Found her

Chapter 28 | Ferris Wheel

S A D I E

I wake up to the smell of burnt toast. I wrinkle my nose and cough slightly, the air smoky.

I trudge towards the bathroom, grumbling under my breath. The bathroom at the beach house is spacious, much bigger than the one back home. I splash water on my face and brush my teeth before getting out of my room, and walk down the stairs grumpily, the voices in the kitchen getting louder.

'I don't know how to cook!' Matheo yells, as I enter the kitchen. I see him and Aleena fuming at each other.

'It's toast! You don't know how to make toast?' She shoots back.

'You burnt the eggs!' Matheo shouts. I just stand by the doorway, watching the scene with a grin on my face.

We've decided on a routine. Every day, two of us go down to make breafast, and so far, so good. Except when Aleena and Matheo cook. Both are so bad at making food that they almost burned the house down last week.

Jaxon is sitting on the table, looking sleep deprived, clutching a cup of coffee in his hands, watching his girlfriend grow angrier by the second.

'Eggs are harder to make, you idiot!'

Matheo fumes. 'Jaxon, make her stop.'

'If only I could, mate. She can fight me and you, and still win. No one can stop her.' He says, taking a sip of his coffee, his eyelids drooping.

Aleena looks pleased. Matheo the exact opposite.

'Eavesdropping now, are we, princess?' A voice from behind me whispers, sending shivers up my spine. I spin around to face Lucas, hair wet and dripping, clearly just out of the shower, wearing a white t-shirt and grey sweatpants, a lazy grin on his face. How he manages to look drop dead gorgeous at nine in the morning is beyond me.

'I-Well.. I'm-' I stutter, my eyes trying to meet his eyes but failing. Instead, my wandering eyes start looking at him up and down.

'Princess, my eyes are up here.' He tells me, grabbing my chin and tilting it up to meet his ocean-blue eyes.

I blush.

'Morning.' He mutters, his voice all scratchy in all the best possible ways.

He's close. Close enough that if he leans down, our lips will meet. I see him gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing. But not once does he close the distance. His hand is on my waist, securing me in place.

Kiss me.

When? For how long am I going to wait? I want to yell.

But he pulls away, and everyone in the kitchen groans.

I snap my head towards them, to see them all glaring at Lucas.

'Coward.' Matheo mutters, rolling his eyes.

'They were this close.' Joanna whines.

Lucas just ignores them, leading me to the kitchen table. I drop in the seat across from Jaxon.

'Morning.' I chirp.

He just stares at me.

'What?'

'Hm?'

'Why are you looking at me like that?'

'Like what?'

I throw my hands up in surrender. 'Oh, forget it.'

He grins.

***

'-And then, bam! I just won an award.' Matheo brags, twenty minutes later, after having the grilled cheese sandwiches that I made. We moved to the patio, everyone doing their own thing. Aleena and Joanna playing a game of chess, and Jax, Matheo and Lucas seem to be having a conversation of some sort. Me, a book in my lap, my ears with the boys.