Filling in the Cracks

Chapter 26: State of Innocence

"Well I'm not going to budge." I say plopping down on the opposite side from Lucas crossing my arms over my chest. So what if I'm acting like a five year old? It's mine decision to tell anyone not his.

He starts to get up and when I think he's leaving he's not. Just my luck.

"Dawn," I turn around sticking my tongue at him. Ah how I wish I could be five again. Might as well act like it. "I understand if you don't want to tell me. But please, eat. Please?" He turned me around to his face his eyes almost look like they're begging me. No Dawn snap out of it.

"I am eating." I say crossing my arms over my chest again.

"Liar." He spats.

"Me?" I fake gasp. "Lying?" I say putting a hand on my heart and then wiping away a fake tear.

"Haha." Lucas replied in a flat tone. "Dawn. I'm not leaving until you eat." He threatens.

"Yeah, sure." I drawl. "You just want an excuse to stay" I say with a playful glare.

"I know you too well." I say giving him my most victorious smile. After he sheepishly smiled and replaced it with a smirk.

"You should always smile like that." He whispered not thinking I would've heard it.

"Huh?" I ask confused.

"Nothing. Dawn, are you planning on telling me?" He quickly avoided the subject.

Weird Lucas as always..

I pace for a couple seconds. Will he laugh at me? Ofcourse he will. He's the same Lucas he was when he left. Then again he can be a total sweetheart. But-

"If you're still the old Dawn in there, then no." He tells me breaking me out of my reverie.

"Huh." I ask again completely dumbfounded.

"No, I won't laugh at you." He says as if he read my mind. His grey orbs look into my brown eyes, and he takes my hand in his. Still as soft as always.

"Alright," I take a deep breath out. "You can't tell anyone either." I say giving him a 'I'm not kidding' look.

"Wouldn't dream bout it." He replies with a warm smile.

This is it. I'm finally letting it out, and to the person I least thought I'd open up to about this topic.

"Remember when Gramps died in 4th grade?" I ask him.

Gramps was amazing. We would go out every Saturday morning to feed the ducks by the lake. He taught me how to ride a swing and how to tie my shoes since my parents were always 'busy'.

Gramps had a stroke because of his obesity. I always asked Gramps to workout with Grandma but he refused saying "I will tomorrow" But tomorrow never came. Grandma was a gym maniac. I kept telling myself he'd be fine over and over again and prayed to God to let him live. He had died a week later. That day, my bestfriend left me. Forever.

I blinked a few times to keep the tears from getting out. I won't let Lucas see the vulnerable Dawn. I won't let anyone take advantage of me again.

"Dawn?" Lucas gave my hand a soft squeeze making me jump a little.

"Yeah? Oh sorry." I apologize.

"I've been calling you for the past two minutes, are you alright?" He asked with concern.

"Yeah." I gave him a smile. A real one at that.

"I know, my Dawn is strong." He said messing up my hair. Did he just call me his Dawn? I haven't heard that since he left. It felt nice to hear it again. Almost soothing.