It Takes a Family Reunion

Chapter 5

Eira   
Sleeping in new places has always been a struggle for me. A lot of the battle comes from the fact that the bed doesn't smell like mine. Everything in the guest bedroom smelled like detergent; while it smelled nice, it didn't smell like home. My body wasn't used to the mattress, which caused me to toss and turn all night.

I knew I wouldn't fall asleep when the light started showing through the curtains. Still in my pajamas, I grabbed a small throw blanket on a chair in the room and headed outside. I closed the door as lightly as possible, not wanting to wake Amira. I remembered Gregory's directions that would lead me to the backyard. I accidentally went down the wrong hallway twice, but the housekeepers were kind enough to show me the way.    

I breathed in the clear and crisp air of the outside world. The air wasn't too cold, but it bit my face and watered my eyes when it shifted. I was just about to return to the house when I saw a familiar head of hair. I stepped on the grass, wishing I remembered to bring slippers as my bare feet touched the moist grass and dirt. I followed the dark head of hair into a small maze Luke's parents had in the backyard. He hadn't made it far into the maze when I caught up. Erik was wearing loose black sweatpants, a white T-shirt, and a gray robe. His hair didn't look messy at all, which led me to believe he'd been up for a while. Erik must have heard my footsteps because he turned to look at me as soon as I approached him.
"Eira, what are you doing out here? It's too cold to be walking around in the morning." He nitpicked as he stepped closer to me and rubbed my chilled arms. He shrugged off his robe and moved it around my shoulders. I felt warmer than I thought I would be from the extra fabric.

"What about you?" I asked, worried he'd get cold, too. He rewarded me with a small smile.

"I'll be fine. You're more important." He replied, looking at me with a warm expression. My face flushed at his words. I moved his robe to partially hide my face. I tried my best not to think about how good the robe smelled.
"What are you doing anyway?" He asked, looking at me curiously. It was no secret to anyone that I don't get up past 10 if I don't have to. I looked down as I answered.
"Couldn't sleep. Everything's too new." I said simply. He nodded, taking in my words. Now that I had him alone, I asked a question that had bothered me since yesterday. "Why weren't you at dinner last night?" I asked. Given how Luke's parents acted, I had a theory of why, but I wanted to hear his reason. A sad expression flashed through his eyes before he pushed the emotion down.
"Luke's parents are particular about who dines with them." He started. He turned to look at several birds chirping in a nearby tree. "They think that if you don't have any value to their business or wealth, then they don't want to spend time with you if they don't have to." He said coldly as if he were talking about someone else.

"And they don't think you have that kind of value?" I asked softly. I waited patiently for him to answer. His gaze became more arduous as if he were struggling to hide his emotions.
"My family lost everything due to a bad deal my father made. They asked Luke's parents for a place to stay when I was a kid. They gave me up as a playmate to Luke, so my parents could pay them back. Basically, despite us being family, they view us as employees who are taking their money." He continued.
I like to think I'm pretty easygoing as a person. I rarely got emotional, or when I did, it usually wasn't a big showing of feelings, but as I listened to Luke, my heart bled for him. I touched his arm lightly, so if he wanted to throw my hand off, he could.
"I'm sorry to hear that," I said, looking down to hide my expression. I hated the fact his parents had to use their kid as a pawn in a deal he didn't have any control over. I could understand why they did it, but it didn't make me less angry with him. A hand pushed my chin up slowly. Erik stared down as his expression was warmer than it had been earlier. His mouth curled up ever so slightly into a grin.
"I'm at peace with why they did it, but thank you for being angry for my sake." He said softly. My head turned at my thoughts. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about his words. A sudden wind blew my hair into my face, interrupting our shared moment. I heard Erik laugh at my nest of hair. I raised my hands to try fixing it, but Erik shooed my hands. He took his time carefully fixing the knots in my hair. I relaxed at his touch and closed my eyes.
Having my hair messed with was always a secret delight to me. Amria often helped me dry and brush my hair, knowing I enjoyed the connection it gave us. I wasn't the biggest touchy-feely person, but I didn't mind people touching me often in a few places, like my hair. 
"You can open your eyes now." He said with an unusual softness in his voice. I did as I was told and was surprised to find his face closer to mine than it was before. His gaze quickly went from my face to my lips. It felt like he was silently asking for permission to kiss. Hoping I was right, I nodded slightly, keeping my eyes on him.

Surprises flashed through his eyes before he started to bring his face close to mine yet again. He kept his eyes on mine, watching for any change in my expression. If I had been more experienced, I would have made the first move. I wasn't, so I waited impatiently for him to realize I wouldn't change my mind. Almost like he read my mind, he closed his eyes and turned his head. I also felt a warm touch on my lips before I closed mine. Erik's hands moved up to my face, holding me in place. I covered his hands with my own, trying to memorize the sensation. I've never been big into kissing like Amira was, but I didn't mind it as a way to connect with my partners. Erik's kiss was light and short. I felt his gratefulness and affection in his kiss. He pulled away way too quickly for my liking. Our breath mingled as we looked into each other's faces. I was sure my face was bright red right now.
"You're important to me," I said softly, touching his cheek lightly with my hand. He closed his eyes and settled more weight into my hand like he enjoyed the sensation. After several seconds, he opened his eyes again.
"Let's get you back inside," Erik said with renewed confidence. Not trusting my voice to crack, I nodded in agreement. He smiled at me and brought his hand to the small of my back to guide me back to my room. We remained silent for the entire walk. I think we were both basking in the kiss we shared earlier.
I touched my lips with my fingers, remembering the sensation. In the limited times I have kissed someone, it was always deep and passionate. It felt like my former partners were trying to tell me what they wanted without telling me. It always made me feel unwanted and guilty for not being able to provide what they wanted. With Erik, it was different; there was no wanting or lust in his kiss. It felt like he enjoyed what I could offer without wanting more. It was sweet and adorable to me.
"This is it." He said as we stopped in front of my room. I went to give him back his robe, but he stopped me. "Keep it, sleep with it, do whatever you want with it, but don't give it back to me unless you want to." He commanded. I nodded, a blush reappearing on my face. He smiled at my reaction and trailed his thumb across my lips. My blush deepened at his touch. Without prompting this time, he leaned down and kissed me lightly again.
"Good night." He whispered against my ear, another one of my weaknesses. I nodded again. His grin widened as he watched me. I quickly turned and entered my room. Once the door closed, I leaned against it and sat on the floor. I repeated everything between us, bringing his robe to my nose to smell it again. After sitting on the floor for several minutes, I returned to my bed and laid back down. As I got comfortable, I made sure the robe covered me as much as possible. Within seconds, I was asleep, and I remained that way until Amira woke me up for breakfast.