From Grief We grew (Only On Wattpad)

Chapter 36 Teagan

I look at my black hair with blue streaks. Seeing my reflection in the mirror, I smile in satisfaction. I pay the bill and walk outside to find Hayden's car missing. I look around but find it nowhere. I take my phone and see a text from him: Can you take a taxi and go home?  Emergency! Sorry. I frown and try calling him but he doesn't pick up. So I send him a message: Hope everything is okay. Call me when you are free. I sigh and stop a taxi to take me home.
 
   There is a guy dressed fully in black leather near my house. He's sitting on a motorbike wearing a helmet so I can't really tell who it is. He waves at me and I frown. Who the heck- Lucah! I run to him as soon as he removes his helmet. I hug him.
 
   "Nice bike," I say and trace the seat with my fingers.
 
   "Nice hair," He compliments while tucking a strand of my hair behind my ears.  My heart flips. "You look beautiful."
 
   "Thanks. So whatcha doing here? Thought you had work?"
 
   "I did but then suddenly Alfonso came home with this baby." He pats the bike. "And damn I was in awe. He told me to take it for a test drive. So I thought you would like to tag along?"
 
   "Oh my- Sure!"
 
   He gives me a spare helmet asking me, "Oh did you get the job by the way?"
 
   "Yes!" I tell him and put the helmet on my head.  He pulls me into a hug making me chuckle and says, "Yes!! I knew you would."
 
   I sit behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. I rest my head on his back. His jacket feels hot on my cheeks due to the sun. But I don't mind. The feeling of the wind gushing through my clothes makes up for it. "Woohoo this is amazing!!!" I exclaim.
 
   Once we are on the highway, I remove the helmet and place it in between us. I spread my arms and lift my head looking at the sky. The wind rustles through my hair and I feel like I'm one with it. I close my eye and let myself enjoy this sudden freedom I've seemed to gain. But that only lasts for a while because the bike stops. I look around at the vast grassland that spreads on both sides of the highway.  
 
   "Let's rest over here for a bit."
 
   I nod and get down. We walk down a few meters away from the road until he drops his bag down. He takes out a blanket and lays it on the grass before plopping on it. I give a 'are you serious?' look.
 
   "What?"
 
   "We're in the middle of the highway," I comment.
 
   "Not in the middle but the side," he corrects.
 
   I roll my eyes and sit in front of him. He picks a little dandelion from the grass and leans forward. His face is so close to mine, I almost forget to breathe. I feel myself slipping away in those sapphire orbs. He moves closer making my heart stop. I think he is about to kiss me but he only places the dandelion behind my ears. I feel a little disappointed.
 
   He takes a box from his bag and gives it to me. "I hope you haven't eaten." I shake my head. I open the box to find some rice with chicken.
 
   He takes another box and together we both have our lunch out in the open. I hum trying to savour the taste "lovely."
 
   He surprises me next by taking a bottle of wine with two paper cups. I smirk and tease, "Seems like you've been planning this for a while."
 
   He shakes his head as he hands me the cup. "Well, actually Alfonso planned this. He told me to cook and went out. Then came back later with the bike and this bottle of Wine."
 
   "Wow. For real!" Honestly never pictured the guy as a wingman. He always seemed so grumpy in the pictures and interview.
 
   "Yeah, Alfonso kinda treats me like his own son and cares a lot for me.  Though he might be strict sometimes."
 
   "Awe that's sweet." I sip on the Wine. "By the way, where are your parents Lucah?"
 
   "Oh, I don't have any. I grew up in an orphanage." My heart sinks hearing this. Not knowing how to react, I tell him, "Oh I'm sorry."
 
   "It's okay. Alfonso actually dated my caretaker. He adored her and they were madly in love so I kinda knew him when I was young.  He also likes me because of my interest in art. So when my caretaker died he took me under his care. He is like a father to me and I know he sees me as a son though he doesn't say so."
 
   I realize that this is the first piece of personal information I've learned about Lucah. I don't pry him more on the topic considering I haven't told him much about me either. So instead I ask, "So does he like let you use his art supplies?" He smiles nodding. "Wow." That is all I can say because I am shocked. I still can't believe that Lucah knows THEE Alfonso who I was and am greatly inspired by.
 
   He pulls out a box from his bag and opens it to reveal little pieces of charcoal. "This is his," he says handing it to me. I take it and hold the pieces in my hand. "So it's yours now?" I ask.
 
   "Yes. He gives me his old art supplies at the beginning of every semester. He says old is gold. Which is true. These pieces of charcoal can't be compared to graphite pencils and the charcoal ones. This was the first thing I got from him actually. At the beginning of college."
 
   "Can I use it?" I ask feeling excited that I'm holding something Alfonso held.
 
   He nods and takes out a book. He opens it and folds it onto a fresh page.  I take his book and start sketching on it. The pieces run smoothly on the paper. My hands hold, blend and trace over the paper while getting messy. I don't mind though. I erase and draw some more. "These are great!" I can't help saying.  
 
   I draw trees, grass, the sky and two people dancing. "Nice drawing of us." I bite my lip to stop myself from correcting him. I look at the drawing again and notice something. The hair. It's dark, not white the way I usually draw it. And the outline of his face... It isn't him...
 
