Lesley's P.O.V
"You've grown so much!" Ms. Hamilton plants kisses of her red lipstick all over my face as she takes me in for a hug. I try to fake a smile.
I look up as Kyan is shadowing me. He grew. And a lot. The dorky glasses he once had are now gone, and his brown eyes are more of gold. His brown hair is longer, almost my height of hair. I can see from under his white shirt, the ink of tattoos carved on his muscular body.
"Hey," he attempts to smile.
I finally let go from her embrace and kiss mom on the cheek. He gestures to his cheek and I blush. He wants me to kiss him?
But when he rubs it, it clicks. I immediately rub my cheek to find red smear on my the palm of my hand. I sigh. "I'm heading to the toilet. When I'm out, I'll show you around." I tell him.
Minutes later, I emerge without the sign of lipstick on my cheeks. We make our way down and into the my car.
"What would you like to see?" I ask him as I hit the road. "The fake tower of piazza? Reinwer Lake? Telephones Hub?"
He leans back in his seat. "Is this seriously your car?"
I frown. "Yes. It is." I proudly say.
He doesn't say anything, just stares outside the window. "It's making an awful sound." He places his hand on his heart. "Hurts me to hear it."
I sigh. "Leave my car alone, won't you?"
"Why are you so aggressive with me?" He chuckles. I arch an eyebrow. He sighs in return. "Reinwer Lake."
I put the car in a halt as we exit and walk down. The sun is at it's hottest and the lake is crowded. It's known to be one of the biggest lakes in the states. But there's one corner of it that I adore, so I take Kyan to it. We sit on a nearby bench.
"That's it? It's like any other lake." He states.
I inhale deeply. "Look," I turn to face him. "I'm doing you a favor of showing you around. So try to act grateful for it. I'm not asking for much but just act. Okay?"
He smirks. "I do get under your skin. Don't I?"
I shake his last comment and try to break the ice. "So, why did you come to North Hill?"
"It definitely wasn't my idea. My mother wanted to visit yours actually, and I had no another choice than to drive. She can't drive for long because of her back problems."
"So, you got dragged along?" I ask.
He shrugs. "You could say so, cupcake." He turns to face me. "Let's start fresh now. Shall we?"
I reach my hand out. "Hi. I'm cupcake." He raises an eyebrow. I raise one as well. "Cupcake? Really? Couldn't you find something better, Kyan?"
"How about... Èclaire?" He smiles. "It was your favorite desert wasn't it?"
I laugh. "Can't believe you still remember that."
"As a matter of fact, I remember alot of things." He rests his cheek on the palm. "Remember when you used to knock on my window at midnight and ask me to go on an adventure?"
"That did happen quiet often."
He shakes his head. "Only to realize that you're definition of an adventure is eating sweets pass midnight."
I gasp. "We were troublemakers. Weren't we?" I squint my eyes and he chuckles. "Hardly."
We lay back, both enjoying the hot weather and the shade of sun blasting on our skin. Quacks of ducks fill the silence and I shift in my seat, about to fall asleep. "I should've got some bread."
He sits up straight. "I think I have something, Èclaire."
I stare at him as he searches his pockets for a minute and digs out a bag of skittles. He rips it open with a hand and pours colorful candy in another.
"Are you mad?" My voice comes out defensive. "You're going to feed ducks, jelly kind of candy that is hard to swallow? Might even get them to chock? Even die?"
"No." He shrugs. "I was going to smash them with my foot and then throw them in the lake. Let them get a bit juicy."
I stand up immediately and grab the bag from him, throwing it in the trash can. "Shove those rainbow jelly down your throat and let's go get some lunch."
Fifteen minutes later, we sit in a Chinese restaurant. He orders sushi and I order some shrimp rolls. As I'm digging in the middle of it, Kyan interrupts me. "I thought you hate shrimps. Even Chinese food."
I shrug. "I only eat the crispy things on the outside, and leave the ball of shrimps aside."
"That's an insult. It's like buying a tampon's bag without the actual tampons."
I crinkle my nose. "Not the best time to bring up the subject." I gesture to our food. He laughs.
"Do you have a girl back home?" I shove a spoonful of crunchy bread in my mouth.
"Used to. Broke up with me." He dips the sushi in the soya sauce and wasabi and shoves it all at once in his mouth.
"Isn't this some kind of thing all boys say?" I ask.
He eyes me curiously. "What thing?"
"The part where you say she broke up with you where actually, you're the one who broke up with her, just so you won't sound as the jerk."
He laughs. Or chokes. Not sure. Maybe a little of both. He rubs his chest and a smile spreads on his face. "How the hell did you know that?" He squints his eyes at me. "Do you have a bro-code book stacked up in that little library of yours?"
I roll my eyes. "No. I just analyze closely to be able to point out assholes."
He drops his chopsticks and crosses his arms. "You're saying I'm an asshole?"
I can't help but smug. "Someone won't feel defensive about something if it isn't true."
He bites down on a laugh. "I think you burned me more than the wasabi."
I flip my hair back, taking credit. He just keeps laughing. "What about you?"
"What about me?" I say through the half way chew of the shrimp rolls.
"Do you have a guy?" He grabs the cup and drinks water.
My phone vibrates beside me and I grab it, only to find a message from Adam. I smile immediately.
I miss your smart mouth. When are you coming home?
My smile stretches.
Soon <3.
"Is that him?" Kyan eyes me curiously. I snap out from the little world I was in, totally forgetting he was there.
"Yes. It was." I lay my phone on the table and lean back in my chair.
"What's his name?"
"Adam."
"Describe him in three words," he challenges.
I smile. "Beautiful, secure, and smart."
"It's like your describing a dog."
