Safety Net {l.r.h}

61) The Lucky One

ELLIE ABNER

Running my hands down the front of my dress for the thousandth time, I twisted my lips to the side in thought. Angling my body in different positions in front of the mirror in the ensuite bathroom of Luke's bedroom, my eyes scanned the length of the dress, making sure it wasn't too short. That was until I heard the click of a tongue from the doorway causing me to jump, jerking my head in the direction of the noise. Luke stood, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed, and a smirk on his face. My cheeks reddened as I turned back to the mirror to avoid direct eye contact and bit the inside of my cheek.

"You have nothing to worry about," he says, stepping into the room. My eyes tracked his every move as he made his way behind me, arms slithering around my waist. "You look perfect as usual."

"The dress isn't too short?" I question, angling my head to the side as he rests his chin against my shoulder.

Luke hums as he places a kiss against my bare skin, "I don't think it is."

"Of course, you don't," I giggle, leaning back into him.

His hands move to my hips, squeezing the slightest bit. "No, the dress isn't too short. You're gorgeous, El."

I roll my eyes, sighing as his lips trail kisses up my neck gently. "Why do you have to say all the right things?"

"It's what I'm good for," he states. "And as much as I want to continue this, we should get downstairs before they think we're giving them grandkids." With a laugh, I oblige and let him lead me to his family with our fingers intertwined.

All eyes turned to us as soon as we entered the living room, and I grew nervous when I noticed how many members of Luke's family had shown up. A few of his extended relatives as well as his grandparents were sat on some folding chairs on the outskirts of the couch as his younger cousins chased each other around the living room, giggles escaping their lips as they did so.

"Oh my goodness, Luke's got himself a girlfriend!" A woman who seemed to be his grandmother exclaimed. I flashed a welcoming smile in her direction as she beckoned us over with a wave of her hand.

"Nanna, this is Ellie," Luke says as soon as we're standing in front of her. She stands from her chair with a grin and instantly wraps her arms around my torso. My eyes widen in surprise, and I awkwardly do the same, squeezing the small woman as if she were my own relative.

My lips tilt up as my heart warms by her embrace. "It's nice to meet you," I mutter next to her ear.

"I can tell you make him happy," she whispers to me, placing a kiss on my cheek before pulling away.

"Well don't hog the girl, let me meet her," someone from across the room says causing Luke and I to laugh. This is going to be a long day, I could tell.

After I had finished meeting all of Luke's relatives, I excused myself from the living room in order to grab a glass of water from the kitchen. Anxiety crept up on me and my heart was thudding loudly in my ears, hands shaking as I held the glass under the tap. Shutting off the water, I quickly placed the cup to my lips and took a long gulp, holding onto the counter with my free hand in order to stabilize myself. It had been so long since I've had an issue like this, and the only reason could be that their impression means so much to me.

"Are you alright, honey?"

Jumping slightly, I jerk my head towards the archway to see Liz with a concerned expression on her face. "Oh," I breathe out, "yeah, I'm okay. Just thirsty."

"Ellie," she says while walking up to me. I feel her hand gently fall on top of my shaky one against the counter. "It's okay to feel anxious sometimes, you know. There's a lot of people here, I get it."