  Lucah takes the book and is about to tear the paper but I tell him to keep the drawing. He smiles his adorable smile like a happy kid and nods. Then he opens his mouth to say something but ends up blushing.
 
   I look away and sip on the wine trying to not look at him. I drew Lucah and me. I can't help but blush at the thought. As if I wasn't flustered enough, Lucah asks, "Can I draw you?" I don't look up. I just nod.
 
   He instructs me to get comfortable as I want. He tells me to look at the sky. He plays some music on his phone claiming that it will entertain me. Then he gets to work. I look at him now and then when he isn't paying attention. His eyebrows are knit together as his hands move swiftly on the page. I notice his tongue peeking out from his mouth as he is deep in concentration. A few of his black curls fall in front of his face. He looks up and I quickly look away while my heart skips a beat.  What are you doing to me Lucah!?
 
    I slowly steal a glance at him. I notice something on his forehead. "Lucah you got something-" he looks up. I notice a spot even on his nose and I burst out laughing as I point at him. He tries wiping it but only makes it worse. He pouts and looks at me when I don't stop laughing.
 
   "Gosh. Cut the pouting." It's too adorable. I'll die. "I'll help." I take my handkerchief and lean forward. I rub the charcoal off of his face. I feel his breath fan against my face. I look at his eyes and freeze. It's like my body has a mind of its own. One minute I'm looking at his eyes, then his lips and the next minute my lips are on his. He places his hand on my cheeks and kisses me back passionately.
 
   Zayden. Zayden. Zayden. The infectious thoughts try to ruin the bliss. I push it away forcing myself to focus on my heart. My heart, it is like a drum. It keeps pounding against my chest. It flips and sends sparks through my vein. It is almost ecstatic that the voices in my head die out.
 
   With his forehead on mine and his palm on my cheeks, he only pulls his lips away. I keep my eyes closed as I blush. I hear his huff-like laugh that always gives me a squish in my stomach. "As much as I wanna make out, we are in public," he breathes out and chuckles. I nod and pull away. I resume my pose and look at the sky. The taste of his lips still lingers on my lips.  
  
  I hear him say, "You charcoal on your cheeks." I shake my head chuckling as I rub my cheeks. I hear him laugh too.
 
   I slowly turn to catch a glance at him again. I smile while touching my lips. Several thoughts run through my head: I like kissing Lucah. I like spending time with Lucah. I like how he makes me feel. I like his hugs. I like Lucah. And just like that, the last thought slips in I love Lucah. I look away. No. No. I feel as though I'm betraying another. I shake my head and push the thought away.  
 
 
   Once he's done, he hands me the portrait. My jaws drop at how skillfully he sketched me. It's not full-sized, just up to my waist. He added a flower crown on my head. As I admire the drawing he gets a call and I continue to see his other drawings. There's a portrait of a little boy standing by a beach looking at a ghost in the sky. I wonder who this is? On the next page, there is another picture of a man holding a girl who appears more like a ghost. Who is she? The next one is a landscape with a little boy and a lady. Maybe his caregiver.
 
   "Her name was Ashley," He says like as if he heard me. I look up at him. " She was the owner's daughter who volunteered in the orphanage. She was only 16 when I was a year old. I think my parents died in an accident and I ended up there. I never really got adopted. I think she didn't let anyone to. Neither did I. She would always tell me ''the day I saw you I made a special place for you in my heart.''  She was like a sister and a mother to me. She tutored me when I was struggling in school and thought me to paint when I got into depression. She said it will heal me and it did. She was a great artist and an amazing person. Alfonso says she is one in a million maybe that's why he didn't find love after she died. Or maybe because it was me. I asked him but he just said that no woman could ever replace her. I agree with him."
 
   "She was such a free spirit." I wish I was... More like her... More like big T... "We would break out at night with few friends and explore the woods sometimes. A lot of times it would be just the two of us wandering off at night to find inspiration. She always said that the greatest inspiration is found when the whole world was silent at night. She was always kind to everyone and said that not many people will be kind to us but we must choose to be kind every day, every minute, every second. Kindness is what we must be remembered for."
 
   I find tears in his eyes and he chuckles wiping them away. "Sorry I got carried away."
 
   I shake my head. "No. No. She sounds amazing. I wish I could meet her."
 
   "Me too. She would have loved you." He pulls out his wallet and opens it showing me a picture.
 
   The lady in the picture has blond curly hair like mine (before I coloured it) and she looks absolutely beautiful. I look at him handing him the wallet and ask, "How did she die?"
 
   "Cancer."
 
   "Oh, I'm sorry." He nods.
 
   "You kinda remind me of her," he says catching me off guard.
 
   "I do?"
 
   "Yes. I don't know why exactly. Maybe it's because of your hair or how those freckles on your cheeks align when you are deeply concentrated like you are in your own world and no one can get u out or how you make me feel when I'm with you-"
 
   "how do you feel about me?"
 
   "Safe. Love. Happy." My heart skips a beat.
 
   "And you are a free spirit too Teagan."
 
   He's wrong. I was. Not anymore.