Be Rude but Love Me | ✔

CHAPTER 26

"Neither did I." He averts his gaze to check on Lucy who's still working before looking back at me. "You're into English lit as well?

"Yes, English as well." I repeat. "But I prefer French. It has something... something more that I can't place my hands on."

When he doesn't speak for a while, I cast my eyes down on him to find him eyeing me with that curious expression that I've grown to ignore now. "What?"

He gets up and, with a nod my way, he says, "I agree."

And like that, he's back in the pool with Lucy, without a glance my way, as if this conversation had never happened.

Unbelievable.

After half an hour in the water, Lucy gets tired and climbs out of the pool to go maim poor Russell who was silently lying on the grass so far. She calls to Yann to join her and I see him roll his eyes a little but there's a ghost of a smile on his lips. I observe the both of them as they play on the grass, like two long lost friends finding their way to each other after years. And the dog. The dog is like a connection between them as he jumps on one, then on the other, barks happily, chases them.

I'm used seeing Lucy like this, it doesn't surprise me. She's like that with Shelby back home. But what really has my attention is Yann playing with her. Right now, he's on all fours, Lucy on top of him as he imitates Russell. His hair, damp from pool water, is sticking to his forehead but he shakes his head, shaking the strands away as well.

Lucy is happy. She's screaming in ecstasy and Russell is barking along. They all seem to have forgotten about my presence here. So I change position on the chaise longue, resting my head where my feet are supposed to be. I lean the side of my face on my folded hands and I follow them with my eyes, watching their childish games.

I stare at Yann, unable to tear my eyes away. The soft tone he uses now. The sparkling of his usually emotionless eyes. The corners of his mouth that lift higher up. This smile that's hidden by his growing facial hair but that I know is here. The sunlight bathing him. The small but significant joy coming from him. This chuckle – one I've never heard before – that's so close to laughter.

I suddenly wonder what his laughter would be like. Then I realize I know how it would be.

Beautiful. Just like the rest of him.

This Yann. A Yann I've never seen. A Yann who's wrapped around my little sister's fingers. A Yann that was hidden under the shadows of his darker persona.

Yann.

And for the first time, I think I really see Yann.

He's just a hurt kid.

***

Surprisingly, Yann spends the rest of the day with us. I leave him with Lucy but find myself watching them occasionally, peeking behind the curtains where they cannot see me. I mostly cannot stop staring at Yann. This man who is in fact a kid at heart, a little boy who didn't have a happy childhood and who's just looking for a companion in Lucy, trying to get back as much as possible of what was ripped from him. My heart aches for him and I close the curtain and go to make some breakfast.

Will called a few hours earlier, saying he wanted to have dinner with us – he says he wants to find out if I can really cook. I didn't take offense to his words and simply laughed at him, telling him he was in for a food-gasm today.

A few minutes after five, Will knocks on the door and lets himself in. "In the kitchen," I shout when I hear him call my name.

I hear his footsteps behind me and before I can turn around, I feel his hands on my eyes as he says, "Guess who."