Lucius-Ever Green Series Book Three

It has been two months since Chloe and Lucius had to travel to Pennsylvania to settle the trial that took two months and half of Chloe's life. At times, Chloe deals with nightmares but not as frequent. Chloe is glad that she can move on from her past. She's hoping that Lucius would make up his mind about taking the next step with marrying her. They have been talking about it for weeks.

"Are you sure about this?" Lucius asked.

"I am very sure about doing this. We can elope and celebrate later," Chloe told Lucius.

"What about our parents?" Lucius questioned.

"We will tell them what we agreed on. They can come to witness at the courthouse. We are getting legally married in the human terms. What are your weddings like in supernatural society?" Chloe asks Lucius, who was walking away. He never answers her.

There was a knock on the door. Chloe answered it and saw her friend, Margo, was standing on the porch. She lets her in. Margo sat down on the couch.

"Thank god, my feet are killing me," Margo comments.

"Margo?" Chloe asked, "What’s wrong?"

"It’s Ava. She is refusing to accept that her brother and I want her to try to go to a public high school for her senior year and get a job over the summer. It was a part of the agreement we made with her when we first arrived at Billings, and she only gets mad about it. What should I do?" Margo asks her friend for advice.

"We both know how she is. Ava will have to agree to the terms. Did Thomas try talking to her? Or did he leave you with talking to her?" Chloe asked.

"He left me to do it, and that's why I came here to ask for advice. You would be the only one who I can come to about dealing with her at times." Margo explained.

"Well, Thomas is an adult and needs to show who's in charge. Not leave everything for you to deal with. Raising a teenager is difficult in itself. You should have a talk with Thomas." Chloe gave her best advice.

Lucius came back out of the room and noticed Margo sitting in the living room. He sat down and asked, "What’s going on?"

"It’s Ava, being stubborn again," Chloe replied.

"Why is she being stubborn this time?" Lucius questioned.

"She is refusing to go back to a public high school and get a job over the summer. Thomas left me to deal with her," Margo mentioned.

Chloe sat still and did not say anything else. She noticed her cell phone rang and picked it up. Then she walks to the kitchen to talk to her mother. Margo followed behind her to get a drink.

"What’s up, mom?" Chloe answers.

"Your father wants you guy not to get eloped at the courthouse but at our house," Mrs. Swartz advised.

"Mom, but I don't want to do that. I will elope at the courthouse since both you and Dad agreed to do that. Miles will be there as Lucius’s witness." Chloe said, putting her phone down a second to rub her face. She picks it back up again, "I always wanted to be my goal. I am not into that elaborate celebrations,"

"But Chloe," Mrs. Swartz replies.

"No, buts Mom," Chloe replies and hangs up.

"Wait, are you and Lucius planning on getting married at the courthouse? Your parents don't agree to do that? Why was I not informed about this?" Margo questioned Chloe, now standing with her hands on her hips and scolding look on her face.

"Yes and yes to both the questions. I am sorry I forgot to mention it. Pregnant brain. Sorry, can you forgive me?" Chloe apologies.

"It’s okay. Half the time, I forget my keys in the fridge," Margo told Chloe, laughing at her jokes.

"Would you like to help me and be a witness at the courthouse," Chloe asked.

"Yes. When is the elopement ceremony taking place?" Margo suddenly asked.

"Not for a couple of days yet. Lucius and I need to make an appointment at the courthouse. Then we will let you know and our parents too. After we can celebrate then," Chloe informed Margo.

"Alright, but do you need help picking out a wedding dress?" Margo questioned.

"I have no clue what style to get, and that would be great. Thank you. My mother will be there to help and judge, too," Chloe laughs and hugs her friend.

"Thomas, can help me pick a tux," Lucius said as he was coming into the kitchen.

"I will have to ask him when I get home after I talk to him about leaving me to deal with the parenting a teenager," Margo comments and downs her drink, "I should be getting back."

"Text me later about what happens," Chloe follows Margo to the door. She shows her out and hugs her again.

"I guess we are changing plans on the courthouse to a mircowedding instead. Do you think we should do that?" Lucius asks.

"Maybe since we have more faces coming now," Chloe agreed.

Two days later, Chloe, Margo, and Mrs. Swartz was at the local dress shop looking at wedding dresses. Chloe looked in the mirror at her pregnant stomach and turned towards Margo.

"Does this dress make my stomach look alright?" Chloe asked.

"I think the ivory or creme would look better with your skin tone. The white with that dress makes you look dead," Margo suggests.

Chloe takes the other two dresses and tries them on. She looks in the mirror again. This time, she actually liked the dress. Going out to show both women, she twirled for them

"What do you think?" Chloe asks both of them.

"I like it," Margo comments.

"I still think you should have gone with the white instead of the ivory," Mrs. Swartz mentions.

"That dress makes me look. I am dead. I am picking the ivory, and it makes me feel great. Besides being pregnant and in my third trimester. You guys are entitled to your opinions, but I am sticking with the ivory." Chloe said with confidence. She walks back to the dressing room to change.

