Lucas ✔️

Twenty-Eight

Even though I had told Lucas I wanted him to stay, it didn't take long for me to fall asleep, my head lolling back against the couch and my feet rested in his lap. I felt him shuffle from beneath me and my eyes opened slightly, just enough to see where he was and grab his wrist.

"Don't leave, please," I murmured, my grip tightening around his wrist.

"Shhh," he hushed as he brushed his free hand across my head.

I let go of him as he scooped me into his arms tightly, the gentle sway from his walk lulling me back to sleep. Although his arms felt wrong, as though I were touching a body made of rubber, I still felt oddly at home, as though I could finally relax.

As usual, my bed was unmade, but it seemed to make Lucas' job easier as he placed me onto the soft bed and threw the blankets back on top of me. I reached out for him, wanting him to stay close, to keep touching him, but he deftly avoided my grasp as I glared at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Please," I whispered as I curled onto my side towards him, my hand stretching out.

His hand brushed against my hair again and across my face, closing my eyelids. Heat brushed against my forehead before it disappeared, taking Lucas with it. The rest of the night I spent tossing and turning, my once happy dreams involving Lucas turning into nightmares filled with Dad spouting cryptic messages.

"Beware of red," he'd said, over and over again as his hands gripped my arms, his face swirling around me like a misty ghost. It wasn't until I woke up that I could finally breathe easy again and push his words into the back of my mind.

I groaned loudly and blinked away the sunlight from the opened curtain, moving my hand around to look for my phone that was ringing. I felt like my body was made of bricks, yet I managed to roll from the bed and stomp my way downstairs, eyes still half-closed. My phone was on the counter, ringing loudly and echoing through the empty house.

The user ID read Memphis, so I ignored it, not really in the mood to talk to him. Grumbling angrily as I grabbed the phone and headed back towards my bedroom. Just as my foot stepped on the stairs, the doorbell rang, and my irritation heightened as I ground my teeth together. I stomped towards the door and pulled it roughly, swearing lightly as it didn't budge. I smiled slightly, feeling oddly happy that Lucas had locked the door, but being annoyed that I had to unlock it. I pulled the door open in a jerky action, not caring that I still had bed hair or that the clothes I wore yesterday were crumpled and probably had an air of body odour to them.

"Yes?" I hissed roughly, glaring slightly at the person at the door.

"Bad time?" Janie said softly, grinning as she clapped her hands together.

"Oh, Janie." My gaze softened, and I stepped aside, making room for her to come inside. "What are you doing here?"

She deftly moved in and I shut the door behind her, remembering to lock it since she was here, my mind flickering back to Lucas as I did so. She followed me through the house as I yawned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and heading for the kitchen.

"Well, I had to see you and talking about him!" she exclaimed happily, jumping up and down as she jumped towards the kitchen in light steps I was oddly jealous of.

I hummed lightly and sat at the table, slumping across the table unceremoniously and looking at her as she sat across from me.

"So?" she teased, clasping her hands together under her chin as she elongated the word. "What happened last night after we left?"

"Not much," I muttered into the table, trying to hide the blush running up my ears in my matching red hair.

"Oh please." She rolled her eyes and looked unconvinced. "That guy looks like a literal god, and you say 'not much' happened? I didn't know my best friend was one to hold out on the details," she finished, looking like a wounded dog.

"Ugh, enough with the drama," I sneered, sitting up and resting my head on my palm. "It's way too early for emotional manipulation, thanks."

"Lil, I'm serious, my heart is in pain because you're not sharing the deets."

"Alright, alright," I grumbled, laughing at her pained expression and hand over her heart. "But seriously, not much happened. We talked at the café for a while, walked home, talked in the kitchen for a while, then I fell asleep and he left." I shrugged.

"What?! He came inside? In here?" she whispered dramatically, her eyes narrowing on the cobwebbed corner of the kitchen and the pile of dishes in the sink. "Well, it was fun while it lasted."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I grumbled back, folding myself back over the table and peeking up at her.

"Lil, you probably scared him off. I mean, look at this house! How many times have I had to do the dished for you? Are those even all safe? We should probably just chuck them out and get new ones..." she trailed off, her eyes focussing on the background past me before she shook her head lightly and looked back at me. "I mean, Lil, this house isn't exactly welcoming," she mumbled, looking away as she rubbed her hands together.

"I know," I sighed and sat up. "Honestly, though, he didn't seem to care. Actually, he didn't even seem that surprised."

It was true. Lucas had been so oddly fine with the state of my house it was almost like he had expected it. He didn't even bother to say anything about it, simply used it as a clue to deduce that Dad was gone.

"So..." she paused slightly, eyeing me. "You really like him, huh?"

"What gave you that idea?" I tried to sound deadpan, uninterested, but the blush crawling up my neck and my eyes that couldn't meet hers gave me away.

"You do realise I have known you for years?"

"Yeah, well, whatever." I looked away and swallowed lightly. "I... don't know what it is," I said softly, looking back at her. "It's just something... I don't know. He's just interesting and nice and mysterious and-"

"fucking hot?" she cut me off, a smirk covering her lips. I laughed and covered my face with my hands.

"Yes, fucking hot."

"You were right though, goddamn is he attractive." Janie looked wistful and she reminisced. "His business-like clothes, pale skin, ooh that long hair. Lil, he was honestly mesmerising."

"I know, right? The first time I saw him I couldn't stop looking and made a fool of myself," I cried, cringing at the memory of landing in a heap of dirty snow and Lucas laughing at me.

Janie opened her mouth to say something else – probably still Lucas related – but I cut her off quickly, holding up my hand to stop her.

"Okay, that's enough Lucas talk. What're you doing here?"

"What can I not come and see my best friend?"

"True, it feels like we haven't hung out for a while."

"Longer than a while," she muttered, looking at me with narrowed eyes for a moment. They were too clear, too honest, and I could feel them roaming my body and I looked away, not wanting to imagine what she was seeing. "Alright! Get dressed! We're going out for brunch!"

"Ew, brunch? Can't we just hang out here?" I grumbled. "Oh, I've already eaten so I'm not even hungry. How about we go to the movies?"

"I'm not stupid Lil, I know you just woke up. Now, come on! I'm not taking no for an answer. We're going to brunch and that's that!" she demanded, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.

With a grumble and a sigh I stood up and followed her to my room, knowing she was going to have fun dressing me in something other than jeans and a hoodie.