dead silence.
“Well, “ Damian said crisply, almost proudly. “You are not so different from me after all.
Go ahead. Try. You can’t threaten me and succeed.“
“It’s not just you I’m threatening,” Luke answered back and looked at Lily.
Lily stiffened, her eyes glazed with hurt. “You’re threatening me now?”
“Your forged documents are a crime. “
“I wanted to stop you from ruining your life. Is that a surprise? “ Lily said, focusing on Luke’s face. “Everything I’ve done has been for you. To save you .“
She reached a hand out to him. Luke ducked away.
“I’m saving myself.” Luke whole face hardened.
Lily began to sob. She buried herself in Damian’s shoulder.
“And by the way,” Luke said to Damian, “those stories you hate? With Maddie’s encouragement, I sent one to a little magazine in New York and it’s going to be published. Want to know what it’s about? “ Luke’s mouth trembled a second and then twisted up in grief. “Me. The camp. Being gay. It’s just a small press, but who knows what’s next? Now everybody can read about your queer son.”
“Just go, “Damian said quietly, wrapping a protective arm around Lily. “You’ve done enough damage here, Luciano. “ Damian gestured to the door. “You have your wish. You’re free. Go and don’t ever come back.”
Luke picked up his computer and headed to the door. He could feel their hatred at his back. With trembling fingers, he stepped into the harsh sunlight. He walked a few steps to his car and then halted. He put one hand on his car to steady himself.
Luke closed his eyes, feeling the end of everything now.
***
At the farm, Luke quickly threw the saddle on his horse. He had just come from a talk with Holden. It hadn’t been easy. Holden had been very upset that he’d been kept in the dark. Luke had wanted to be the one he heard it from first. But now he was sorry he’d come. It was more than he could take.
He just wanted a ride. He wanted to gallop into the woods and cry his eyes out. Then he’d go and see Reid. He had sent the information to him just an hour ago, but it felt like an eternity of time.
The barn door creaked open. Luke jerked his head in that direction.
“What the hell is going on?” Reid asked him, his feet planted. “I get the email message and then nothing? Nothing? What the hell? “ Reid came up to Luke and the horse. “If Holden hadn’t called me I’d be on my way to that house.”
Luke rubbed a hand at the nape of his neck. “It’s over. It’s done.”
“What-?” Reid looked at him, his mouth aghast. Then a stream of profanity came out of his lips. “You confronted them without me? Without anybody?”
Luke climbed up on the horse. “I need to ride. “
“No,” Reid tried to grab at him, “We need to talk. How fucking stupid are you?”
“You have no idea what happened there!” Luke shook his head. “Look, just wait for me with Dad. Or go back to Al’s .Whatever. You really don’t want to stop me from riding right now.”
“And you really need to talk to me. “ Reid grabbed at him again. “Right now!”
“You want to talk to me?” Luke said furiously, “Fine. Get on.” He pulled at Reid. “Get on or go away.”
Reid looked at where Luke held him. Then he looked up at Luke.
“Pull me up,” Reid demanded angrily, “There is no way we are putting this off!”
Luke helped Reid up onto the horse. Reid sat awkwardly behind him, and grabbed at Luke’s waist.
Luke made a clicking noise and dug his heels in. The horse took off out of the barn, racing for the woods