Margo and Mrs. Swartz looked stunned by Chloe's comments. Both ladies looked at either and gathered their things to go checkout at the register. Chloe comes back out with the dress in hand.

"Do you think we could stop for something to eat?" Margo asks.

They stopped for something to eat and went back to Chloe's apartment to relax after being out most of the day. Lucius was still out with Thomas and his father. The girls were exhausted and pregnant and did not help either. Both girls ended up falling asleep on the couch. Mrs. Swartz had already left when both of them were asleep. Thankfully, she locked the door before leaving.

The door opened again, and both Thomas and Lucius laughed loudly. The laughing woke up the girls who were deep sleep. Chloe groggy from sleep, "Do you guys need to laugh so loud? Some of us are trying to sleep."

"Sorry," Lucius apologies. He motions for Thomas to be quiet and points at the girls' sleeping. Then both leave the apartment again after getting whatever it was.

It was only after midnight when Chloe shook Margo to get up. Margo was in deep sleep. Chloe decided to get up to make something to eat and grab tea from the fridge. She started humming to herself. Then the front door to the apartment opened, and the guys were back, but this time more quiet.

"I did not know you were awake," Lucius said, surprised coming into the kitchen.

"I got hungry, so I wanted to make something at midnight. Do you want some?" Chloe asks Lucius.

"Nah," Lucius said and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. He walks out to the living room.

Chloe was done making her food and cleaning up the kitchen. She goes back out to the living room and sees Margo awake. Thomas sat next to her. Chloe sat down next to Lucius.

"How was the rest of your day?" Chloe asked innocently to break the silence. Then she takes off bite of her sandwich and shoves it in her mouth.

"We got everything we needed, so that is done and out of the way. The tuxes are a gray color and light blue dress shirts. How about you girls?" Thomas told the room.

"We got everything but took a bit for Chloe to decide on a dress. Because of her mother not liking the ones she was choosing to try on. Basically, her mother was trying to picky like it was her wedding. I personally was about to say something but bit my tongue on the matter. We had lunch soon after and fell asleep." Margo said to both Lucius and Thomas.

It was getting late, Chloe let Margo and Thomas go to the guest room since it was late to leave to go back to Billings. Chloe and Lucius went to bed themselves. Although she was trying to get back to sleep, her mind would not shut off. She was nervous about the coming days due to actually getting married to someone who treats her right. At times, she still is afraid that Lucius would turn out to be like Joe. Chloe lost her trust in people after what happened in the last couple of months.

It was not until three in the morning that Chloe was able to shut off her mind to fall asleep. Chloe was hoping in the next two days that things would run smoothly for both her and Lucius. Each of them both wanted a day where their was no stress on either of them. By mid-morning, Margo and Thomas were up and about the apartment. They made breakfast for everyone.

Then the phone rang, this time was not Chloe's but Lucius’s phone. Lucius looks at the screen and notices the number. He got up and left the room to answer. Chloe watches Lucius’s back. She got up from the table and slowly evasdrops on the conversation.

"Son, when were you going to tell your mother that you were marrying that girl?" Miles asked.

"I was never going to tell my mother about us getting married. Since she has been imprisoned and never going to be seen again. She was never really around in my life, so why should I have to tell her anything." Lucius said, was about to hang up.

"I know your mother has not been around, but she should have been told since she rescued Chloe. I am still mad to know she had an affair with my boss. That part broke me and never fully trusted your mother. She is still your mother. I respect your decision," Miles told Lucius before he hangs up.

"What was that about?" Chloe asks, standing behind him.

"My father was a little bit mad at me for not telling my mother about us getting married," Lucius mentions.

"Well, she was not around for most of your life. You have every right not to tell her anything. I would not tell her anything since she was involved with my kidnapping and deserves whatever happens to her. That's just me." Chloe told Lucius.

"Understandable reaction. I just wish my father would respect my decision with whom I want at my wedding. He just does not get it." Lucius said, then sat down with his head in his hands.

"We need to be a team about this and not brush this stuff under the rug. Lucius, you need to establish boundaries with your father. He will understand if you tell him the reason. Just be honest with him about the decision. This will work out in the end, trust me," Chloe reassures Lucius.

"We get married in two days. We still need to plan out the after party. There is still so much to do in a day." Lucius said with frustration.

"We will figure this out by then. Please do not worry." Chloe told Lucius.

Margo comes out of th3 kitchen followed by Thomas. She hugged Chloe and told her that they needed to go. Thomas padded Lucius on the shoulder to say, "See you tomorrow."

Now, both Chloe and Lucius had the apartment to themselves. They mostly sat talking out the last details. Then they called it a day and decided to just chill out for a while. Nothing else happened for the rest of the day. No one phone rang either. It was a breath of fresh air for change.

Chloe decided to catch up on projects that felt like that were neglected and decided to answer emails. Catch up with her project managers to see what she had missed at work. Then she decided to call it a night after doing last-minute touches to her book she was writing. She was beginning to fall asleep when she felt Lucius come over to save her work. Then he helped her to bed.

Lucius carried her to bed, and both went to sleep. They both knew there was a lot to do tomorrow. Going to bed early was the answer for the both of them.