Sweetheart

Chapter 14 - Movie Marathon

I'm not even going to apologise for making you all wait for a chapter anymore because I'm a terrible author and I know it. But I hope you enjoy this one and I can't promise when the next one will arrive. Just bear with me and you'll hopefully be rewarded with something worth reading! Thank you for being so patient, my lovelies xox

-dayi

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I give him a shy smile, leaning against the door frame for a few moments. He studies my face and it's then that I realise he's waiting for me to invite him in.

"Oh, my bad! Please come in." I rush my words and gesture with a shaky hand for him to enter the apartment. I don't understand why I'm so nervous. I'm usually a lot more confident in these kinds of situations. He offers me a reassuring smile, hands in his pockets as he adopts an arrogant walk into the front room. I follow close behind him, letting the door click shut.

"Nice place you've got here. Do you live here alone?" He asks, eyeing the game console collection and Kian's freshly washed boxers stacked on the kitchen counter. My eyes narrow as I mentally curse my flatmate for not moving them when I'd told him a billion times this morning to put them away.

"There's just me and Kian that live here. He's a little younger than me. We're good friends, and I've known him for a long time. I've banished him to his room for tonight, so don't worry about him disturbing us." I can see Lukas is sceptical of my answer, but the emotion fades from his eyes after a minute, and they glow with warmth instead.

"Would you like me to take your jacket?" I ask, outstretching my arms to take the garment. He hesitates before wriggling out of the leather and holding it out to me. I hang it up at the door, but before I can turn around, I feel two arms coil around my waist, hands resting on my abdomen as they pull me into the chest behind me.

"I feel like I've waited a lifetime to see you." He sighs, resting his head in the crook of my neck. His warm breath fans onto my skin, leaving a tickling sensation as I feel myself go weak beneath his touch.

"It's only been a few days!" I giggle, placing my hands over his and rubbing the pads of my thumbs across his fingers. He leaves a featherlight kiss behind my ear, plump lips soft and heated as they graze my skin.

"I know babygirl, but when you work the kind of hours I do, you live for these small moments." He says in a hushed tone, before retracting his arms and sauntering over to the couch. I immediately feel the cold absence of his hands and my smile falters slightly.

I turn to find his arm resting on the back of the couch, his other hand reaching for the remote to flick through the numerous channels of the television. He spies me looking over and beckons me forward. "Come on darlin', let's watch a movie." He beams at me and the butterflies somersault in my stomach.

I sit down and he draws me closer to him, rubbing my shoulder with his hand as he tries to find a good film on the movie channel. I drape my arm across his abdomen and rest my head on his chest, and in that moment, I realise that I haven't been this happy in a long time.

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LUKAS' POV:

I watch the credits as they roll across the screen, signalling the end of the movie. "Riley, it's finished." I say.

No response.

I look down at the figure curled up next to me and hear the low, rhythmic breathing that tells me that she is asleep. I smile softly to myself, brushing the hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. She seems so innocent and vulnerable when she's sleeping, like nothing troubles her whatsoever. It's kind of peaceful really. I look over at the clock on the wall.

It's midnight. Geez, movie marathons really make you lose track of time.

I glance at the takeaway containers on the table and sigh. I hate leaving like this, but I have to. I lift her head carefully and lower it back onto the cushions of the sofa as I slide from beneath her. Grabbing a blanket from the washing basket in the kitchen, I throw it over her, bringing it up to her shoulders so that she won't get cold. I switch the television off and turn my attention back to the sleeping woman I have become so incredibly fond of in such a short space of time. I crouch so I am eye-level with her and plant a light kiss on her cheek.

"I'm sorry baby, I know I said I'd stay but I have somewhere I need to be." I stand back up, gazing at her for a few seconds before I turn on my heel and head for the door. I stop short and find a piece of paper on the kitchen counter, scribbling her a quick note to explain my whereabouts.

I grab my coat from the hook and shuffle into it, twisting the handle of the door and pulling it open. Before I leave, I look over my shoulder.

"Goodnight doll." I whisper, flicking the lights off. The whole room is plunged into darkness as I let the door faintly click, returning to its frame.