Red Roses [Luke Hemmings]

Seventeen

Rebecca finished the last finishing touches on her beachy painting. She had been drawing that all day and now the sun was setting and the lights were on. She was almost done when the door was being knocked on and it opened to reveal Rocco.

"Go away," Rebecca said, adding just a little bit more dark blue to the skies and the beach. She dabbed some more green on the summery palm trees that she loved and some more purple on the hibiscus.

"That looks amazing," Rocco told her. His black dress shoes tapped against the tiled floors of their parents' large home and Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"What part of 'go away' don't you understand?" Rebecca asked.
"Touchy touchy. Why, Luke won't sleep with you because you've got your period?" her obnoxious brother snickered. Rebecca stayed quiet. That wasn't the problem. She was bored, she wasn't working because her mum thought she was sick. But she knew now, it wasn't sickness she was fighting.

"Where's Priscilla, or the other one?" Rebecca asked.
"Home," Rocco, "Don't change the subject."
"Was there even a subject?"
"No. I want to talk to you. It's been a long time Hēhita."
"Have you been speaking with Taua lately? You don't speak Māori unless you've been talking to her."
"I have. She wants us to visit. I was thinking since Luke's going on tour soon, you're not with Noah anymore, you'd like to head to Wellington with me for her birthday."

Rebecca thought about it. Her grandmother hadn't seen her since she was a little girl. She remembered her Taua teaching her simple words in Māori as Rocco was nearly fluent. He spoke to a conversational level but if you asked him to write a note or something in the old language, he wouldn't be able to. Rebecca didn't want to learn because she thought it was stupid. But now, she wished she knew. Rebecca's grandmother was not getting any younger and that meant her English wasn't getting any better.

"Yeah," she said finally, "That sounds amazing."
"Great, so I'll book a flight for the first week of February. In the mean time, catch me up on #ruke drama would you?" Rocco said, sitting on the formal lounge with golden accents. Rebecca chuckled, slightly confused.
"What?" she laughed.
"You know, #ruke. Rebecca and Luke. Tell me, what's up? Did you guys kiss yet? Have you seen him naked? Oh wait, did he walk you home?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes. Rocco knew well enough what was happening between her and Luke but it didn't hurt to tell him all the details. She told him about what Luke told her on the beach, and how Rebecca chose Luke. She told her brother the feelings she had when she first saw Luke. She told him everything, even the stupid tattoo that Luke was so embarrassed of. Rebecca made Rocco promise he wouldn't say anything. Rocco promised and soon, it was too late and their mother had requested them to head to their old rooms to sleep.

"I'll see you in the morning Becc," Rocco said, turning on the light of his room but Rebecca pulled his arm.
"Roc?" she called.
"What's up?"
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing? I mean, with Luke and Noah."

Rocco took in a deep breath and smiled at his younger sister. Rebecca searched his eyes and she didn't know what to think.
"If you're happy, then you're doing the right damn thing," Rocco said. He placed a quick kiss on Rebecca's forehead and walked into his room.

A smile crossed Rebecca's face and she walked into her old room. She showered, changed and went to charge her phone which had been playing music all day for her. Once she settled into bed, Rebecca went to her messages and went to Luke's name.

Rebecca: just checking on you, and reminding you that i love you ♡

After hitting the blue 'send' button, Rebecca waited for Luke to reply as she turned off her bedside lamp and lowered the brightness of her iPhone. Then, a few seconds of doing nothing had passed and Rebecca received Luke's reply.