Home Away From Home

Chapter Eight

DAY TWENTY THREE
A couple weeks and some days have passed, and Luke's cryptic self has kept up. I've seen more of Sydney, and we've traveled to different cities. The car rides never cease to be uncomfortable. Nothing extraordinarily ineresting has happened to me lately, so I'll just skip the boring stuff.
I got back kind of late from a movie with Liz and Andy. Luke was sitting in the living room watching tv when we walked in.
"Thanks for tonight," I said to Liz and Andy as we said goodnight.
"Oh, you're welcome. Sleep well you two." Liz smiled, and Andy waved as they disappeared down the hall.
I blushed thinking about the pair of us sleeping well. I'm a child, I swear.
I stood in the kitchen, debating upon going upstairs or staying down here.
Luke paused his show, and I sensed an interrogation coming, so I escaped outside.
I walked around to the backyard/side yard and looked up, struggling to pull the stars from the city lights.
I sighed, giving up and giving in.
"Go get a sweatshirt on." Luke said as he stood up from couch, turning the tv off once I came back inside.
"Why?" I scrunched my face, not fond of his demanding tone.
"Just do it. Please." Luke sounded sincere and desperate.
"Okay, dad." I don't know what compelled me to obey him, but I went upstairs and grabbed a sweatshirt.
I sighed, searching my bags for anything that would provide me with warmth. It's seems that all of my clothes are in the laundry. I finally found an old, chunky sweater I had tucked deep into a drawer. I stood in my room, thinking, wondering why I need a sweatshirt.
I went down the stairs slowly because I'm nervous for what's going to happen. "So, where are we going?" I asked, my voice as slow as my pace.
"Just trust me, please." Luke tried to be kind, but I could tell his quick-temper was slowly getting to him.
I got in the passenger seat of Luke's car-- opening and closing the door for myself this time-- and buckled in. Luke routinely started the car and started the music. Thank goodness. Also, thank goodness it's dark so Luke couldn't see me blush for the umteenth time when Finders Keepers surrounded us.
We drove through Sydney, past Sydney, an hour out of Sydney, and finally, two hours later, Luke stopped the car on the side of the road. He got out, pulled a blanket and two chairs from the trunk and summoned me outside. I was frightened the whole way here, but Luke had driven me out to see the stars. My knees felt weak once I realized what we were doing.
"You really didn't have to do this." I said feeling guilty for not giving him the benefit of the doubt.
"I wanted to." Luke shrugged and took a seat in a folding chair, motioning for me to do the same.
DAY TWENTY FOUR
We sat in silence, looking up into the vast Australian sky. Breathtaking. I've been places, and I've seen things, but this has to be one of the most dazzling displays of stars I've seen yet. And the company doesn't hurt too much either.
"So you've been hanging out with Calum a lot lately." Luke looked over, startling me awake from my reverie.
"Oh, uh, yeah." I flicked my eyes to the ground, not prepared to bear his scrutiny.
Ever since I went to Calum's house with Luke, I've been doing things with Calum. He's shown me around Sydney, though I never have the heart to tell him that Luke has already done so, and we've just hung around his house. He's asked me questions about America; I've asked him questions about Australia. He's infinitely more interested in me than Luke seems to be, and yet I can't shake whatever intrigues me about Luke.
"He seems pretty impressed with you." Luke said tersely. I didn't want to think he sounds jealous, but he sounds jealous.
"Yeah? That's nice of him." I kept my vision away from Luke as I studied the floral pattern of the blanket that rests in my lap.
"Greta, you don't have to spare my feelings." Luke chuckled to himself, but it was hard and unconvincing.
"You don't have to spare your feelings either." I said quietly as I met his gaze.
"I don't." Luke challenged, feeling threatened. He looked back up at the sky, and I watched as his lips slowling parted into an awe-inspired gape.
For the first time since I came here, I wanted to kiss someone. Him.
I snapped myself out of it and back to the problem at hand. "Luke, don't pretend you're not scared to feel things."
"I am not!" Luke said, looking at me as if what I just said is the most obsurd thing he has ever heard.
"Then why do you only approach people on your terms?!" I fought back. He was not going to win this.
"What are you even talking about?" Luke's voice evened out, but his face was still screaming.
"I mean..." I calmed myself and my voice. "I mean, take us-- me for example. Anytime I want to talk to you, you're always closed off and uninterested. But whenever you feel like talking to me, you're a running faucet, and you get offended when I don't want to answer you."
"Poor example." Luke shot immediately.
"How is that a poor example?!" I cried, infuriated by his ignorance.
"Well because it just is!" Luke was becoming flustered, and his accent was thickening. "You don't count. I'm not afraid to feel things with people I'm certain will stick around." Luke spoke so quietly, if we were anywhere but the middle of nowhere, it would be impossible to hear him.
My stomach dropped. "I'm here for another month."
I knew this would mean nothing because what's a month to a lifetime.
"Before you fly halfway across the world back to your home." He grumbled, angry with me.
