Emelia "Lark" Benson's life was normal, easy, and full of love. Until one day, it wasn't.
Taken from her foster family and whisked away to another country, she loses the four people that she knew would always be there for her. Colt, Aidan, Luka, a...
I woke up to the soft piano music I set as my alarm.
Slowly sitting up and stretching, I let the soft light of the new day help me wake up.
When I reached over to grab my phone and turn the alarm off, I noticed I had six unopened text messages. Each of the boys had texted me at least once to check in on me. No surprise that Colt was the one who had texted me twice.
I quickly created a group chat and titled it the Guardians, hoping the Marvel reference would put a smile on their faces.
Lark: Good Morning. Sorry, I forgot to text last night I was so tired that I just passed out. Have a good day!
I sent the text and set my phone back down on my nightstand. Pushing back the covers, I swung my legs out of bed and stood up. The light that filtered into my apartment in the mornings was always lovely and it caused shadows to dance playfully on the piles of books I had stacked against the far wall.
Grabbing some clothes from my hanging rack, I threw them on the bed before heading into my bathroom to commence my morning routine.
By the time I was finished and dressed, it was already pushing 8:00 am. Casting one last look at my outfit in the mirror, I slid my headphones on and made my way out of the apartment and down to the bustling city below.
The tension that I still felt in my muscles from my panic attack last night made me extra jumpy. It felt like all the progress I made from my reunion with the guys was all for nothing. I didn't want my past to define me anymore.
I kept walking towards the subway station and tried to leave my anxiety behind with each step. When I finally reached my destination, I was feeling better. It was after all my second day of college and I had a brand new batch of classes to look forward to
.
Today's schedule had me heading to my Analytical Statistics class first. While math wasn't my favorite thing in the world, I was really good at it. Oddly enough, Gio brought in the best teachers to tutor me. I didn't deserve clothes or a bedroom that wasn't filled with dirt and cobwebs, but evidently, he needed me to be educated.
I always assumed it was because they thought they would be able to beat into submission. Become the good little mafia daughter they were grooming me to be. Gio and Anita never hid their plans for me to join the family business one day. They wanted me smart but obedient. Shaking my head to get give myself temporary relief of their memory, I approached my classroom and walked inside. Grabbing a seat in the middle, I slid my headphones off and put them in my backpack.
It was only 8:30 am and the class started at 8:45 am. I was glad to have some extra time before class started to go over the syllabus. I pulled it out, marking the areas that I needed clarification on.
A buzzing in my pocket had me reaching to grab my cellphone.
Colt: Morning Lark. Have a good day.
Luka: Hey! Look who remembered how to use a phone! I hope you slept well.
Greyson: Good Morning Lark!
Aidan: Glad you made it back safely. What does your day look like? Want to meet me somewhere for lunch?
I loved how I could hear their voices as I read their texts.
It took me a minute to realize that Aidan had texted me separately and not in the group chat. His questions brought a soft smile to my lips. I only had classes until 12:30 pm today and could easily grab a late lunch.
Lark: I'm done at 12:30 pm. I would love to grab lunch with you. What did you have in mind?
Aidan's reply was almost instant and the thought of him waiting for me to respond turned my soft smile into a full-on grin.
Aidan: Let me surprise you. I'll send you a text with a location. It's nothing fancy, just one of my favorite spots for a good cheap eat.
Lark: Sounds good. My class is starting soon so I'll talk to you later!
Aidan: Have a good class, Lark. I can't wait to see you.
I put my phone back in my pocket with a cheesy grin and waited for class to begin. As much as I wanted to pay attention to the professor once she did get started, all I could think about was seeing Aidan and talking to the guys later.
