Page 19 of A Twist in Fate
“Hm.” I look up and Lucas has a very serious expression on his face. Maybe, he also looks worried. I am honestly not sure. I can feel my cheeks warm up with embarrassment. I really hope I didn't just ignore him. “I'm sorry. Did you say something?”
“No, you just seemed to disappear for a moment there. You looked… I don't know, disappointed? What were you thinking about?”he asks.
“Nothing,” I say. He doesn't push it and I'm glad. I could not think about those same words that have beenrunning through my mind again.I’d prefer to ignore it for now.
About 20 minutes later, after cleaning an oddly smelling duck and drying it with a hairdryer, we hear the bathroom door click open. Violet walks out in a fresh pair of pyjamas, wet hair, and a sad look on her face. “Are you feeling better?” I ask. She replies with a simple nod and a sweet smile before hopping into the readymade bed.
“I was going to say you could sleep in my bed, but you seem pretty happy here.” I laugh down at her, and Lucas sits on her bed behind her. “Let me go grab your bunny, I left it outside hoping it would dry off a bit more,” I say, before leaving them alone.
I walk back in, duck in hand, to see Lucas literally braiding Violet’s hair, who is almost asleep while still sitting up. How can I be hesitant in my feelings for him, decide I don't, and then he does another thing that makes my heart race. It is going to be impossible to ignore this for the next five weeks. I have to. This whole trip is about finding myself and spending time with my best friend. If I just focus on having fun here with the time I have left, I shouldn't have to worry about liking a boy I just met, which I definitely do not.
We sit with Violet as she falls asleep and then, soon after, we silently slip out the room, hoping not to wake her. I instantly start walking in the direction of my cabin knowing I can have at least an hour or more of sleep which I definitely need as I almost passed out in there.
“Ivy,” Lucas quietly calls after me, walking closer. “So, you can say no because it is probably outside the whole friend's thing, but there are two children in my bed, and I was wondering if maybe I could nap on your floor or something for an hour? I'm just very and extremely tired.” I laugh a little and think for a moment.
Lucas’ eyelids are hanging low, and he is slightly slouched, rubbing his eyes. I am not sure how much longer he can stay awake but, right now, he looks incredibly exhausted. He also looks adorable, like a tired puppy, as his hands run through his blonde, sun-bleached curls, never once taking his eyes off me.
“Please, sunshine?” I can’t explain it. He looks at me with this look on his face that instantly makes it impossible to not agree.
“Fine but take my bed. I’m not that tired. I can stay up,” I say, as we slowly walk toward cabin.
“Ivy, I know you're tired. Just take the bed. I am more than happy to sleep on the floor. When I sleep at James’dorm, I sleep on the floor all the time. He does not like to share his bed space.”
I laugh, lightly. “There is no way that is comfortable! I bet you have chronic back pain or something.” I turn to face him to find his piercing blue gaze on me. His face is almost lit up and his head tilting to the side ever so slightly as he studies me, wearing that same smile he always seems to have. “What?” I ask, as I feel the red-hot blush creep on to my cheeks. Thank God there is not a single light around us.
“You just…” He stays silent for a moment, his eyes pinned onto mine. “I like your laugh. It's nice. Comforting.” He yawns a little. Luckily, at this moment, we get to the door of my cabin, so instead of trying to find any of the words that I can't seem to even speak right now, I sprint up the small steps and into the room. I stare at my crumpled small double bed, which I left in a hurry about an hour and a half ago, and then I turn to Lucas as the worst and most stupid idea comes into my mind.
The only thought in my mind is sleep as the words spill from my mouth. “We could always share the bed. It would just be for the next hour or two.” Nerves tangle in my throat and stomach as I replay the absolute stupidity of what I have just said.
Of course he wants to share a bed with you! Who wouldn't want to share a bed with the girl they kissed and then got shut down by, so now you're just friends?My thoughts, dripping with sarcasm, almost miss the quiet “okay,” he says before crashing onto the left side of my bed. I shift awkwardly around the room debating if this is at all possibly a good idea.
“Sunshine, we are both tired. Just come here and worry about it another time.” He pats beside him, and I can barely see the smile he gives me in the light of my bedside lamp, but it still has its same calming effect on me.
“Okay, but you have to move over. That is my side of the bed.” I cross my arms over my chest, and he instantly moves over, to the right.
“I never knew you were so demanding but lucky for you, I normally sleep on the right side of the bed.” I laugh, slipping into the bed beside him, but my breath is caught in my throat as his arm snakes around my waist, holding me tightly.
“God, I love when I make you laugh, sunshine.”He pulls me tighter against him.
Love.The word plays round like a loop in my head as I drift off.
CHAPTER 10
Lucas
Song 10
Do I wanna know? (live at the BBC) – Hozier
07/15
It has almost been two weeks since I kissed Ivy and every day spent with her is increasingly insufferable, knowing she is inevitably going to leave. I try to ignore it, but Bailey loves to remind all of us of every single day, which she says she is doing because she is torn up about it, but there is no way she's not doing it to annoy me every day. Well, actually, that's not true because to her knowledge there is nothing going on between me and Ivy. However, her daily reminder is tearing me open. I don't understand why I feel so connected to her, but she won't leave my mind, especially since she fell asleep in my arms two days ago. When I woke up that day Ivy was tucked into my body, the warmth of her completely surrounding me. All I could smell was the fresh floral scentradiating from the curls that I was resting my head against. I have never been more comfortable, even on what must be the one hundred year old mattresses they have here. I left her lightly bright room before she woke up, hoping it would stop her being awkward with me when we had breakfast an hour later, but she has been avoiding me at every chance she can since. She sits far away from me at meals and barely talks to me when we do activities.
I traded my day off with James’ because he was going to miss their first lake day, and I was reluctant at first but now I know Ivy has the day off too and if she has no plans, I am going to convince her to come into town with me. She had the opportunity for a day on our first week here, but she didn't take it. I know that because she is doing her best to avoid me, she is likely to take the day off today, thinking I would be busy caring for the children. It will also be nice to go home for the day because I didn't have the opportunity to stop there before I came here.
After breakfast, I catch up to Ivy and she quickly slows down when I call her name, but I am already striding towards her and almost knock her over when I walk right into her. Great, that's two for two for us running into each other, at least we are even now but how is it each time I seem to be the one hurting her?
“Shit. Are you okay?” I say, placing my hands onto her waist, instinctively, to stabilise her. Today, she is wearing apair of light blue denim overalls with a yellow top that has no straps. Her high top converse match the colour of the top perfectly and the clasp on one side of her overalls is undone.
