The Countdown

She Sticks Her Hands in the Freezer

Luke and I were left alone in the kitchen after Owen departed the large house. He hadn't made a big fuss of me choosing to stay with Luke but then again he didn't know that I'd chosen that, all he knew was I'd chosen not to hop on a plane to Florida. I wasn't sure which to feel worse about, staying, or lying.

"Want something to eat?" Luke asked while moving around the kitchen in a dance like fashion. If that dance name was 'the eye avoider" at least.

I moved further into the kitchen and sat at a stool. The metal's chill bit through the fabric of my pants and I readjusted how I was sitting accordingly. I kept my eyes carefully on the countertop, looking at the weird and beautiful markings in the marble.

"Sounds good," the words were pitiful in regards to hiding how nervous I was. "Can you cook?" I

asked curiously, noting how they sounded somewhat skeptical.

Luke turned to me and grinned, "I guess we'll find out huh?"

I didn't reply. Luke paused in his movement to stare at me, making this situation feel ten times more awkward. Please don't bring up the elephant in the room, we could totally just ignore it, I pleaded with him silently.

Alas apparently he couldn't read minds.

"Look Sang," he started, his eyes intent on me, "I know this isn't your fault and I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. But if you just want to dismiss it I'll never say a word." I could see the pain in his eyes that accompanied the offer he was extending towards me.

I felt like crying. In under 24 hours I'd managed to ditch my hell, find my soulmate, find my second soulmate, and well, you get the picture. I put my hands together and folded them neatly on the countertop, feeling as like if I didn't answer his offer properly, that he'd get mad and hate my guts for it. No, I swore at myself, I'd hate my guts for it.

"Oh shit hey, I didn't realize how bad that must have been. I didn't even think," he ran a hand through his hair, "Sorry I thought I was making it easier, cutting myself out of the picture, I didn't even think of how that would make you feel," he frowned and sat down in a stool across from me at the breakfast bar, "look, this is messed up, and once we go to the matchers I'm sure we'll figure it out, but we can't do that without Owen so we'll need to just stay here until he gets back.

"I don't expect anything from you," he quickly went on, "I'm not going to be a prick and make you choose, that's not fair, especially because for whatever reason you went with Owen, who by the way is a stranger even if he was your first soulmate, and chose to live with that stranger in a big ass house with another stranger. You chose strangers over your family, and even though you're now in a situation that's never happened before, you aren't asking to go back."

I could tell by his face that he wasn't judging, and wasn't about to start asking why I had done the things that I had.

"Thanks," I said, knowing how lame it was in comparison to what he'd just done for me, "I think I want to tell Owen too, that way he knows. It wasn't fair of me to keep it quiet."

I had spoken so quietly that I wasn't even sure if he'd heard me properly. But he nodded and smiled, "Sure, let's do that tomorrow when you can talk and he's not on a plane, aright?"

I nodded, and Luke stood up and began to skillfully make the best waffles I'd ever eaten in my life. I helped him clean up, we did both food and clean up in silence, but as I dried off my hands and wondered what I should do next, he broke the silence.

"If you want we can watch a few movies," he said, "I wasn't making that up, but only if you want to that is."

His blonde hair fell into his eyes and he jerked his chin to the side, making it go back into place. I found myself nodding along to the plan without much thought. In the livingroom, or what I should call the home theatre, he walked over to the entertainment center and opened up a huge cabinet full of movies.

"What are you in the mood for, sugar?" he asked while keeping his back to me, "I've got everything between health documentaries and so stupid it's funny."

I bit my lip, "Do you have Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?"

There was pause and then Luke was mimicking me in a funny voice, "do you have charlie and the... of course I do!" he said, shaking his head as if I had asked the weirdest question ever.

I laughed at the weird voice and the way his smile lit up afterwards, while he put in the movie and fell into the couch next to me. I don't know what it was about movies, but something about them lulled me to sleep even if I wasn't actually tired.

***LUKE POV***

The movie wasn't even twenty minutes in and this beautiful blonde stray had already fallen asleep against my side and stolen the blanket off of the back of the couch. Her cheek rested on my shoulder, and even though she had her cold fingertips pressed against my arm, taking away my body heat, I couldn't have been happier.

I had stopped paying attention to the movie the moment she yawned, and now that she was passed out it was hard for me to get back into one of my favorite movies to piss North off. She had come in through my door while I was out on a walk hoping that I'd meet my soulmate. I'd known of course the moment that I saw her that we were meant to be, but it made no sense because she was Owen's, and I loved him like a brother. I wasn't about to make her choose, because even in the short time that I knew her, even with how little I knew about her, I could already tell her life had sucked prior to today, and the circumstances weren't helping her out at all.

My phone buzzed in my jeans pocket and I pulled it out, knowing only the guys would be texting me because I really didn't talk to anyone else, well not anyone else that mattered. I checked the screen of the phone, noting that I did in fact have a message. After I unlocked the phone I grinned at the very unhealthy burger that I used for North's ID picture in my phone. I'm sure if he knew he'd probably make me eat nothing but vegetables for a week straight but I got a laugh every time he texted so I figured the pros outweigh the cons.

North: Coming home early tonight, did you want me to pick anything up?

I thought about it, and had she been awake I would have double checked with Miss Sleepy Pants, but since she wasn't I replied without consulting her.

Me: I don't but if you could pick up a pair of gloves. I've got a guest over for a few days and I swear to God it's like she keeps her hands in the freezer all the time.

North: The fuck do you have a fucking girl over for? Is she your soulmate?

Luke: Relax, I didn't say that. She's nice you'll like her. Buy her gloves.

I didn't exactly lie to him, I reasoned with myself and chucked my phone over to the chair so I wouldn't be tempted to answer him and be put in the situation where I would have to lie. I yawned and moved my hand up to brush back my hair, catching sight of the matching tattoo that linked Sang and I together. I wondered mildly if Owen's had the blue mark, and what he thought about it. Or perhaps his tattoo had gone away, and she really was mine to cherish. As I stared at my tattoo thinking about it I got a sinking feeling in my stomach.

When she'd been backing out of Owen's room she had looked panicked, and I could guess why. Her clock had begun to tick down and she was trying to figure it out, but instead of finding Owen she'd found me. I felt like an butthead doing it, but I wrapped an arm around her and wrapped my hand around her wrist, careful not to wake her.

She didn't stir, so I flipped her hand around until I could see it, the numbers ticking down for another Countdown. I had about seven minutes to get my booty up and make sure no other guy was able to say that they were soulmates with Sang. She moved then, shifting and wrapping her arms around me like I was some kind of teddy bear she was seeking comfort from. I held my breath, trying to figure out how to crawl out from under her and lock every door and window in the house, but another more stupid part of me just wanted to pull her closer and act like North when he ate his honey nut cheerios in the morning, growl at everyone who dared step too close.