Free Team Lucas (The Saints Team #1) by Ally Adams Page A

married to Jessica and at the wedding, Luke met a couple of Jessica’s cousins who were a bit wild.”
    “They got him into drugs,” Jase cut to the chase. “Last year he pushed all of us to our limits I can tell you. I’m not making excuses for him because he had a hard childhood or any shit like that. There’s a lot worse off than Luke out there and they’ve had to rise about it. He’s got every opportunity at his fingertips and he just has to pull his head in and get his shit together.”
    Sarah nodded. “Jase and Cam were at the hospital with Luke a lot last year. They tried to clean him up and straighten him out, but it takes a toll on your own health and friendship and... your relationships.”
    “I can imagine,” I said. “He’s high maintenance now, let alone under the influence.”
    “But when he’s great, he’s the best.” Sarah smiled.
    Jase agreed. “You know Luke might seem full of himself to you now, but he’s a good guy, he’s given a lot back to Cam and me too.”
    “Really?” I said, keen to know more about a younger Lucas who noticed someone else beside himself.
    “I was always a shy kid... bigger than all the others which made me fair game, brainy, not great at sport and when Luke came to board and got assigned to my house, he fought the guys who gave me a hard time. He put an end to it.” Jase shrugged. “Don’t know why we clicked but we did.”
    “Ah maybe a love of cars and all sport helped—even if you were a sideline sports nut and Luke was in the thick of it,” Sarah said, with a roll of her eyes.
    “Yeah maybe that was it.” Jase smiled. “Luke clicked with Cam from day one. Cam was always cutting him up, had us all in stitches. All through med school, Luke was like Cam’s live cadaver if there’s such a thing. Every injury he had he insisted on Cam looking at it, even when Cam was first year. Didn’t hurt Cam’s reputation or future practice.”
    “And Luke was good to me too. When Jase and I met at a school dance, one of my friends got in trouble.” Sarah raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, that kind of trouble. She was sick with worry, and so was I. She wanted to deal with it without her parents ever knowing and Luke got her the money, no questions asked, no refund expected. He went with her as if he was the father so she didn’t have to go with one of her girlfriends or alone. The guy who did it bolted. So of course we were going to stand by Luke when he got in trouble.”
    “But you’ve got to take responsibility too,” Jase said, “and there’s a limit for how much you can help a person.”
    Sarah nodded her agreement. “Yes, people have got to want to change. For fear of sounding too much like a psychologist, Luke has all the characteristics of post-traumatic stress disorder of abandonment.”
    Jase made an agreeing sound. He extended his arm over the chair where he sat and stroked her shoulder.
    “Tell me,” I asked, “like what?”
    Sarah shrugged. “An intense fear of abandonment that interferes in forming primary relationships for starters.”
    “We’ve never known Luke to have an intense relationship,” Jase said. “You’ve had a glimpse of that already I imagine.”
    I nodded. “Chloe, Miranda, Cassie...”
    “Exactly,” Jase said. “No one that he can get too attached to and risk losing. He can’t trust.”
    Sarah defended him. “He trusts you and Cam.”
    “Yeah, but that’s taken nearly fifteen years.” Jase rolled his eyes.
    “Did you grow up in a stable loving environment, Mia?” Sarah asked me.
    “I did. My parents are split now, but I was always wanted. They couldn’t have kids for years and then I came along so I was adored. About six years later my brother arrived, so we’re pretty tight,” I explained.
    “Well Luke has grown up with not one single family member he has ever been able to trust. Different relatives every holiday season, a mother who couldn’t handle him and a father who dumped him in a boarding