Found her

Chapter 43 | Tie

L U C A S

'Lucas! H-Help'

I sit up straight with a gasp, breathing heavily. I'm sweating, my bare torso feels hot and clammy. I close my eyes, trying to get oxygen to flow through my lungs, trying to get myself to calm down.

'Luca?' Her voice slices through the silence, and my head snaps to my desk, where the lamp is on, and Sadie is looking at me with big, worried eyes.

I sigh, laying on my back, hearing her chair scrape against the floor, her light footstep muffled by her duck slippers, the ruffle of the covers. I feel the bed dip sightly, and her warm hand caress my face, her hand feels cool against my clammy skin.

'You okay?' She whispers, her fingers tracing my jaw.

'Nightmare.'

'About that-'

'Yeah.'

Followed by silence.

Then-

'Have you ever seen a skinny penguin?'

My eyes snap open and meet hers, confused. 'What?'

'Genuinely speaking, have you?'

I'm still confused. 'Uh- No. Don't think so.'

She nods. 'I find it easier to think about something else when I'm scared, or stressed, or overwhelmed. It calms me down. You feel better?'

'I-' I pause, my ears have stopped ringing, my brain feels clear, my skin no longer constricting. 'Yeah,  yeah. Thanks.'

She presses a featherlight kiss on my lips, before getting up and sitting back on the desk.

Her exams started around a week ago, and since then I haven't seen her not studying. These exams determine her future, she keeps reminding me, and she's graduating in around a month, so it's no joke.

'Princess, it's late. Get some sleep.'

'I'll be fine, I need to finish this chapter.' She tells me, flipping a page.

'What's it about?' I ask.

'Human anatomy.'

I smirk. 'I know one way I can help with-'

'Finish that sentence and I'm blasting New Romantics in full volume, waking up your whole family, then breaking up with you.' She threatens, not even looking up.

I shut up. 

***

'Tie, or no tie?' I ask Lexi.

She looks up from her princess storybook and gazes at me for a second. 'No tie.'

I look in the mirror. 'You sure?'

'No.' She replies, sarcastically.

I look at her through the mirror. 'You're spending way too much time with Sadie and Theo.'

She sticks out her tongue at me.

'Mom!' I jog out of my room and burst into my parents's. She looks up from her position on the bed, hair curlers in, Gossip Girl on the TV.

'You are interrupting.'

'Tie or no tie.' I say, holding my tie up.

'Tie.'

'Lexi said no tie.'

'Lexi is seven.'

'Right.' I sigh, putting the tie back on.

The Annual Young Singer Award Event is tonight. It's held every year, and I've had the award in my possession for three years straight and I'm not planning on letting go of it.

An hour later, the doorbell rang, and I heard a squeal followed by a thud, which means Lexi tripped on her way to greet Sadie at the door. I ran my fingers through my hair one last time before I descended down the stairs, my gift in my hand.

I pause at the bottom of stairs, watching Sadie interact with Lexi, with a smile on my face.

Sadie is crouched down to Lexi's height and she's telling her something that makes her eyes light up. I hear their mummers and Lexi's giggles, I watch Sadie run a finger through Lex's hair, combing her delicating fingers through my sister's messy blonde hair.
Sadie senses eyes on her, so she raises her head and meets my eyes, a dazzling smile on her perfect face. She places on last kiss on Lexi's hair and walks over to me. She's wearing a long, sage green princess dress, that compliments her delicious body figure. Her hair is styled in some sort of olden updo, with strands framing her face.

'Like what you're seeing?' She asks, leaning up to place a light air kiss to my cheek.

I frown. 'Your lips didn't touch.' I say, bringing my cheek closer to her face.

She giggles and pushes me away. 'Lip gloss, Edwards. So unless you want to have glitter on your face for the rest of the afternoon then be my guest.' She scolds, grabbing my hand. She looks at me up and down, a soft blush coating her cheeks. 'You look... extremely hot.' She says, before walking away to help Lexi do her hair.

This girl.