you're mine

Chapter 22

It wasn't until the day after that Luca finally left the abandoned parking lot. The stories he told me made my heart shatter. The way he described it was like a kid telling a judge about the crimes. He didn't go into detail too much, but I still felt as though I was living it myself. After he reluctantly told me bad memories, he told me good ones. All of which take place at his grandparents house. He told me how his grandmother taught him to make the worlds best lasagne, followed by the worlds best cherry pie; which he makes as often as he possibly can. Luca explained how they were his saviours. Just as he was giving up on holding on, he got sent to live with them. They gave him the break the kid needed. When they died, he ran away and spent almost a month at their house before his dad took him back home.

They gave him everything a kid needed; except from the love of his parents of course. It wasn't long after the couple died from a boat accident, that his mom left too. Apparently she went  to Europe, but no one really knows. Luca admitted he pretends she is dead because he wishes she was. When he was around five, a few days after one of his siblings was born, he got a pretty bad beating from his dad. That was the first time she watched it happen. That night, when she came to ask him if he stole his brother teddy bear he can't sleep without, she noticed his bloody face and went to wipe the dripping liquid from his cheek, as she did, he clawed at her left eye and said he hopes she dies. I don't blame him, I would say the same. Luca seems more mad at his mom than his dad which is understandable. Most dads are known to be a disappointment, but moms are meant to be there for you and she wasn't. She didn't tuck him in at night or take him on son and mother dates to the mall, or even stop her husband from nearly killing him daily.

After he cut her eye she never touched him again. Knowing this made me want to touch him more. It made me understand his situation of taking me more too. Maybe if I was touch starved most of my life, I wouldn't let someone decide if they want to love me. I would force them.

"What are you so deep in though for?" Luca questions. Ever since he shared his past memories with me, he has been on edge, wondering what I think of him.

"Just thinking. What are we doing today?" I reply simply, trying to ease his mind.

"I was thinking you should pick. You know, I really appreciate that you are trying to enjoy our time together and this is my way of showing that. So, what would you like to do? We are near a museum, diners, an arcade, theatre... sports arena. Uh maybe a golf course too."

"How do you know this?" I laugh.

"I have been here before. Well, me and my grandad drove through it. He was taking me to the beach he went to when he was a kid every single Saturday. He said he always wanted to share it with a kid and my mom wasn't interested in beaches so he took me."

"Shouldn't we not go around people much? After what happened yesterday?" My face scrunches.

"Oh, come on! It's no fun without a little danger."

"Well... I have an idea of what we could do."

"Okay..." Luca waits for me to proceed.

"What sports are in arena?"

"Football, baseball, tennis, ice hockey, ice skating, a gym and an acrobatic gym. Possibly some others."

"Lets go ice skating."

"Oh, no." He shakes his head. "I cant skate."

"You said we would do whatever I wanted to do." I moan.

"fine. You can skate and I will watch you from the bleachers."

"No, definitely not. I want to do this with you." I bite my lip, trying to convince him which seems to be working when he sighs in defeat.

"Fine. But I am picking what we eat."

"Deal."

..

The air inside of the arena is cold. I pass courts and gyms with Luca by my side, holding onto my hand before we reach the rink. That is something he automatically does now; as soon as he steps out of his car, he walks to the passenger side and takes me hand. The touch isn't firm or hard, it is soft and comforting.

Ever since I ran from him, he has been trying to keep any anger he has held back, He has been trying extra hard not to scare me away again.

If I had to guess, I would assume Luca thinks his mom leaving was his doing and maybe it was. But whether it was or whether it wasn't, it is the type of thing that makes you be wary of someone leaving. I almost feel bad for running away from him in the first place.

"What size shoe are you?" I ask from inside the sate closet where the slates and blade replacements are kept.

"9.5." I hand over the correct skates for his size then take my own.

Once we put on our skates, we walked over to the ice.

As soon as I take the first step on the freshly laid ice, my senses are filled with happiness. The rink has always been my safe space, It was the place I could enjoy thrill and danger without my parents being there to stop me.

My skates glide along the ice before turning back to Luca who is still taking his first step.

I watch him in amusement and awe as he struggled like a kid on the ice.

"Is this your first time?" I skate over to him.

"Yeah, I went to a roller rink once but mainly for the 80s rock throwback night they were throwing. And I realised skating alone wasn't all that fun." He admitted.

"Come on, this will be fun. I promise." I take his hands and pull him along with me, skating backwards to keep my eyes locked on his.