Save Me

Chapter 11: Restoring Relationships

Erika
Thanksgiving. A time of families coming together to celebrate while recognizing the blessings we have and spending time with the people that matter to us, and remind us of the reasons to be thankful.

Or Thanksgiving at my house. A time of rich businessmen bragging about their companies and their wives, who try to outdo each other through fashion. Their children are forced to silently stand with the big fancy adults or be paraded around while their families gloat about their child's success in whatever it is they're involved in. And sometimes, they'll degrade their children's sense of worth in an attempt to schmooze the kids of bigger corporations, bullying them.

Every year, my dad hosts a party for Thanksgiving. Businessmen and their families dress up to the nines and socialize with one another. The Kingsley family is the centerfold of the event and our table is always sat in the middle of the venue, so all attention is on us. Usually, Blair and I are bored out of our minds and after dinner we sit in the designated lounge area, talking about very important topics like Sims custom content or waiting for the next Sherlock series.

"Well you could always come over to the Perry Thanksgiving dinner. However, you'll be a little screwed with everyone speaking a different language." It was about noon and the party didn't start until six.

"I wish I could, but I'm needed here. The Annual Kingsley Thanksgiving Party is a show and I'm the main event." A knock on the door brought me off of Skype with Lucas.

"Erika, your father wants to see you in his room," said Mary, poking her head through the crack of my door."

"What does he want?" I couldn't help but let a small frown slip onto my face.

"I don't know, I didn't ask."

"Okay. Thanks, Mary." Mary nodded, her eyes flickering furtively to my screen, understanding that I'd need to say bye.

"Gotta go?"

"Yeah. Not sure how long this is going to take."

"Well, you know I'm always here, right?"

"I know. And same for you."

"I know. Bye, Ricky,"

"Bye, Luke," and with one last smile, mine being bittersweet, we logged off.

I shut my laptop and closed my eyes, thinking. Remembering. Over the past week since the rooftop, Lucas and I had gotten even closer. Not just in the sense of us seeing each other more often but also the overall atmosphere between us was changing. Our relationship, I mean, friendship had deepened. I always felt like Luke could be trusted but now, the safe, secure feeling intensified.

Luke must've felt the same way since then as well. He smiled and laughed more freely. He didn't hesitate to ask if something was bothering me, knowing that I recognized it as genuine concern, not as him smothering me. He even let me meet Amy, for Christ's sake.

Everything we did together was more honest. It was refreshing. As much as I loved spending time with him and getting to know each other better in the admittedly short time we've known each other, I knew it was mutual, too. It wasn't just about feeling close. We already had that connection, since the first time we replied in snarky remarks. It was feeling that bond grow stronger and stronger. Enough to hold still against our pasts and the prejudices it came with

I smiled to myself, feeling more content than I had in a long time, before getting off my bed and heading down the hall into my dad's room. I peeked into the door and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the wall. I knocked on the door and he turned his head to me.