Strings Attached

13

Lana didn't say much. Mostly just laugh in Paige's face.

"I'm serious, we can go to Maryland and visit Maddie, and then we can go to Minnesota and you can experience THE iconic Bueckers' Christmas party for yourself. There is no way you're spending Christmas Day on campus," she pleaded.

"Are you sure your family won't get mad or anything?" Lana did not want to ruin other people's Christmas plans because of her shitty issues.

"I'm serious, you have met them. They love you," Paige insisted.

"Thank you, P." With those simple words, Lana found herself engulfed in a hug with Paige. Her arms wrapped around the blonde's neck with Paige's hands wrapping around Lana's lower back.

Lana had begun packing more, considering she now had plans for Christmas. This was one reason she had loved Paige. She could count on her without even saying a word.

By the time she came out, she saw Paige, alongside her suitcase, on her phone.

"Okay, I just booked us the flight for Maryland, and then at 12 a.m. we have a flight to Minnesota. I know the time kind of sucks, but on the bright side, you get to hang out with Maddie some more." Paige spoke as if she were a receptionist at a hotel. In that sense she was like a responsible dad who gathered his kids passports and boarding tickets and stalked the airline for any updates on their flight.

The plane ride to Maryland was short, only around an hour and a half. And after a thirty minute uber ride from the airport, the pair found themselves at the door of the place Lana once called home.

"Oh my God, these stupid ass keys." Lana shuffled through all her keys, trying to detect which one opened the door in front of them.

"Language," Paige scolded.

"Ugh, finally," Lana mumbled, deciding to ignore Paige's criticism.

"Maddie! I'm home." Lana shouted as she dropped the bags she and Paige had been carrying in the foyer only to drag Paige to the family room.

"Oh wow, is this little Lana?" Paige asked, referring to a picture frame that hung on the wall with Lana and Maddie at the beach when they were around five years old. She continued to observe the room. Taking notice of all the Christmas decorations and the numerous handmade ornaments on the tree. She also noticed the stocking that hung from the mantle with the bold initial L. She made sure to take into account every little detail. The leather couches, the accent chair in the corner draped with a fur blanket, the rustic coffee table that sat with a candle and magazine on top.

While Paige had been perceiving a new aspect of Lana's life, or rather an old one, Lana had been reminiscing about all the memories she had made in one single room. The same room that she and Maddie would play Monopoly in when their cousins visited, the couch where she had invited her first boyfriend over to watch a movie, the window where her friend Cameron had to sneak her into when she had gotten too drunk. The swing set outside that she had once pushed Maddie on now only swung due to the harsh winds outside. The same room where her family would once gather on Christmas morning to unwrap gifts and make home videos suddenly felt cold. As if the lights had gone from a warm undertone to an instant colder one.

Shaking her out of a nostalgic spiral, "Hey Lana... and Paige?" Maddie's voice went from enthusiastic to slightly puzzled.

Shit. Lana forgot to mention the bit where she was bringing Paige with her.

"Hey Maddie," Paige smiled.

"Hi, Paige," Maddie smiled back.

Lana couldn't help but just stare between the two.

"Okay... Maddie, we should show Paige around town," Lana suggested as she grabbed the younger girl and pulled her into a hug.

"Shut up we should. Oh my God, and I am gonna bring my digital camera, and we are gonna be really aesthetic," Maddie spoke in one rushed breath.

Laughing at her enthusiasm, Lana agreed, "okay sure," only a second before Maddie ran back upstairs, probably to shower or get her camera. At least that's what Lana assumed.

"I always forget how she's my favorite Jackson," Paige teased, earning a shove from Lana.

"You know you love me." Paige instigated getting closer to Lana, glancing down at her lips.

In Paige's eyes, Lana was the light. Inevitably making her the moth that couldn't help but be drawn towards the illuminated force.

What she didn't know at the time was that a simple trip to Lana's past could intensify the feelings she'd felt in her chest.

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a/n-

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
i rushed this and kind of hate it.
ALSO I GOT UCONN TICKETS FOR Christmas
okay anyways hope everyone is well😘