I Guess So || Luke Brooks

Little Box ➼ .16

I turned my head to the side, realizing who it was.

"Alice what are you doing?"

I inhaled deeply and began to sniffle.

"Alice."

"WHAT." I forcefully shouted as I turned on my heels to face Luke, a bag of not only pasta, but a little box in his hand.

I closed the door to the balcony and sat in the pouring rain , with the top up shielding me from the water . I moved on to my second cigarette. I could hear Luke's fists banging on the door.

"Alice, no!" his voice boomed from the house. I slowly turned back to look at him . His eyes were glistening like they were glass with summer dew. I flicked the now inch long cigarette out over the balcony gate. I picked up my third. I put my thumb over the lighter's gear, ready to light.

"Alice...."

I paused.

"Don't."

With a sigh, I turned the gear, lighting the little stick.

My glass door hurled open .

"ALICE GODDAMMIT."

The cigarette was snatched from my fingers.

My eyes squinted shut and I covered them with my hands, elbows on my knees.

Luke squated by my knees and whispered my name.

He removed my hands from my face and I couldn't help but look away from him.

"Look at me." He said.

"I cant." I said through gritted teeth.

"Why?"

"I just can't."

I couldn't make eye contact with the man in front of me. He would kiss me and comfort me, like he's always done. But I didn't deserve it. I can't let him in.

LUKE'S POV

She couldn't look at me. She couldn't even face me. I brought my thumb up to her cheek to wipe her tears, but she flinched away from me. She literally flicked her head away.

I can't even touch her.

She doesn't understand that I'm here for her. She doesn't know.

She got up and released herself from my grip, escaping into the house.

"Go home!" she shouted at me. Pft. That's the last thing id do at the moment. She ran into her bedroom and tried to slam the door, but my torso stopped her.

"You expect me to go home?"

"You know you want to." she said, looking up at me through tears. I almost towered over her.

"Luke, please leave. Do you not understand that I'm unhealthy for you?"

"Alice how did this even happen?!!"

"When you kissed me! You kissed me to the song! That's the reason!"

"And?!"

"I can't let you in!"

I stiffened at her words, even though the feeling was mutual. We just couldn't afford it at the time. We both knew it, I just didn't think I'd hear it.

"By the time I can I'm pretty damn sure you'll be gone."

"I'm pretty damn sure I'll prove you wrong." I said. Her tears stopped somehow, her cheeks now a shade of a light rosey pink red. She tipped toed up and kissed my cheek, and whispered.

"Good luck."

I would've set my ticking time bomb at this point, but it was Alice who said it.

I wiped her last remaining tear away,

"I'll make dinner, ok?"

"Ok."

------

The sausage was sizzling in another pan as the pasta boiled, and I casually watched Alice watch Drake and Josh reruns. I had an idea, since we were fresh into spring break for the next two weeks.

I turned and stirred the sausage my mum taught me how to cook and drained the pasta, then throwing the tomato sauce and sausage in with it.

"Alice."

"Hmm."

"Come on. It's done."

She threw her head back on the couch and let out a quite frustrated 'uggghhhh' .

"Okay fine don't move."

"No I'm coming." she said, in her big furry blanket looking like it was made from a pack of wolves, and oh my God it felt like it too. Ultra Soft and heavy.

She sat at the table and smiled in delight.

We dug in and I was interrupted by the look on her face. She was literally savoring the food. "Luke this is so good, it tastes like the one my grandma used to make from the Romanian cook books. Kernat." she said with a giggle.

"My grandparents made it, and romaina-what?"

"No silly, Romanian ." she smiled.

"What the fuck is that?"

"My ethnicity."

"Can you speak it?"

"I can read it to. People always ask me if I'm Russian or Italian and I swear to me that's the biggest insult."

"Speak some."

"What do you want me to say?"

"This food is so good." I smiled. She said some words and I raised my eye brow.

"Yeah no I'm not gonna even understand that with Rosetta Stone." I said, looking back down at my plate.

"Shush." She too, repeating my actions.

After moments of silence, I couldn't take much longer. It was Sunday night, so if she said yes it would be a perfect time to go along with it. It was about time they all officially met Alice , and vice-versa. I just didn't want to introduce her to the other 'thing' , but that would have to be dealt with much later. I got up and took our empty plates, putting them in the sink, and sat on the couch, motioning for Alice to join me. She wobbled over to me in her big blanket and cuddled into me, covering us with the dozen wolves.

"Come to my place tonight."

I quietly said. She looked up at me through the blanket.

"What?"

"It's spring break, and you've never did. Plus, I think it's time you officially met some people and you get out of here."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah. Or tomorrow morning."

"No. Tonight's ok."

"Do you want to leave now?"

"Yeah."

"Go get your stuff."

"Kay."

--

She got in the backseat with her stuff and laid her head on the sack like it's was a pillow , and of course , cover herself with the wolves. She can't live without it.

We drove onto the main road and put some music on, but Alice soon perked up and turned it off to ask, "Who am I 'officially' meeting ?"

"My family."

"Your who?"

"My two blood brothers and my two other brothers."

"I'm the only girl?"

"I think so."

"It's ok, I prefer it that way. But how long do you want me to stay?"

"You can stay the whole sprint break if you want."

"Why not."

The car ride was silent for a few more minutes, until I pulled into the drive way, where the boys were already outside, 9 at night.