The Summer I Spent With You {L.H} ~ Book 2

Chapter Eight

"Hey honey." My mother said as I walked into the kitchen. It was time for the big family reunion. "How are you?"
"I'm good. Where's Riley?" I asked. I hadn't been around a lot the last few weeks. I wasn't sure where my place was in all of this yet. I wanted desperately to enjoy Riley's company and start to build a relationship with my new sister, but I was sort of struggling to come to terms with it. Especially when both my parents knew this whole time. I understood why they didn't tell me; but at the same time, I was pretty pissed off about it. I also felt sorry for Riley; she didn't have anyone apart from her boyfriend back in Sweden, who was apparently coming over, but that was it. It wasn't hard accepting her into the family, it was hard to realize she's been there all along. 

"She's upstairs getting ready. Your father is still at work." She told me as she cut up some vegetables. I thought we were eating takeaway tonight? "So, Luke is coming tonight?" 

I knew what she was trying to do. The same as she always did, her and every other mother probably, asking relevant questions to get me to open up about my love life. 

"Yeah. You said it was okay, remember?"
"Of course. Luke is a respectable boy now." She answered. "He's grown up a lot. Although I can't say your father feels the same way about him."
"Please just tell him to at least try and get along with Luke."
"I've tried honey, but you know his thoughts. I can't say I blame him. Once you make an impression, it's pretty hard to shake it."
"But mum, I really like him."
"Mila, give me and your father some leeway. The last time we seen Luke was when you where lying in a hospital bed from a snake bite. And he crashed your car; even if it was an accident. And also the whole 'bet' thing, then sneaking you out, getting wasted and high, then staying in your bed whilst we slept upstairs." Well I guess the cat was out the bag now, thanks mum. "The whole idea of him just screamed out trouble. And also it would be pretty hard to compete with Drew."

"I'm over Drew."

"I know honey, but he was perfect. I understand if it didn't work, but it's hard to disregard Drew when he never put a foot out of line."
"He texted me the other day. Drew, I mean." I admitted to my mother. I always told her my boy troubles.

"What did he say?" She inquired. My mother had always liked Drew.

"It was nice seeing me. Wanted to meet up for a coffee or something."
"What did you reply?"
"I didn't." I grabbed a slice of cucumber from the chopping board and shoved it in my mouth. "Why would I?"

"Well, maybe he wanted to just see a familiar face."

"Okay. One; Luke wouldn't want me to do that, seeing your ex when you're not even official with your current is a big no-no. And two; I'm over him. I don't even think I want to see him."- She was about to reply when knock at the door came. "Speaking of; I bet that's Luke." 

I hopped off the stool and went to answer the door. Luke and I hadn't really spent much time apart these last few weeks. I think Gloria and Mason where getting annoyed; I'd pretty much ditched them. I'd say we where getting pretty serious. I'd even met Luke's parents. Well, I'd met them before, but I was covered in blood and still drunk, clutching onto my nine year old brother with a cut in my cheek that still left a nine inch scar down the right side of my face. The scar didn't really bother me if I'm honest. After a few months I got used the mark on my face; of course I still felt like people stared at it when they first met me, and whenever I wanted to dress up nice but still had big, ugly scar on my face, it made me a little self-conscious. But whatever, shit happens. I try not to get too down about it. 

"Hey." I said as we hugged and he stepped into my house. 
"Hello Luke!" My mother called from the kitchen, a butchers knife in her hand.

"Evening, Mrs Mills." He smiled back politely.

"What have I told you, call me Mariana." She replied. Well someone's changed their fucking tune.
We both looked up as Riley pottered down the stairs, wearing a long, bohemian style dress and a bright red sunburn. 

"Hello, how are you both?" She asked. General chit-chat was made until my father arrived home and my mother served up dinner whilst we all sat around the long dining table. Matias finally made an appearance and started gabbing to Luke about football, and my mother and Riley sat talking about whatever; so I was forced to make awkward conversation with my father. The argument we'd had about Luke a few weeks ago still hadn't been resolved. 

"How's work?" I asked. 

"Busy as usual." He replied bluntly. 

"That's good. Making business then." 

"Yep." The conversation drew to a stiff halt and we carried on eating in silence whilst everyone around us talked. 

"So Luke, Mila tells us you've been on a world tour?" My mother spoke from across the table. He quickly chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth before replying. 

"Yeah, it was amazing. All across America, Europe, just everywhere." He beamed. "We actually went to Sweden, Riley."
"Oh, really. Where about did you play?" Riley asked. That was one thing I'd learned to love about her; she took a real, genuine interest in what you where saying. 

"Stockholm." Luke told her.

"Ah yes, my home. Stockholm is where I was brought up. I live in the center with my boyfriend; we share an apartment." Riley explained. 

"Was it pretty manic with the fans and everyone then?" My father asked. "All those teenage girls chasing after you."
"It wasn't that bad. I guess they just enjoy the music; that's all I want to do is be able to make people feel something with my music." He replied. Boom. That's my boy. Shutting out the negativity. Blocking out the haters. Fucking get in. 

God Mila, wash your mouth out with soap whilst your at it and pray to the Lord for forgiveness at some of the filth that comes out.

"That's wonderful Luke." Also remember to thank the Lord for Mariana Mills, I thought as she replied. She carried on the conversation onto something different. I smiled and looked beside me to Luke. His hand moved under the table and held onto my leg; or more like gripped onto. For fuck sake, we're at the table with my parents. I tried to act natural even though I felt hot and flustered. 

"Is everyone done?" My mother asked and stood up from the table. 
"I'll help clear up." I said abruptly and shot out of my seat; away from Luke's grasp. He stood up next to me and offered for the pair of us to tidy up the kitchen; to my mothers delight. Asshole. I was only meaning to clear the table; not wash every fucking dish. 

We collected in all the dirty dishes and headed towards the kitchen; careful not to drop my mothers expensive China.

"Why'd you volunteer us?" I complained as I dropped the dirty dishes into the sink and turned on the tap. I poured some washing up liquid into the sink and watched it fill up. I began to tidy up the area around the sink when Luke came behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I was only being polite." He whispered into my ear before kissing the nape of my neck. He was such a fucking tease. As I attempted to wash a plate, he continued to kiss my neck and then before I could protest; he spun me round to face him. "Trying to make a good impression."
He kissed me on the lips and then hoisted me up onto the counter so that my legs wrapped around his waist and he had one hand on my back, whilst another gripped onto my backside. Cheeky. 

He deepened the kiss until it turned into a full blown make out sesh. The adrenaline rushed through me as I grabbed onto his hair roughly and drew circles on the back of his neck; every moment getting more intoxicating as he let his hands roam free and pull up my shirt to grip onto my bare skin. With every subtle move, he pulled me closer and closer towards him until our bodies touched and I could feel my heart beating heavily in my chest. 

"Uhm, am I interrupting something?" We sprung apart as my little brother stood with a mischievous grin on his face and a dirty dish in his hand. 

"No, nothing at all." I said, grabbing the plate from his hand and shoving it into the sink, whilst Luke pretended to be busy drying a fork or something. 

Luke Hemmings; always causing trouble,