Titles

Chapter Seven - Lovebird

A/N - Really quick, yes, Arabella calls Luca's dad 'Uncle', later on in this chapter, but, just so we're all clear, they are not related in any way. She just calls him that because their families are close. I do not write about incest.

Enjoy!

---

The dull colors of the small town I've grown up in blur by as Luca drives us out of town and toward the city.

It's been months since I've been out of this shitty old town, and I watch each little detail of the surrounding landscape with admiration. The fall colors blend beautifully into the trees upon trees that line the road.

On the center console, my hand rests over my boyfriend's, my thumb rubbing circles into his soft skin.

I take a peek at him.

He's gorgeous. As always.

I interlace my fingers with his with a sigh and lean my head back on the head rest. It's always the days we visit the city that are the most anticipated yet mournful.

"Ready to see our dads, baby?" He squeezes my hand.

I nod and return the gesture. "As I'll ever be."

Half an hour later, we reach our long-awaited destination. The city prison.

We walk towards the heavy metal doors and security guards immediately rush to us and pat us down. After walking through the metal detectors, we stop at a desk just inside the doors to fill out a hundred sheets of paper with useless information.

I now find myself with Luca being escorted towards the inmate visiting room by two tall, scary looking security guards. They stand outside the door as we enter, and one of them picks up a device from the wall and speaks into it with a deep, booming voice, "Matteo Cortez."

Lu and I get situated in chairs on our side of the plexiglass, and I lean my head on his shoulder, burying my face into him. "It's been a few months since I've seen your dad. I miss him."

"Me too. More than anything."

We sit like that, his fingers lacing through my hair, until we hear a door slam on the other side of the glass, startling us apart from each other.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my two favorite lovebirds." I look over to see Luca's dad grinning at us in his prisoner's jumpsuit, with not one not-yet-grey hair out of place.

"No, we're not—"

"How did you—"

We both start and stop our sentences, looking at each other in panic.

So I, being the awesome person I am, decide to take control.

"Um, we're n-not dat—" I snap my lips closed. He never said we were dating so I can't put thoughts in his head. "—lovebirds."

Matt purses his lips, amused.

"Hm, okay then. How about you two stop acting defensive about something we all know is true and actually give me a proper greeting?"

We mumble our sorries and I go first. "I missed you so much Uncle Matt!" I make dramatic pouty lips.

He laughs. "I missed you too, pumpkin."

"I really missed you too, dad. Just as I tell you every time I visit, the house isn't the same without you there."

He sighs. "I know, Lu, I know. I miss you and your mother and sister all the time, but at least one good thing came out of this: you're the man of two households now!"