When Lightning Strikes

When Lightning Strikes: Chapter 14

A/N: I've decided to dedicate this epic chapter to Katie Cruz. She's been one of the most encouraging readers and left me the most beautiful comments back on Booksie :) Love you! xoxo

Now that Ruby had left, my quiet surroundings reminded me of how lonely I felt. She had a lunch date with a cousin and couldn’t miss it, as she rarely was able to see her. This left me to find something to do, as I desperately wanted to take Vince off my mind. Sometimes I just felt like bursting into tears and I did not want that happening.

I headed upstairs to have a look at my to-do list on my whiteboard, as I wanted to be productive. No moping around.

In the end, I decided to start on the report due in a month or so, on my teaching experience. After writing up a page and replying to e-mails from friends that I had met in Paris, I found that I had killed off nearly two hours of work. I stretched a bit before walking downstairs to find something to eat for lunch. Cold-cut sandwiches caught my eye and I brought them to the lounge room.

After popping in the DVD for How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, I contently rested back on the L-shaped sofa with my plate of sandwiches on my lap. It had always been tradition for Ruby and I to watch our favourite movies when one of us went through a hard time, but right now Ruby had other commitments. I didn’t mind, as it would be awkward if she was the one cheering me up. She couldn’t say things like ‘he doesn’t deserve you’ or ‘don’t worry, I’m here for you’, because she was the girl who Vince was smitten with. She was the girl who returned his feelings.

As my mind kept straying from Matthew McConaughey’s handsomeness and back to my non-existent love life, the doorbell rang. Assuming it was my parents, I let them make their own way inside with their keys. I wasn’t bothered to get up from the couch until it rang again.

It was Jason.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, not bothering to contain my surprise.

“I’m here to pick up your sister. We’re going house hunting.”

“Aubrey’s not here at the moment, but she will be soon.” I let him in and we sat down next to each other on the sofa. “So you’re still trying to find a house?”

Aubrey had mentioned a few times that she had been out looking for penthouses or apartments but that was last year. I thought she would have found something by now, but then again, it was a long process.

Jason shrugged. “Aubs is thinking of looking for one nearer to the city or coast.”

I gasped. She had never told me that she planned to move that far! The drive was a few hours away from here so I would hardly have any time to see her.

“But … but that’s so far!” I cried out.

Jason laughed. “That’s what I said, but whatever makes her happy …”

I caught his expression – the same forlorn and tired one when he had been arguing with Aubrey at the engagement party. I wondered what he was thinking.

“I can tell something’s wrong,” I pointed out, making him blink in surprise. “What’s wrong? You can talk to me you know, I’m already your sister.”

He smiled and carefully took my hand in his. I loved the feel of his hand – just a bit bigger than mine and smooth, but still callously manly. I tried hard to ignore the strange tingles going down my spine.

“That means a lot to me, Gracie.”

We sat like that, hands together, as he continued. It felt right. Comfortable. As if it was what was natural.