Not All Bad Boys Are The Same.

Chapter 43

I shuddered against my thin sweater as the cold wind drifted past me blowing tendrils of stray hair that tickled my face and neck. Other than the fact that my teeth were chattering there was something satisfying about the night.

The stars were twinkling across the sky, some stars bigger than others making me wonder if I was looking at another planet instead. The moon was full and out of amusement, I used my thumb to block it out.

I was glad that I chose to walk home instead of accepting a ride from my family. Besides the bite of the cold. It was beautiful outside. Looking up at the sky made me realize how small I was and it made my problems seem even smaller.

I let out a contempt breath as I reached my driveway. My breath hung in the air a while and then dissipated as I walked through it.

I turned the doorknob and entered the house. I was immediately engulfed in the warmth of my home. The smell of chocolate was in the air and my stomach rumbled in anticipation of sinking my teeth into whatever my mother was baking with a nice cup of hot chocolate.

I heard laughter and my eardrums hummed as my brain registered the familiar laugh. I paused stopping and staring at the direction the sound came from. "These are scrumptious. My mother loves to bake."

"I wouldn't dare ask whose chocolate brownies taste better," my mother chuckled light-heartedly and my eyes widened. I just stood paralyzed. My feet refused to move.

"On the contrary, whereas my mums have a subtle hint of mint I do enjoy the explosion of the chocolate in yours."

"He is right mam, these are scrumptious," another familiar voice said.

I pried my feet to move in the direction of the kitchen to confirm the faces in my head to the voices I heard. With each step I took, I hoped that maybe I was just sleep-deprived and imagining things.

I walked with so much speed to the kitchen that I eventually stumbled when I stopped at the threshold and then I saw it for myself. My mother smiling, James and Luca sitting at our kitchen table.

Luca's mouth was full as he chewed and my mouth hung open in disbelief. "Peanut," my mother's voice brought me out of my immediate state of shock. I turned my eyes to her and tried to focus intently on her so my eyes wouldn't fall back to either Luca or James. "Why didn't you tell me you invited your friends over for Christmas. I would have prepared the guestroom," she smiled. My mother was too sweet, but I'd circle back to her kindness later because I had other issues at hand.

"Ur-" my brain left me defenseless. It was first registering the image of the three people sitting at my table looking oddly comfortable to be in each other's presence. "I- will- be- back," my words stretched out.

Before turning on my heel to leave I caught a smug look on Luca's face. Of course. It was never easy. What did I think I'd run away from him forever. He knew where I worked and where I lived, running was pointless.

I rushed up the stairs and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower I smelled like paint and thanks to Andrew paint remover. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and my clothes were covered in dust and paint. I immediately stripped and got into the shower.

While I showered I tried to compose my thoughts. The thought of maybe this being a dream occurred more than once and also the thought of me falling, hitting my head, and being currently unconscious on my aunt's front lawn.

Realizing that this was way too vivid to be a dream, I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. I peeked my head out the bathroom door to make sure no one was in the hallway before I ran to my room with the towel wrapped around my body.