Brighter Places [🗸]

26. just lucas garcia

***

Today is the day.

The day that Lucas Garcia has been ecstatic about, sending fervent reminders my way every two seconds just to drill the fact into my head. It's the day. The day he gets up onstage and shows the world what he's made of.

The day he gets to shine.

Even though he's always been a star to me. Maybe even a supernova. Brighter than anything else in the galaxy, a fucking explosion.

Everyone's sprawled around the table, Angie leaning forward in her seat, sandwich in one hand and phone in the other, hair falling over her face as she lazily blows it away. Lucas is seated to my right.

My boyfriend is seated to my right.

He's grinning, fingers tapping rapidly, nerves practically exuding from him. A laugh escapes my lips at the sight of it, and from across our side of the table is Grandma.

She has her hands clasped, me still biting into a banh mi as Lucas breaks off small bits of the baguette, stuffing it into his mouth.

"I am so proud," Grandma says suddenly, dragging all attention to her. She clasps her hands together, a smile breaking onto her lips. "So proud that Lucas is going to perform today, as the main character."

Lucas' grin is wide, but nervous. "I'm just," he raises a hand to his chest as though to calm his rising nerves. "I'm so nervous." His voice rises, eyes widening. "This is opening night, like, I have to make a good impression. And I'm so nervous about it, Dios."

Crinkles appear underneath Grandma's eyes as she sends him an assuring smile, my hand resting on his bouncing leg underneath the table, until the bouncing slows. 

"I've got to get my things," he says, breathlessly, running a hand through his hair.  

"Alright," I say, sending him an easy nod. He smiles in return, readying himself to rise to his feet as he leans forward almost on instinct, most likely about to give me one of those soft kisses before he leaves.

But his eyes widen almost instantaneously, gaze sliding over to Grandma as it visibly dawns on him that she's still here and watching. So, with that, he settles for an awkward pat on the shoulder, and I have to stifle the laugh that's attempting to escape my lips.

Although, Angie's not as subtle, letting out a snort as she chuckles into her coffee.

With that, redness splashes Lucas' face, and he gives a semi-awkward salute before sidling away.

Once he's gone, Grandma's eyes zero in on me.

I swallow, eyebrows raised. "What?"

"Lucas. He was about to kiss you?" She asks, curiosity still flying across her irises.