CHECKERED FLAG - c.l [2]

Unmarked

The sheets against my bare legs comforted me as the morning light danced shadows along my pillowcases.

The low hum of Dee singing in the kitchen made me sit up in bed, rubbing my tired eyes as I looked at my clock on the bedside table, the empty mug beside it.

I throw on a pair of shorts and a jumper before walking down the cold corridor to the kitchen.

Lewis was sat at the island, the morning newspaper in his hands and a cup of coffee in front of him, George was rummaging around in the fridge looking for something, before pulling out a carton of orange juice.

He goes to take a swig of it from the bottle, but Dee gives him a deathly glance, not saying a word. George holds his hands up before reaching for a glass from the cupboard.

No one had noticed me standing in the doorway yet and I was thankful as I slid back out and onto the balcony where I lit a cigarette, squinting my eyes against the summers morning light.

A few beeps from the traffic below were all that could be heard from up here as I leant against the cool metal railing.

"Thought I saw you walk past the kitchen," I turn to see Lewis stepping out onto the balcony, sliding the door closed behind him.

I give him a sweet smile, "needed some fresh air," I sigh, stubbing the cigarette out before it was even half smoked.

He narrows his eyes at me, not believing my excuse for a second.

"I saw Charles dropped you home last night," Lewis says, taking a seat on the bean bag, groaning as his back meets the plush seat.

"Stalking me on the cameras again is it, Lewis?" I joke with him, taking a seat on the cool tiled floor, crossing my legs as I lean my back against the glass of the balcony.

"I'm not going to lecture you about it like Dee would've had she seen, so I'll save you the earful," he nods his head, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Thanks dad," I grin at him, taking the coffee cup from his hands and taking a sip of the black coffee.

"Just don't go looking for answers you're not going to get," he responds, my stomach turning at his words, remember what Charles and I had spoken about last night.

I tuck my hair behind my ear, feeling my chest getting hot already at the topic of him.

"I thought you said you would save the lecture?" I tilt my head to the side as Lewis shakes his head, smirking at me, "honestly Madeline, you're grown enough to know better."

"You know sometimes I wonder if I really am." I stand from the floor, stretching my hands above my head as I let out a yawn, not fully woken up yet.

"Either or, it is still your birthday and despite your short comings, we still have plans today," Lewis pats me on my shoulder, standing too and opening the glass door, walking on ahead quickly before I have time to protest.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I call out after him, waiting for a response I wasn't going to get.

I was lead downstairs in my pyjamas before I could protest to get changed, having been told there was a 'surprise' waiting downstairs for me, it could either be something stupidly expensive or a pile of rocks as a joke.

"Now, just promise not to freak out," Dee says from beside me in the elevators, Lewis and George stood in front of us, blocking the view as I heard the doors ping open, meaning we were in the basement of the apartment building where the cars were kept.

I furrow my eyebrows at her as the boys step out, the small elevator box flooding with light now they had moved.

In the corner of the garage where our car collection was parked, there was another vehicle under a sheet that hadn't been there last night.