Tutoring My Ex

13 | Obscure

[ LUCA'S POV ]

Della was sitting under the school's big tree, her headphones tight in her ears and her eyes closed as she listened intently to the music coming from the phone on the grass beside her.

I slowly walked up to where she was seated, trying to see if she would notice me but, as I had expected, she was completely immersed in her music. Della had been working hard lately, being at the bookstore and chicken joint for many hours a day took a toll on her, but I had been able to convince her to tutor me instead. Thankfully, under my influence, she quit her job at the fast food place and that time was taken up by me.

It felt good to see her beautiful face so often. 

We had yet to establish what this reconciliation was in words but one thing I knew for sure - it was that this glowing angel before me was mine.

She jumped in surprise when I touched her thigh, sitting down next to her. Every day used to be a work day for Della Anderson and she always had something to do so we wouldn't spend much time together. Now that wasn't the case. I learned new things about her that I didn't know before. Like her new obsession with food. Her eyes landed on me as I put my arm around her and laid my head on her shoulder, hearing a faint remnant of the music she was playing through her headphones.

Linkin Park I think it was.

She took them off and turned to face me with a tiny smile on her face, although I could see the exhaustion in her eyes very clearly. She was up burning the midnight oil again. "Hey you." As if she had been in that same position for a few hours, finally she could stretch out her limbs accompanied by satisfied mewls and the sound of bones cracking.

"Cute." I replied, and I couldn't help but look at her with a slightly worried expression afterwards.

"Don't make that face- what's wrong?" I asked as my brows scrunched up, thinking that she might be hurting somewhere or that I had caused some kind of problem I wasn't aware of.

"It's just..." she took a deep breath as she told me how she felt, "We've been spending so much time together lately and seeing you now- I don't want to come off as needy, Luca. Forget it."

I shook my head ignoring the eyes of the people around us when I covered her hands with my own.

"No, tell me."

She let out an adorable whine.

"Come on."

She shook her head.

I pinched her cheeks for the better. "If you don't tell me I won't let go."

She rolled her eyes but they told me she was ready to confess.

"You're here but I...I really, really miss you." She spluttered. Her eyes darted to the ground, afraid I might misjudge her. 

I stared at her until she peeked up at me.

I laughed at her actions.

"See!" She pointed with a huff. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. You're making fun of me!"

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry," My expression turned soft as my fingers brushed over her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at me again, her hair wavy and slightly tousled from running her hands through it. "It's just that you're freaking adorable."

Face matching the color of her hair she slapped my hand away. "I'm not talking to you."

I watched as she got up onto both feet. 

"Are you really leaving?"

She glared down at me - face still burning - for the humor in my tone.

"If you even think about coming close to me for the rest of the day I will design a machine that will tumble your body down an eternal flight of stairs so you die by carpet burn and broken limbs."

Damien was right. She was a spitfire.

***

She was trying hard. She was trying really hard.

"Can't we just do homework together then? Please, Luca. I'm feeling guilt over taking her money and I'm not doing what I was hired to do."

I snapped a quick shot of her puppy dog face.

Whilst looking down at the result I answered, "Mother's fault for being greedy."

She grabbed the DSLR camera out of my hand. 

"Are you really not going to help me?" She pressed the button, surveying the roll. Her eyebrows were raised at the ongoing, off-guarded photos of herself.

"I swear I'm not a creep." I laughed nervously.

"No, but you're a weirdo."

"As expected of a Radiohead fan."

Unresponsive, she raised the camera and let me have a taste of my own medicine.

"Okay, okay. I get it." I said at the numerous clicks.

Laughing lightly to herself, she moved the camera to the table and I smiled at how peaceful she looked, wearing my oversized sweater after complaints about the cold.

"What?" She inquired upon noticing my stare.

I smiled.

"Nothing."