Lucky's (Mis)Fortune (MXMXMXM)

Lucky's (Mis)Fortune: CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The sound of the gunshots resonates through my head as I regain consciousness. I press my eyes shut tightly, feeling tears well inside and on my eyelashes. I swallow the knot in my throat, take deep breaths, and then I'm okay. I feel okay, I know that wherever I am I'm safe. I guess you could say it was simply because of the atmosphere, I didn't feel tense and there were no anxious butterflies in the gut of my stomach. If I was being truthful, it was the warmth I felt by my side, whoever's chest my head was lying on. Their heartbeats were even, calm and his arm was gently placed around me.

I open my eyes by the slightest. It was still dark out, we were inside of the car but it wasn't moving. Why had we stopped?

I let out a shaky breath, slowly sitting up, slightly startling the person beside me. I turned to see who it was, I still wasn't used to the feeling of any of them yet... well, not that I ever will. It was Eliott, his face nonchalant yet I could see the concern in his eyes as they connected with mine. Again, I had to wonder why but I quickly move on. 

"Why aren't we moving?" My voice comes out in a whisper and groggy, the result of having just woken up. 

"We're home," he answers casually, looking out the window and to the house. "You're like a baby that sleeps in cars but as soon as we stop moving wakes up."

"You've got a lot of experience with babies?" I don't think before speaking and the words come out so slurred I have to wonder if he even understood what I said.

He laughs, it sounds deep and for a second I wish that I was still on his chest so I could feel the rumbles as the sound spilled from his lips. I clear my throat as soon as I have that thought, knowing that I shouldn't think that. 

"Is that surprising?"

"Well..." How do I say yes without it offending him. It wouldn't offend him, right?

"Believe it or not, I have younger siblings." He looks out the window, his hands fidgeting, tugging on his pants. It told me that he wasn't used to speaking on such a personal level, perhaps he has never told anyone about his siblings except for Khael and Aiden. "One of them was born when I was like ten so when I was like fifteen, my mom would make me take him on rides until he fell asleep for his nap." I see the fond smile on his lips even if he wasn't facing me, his side profile gave it away. Speaking of them, he seems to have relaxed.

It makes me smile. It makes me wonder more about his past, about the past of the three of them. 

Before he can say anything else (although I don't think he was gonna say more) I see Khael walk out of the door. He comes to us and opens the door from my side.

I hadn't even realized that him and Aiden were no longer inside the car. I was too sleepy and distracted to notice. 

"I almost thought we would have to carry you inside." Mr. Sawyer smirks at me, opening the door further and Eliott opens his side. 

I sigh. "I'm sorry."

They don't say anything. They definitely don't strike me as the type to express 'don't say that' or 'there's nothing to be sorry about.' So I understand their silence. I hoped that was what they were thinking at least.

"Things happen," is all Eliott replies as we reach the front porch.

We step inside the house and there is Aiden, speaking on the phone rather loudly. He looked angry or maybe just paranoid. I couldn't catch the words he said and couldn't understand what he was discussing with the whoever was on the other side of the call. 

"Wanna eat something? We usually eat when we come back," Mr. Sawyer explains. 

I look for a clock, anywhere to look at the time. I have to peak inside the kitchen to catch the numbers on the stove. I find myself laughing although it wasn't really funny. "At three AM?" I laugh more. 

He smiles. "Why is that funny?"

KHAEL SAWYER

The way that he giggle is adorable. I don't think he realizes that his eyes are droopy, not completely open. I want to tell him how adorable he is but I don't think he'll accept that, he would find it odd. And maybe it was too soon, definitely too soon if I'm honest with myself. 

But this boy came like a storm, stealing our hearts out of nowhere. I couldn't help but want to give him affection. The way his eyes seemed lost made me want to do that and so much more. 

He's everything that we're not and for some reason, it makes my heart burst.

We should've realized that the second that he came into our life although perhaps we should be happy that we got to know him first. It was his kind heart and his smile and his laugh.

"Honestly," he pauses to take another laugh, "I don't know." His smile is wide, a type that I have never seen come from him. It was the first time he seemed really happy. 

The joy coming out of his lips sounds again and again in my ears. I realize that I'm staring when my jaw starts to hurt from smiling too widely but it just happened, it was so infectious that I couldn't help it. He has become a distraction and a salvation all at once. Eliott and Aiden, the way that they look at him as he continues to speak confirms that they feel the same. I can't explain the way that I feel but it was like a sudden burst of happiness in my stomach. I could see more color than ever before and I felt even more. 

"W- We should eat."

I see the shock in Aiden's and Eliott's face at the sound of my stuttering. I shock myself, too but Jordan just nods, a grin still pasted on his lips.

There are plates with food covered by napkins waiting for us to eat. I tell the other three to sit as I grab everything to reheat in the microwave, putting two minutes in.

The smell of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes quickly makes its way around the house, making my stomach grumble with hunger. The running and the adrenaline having caught up to me. 

I get lost in my thoughts for a second, staring off into nowhere in particular. I blink when I see someone come into the kitchen. 

There was a smile on Aiden's face. "You have to come see this,"  he says quietly, just loud enough for me to hear from a couple of feet away.

I frown, curious but instead of asking I follow after him. A grin takes over as soon as I see the scene. 

Jordan had his hand on his chin, his elbow propped on the table. His head was sliding off his hand, making his mouth get stretched out making it open slightly. His eyes were closed, his breathing even, clearly calmly asleep. Again, he was adorable. Poor thing couldn't take the tiredness anymore.

"Can we take him with us?" Aiden whispers beside me, not wanting to wake him up. To our room, he meant.

I smile sadly. "We shouldn't scare him away, don't you think?"

He stays quiet for a moment. "I don't wanna scare him away. I want to keep him forever."