Grace's Gap Year In Australia

Grace's Gap Year In Australia- Part Thirteen

“We do?” Luke asked, a quizzical look on his face.

I nodded. “You’re going to gather loads of your friends for two reasons. One- so Summer and I can meet them before the party. Two- for a huge water fight in the park.”

“We are?” Jay asked.

I nodded again.

“Amazing idea!” Beau exclaimed, practically bouncing on the bed.

Summer glared at him and then turned to me. “Awesome idea, shit face.”

“Thank you, bitch,” I beamed back at her.

“You guys are such freaks,” Jay scoffed.

“Aren’t we all?” Summer said. Everyone nodded or crooked their head in agreement.

“Sleepy time!” Beau shouted, pouncing onto the bed and burying his face in my pillow. He rolled over and made a grab for me at the same time that Jay wrapped his fingers around my wrist.

“Guys, I’m not a pull toy,” I told them, unable to contain a smirk. “I will choose who I sleep next to tonight.”

“She’s got the power!” Daniel shrieked in a Jim Carey voice. No matter how much my gut didn’t like him, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That I have. And I would like to sleep with Summer. Boys on the floor,” I announced and ordered. They grumbled grumpily and followed instructions.

Beau snuck in a peck on the cheek as he crawled past, so I slapped his arm, chuckled and climbed beneath the covers. Moments later, I was joined by Summer who had a ridiculous grin on her face.

“What are you so happy about?” I whispered, hiding my mouth with the covers.

“Just Daniel,” she grinned back.

My mouth twisted in an unpleasant grimace. “Babe, I don’t know about Dan-”

“What are you girls talking about beneath those covers?” Jay asked, cutting me off.

I lowered the covers and smiled when I saw all four boys with their chins rested at the end of the bed. “None of your business!” I retorted, throwing a pillow at their heads. It hit three of them, leaving Luke untouched. Was the pillow telling me something? Ha! I was just as odd as Summer!

“Feisty,” Beau said. “I like that.”

Jay punched him for me, despite the fact that I had another pillow poised to aim and fire at him.

“Bitch,” Beau glared at his brother.

“Shit face,” Jay replied, grinning at me as he said it. “Oh yeah, I’m picking up the language,” he said proudly.

“Don’t steal our banter comments!” Summer ordered.

“Well that back-fired on you, bro,” Beau chuckled happily. They exchanged a momentary glare.

“Good night guys,” I mumbled, nestling into my covers.

Summer clicked off the light and I heard the boys shuffle into the bedding I’d dropped on the floor.

A scream came from the end of the bed, making me snap up into a sitting position.

“Dude, what the fuck?” Daniel grumbled.

“I thought I saw something by the wall, then I realised it was my reflection,” Jay admitted sheepishly.

We all burst into hysterical laughter whilst Jay buried his face beneath the pile of sheets.

“You are insanely special my friend,” Daniel stated through his chuckles.

“Agreed,” Summer giggled.

Once we had settled again and Jay had resurfaced, the low noise of snoring faded into the surroundings. It was Daniel.

I turned to Summer, ready to make a snide comment about his snoring, but she was peacefully asleep as well.

“You still awake boys?” I whispered to the Bay brothers.

Only Luke whispered his reply: “I am. Brothers are deep in their slumber.”

“Midnight feast?” I suggested. The next thing I knew, he was beside me, his hand outstretched. I took it and he dragged me delicately over the sleeping bodies and out of the door. I stumbled through the doorway and into his body, incidentally leaning against his chest and staring up at him as he caught me.

We stayed like this for a moment until Luke’s mouth quirked into a cheeky smile and he pulled me down the stairs and into the cool kitchen. The marble floors felt smooth and warm beneath my dainty feet.

Luke tugged the cupboard door open to inspect the contents. A few seconds later, he retrieved the jar of cinnamon. “Rematch.”

“You’re so on,” I challenged, already tipping the powder onto my hand.

“Three…” he started.

“Two…” I continued.

“One!” we both said together, throwing the cinnamon into our agape mouths and instantly trying to move our thick-feeling tongues.

“Dis is ticky,” Luke managed to say as his jaw and tongue worked overtime.

I was determined to keep myself in check and win for a second time, so I decided to stay silent.

Luke then decided to try a different tactic and got so close to my face that I could hear his tongue clucking against the side of his mouth, trying to remove the sticky powder. Then, completely out of character, he closed his mouth, blew out his cheeks, flared his nostrils and tugged his ears out. I couldn’t help but spit the powder all over the floor, turning my head just in time to dodge Luke’s face.

“Ha! I won!” he gloated.

I pushed him by the chest and grinned, most likely with powder all over my teeth. “That was not fair!”

“Now why would I play fair?”

“Cheater,” I pouted.

He just grinned at me, somewhat adoringly. “What?” I asked self-consciously.

“You just look really cute right now.”

I rolled my eyes- god, how many times was I going to do this?! – and pushed him again. He gently clasped my head between his hands suddenly and pulled me close. My breath hitched as I prepared myself for the kiss. But the kiss did not come; he only rested his head against mine and gazed down at me. I gulped, my throat dry, and closed my eyes briefly.

“You smell like cinnamon,” he stated in an amused but hushed tone.

“So do you,” I teased, scrunching up my nose in pretence.

He ran his tongue over his teeth, wiping away any evidence of our midnight rematch. Out of nowhere, the sudden urge to be in contact with him overtook me and I slid my arms around his waist and stared up at him. Shock was quickly replaced by a content smile on his face.

“You’re warm,” I stated, closing my eyes and resting my head on his chest.

His arms held me to him, warming my whole body. My eyelids began to flutter with my need for sleep.

“Tired?” Luke asked gently, his breath tickling my head.

I nodded sleepily against his firm torso and the next moment, he had hooked his arms beneath my knees and was carrying me through the lounge doorway. Luke lay me down on the wide couch and settled beside me, our bodies facing each other.

“So much for the midnight feast,” I mumbled.

Luke’s arm was draped over me, his eyes locked on mine. “Another day maybe. Sleep.”

“Okay.” I fell asleep like this, staring into his eyes until sleep consumed me.

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