So this is Love ● The Beast

{5}

"When do you suppose she will be back?" Poppy voiced her thoughts beside me, her small hands wrapped around the basket filled with fruits picked selectively from the open market stand. She didn't look up as if she were ashamed to even question it, Lucille was the one who left without even so much as a goodbye, despite watching her leave.

I couldn't imagine how badly it had actually hurt Poppy, out of all of us, excluding Papa. Poppy and Lucille were considerably closer to each other than the rest of us were to Lucille herself, Poppy had a natural air to her that made her easy to get along with. Lucille was no different. And then, Lucille just left, without even one word to her younger sister.

My nostrils flared at the thought of her. I shook my head trying to give my best, fake smile that I could muster as I leaned down towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She shouldn't be long. You know Lucille, she says she'll be back in an hour and she really means in four hours, time seems to work differently with her." I chuckled falsely, Poppy laughed genuinely as she found my statement to be true.

I plucked a few plums from the open stand, looking them over as I found a few were spoiling quickly at the ends. "I remember when Lucille went to that bakers shop, she couldn't decide which tart she wanted for her birthday." Poppy began and I smiled encouragingly to show her I was listening as I looked a few fruits over before tossing them into my own basket. "She wanted one with strawberries, peaches and shredded sugar crystals on top, I think she wanted something really sweet that day." I snickered at the thought. Lucille was a sugar fanatic despite how she tried to avoid it as much as she could, but the moment it was in sight she couldn't help herself. "But, they have only served blueberries and peaches covered in lemon juice, it was really nasty." She puckered her lips in distaste and I laughed honestly my head tilting back, closing my eyes.

Poppy laughed equally as hard from beside me, and I couldn't help how my anger seemed to face into nothing, my eyes brightening considerably as I rubbed the top of Poppys head lovingly. "It looked like you needed a laugh." Poppy admitted as she grinned up at me.

I raised a brow before chuckling softly. "I did. Thanks, Poppy, you're truly beautiful." I pulled her close, my hand coming to rest at her upper back as she wrapped her arms around my waist. Poppy wasn't just beautiful physically but, mentally, her personality was open and forgiving, she was compassionate and she had a heart that people lacked these days.

"Can I have toffees?"

"No." I answered bluntly with a choked laugh.

She whined. "But, I've only had four this week."

I snorted. "Do you hear yourself? I'm not even supposed to let you have one a week, it's supposed to be only a half of a toffee. That sugar is going to get to your head and then guess what'll happen."