The Lost Roses

Chapter Eleven

I lay in the grass and enjoy the early morning breeze and damp grass. I see Lucas stick his head out of the door.
"Get in here now!"
"No!"
"Don't make me come get you."
"Looks like you'll have to." He glares at me and shuts the door. I hope he doesn't lock me out of the house. I'm so stupid. He's going to. I run back to the door and sure enough, its locked. I try the backdoor and it is too. I'm tempted to try a window but the last thing I need is for his neighbors to call the police saying there's some girl breaking into a house naked. Fine. If he won't let me in I'll just go see if the main house is open. I open the gate around the side of the main house and go through. It's weird the fence and shrubbery don't go around the guest house. When I walk through I see he has an inground pool. Well that's nice. I jump in forgetting any plans to make it inside a house. No one is going to see me here. And if I'm swimming naked no one can say anything because it's my own house. Or at least they'll think so. I decide to ditch the pool and turn on the Jacuzzi. When it's ready I get in and sink down. This is ten times better than the our tub.
"I see you found the pool." I turn to see Lucas standing a bit off in shorts and nothing else.
"This Jacuzzi is heaven." He walks closer and I see he's in swimming trunks. "How did you know where I went?"
"I saw you go through the gate. When you didn't come back out I just assumed."
"Well get in. It seriously feels amazing. It's like getting an expensive massage. But not so expensive." He gets in and sits across from me. It's big enough to sit more people without crowding but small enough for me to kick Lucas if I try.
"Stop kicking me."
"No."
"I'll make you stop."
"I'm sure. But then I'll feel the need to go get my swim suit and put it on. Especially since you have yours on."
"You wouldn't."
"I would. And I am." I stand up to step out and he grabs my hand making me slip and plunge back in. "Are you trying to kill me?!"
"No. I just like seeing you naked. Although you would look better If I couldn't see your ribs and spine."
"Well thanks for the confidence booster..." I yank my hand out of his and get out stomping away, grabbing a towel that's sitting out and walking inside the house. You'd think he'd keep this house locked like the other one. I walk straight upstairs hoping that's where the bedrooms are and therefore some clothes. The first room I walk into looks fairly empty. Its not a bedroom. I shut the door and walk into the next room. Its an office. Probably no clothes here. I walk into the third room and it's a bedroom. I search through the dresser and find a t-shirt and some boxers. I hope these are Lucas's. I find the bathroom and search through things until I find a brush and a hair tie. Although I feel like I'll regret brushing my hair. Oh well. I brush It anyway gritting my teeth against the pain and tie it out of my face. Then I search through the medicine cabinet and find some Tylenol. I take some and wander back downstairs and to the kitchen. There is more food in this house than the other one. And this one is much nicer looking. I find a blender and then go in search for things I can use to make a smoothie. I find dark chocolate, milk, ice, bananas, and peanut butter. I put some of each in the blender and blend it until done. Then I pour myself some and enjoy. It turned out a lot better than I thought.
"I'm surprised you're eating."
"I'm drinking. Anyway this house has more food options. Healthier, yummier food options." I take another drink of my smoothie to accentuate my statement.
"Would you rather stay in this house?"
"Maybe. Are these your clothes?"
"Yea. Third bedroom on the left is mine."
"Cool. That's where I got these."
"What do you want to do today?"
"Lay in the sun. I am ridiculously pale. Try this." I hand him my smoothie. He looks at it questioningly before taking a sip.
"Wow. What is this?"
"Milk, ice, dark chocolate, bananas, and peanut butter." He stops mid sip when he hears peanut butter.
"Did you just say peanut butter?"
"Yea? I found some in the cabinet."
"I'm allergic to peanut butter."
"Oh shit. How allergic?" I can kill him!!! Woop woop. Thank you god.
"Only mildly. I break out in a rash." Well fuck. There goes that...
"Oh."
"You both sound and look disappointed."
"No?"
"You were hoping I would go into anaphylactic shock weren't you?"
"A little."
"I thought you were passed wanting me dead."
"Not quite. A girl can still hope."
"So I have to worry about you trying to kill me?"
"Welcome to the club."
"It's not a good feeling. I mean I know you won't get much chance. But still."
"Now you know how we feel about you. Only you do have a chance."
"How can I change that?"
"Well you can start with letting them go. And then we'll see where things go from there."
"I'm surprised you aren't including yourself in the letting go."
"I know you won't let me go. So why bother?"
"I wish you were staying because you wanted to. Not because you feel like you have to."
"I want to stay. You're rich and have a pool. You're attractive and really protective. I could have a really good life with you. But I won't as long as you continue to abuse me. The abuse is what makes me want to leave. I don't want to be afraid of the person I'm supposed to be marrying. And I know it's stupid to even think things will change. But I have to hope. Hope is the only thing I have. I don't love you. I know I don't. And I don't hate you anymore either. I just want to stop being afraid." I start crying. He hugs me and holds me to him until the tears have run out. Even then he doesn't say anything. He just holds me. And for some reason I feel completely comfortable. Then I realize moments like this remind me of my brother. He was always the one to hold me and comfort me when things went to crap.
"Are you okay?"
"No."
"Come sit down. Maybe we'll just watch movies."
"That sounds okay."
"Okay." He grabs a blanket and pulls it over me before picking a DVD and putting it in the player. He doesn't ask if I want to see it or anything. Once he has everything set up he comes and sits next to me on the couch covering himself with the blanket too.
