lily - lrh

//chapter four//

Dinner is silent except for the clinking of plates and cutlery and the occassional cough. I pick at my food, not finding the appetite to chew, let alone swallow anything. Luke on the other hand chomps down on his chicke steak quickly.

His outlet for stress has always been food, and now I can tell he's too frustrated to think about manners. "Luke, slow down." I put my hand on his shoulder as he takes in more of the food.

Aunt May notices my discomfort and puts her hand on Luke's shoulder, tapping it lightly and being careful as to not wake the dragon. "Luke, honey calm down."

Though it seems that it frustrates him even more as he swallows the food and drinks the water too quickly. "Luke.." Uncle Niall speaks up. Luke stops for a second, then starts eating again.

He takes another piece of chicken from the plate, not seeming to be bothered by our presence and discomfort in the room. "Luke!" I raise my voice slightly at him.

Aunt May rubs her temples and rests her forehead on her palms, trying to calm herself. Mom's death hasn't been easy on us at all this past week. "Luke, stop." She starts to sob.

Uncle Niall is quick to her side, rubbing her back as she cries into her hands, though Luke still doesn't seem fazed by it at all. "Luke! Fucking stop! I know it's been hard on you but look at us! Do you fucking think we're doing any good right now?"

Aunt May has never been the type to snap or lose her temper like that, and Luke realizes this too as he puts down his knife and fork, looking over to Aunt May.

He says nothing and runs up the stairs, not a single word coming out from his mouth. I look at Uncle Niall apolegetically, silently pleadig for him to take care of Aunt May while I deal with mt broken brother.

I knock lightly on his door, and to my utter surprise, he doesn't answer. I turn the knob slowly, peeking my head in to see if he's okay. "Luke." I call out to him through the dark room, no answer.

I sigh and step inside his room, shutting the door softly before trudging towards his bed where I can see his sillhouette under the moonlight.

"Luke, I know it's hard on you, but it's hard on us too. Just talk to me. It's been a week, seven days since she..." I gulp, not wanting to say the word. "But anyway, these last three days you've refused to talk to anyone."

He makes no sign of answering me, and so I sit down on the edge of his queen-sized bed. "Luke, talk to me. About anything. I just want to hear your voice. I miss you."

I break out into sobs, and he says nothing but pulls me close to his chest and rocks me like a baby.

"I'm sorry, baby." He whispers in my ear. I stop my crying and snuggle closer into his chest, missing the feeling of his warmth and his hugs. It's been too long. Too, too long.

"We should sleep." I suggest. He nods his head, pulling awy before placing both of us under the covers. I once again snuggle closer to him, me being the little spoon.

We lay that way until the sun shone through the curtained windows.

---

I wake up to see that the pillow next to me is unoccupied. Luke must've gotten up before me. I roll over, moving to check the alarm clock on the bedside table.

9 A.M.

I wake up, rubbing my eyes groggily whilst making the bed. Once done, I walk out to find the house eerily silent. "Luke?" I call out. No answer. "Aunt May? Uncle Niall? Where are you all?" I trudge down the stairs, moving to the kitchen to find it exceptionally neat. Aunt May must've cleaned up last night's dinner.

The house is empty. No car keys, no cell phones, and the shoes are missing from the front door. I decide to clean myself up and put some decent clothes on. It's been a while since I've gone out to the mall, and I need to socialize a bit.

Jeans and a tight fitted crop tee must seem good enough, I've lost a lot of weight and my tummy has gotten flatter. I slip on some flats and head out.

The bustling streets just outside the neighbourhood is a stark contrast from the complex's silent roads. I breathe in the contaminated air, smilig slightly at finally being back in town.

I decide to buy myself some new clothes and have a manicure. I deserve to pamper myself once in a while, I'm just a teenage girl afterall.

"Lily?" I hear someone call me from behind. I turn around, surprised to see Troy heading towards me. I wave awkwardly, it's been a long time since I've seen the guy, we used to go to the same school back in ninth grade but he moved to Melbourne.

"You're back in town?" I ask with raised eyebrows. He nods his head and grins, "Yeah, how's your mom and Luke?" I gulp. He must not know...

"Luke's doing great. My mom, well..." I look up at him and swallow the lump in my throat, "She passed away a week ago." His eyes widen in surprise, "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't--"

I cut him off, "It's okay! You didn't know." I smile lamely at him, and suggest to sit down at the cafe and catch up. It's been too long, anyway.

"So when did you come back in town?" I ask whilst sipping on my frappuccino. "Three days ago. Sorry I didn't text you, I broke my old phone and lost all the contacts in this town." I smile at him, "That's okay."

He puts his hand on mine, "Lily, I'm sorry for your loss. Your mother was a great woman." The lump in my throat is back and my eyes start to water slightly, though I rid myself off the thoughts and memories and smile at his actions.

"Thank you, Troy. I miss you." I say genuinely. He smiles, "Okay, how about this. It's been a while since we've hung out, and even now it was completely unplanned."

I nod at him to continue.

"I'm throwing a coming back party this upcoming saturday. You should come." He grins at me.

I think about it for a minute. Do I really want to party and get drunk to distract myself? I don't know how Luke would react to it but I can sneak out. Will he be angry if he finds out, though? And Aunt May? Uncle Niall?

"I'm in."

Page 5, 1138 words

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