sunshine | l.r.h

six

chapter six:

ice cream and rooftops

Luke hated being alone.

The feeling of true loneliness was something he was all too familiar with especially growing up. The thought of constantly having to cut off possibilities of new things made everything hurt that much more.

Luke's so caught up in his own head that he doesn't hear Ashton come up the fire escape. Ashton joins Luke who's leaning against the ledge with a cigarette perched between his fingers.

"I thought you quit," Ashton comments. Instead of answering, Luke flicks the ash off the end of the stick. Ashton sighs. "I'm sorry, Luke."

"Do you know how quiet this place is when you all are gone?" Luke questions softly, bringing the cigarette to his lips. He takes a long drag before blowing the smoke off to the side. Ashton stays quiet, giving Luke room to talk. "Do you know what can be heard in silence?" Ashton knows Luke and he knows the answer to the rhetorical question. "A lot of shit I don't want to hear. So, yeah, I'm sorry that I had a girl over last night."

"Luke," Ashton sighs, trying to find something to say. "It's not the fact that she was here. You've never been with the same girl twice. I just don't want something to start-"

"Nothing gonna fucking come from it," Luke laughs dryly, putting the cigarette out on the concrete.

"I've seen this shit before, Luke," Ashton confesses. Luke stops in his tracks, curious as to what he means. A muscle in Ashton's cheek twitches as he continues. "Back when I fought, one of my buddies was seeing someone. Some bad people found out and, uh, they used that to their advantage." Luke's brows furrow as he tries to think of who he's talking about. "They wanted to scare him so they took her. They weren't going to hurt her but something went wrong and... she died, Luke."

"Oh my god," Luke whispers, unable to imagine what that could do to a person. Ashton's jaw clenches.

"He never stepped foot in a ring again," he mumbles. Ashton clears his throat before looking at Luke. "Do you get it now? Why I say you shouldn't get too close to someone. It's different when it's someone you care about like that. You're a brother to me. I've known you for what, 10 years? I can't see you go through what he went through."

There aren't any words Luke could say after that. He can't imagine putting someone through that. Ashton's overprotectiveness starts clicking into place. A heaviness carries in the air around them. Without another word, Ashton goes back down the fire escape and into the apartment.

***

Music plays softly throughout Delilah's studio. There aren't any words, just instruments. When Delilah felt her creativity was running a bit dry, she'd play something and paint whatever she heard. This time, her painting somewhat resembled the sunrise from earlier that morning.

She lets herself fall back into the night. Just thinking about it sends butterflies through her stomach. She wants to see Luke again. A knock on the door pulls her back. She sets down the palette in her hand before going over to the door. Natalia stands on the other side with a wide grin.

"You up for a break?" She inquires. Delilah glances back at the painting, seeing it's done.

"Sure," she nods, grabbing her phone to turn off the music. Delilah slips off the paint-covered apron and grabs her bag before following her friend out the door. Locking her studio, she joins Natalia outside. "Where are we going?"

"I'm craving ice cream," Natalia offers.

"Sounds great," Delilah agrees with a grin. They take the short walk to an ice cream shop around the block. There aren't many people inside, considering the time. Their eyes scan the menu as a cashier walks up to them.

"Welcome to Bluebell how can I help you?" She greets sweetly.

"Can I have a single scoop of cookies and cream?" Delilah orders, taking out her wallet.

"I'll have the rainbow sherbet," Natalia decides. The cashier nods before taking both payments. The girls step to the side as they wait for their orders to be made. Moments later, they're sitting at a booth in the far corner of the shop. "Alright, let's get to it."

"Get to what?" Delilah questions, slightly wary of where this conversation will go.

"Your hook-up," she states. Heat floods Delilah's face making Natalia laugh. "I need to know!"

"I knew there was a catch to this," Delilah teases, pointing her spoon at Natalia. Delilah stirs the ice cream in the cup, not sure how she wants to talk about it.

"Oh my god, you're thinking about it still," Natalia gasps.

"What makes you say that?" Delilah brushes it off.

"You were just biting your lip," Natalia points out. Delilah didn't even realize she was biting her lip.

"It was... good," Delilah settles, not wanting to give too much away. Natalia wasn't having it. She shakes her head disapprovingly. "What? Do you want details?" Delilah laughs. Natalia tilts her head as if that wasn't a bad option. Delilah grins and leans forward. "Fine. Counter, couch, and bed. That's all you're getting."

"So he's good," she concludes. Delilah nods quickly, feeling flushed from the conversation. "So did you all eat dinner at the kitchen counter or did he just eat-"

With a wide smile, Delilah throws a napkin at her friend. "I told you I'm not saying anything else!"

"You don't have to, you're very easy to read," she teases, earning an eye roll from Delilah. "I'm glad you're having fun. Are you going to see him again?"

"I don't know," Delilah answers honestly, taking a bite of her ice cream. "If he calls, I wouldn't be opposed."

"If he doesn't?"

"Then, I move on. He doesn't seem like the settling down type anyway." Delilah's keeping some of the night to herself as if saying it out loud will make it real. Real things can hurt.

They finish up their ice cream before heading back to the studio. Delilah goes in and takes the painting she was working on off of the easel. Setting it against the wall, she grabs the used brushes and starts washing them off in the sink. Natalia starts cleaning dried paint off of the pallet. The two work to clean up the studio together in silence.

About an hour later, they're walking back to Delilah's apartment.

"So, what about the guy you were talking to?" Delilah questions, glancing over at her friend.

"I haven't talked to him," she shrugs. Delilah's brows furrow but Natalia answers the question in her head, "my hours at the hospital have been getting longer. I'm just focused on that right now."

"Oh my god, we really did switch souls," Delilah jokes lightly earning a laugh from Natalia.

"Speaking of which, can I crash at your place tonight? It's a bit closer to the hospital and I have a long shift," Natalia questions.

"Of course," Delilah nods, opening the door to her apartment building. The girls head up to Delilah's apartment. They fall into the routine they have had many times before. Delilah takes the couch, giving Natalia the bed so she can rest for her shift. Delilah never minded the couch. She usually stayed up late sketching or was just unable to sleep. She'd hate to keep Natalia from sleeping just because she couldn't.

There are a few solutions Delilah's found that actually help her fall and stay asleep. A hot cup of tea seemed to do wonders some nights. Tonight wasn't one of those nights. She can't place it but something was keeping her awake. It's like an itch in her brain that she can't figure out how to get to.

Deciding to be at least a little productive, she sets her tea on the coffee table and grabs her sketchbook. The pencil in her hand moves mindlessly against the blank page. She tries to let whatever is bothering her show itself on the paper. When she looks up at the clock, she sees it's almost 3 am. She glances down at whatever it is she was drawing, hoping for an answer to what was bothering her.

She had an answer in a portrait of someone she hasn't been able to shake.

Luke.