Learning A Lake ✔

- Twenty-Seven -

♢ Ryan ♢

♢ FLASHBACK ♢

"Ryan, can I talk to you?" My sister moaned at me as I was heading for the front door.
"Not now Lacey." I groaned. "I'm going to see Jane." I reached for the handle.

"It's important." She croaked at me, getting upset. I stopped in the doorway, she'd been like this for days now. I think it was finally time to listen to her. I'd spent so much time away from home in the last few months. I was either with Jane, at a party or playing rugby. 

"What's going on?" I asked her, showing evident concern. 

"Um, I-I-I'm-" She was cut off when our mother bellowed her name from the kitchen. 
"LACEY."

"I'll tell you later." She sighed and wiped a stray tear from her face. 
"COME AND DO THIS WASHING UP." Our mum demanded. 
I'd never seen Lacey respond to mums request like that before. She usually rebelled and came up with some lame excuse. 

Her and mum had been on edge with each other lately and I didn't understand why. I was determined to find out. I'd do it later because I didn't want to keep Jane waiting. 

---

It hurt me to think of the last few months that she was alive. I was oblivious to all of it. There was so much I wanted to say and let go of but the only way I could cope at the moment was to hold it all back.

And here I was carrying a certain girl back to her cabin because she had fallen asleep at her own birthday party. It made me smile knowing that I had someone to keep my spirits up. Laura really was my life line at this moment in time. She deserved to have an amazing birthday and by the looks of things she was exhausted from all the laughing, drinking and dancing she had been doing for the past few hours. 

I carried her up the steps of the cabin and tapped on the door. Rachel soon rushed to greet me with a look of worry on her face.
"Is she okay?" she whispered, looking at Laura in my arms. I nodded and smiled.
"She's asleep, all partied out." To be fair it was now gone midnight and I knew that Laura wasn't one to ever stay up too late. She loved her sleep.

After Rachel let us in, I gently placed her in bed, pulled the covers over her and went towards the door.
"Where are you off to?" I noticed Katie was fast asleep too.
"I'm going to get changed and I'll be back for the night." I smirked and left the cabin after taking a glance at Laura who was stirring in her sleep. Even when fast asleep, she was still beautiful.

When I reached my own cabin I collapsed onto my bed and pulled my phone out and messaged someone.

Me: How dare you visit my parents and tell them such bullshit. I don't know what you are playing at, but it's not going to work. You won't hurt me anymore.

She replied almost instantly.

Jane: Ha! You're in for a treat Ry xoxo

Her reply made me feel physically sick, so much so I hurled up the contents of this evenings food and drink into the cabin toilet.

"Dude, are you alright?" Was the response I got when I emerged from the loo. I looked over to Oscar and Matt who were peering at me from their phones as they sat in bed starring at me.

"Yeah, I will be." I started getting changed into some tracksuit bottoms and a softer top. "I'm staying with Laura tonight." Oscar didn't say much and was soon engrossed into his phone again, he had become rather quiet recently, I didn't know if it had anything to do with Katie but I decided not to press him for answers. Matt gave me an understanding nod. I turned my phone off and left it in the top draw of my bedside table. I made my way back to Laura's cabin for the night. 

Rachel had now gotten into bed and was reading a book with a lamp on. Laura was fast asleep again. I had to make a decision about whether to just sleep in what I was wearing or strip down a little. 

It was a bit chilly this evening and I didn't want things to get out of hand; being in less clothes would increase the chances of this. 

Taking my shoes off and leaving them next to Laura's bed I got into bed next to her who was completely out of it. 

I was surprised when Rachel suddenly spoke. Her voice was basically a whisper but I could hear what she said perfectly. 
"I'm sorry about your sister." She put the bookmark in her book and put it on the bedside table. 

"It's okay." I spoke, trying to ignore the pain I felt when she was brought up into conversation. "He finally told you then?" 

She nodded slowly. "He looked so relieved afterwards, I think he was worried about my reaction."
"He was." I confirmed her theory. He had been shitting himself about telling her. He was scared that she wouldn't understand how he had been previously. I was glad that it went okay in the end. 

"I'll always support you both, neither of you deserved to go through that. I couldn't imagine what I would be like without Oscar. He is a pain, but he's my twin, my annoying as hell, partner in crime."

"It's like a part of you is missing and there is nothing that could ever fill that gap in your life. You will always feel a bit empty." 

She gave me a comforting smile. "It will be alright, you know. I think a certain someone has helped you a lot." She smirked, nodding towards Laura next to me, who was still fast asleep.

"She's going to help fill that missing part of you, even if it's only a fraction of it."

---

♢ Laura ♢

I woke up in complete darkness, but I was relieved to find that I was in my bed in the cabin. I must have fallen asleep at my birthday party, how classy.

Looking over to the clock it was around two in the morning. 

I got up and used the toilet. I removed my makeup from this evening that I didn't get a chance to remove.. I felt more awake now and went back towards my bed.

 That was when I noticed hadn't been alone in my bed and I soon discovered Ryan was in my bed, fast asleep. My initials thoughts were 'shit, did we do something' but when I realised my two best friends were in the room, we were both fully clothed and neither of us were drunk. I brushed off the thought and got back into bed with him, being careful not to wake him up. I was glad he had finally joined me instead of laying on the uncomfortable floor like he had been doing.

After watching him sleep for a few minutes with a neat little frown on his face, I plucked up the courage to cuddle up to him. Placing my head against his chest and my arm across his torso, I sighed with content. He was so warm and his breathing was calm and even.

Almost instantly, he pulled me closer. I wasn't sure if he was awake or not.
"You alright?" He eventually whispered with a slight croak in his voice.
"Yep." I said, nodding. "You're usually on the floor, what's the occasion?" I asked jokingly, keeping my voice low. I didn't want to wake up the others.
"Apart from the fact that it's your birthday, well, was your birthday." He realized what time it was.  "I just wanted to be close to you. That's all." He pulled my chin up with two of his fingers and our gazes met. I could just about see him as the moon was shining through a gap in the curtains behind my bed.

His eyes kept dropping to my lips and I knew what was coming, so I took him by surprise and lifted my face, enabling our lips to make contact.

We kissed for what felt like forever. We were both tired but I wouldn't have it any other way right now. There was a slight feeling of heat between us and I knew we both wanted more, but with two other people in the room and knowing we weren't actually together seemed to limit us from those sorts of things. We just kissed and kissed and kissed, until both our lips felt swollen and sore and we eventually drifted back to sleep, holding each other close.