balmy || l.h.

ten

I furrowed my brows in confusion and apologized to Calum before standing up and making my way over. She was in a blue bikini, one that I helped her buy, on the lap of some guy making out with him.

Her back was facing me, and she was clearly preoccupied. I couldn't see who the guy was, but honestly it could be anyone for that matter.

"Hailey," I said to get her attention. She jumped and quickly turned to look at me. She was wide eyed and stuttering out apologies but I could only look at Daniel.

The same Daniel that tried to hurt me only last night now had my best friend on his lap. Consensually. With her knowledge of who he was and what he did.

I was frozen. All the sounds around me were muffled and I barely noticed when Hailey stood up to reach for my hand in apology. My heart felt like it was going to rip through my chest and I wiped a tear away from my cheek before running away.

I ran towards the house, someone was calling my name behind me but I didn't want to look. I didn't care who it was.

I ran aimlessly, running up the stairs, past people lingering and talking. I found an empty bedroom with the door open and booked it in, shutting it behind me. Throwing myself onto the bed, I began to sob in the pillow. I scream cried, growling in my throat like I was swallowing gravel.

I kicked my legs in a tantrum to let all of the anger out. "Nat?" I heard outside the door. It was a male voice and I screamed, "FUCK OFF DANIEL!"

It was quiet for a moment before another soft knock, "Nat, it's me."

I sniffled and wiped my nose, sitting up hunched over slightly and sighed, "Come in."

My chest was bouncing with cries trying to force themselves up and I covered my mouth with my hand when Luke walked in to hide my whimpering.

He shut the door behind himself and locked it with a chuckle, "There. Now no drunk lovebirds can crash in."

I smiled as he sat on the bed. He looked at me sympathetically and I burst into tears all over again. He opened his arms and I fell into his bare chest, crying onto his shoulder, creating tear paths against the golden peach fuzz.

We sat for a minute just like that. Just me sobbing as Luke gently rubbed my head, running his fingers through my ponytail. After a few minutes he whispered, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

I sucked in a breath and wiped my eyes, nodding, "Mhmm. I was in the pool with Calum and I looked across the yard and I saw Hailey making out with...with," I started to suck in a few ugly sobs before speaking again, "With this guy, so I went over to ask her why she was here and then the guy turned out to be Daniel," I trailed off into loud sobs again as his face changed from confusion to anger to a rage I've never seen in his eyes before.

"I'm going to fucking kill them both-" he started to launch himself off the bed and I grabbed his arm, pulling him down, "No!"

He looked at me, trying to control his breath and I couldn't help but plead with his blue eyes, "Please just stay with me."

He paused for a moment, his eyes were almost scanning my face in a haze. He finally nodded, "Why don't you lay down for a moment?"

He laid back in the bed and I did the same, snuggling up to him in the crook of his arm. I would never do this with Luke in the past, but I just needed it so much right now. Right now didn't count to the past anymore.

His skin was soft and warm and I closed my eyes for a few seconds taking deep breaths to calm down. Every time I inhaled I got that scent of his cologne. So enticing. So comforting. I opened my eyes slowly, trying to stay relaxed and only then did I realize our faces were inches from one another.

His baby blues were gazing back at me. Luke's eyes have always been very telling of his emotions, or what he's thinking. But this look...I'd never seen it before. It was soft, and new. Not like the aggression or passion I'd seen sometimes before. This must be love.

I smiled softly at him, and his eyes scanned my face again before his lips parted ever so slightly.

Then his hand was on my cheek and I inched closer until our lips had met. He slid his hand around to cradle my head as his soft lips moved against mine.

Before my body even knew what it was doing, I had shifted to straddle Luke's lap, breathing in sharply as our lips parted. He smiled but only for a brief moment before I went back in for more. My lips tingled and my chest was warm.

Like fireworks.

Both of my hands were on his cheeks, keeping him against me as he gripped my waist, hands slowly moving down to just above the hem of my bikini.

I broke away and looked at him longingly, "Please touch it..."

He smiled deviously and slid his hand beneath my bottoms to grip my ass, kneading it in his strong fingers. I nibbled on his lip, teasing him.

We parted and I sat up on his lap, running my hands along his chest and then down his abs.

He chuckled, "Like what you see?"

I nodded quickly, "You didn't wear a shirt around the house on purpose."

He shook his head on the pillow laughing, "As if I didn't notice the way you looked at me when you came into my room last night. The boxers were on purpose too. Just in case you came in again." He winked and I laughed, playfully smacking his chest.

I suddenly out of nowhere realized what had happen and my heart skipped a beat, "Oh my god is this weird? Like we're literally legally family."

He shrugged, running his hands up my waist, "By marriage. Also Cher did it in Clueless, god are you even a teenage girl?"

I nodded, "I guess you're right. And I mean it's not like we lived together our whole lives...we did only live in the same house for a year."

He took my wrists and placed my hands back onto his torso, "Exactly."

Gazing up at me, his eyes lingered on my breasts before going back to my face, "You know the moment I came through the front door the first day I got here and saw you coming down the stairs, I knew I was in for it."

I cocked my head, "In for what?"

"You."