My face falls and I slap his shoulder. He chuckles. "Just for you to know something, Kyan." I lean closer. "He's much much better than what I'm looking at right now." I stare into his eyes, feeling my jaw tensing.
I feel him stiffen. "Christ. Loosen up a bit, Éclaire." He laughs. "Now, I definitely want to meet him."
I sigh. "Yup. I definitely just pointed you out as an asshole."
He smirks. "You wouldn't feel like having to prove something several times, if it it was true."
I feel like I just ate my own words. "Asshole," I mouth. He laughs. And I can't help but join him.
Afterwards, I take him to the fake tower of piazza. He didn't agree to leave until I took a picture in front of it leaning on it from a distance. I snapped a picture of him sitting on top. Before heading back home, he urged us to go get some ice-cream. As we stand in line for our turn, he slips his hand into mine and my eyes go wide. "Go with me on it. Please." He whispers to my ear but I'm still taken off guard.
"Hey, Trish." I turn to see a girl, curvy on the body and pretty on the face. A man is on her side and I can feel the tension from a distance. But I can't focus on anything but his hand in mine. A lump forms in my throat. It feels off not like Adam's. When his name clicks in his mind, guilt consumes me.
"Hi, Kyan. It's good to see you." She smiles. They both stare at each other for an awkward amount of time. "This is my fiancé, Quentin." She introduces him.
"And this is my girlfriend, Lesley." Girlfriend? What the hell is happening? I fake a smile and get into my role. "Hi, Trish. It's nice to meet you."
"What are you doing here in town?" Trish asks Kyan.
"I'm here to see Lizzy. Got a couple of days off from work."
"Oh," she says. I can sense the fake-ness from her smile as she leans closer to her fiancé. "Maybe we should all do something then, catch up?" She offers.
I sense Kyan stiffening next to me as he squeezes his hand on mine. "We would love to but Kyan promised to take me to the chalet he has up in the mountain for the next days. Isn't that right, sweetie?" I slightly nudge him but he breaks his stare.
"Yeh. Maybe next time." He offers. She smiles.
"We have to go, honey. Your parents are waiting for us." He tells her. "Wedding planning," he tells us. We nod at them and when they are out of sight, I immediately let go from Kyan's hand.
"Don't do that ever again." I tell him, feeling guilt weigh on me.
He sighs. "Sorry." I meet his sad eyes and I can't help but feel a string of pity. After we order our ice-cream flavors, I offer to go for a walk for a while.
"Who is she?" I ask as we take a stroll on the sidewalk.
"An ex. I used to love her. I was ready to marry her, do anything for her. But she left me saying she met someone else."
"I'm guessing that was that someone else."
He nods. I don't say anything, because whatever I want to say, I'm pretty sure he already heard it from someone else. So I just offer a listening ear instead.
"That was the first time I've seen her in a year. Can't believe she got married so fast. I could've gave her more than what he's giving her. But in the end, it doesn't matter anymore."
"You should learn to forgive her."
He chuckles. "Why so?"
"Because when you do, you'll forgive yourself. Have you ever thought of it in the way that her leaving you was an honest good thing? Imagine if she stayed, then you'd both be living a lie."
He sighs again. "I got the wedding invitation a couple of days ago. Can't believe she had the decency to even invite me."
"Then go."
"Say that again."
"Go. And show her that it doesn't bother you anymore. That whatever life she chooses with that bald guy is her loss."
"But it does bother me."
"She doesn't have to know that," I say as I smile. He arches an eyebrow as if indulging the idea.
"I'll go, if you'll come with me." He challenges.
I immediately shake my head no. "No, I can't."
"Oh come on, Lesley. Don't tell me Adam orders you around."
"I'm sorry. But it won't be a good idea."
He sighs. "I'll figure it out. Thank you, though."
Later that evening, I drop Kyan off at my place and then head to Adam's. When I near the car to the parking space, I feel my eyes deceiving me. I immediately turn the ignition off and walk to the side walk where I find him sitting there, looking up at the building. I don't know if I should run or face my fears, but I suck it up and near him, hearing my footsteps click on the sidewalk.
"Lucian? What are you doing here?" His head jerks in my direction and I get caught off by his bloodshot green eyes. I swallow back.
"Why are you doing this, Lesley?" His voice comes out weak. I blink.
"He's my little brother." He starts crying. "I always looked after him. I still am. But I slipped up once and he turns on me. He doesn't know the truth of all of it. He just hears what he wants to believe."
"Explain it to us then." My voice starts rising. "If you say that we are blaming you why don't you prove us wrong? Defend yourself!"
He flinches but then shakes his head. "You think I meant for this to happen? All my life, I grew watching over him, giving him the best life he can imagine. But after all, it comes down to one stupid mistake." He wipes at his eyes. "You think I'm a monster, don't you?"
"Do you think I meant to come in between you two? Why do you think I kept it in, even when I found that you were his family?"
"You know nothing about family." He spits out the last part.
"I know what it feels like to lose someone you care about. That's why I don't want him to lose you! God, why don't you just make it easy for us. Give him a reason to stay!"
He laughs. "You're so ignorant. Open your eyes, Lesley! It's right under your nose and you still talk about losing a family."
"What do you mean by that?" I say, feeling dazed.
He chuckles. "One day. One day this will all be clear." He makes his way beside me. "Enjoy your night. And tell him his father is getting sick. Remind him that he still has a family."
I want to keep pushing of what he meant by family but I let go. "Why do you have a solid alibi? What are you doing? Paying everyone to come to your side?"
He stops in his tracks. "I didn't leave the house that night."
"I saw you, Lucian." I spit out his name.
"Say hi to him, won't you? Have a nice night." He smirks and I watch as he pulls out his range from the parking lot and drives away.
I don't remember how long I stayed standing in the streets. Maybe around hundred and ninety heartbeats. And then I make my way up.