I Can't Admit I Love You

Chapter 4

LUCAS

I washed up my face in the bathrooms, my eyes were red and burning. I looked at myself in the mirror.

Why was her leaving me behind still bothering me?

I clenched my hands on the sink. I couldn't get her smile out of my head when I closed my blood shot eyes.

I never paid attention to girls growing up because girls never paid attention to me. If they did then I never noticed it, but then it dawned on me.

Was it because Jaime was always around?

I made up my mind however, I wanted to at least leave on good friendly terms with Skylar. I didn't want this to be the last time I saw her or her funky hair.

She had this aura around her the first time I saw her, and it felt good to be in her presence. Just sitting with her at the restaurant gave me a sense of peace, a sense of ...dammit it's ok to me and to be awkward.

I burst through the bathroom doors and ran back to the airline gates to look for her but I didn't notice her anywhere. My knees felt weak, so I took a seat on the floor somewhere next to a phone charging station.

Some people were deep asleep on the floor using backpacks as pillows. But I merely rested my head against the cool wall and closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

SKYLAR

"Look I told you I'm not interested could you please leave?" I rolled my eyes at some guy who sat next to me. I could tell from his eyes and his breath that he was drunk but I was becoming extremely uncomfortable. It was my fault for walking into an annexed part of the airport next to a dingy Irish Pub.

I don't know why but I was trying to avoid running into Lucas when it came time to get on the shuttle.

"You know, you'd be much prettier if it weren't for your bitchy attitude!"

The drunk guy yelled at me, I had enough and got up but he grabbed my arm.

"Let go!"

He tugged at me and I looked back at the pub but the doors were closed, no one was coming out. In a panic I lifted my hand and slapped him across the face, but his hand just gripped me so tight I almost thought he broke it.

"You BITCH!" he lifted his fist up and I shut my eyes preparing myself for the blow.

But it didn't come, instead I heard two bodies tumble to the floor.

I opened my eyes and saw Lucas had tackled him down. My heart felt lodged in my throat.

"Don't touch her!!" Lucas shouted before getting off the drunk guy on the floor, he moaned as he rubbed his head in pain.

"Ahhhh fuck you asshole!!!"

Lucas grabbed my arm and we ran the opposite way and turned into a corner with a darkened hallway. Half the lights were either burned out or off, so we hid and caught our breath. For some reason I felt our space was too close, this hallway was very narrow and I realized it was for the maintenance workers.

Lucas' chest bobbed up and down and he pressed his hand against the wall behind me, closing in on me.

"...you ok?Did he hurt you?" His black eyes scanned face, I felt myself grow hot so I turned my face away from him. I didn't want him to see me blush.

"I'm fine, he just scared me is all..." I kept my voice low, we really shouldn't be here. My hand rubbed my wrist where the guy grabbed me, the pain tingled.

Lucas removed his hand from the wall and grabbed my wrist for me, "May I?"

I nodded once, he took my wrist and examined it.

"Are you a doctor or something?"

"Ha! I wish.Don't laugh but I'm basically a school nurse only I don't have a specific school I work for. I go from school to school and mostly examine the sport teams before each competition." he patted my wrist.

"I don't think it'll bruise so you should be fine. We should still get you some ice."

Why did he care if it bruised or not?Why would he even come and find me?

I had so many questions but I didn't ask. I was tired, I was confused and my heart and mind was racing.

We walked to a convenience store and Lucas got me an ice pack for my wrist.

"That should do the trick," he said with a smile.

I couldn't hold back anymore, I had to ask. "Why did you come find me?"

"Huh? Oh-" Lucas quickly looked away, looked everywhere except at me. He merely shrugged and scratched his cheek with his finger.

"This is going to sound embarrassing but, I was hoping I guess till we get to JFK maybe you know we can... stick together?"

I held my breath and looked at his side profile, he still wouldn't turn to me.

Lucas was...rather handsome. I really shouldn't think that, I really shouldn't want to stay by his side. He has a girlfriend even though he said he didn't.

I dropped my eyes to my wrist again. Maybe I am fooling myself, maybe he's just a nice guy and doesn't want to be alone after that near death experience.

Lucas coughed, " We're stuck here for a few more hours, I guess I just feel lonely..." he stated as though confirming the thoughts in my head. "You took the blunt of the impact for me on the plane...you must have hurt so bad.." he said softly almost as though he's talking to himself and not at me.

I looked back at him his eyes narrowed to the floor, almost as though in pain.

"B-but..." I choked my words out. "you saved me this time, I guess that makes us even?" I smiled, hoping to wipe away any guilt he might have had.

Finally he turned to me, his cheeks turned slightly red.

"Skylar, I'm sorry." he shook his head, "I'm sorry if coming after you was a little creepy," he laughed silently.

"Don't..I mean- maybe it was..."

Lucas dropped his head in his hands in shame. I burst out laughing.

"You really are funny," I held my free hand to my mouth, muffling my laugh. He kept his head in his hands. "We're even we're even though! " I stood up in front of him.

"Come on, let's go back to the airline."

He looked up at me, and I flashed him a smile before nudging my head for him to follow.

"Right."

Lucas grabbed my bags for me and we walked back taking a seat at the charging station.