"One third actually." I corrected him quietly.
Luke snapped his head up to glare at me, but I only saw pain on his face.
"This isn't fair to me, Luke!" I yelled. I'm pissed off. "You can't just hate me half the time, and then find me tolerable, and then whatever this is!" I threw my arms up at the Universe.
"One third actually." He sneered playfully. I was in no mood to laugh. "I'm sorry. You're right."
"I know I'm right! And you'd know that I don't want to be right if you didn't only pay attention when you felt that it would benefit you." I sighed hard and turned my gaze back upward.
There was silence for a long time before Luke apologized. I forgave him. We were out for another hour with little conversation. I dreaded the car ride home. Home. I helped Luke pack up, and we got in the car, but Luke didn't start the music again.
Five minutes passed. "What's your favorite color?"
I looked over at Luke to see if he was kidding, but he wasn't. Instead of continuing this childish but reasonable silent treatment, I answered. And I would continue to answer his questions beacuse I like the idea of him caring. "Purple. Then grey."
"Why?"
"Purple was my favorite color when I was younger, and it always annoyed me when people would change their favorite color every day because that meant that it wasn't really their favorite. I haven't decided if purple is my favorite color because I refuse to be a hypocrite in the Favorites Department or if it's my favorite because I like certainty." I looked over just in time to see Luke take his attention from me and place it back on the road.
"And grey?"
"I just think it's a pretty color."
Luke laughed lightly, and I cherished it because he rarely laughed.
"Where all have you been?"
"Most of the States, Honduras, Mexico, Spain, England, Ireland, Sweden, and here."
"Are you an only child?"
"Middle child."
"Tell me about your siblings."
"Augustus is my older brother. I think he's like 21 or something. And Emerson is my little sister. She's almost sixteen. Speaking of Emerson, she's dying to talk to you."
Luke looked surprised and flattered. "Me? Why?"
"Well, when I showed her a picture of your family before I left, she thought you were super hot." I blushed. She wasn't wrong.
Luke's face grew to match mine, and we were cute blushing in the car together. "Well what time is it there? Give her a call."
It would be early, but I'm sure she'd wake up for a call from me. The line rang three or four times before a sleepy Emerson answered.
"Hello?" Her voice was still groggy, and I could just imagine her in bed with her eyes still closed.
"Hey, Em." I greeted excitedly.
"Greta! I miss you! How are you? Do you realize what time it is?" I laughed at her sudden changes of excitement.
"I miss you too. And I know it's early. I'm sorry. But I'm with Luke right now." I looked over at Luke, and he was smiling widely. He got a kick out of this.
"Is he better than I thought?" I've called home several times, but Emerson and I have only been able to talk privately once.
"Ask him yourself." I had to keep back a laugh, and I knew she'd hate me from afar once she found out she's on speaker phone.
"Hi, Emerson." Luke said with his deep Australian voice.
I think I heard Emerson squeal, and I related. "Hi."
"Sorry to wake you. Greta was just telling me about you, and I wanted to call you." I can't recall ever seeing Luke this happy, and I just wanted to hug him. But he's driving so that wouldn't be safe.
"Well, I'm flattered."
"Luke was too when I told him how hot you thought he was." I teased. It's fun because even though I'm older than Emerson, I'm only older by a year so we're best friends. She's two grades below me in school though because I skipped first grade.
"Greta, I would hit you so hard if you were here right now." She threatened over the phone, and I smiled ear to ear. Luke's head was tilted back as his eyes were scrunched together, and I heard this cute high-pitched laugh come from his wide mouth. I melted.
"No you wouldn't. You'd hug me." I teased, and she knew I was right. But after we hug, she'd probably punch me.
"Luke, punch her for me." Emerson tried to pursuade Luke, but he was still laughing at us.
"I think I'd rather hug her." Luke said, coming down from his high.
A silence broke between the three of us, and Luke's face was ghostly white once he realized what he had just said.
"Well, I'm going to try to go back to sleep." Emerson quipped, trying to relieve us of the akwardness.
"You do that."
"Yeah, bye."
"Bye."
"Bye."
We hung up, and I sat in my seat, not daring to look anywhere but forward.
"I'm sorry." Luke said, still embarrassed.
"It's okay. I probably would've said the same thing."
Luke looked over at me and smirked cheekily. I blushed violently.
We talked and laughed, and I probably almost cried a few times, but we finally made it back. We quietly snuck back into the house, seeing that it was well past midnight. Neither of us had a curfew, persay, but they did mention something about a responsible hour.
We walked back upstairs, and I followed Luke to the door of his room as he finished his story. "I think I'm going to miss you." He said with a smile bright enough to match his eyes.
"I think I'd miss you even if we never met." I said quietly, still wrapped up in tonight.
Luke looked at me, taking a step closer. "Frick, Greta." He said low and harsh voice.
I followed his eyes as they closed the minute his lips contacted with mine. He kissed me slowly and sweetly and briefly. I stood in shock, drawing my lips in my mouth, as Luke closed his door with a smirk.
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