"Where's your shirt?" I ask just realizing he's not wearing one.
"I figured you'd like it better if I wasn't wearing one."
"You need a hair cut."
"I'll get one tomorrow."
"Good." I turn my attention to the tv waiting for the movie to play. Why do they feel the need to show so many previews. When the movie does start I can't believe his choice. "Bridesmaids? Seriously?"
"What? Its a good movie. And you could use some cheering up."
"It's not a good movie. It's an absolutely fantastic movie. Okay maybe not. But it's definitely a favorite. Me and my best friends love watching this movie. I remember us passing around the dvd in 8th grade."
"Sounds like a good time."
"It was. I hate the way it starts though."
"Why?"
"Its just so uncomfortable to watch."
"Right. You'd rather be doing those acts?"
"No, thats you." I say laughing. We just continue to watch the movie laughing at the appropriate times. "You know I really hate her." I say.
"Who?"
"The convenient new best friend of the bride. Helen."
"What? She's a great character."
"Dude even her step kids hate her."
"So?" I sigh and just keep watching. I think Annie and the cop are so cute. Especially with the whole ugly carrot thing.
"My favorite part is when Brynn says 'hey boys why don't you stick your american sausage in my english mcmuffin'. I can't help but laugh every time." And right on queue that scenes plays. I laugh harder than I think Lucas expected me to because he looks at me like I'm a crazy person. "What?" I ask still smiling.
"You're just gorgeous when you laugh." I blush and look away. We finish the movie without talking too much and he picks another one and sticks it in. I wonder what he chose. The movie starts and I know this one right away too. Tammy. I've only seen it once before though.
"I want a grandma like hers."
"You know we could make our road trip fun like there's."
"Not while those girls are in the car."
"On the way back then."
"Maybe." When we finish Tammy he puts in Identity Thief, then We're the Millers and then, to my surprise and delight, Little Monsters. "No way!! I thought you had never heard of Little Monsters?"
"I bought it after you told me about it." Awesome. This is definitely one of my all time favorites.
"Oh my gosh."
"What?"
"Just watch. This is one of the best parts." I giggle uncontrollably at the monster peeing in the bullie's apple juice. And then the following day when the boy finds out. Lucas laughs too. He has an interesting laugh. I mean for a guy like him you don't expect him to ever find anything funny. I watch him as he watches the movie. The way his eyes scrunch up and his dimples become really prominent when he laughs is pretty cute. He reminds me of Evan Peters with a little less boyish charm. I mean even his hair is pretty close. Wavy and in need of a cut.
"What?"
"What?"
"Why are you watching me?"
"Because you fascinate me."
"I wasn't expecting that."
"Well you do. I wish I knew why you do certain things. Why you react a certain way. Most people like you come from bad situations. Or have some tragic thing happen to them. You come from a good home. From what I've seen in pictures, your parents look like they love you. Mikey too. I know what a happy family looks like. What one truly looks like. My family was never a happy one. My brother and I were always getting in fights with our parents. Our parents never fought. But they always thought they knew best. I wanted to do something career wise that made me happy. They wanted me to be unhappy but rich. Money can't buy me happiness. Not completely. It can buy me food and shelter and clothing. It can't buy me love. And I love reading. And writing. I wanted to work as a publisher. I mean of course I know realistically it wouldn't last too long. My vision and back would get really bad. But it's something I've always loved. My parents thought I should be a doctor. Looks like instead I'll be marrying the son of one."
"You know I could always go back to school and be a doctor."
"How old are you?"
"24."
"Wow. You're old."
"I'm only three years older than you."
"Not yet. My birthday is in October."
"Well it's August now."
"When's your birthday?"
"It was today."
"What? Seriously?"
"Yea."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought last night was a pretty good present."
"Well lets go out. We shouldn't be sitting here watching movies."
"Where do you want to go?"
"Any clubs near by?" He gives me a funny look before answering.
"Yes. There's a really good one about an hour from here. Opens at ten."
"Well then we should go. I need to get something to wear."
"It's already eight."
"Trust me we can find a place. What day of the week is it?"
"Friday."
"See? Most places are open extra late on Fridays." I jump up pulling him with me. He turns off the tv and follows me away and out of the house. "I need to go put on pants first."
"I'll get some if you just wait here."
"Okie dokie." I think about running. Then I remember I'm not wearing pants. But then again who wouldn't help someone that looks like me. I look awful. Just as I make up my mind to take off he reappears outside.
"Why were you starting to wander off?"
"I wasn't?"
"Yes you were. Whatever. Put these on." He hands me a pair of my shorts and my flip flops. "I think taking the car would be the best choice here."
"Okay. Why don't you grab clothes for the club now and we can change at the store? Or a gas station or something?"
"Okay. Get in the car." He unlocks his black camaro and I get in. He locks the doors behind me and goes back in the house. What the hell? The locks are literally nonexistent. Like they go all the way back in the fucking door. That is not normal. He comes back with some clothes and unlocks the door throwing them in the back as he gets in.
"Nice car."
"Yea, it was a graduation present."
"I wish I got a car. All I got was the speech about me needing to pick a better career or else I was going to fail in life."
"Ouch."
"You get used to it." I stare out of the window watching the world swirl by. Enjoying the night sky. And the smooth breeze flowing through the windows.