Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice [boyxboy]

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen (Ethan's POV)

"I love you, Ethan." Lucas announced.

His dark blue eyes were brighter as he stared up at me, his split lip cleaned up and the bruise on his face marring his pretty features. I couldn't speak at first, I felt like I had just been grabbed by the throat and for a second, I thought Rick had grabbed me and killed me.

But it was shock.

Lucas just confessed -out loud- in front of everyone.

"What?" I asked in disbelief. Lucas cocked his head and went to open his mouth and explain it, but Rick cut him off.

"Lucas, you can't toss those words around lightly-"

"I'm not," Lucas interrupted him, "I'm serious. I'm telling the truth. I love Ethan."

No one said anything after a while. In fact, I felt like everyone was staring at me, expecting me to reject him. I could just see it on their faces as I glanced around at them. They were waiting for me to say no, to tell Lucas he was crazy, he was a brat.

Why?

Lucas was everything to me. The moment I saw him, I felt I had to force myself to walk away from him and it hurt. Everything about him held me. His voice, his face, his everything. He read to me when I told him I didn't know how to read myself. He smiled at me, even though he was in pain, because of me. He was the only one who didn't abandon me.

Did I love Lucas?

Truly? Or was it some kind of high school crush that would end when I graduated?

Fuck no.

"I love you, Lucas." I heard myself say. My voice sounded hoarse and caught, like I was going to cry and I mentally beat myself into submission, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"I love you." I repeated. Lucas stared at me for a moment, then another smile broke his face and he pressed himself against my chest, favoring his wounded arm. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, but gently to avoid hurting him.

"Please don't move away." Lucas said suddenly, pulling back to gaze up at me.

"You're moving?" Danny asked in disbelief.

"I knew it." Rick retorted, only to be elbowed in the gut by Devin, who glared at him, daring him to speak another word. I grimaced, looking down at Lucas. His expression was heartbreaking.

He must have overheard me talking about it.

"I don't want to," I answered, watching his face fall even further into despair, "I really don't, but where am I going to stay? I don't have any relatives. I can't get a job. I'm..." The word useless hung off the edge of my tongue and Lucas noticed it immediately, grabbing my arm.

"No! You can stay with me!" He protested.

"Now wait a minute, Lucas," Blake started, making me cringe and wait for him to say no, "That isn't our house. We can't just invite people to stay. All the rooms are taken up-"

"He'll stay in my room." Lucas cut in desperately. Blake stared at him and the look on his face was stone cold, enough so I got the message. I gave Lucas a weak smile, stroking his hair and cupping his cheek.

"I'll find something. Maybe they have a shelter somewhere I can stay until I get a job, maybe." I offered.

"I told you-"

"Nick, I told you." I snapped. Nick grimaced, but said nothing more as Oliver latched onto his arm, looking up into his face with a pained look. Oliver glanced at me, then his parents, who just stood there looking at their feet.