Living in darkness

Chapter 7

We arrive in front of my house in less than five minutes, and I exit the car. Leon follows with Amy in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. I wait for him to stand beside me before I approach the door.

"Ready," he asks me. I nod and make my way towards the door. I'm about to take my key and force it through the keyhole when the door flies open, and I'm staring in the face of my younger brother. He blinks at me in surprise, stepping back a little.

"Where are you heading off to in such a hurry," I question him.

"N-nowhere," He stammers, spinning right around and heading out the house. With my eyebrows raised, I enter the house with Leon close in tow. He shuts the door behind him and follows me as I walk through the house and into the kitchen. My parents are standing on either side of the counter, quarreling about something until their eyes land on me.

My father stands up straight while my mom makes her way around the table. When she reaches me, her arms encircle me and I am pulled into a warm embrace.

"Oh, Aurora. I was so worried. I saw you on the news, the way you saved those people," She says. "I was afraid you had gotten hurt." I return her embrace.

"I'm here now, so you don't have to worry anymore," I tell her. "I also have something to tell you." She releases me and awaits the news. "First things first, this is Leon, my..."

"Boyfriend," He answers for me. My eyes widen as I continue.

"And this is my 'child' Amy. Don't worry, she's not biologically mine," I blurt when my mother's face grows pale. "But when she woke up she called me mommy and wrapped around my legs. I took her to the doctors to see if she would remember who her real parents were, and they said it was highly unlikely. So now I have to take care of her."

"No, we have to take care of her," Leon corrects me. Amy wakes up and instantly starts crying. He hands her to me and she calms down, sucking her thumb and laying her head on my shoulder.

"Are you sure she's not yours, 'cause she looks just like the spawn of you and him. Did we fast forward a few years and you had a child with this man," She questions. I quickly deny her suspicion a little too loudly; Amy stirs on my shoulder. She switches the subject quickly. "You've managed to get a boyfriend, and one this handsome. That is amazing."

"Mom!" I gasp. My cheeks are beginning to redden as I gawk at her.

"You said your name was Leon? How about you stay for dinner," She asks, ushering him into the living room.

"That's hours away, mom. He'd be having lunch with us too," I protest. Mom just shrugs it off and continues to shove him into the living room.

"I would love to. I was planning on stealing her for lunch though," He says. "I guess we could have it in your backyard. It's actually pretty nice out there." Before I can ask what he means, he jogs out the door to the car. I sigh, wonder about two things. One: what is he going to get, and two: where's his motorcycle? He comes back before I can ponder on this.

He holds up a picnic basket in one hand while pushing me towards the backyard with the other. My protests aren't phasing him as he slides open the door and shoves me outside. A nice warm breeze blows through my hair as we head towards the open space. I brush my bangs out of my face, but they're blown right back.

"You're being ridiculous. Leave your bangs alone," Leon orders. My mom automatically takes Amy from me and rushes inside the house. I stare after her in amazement. "Come on. These sandwiches aren't going to eat themselves."

"Alright, father," I sigh sarcastically. He rolls his eyes and sets up camp near the lake. Once everything is set, he jogs over to me, takes my hand, and leads me over to the blanket.

"What type of sandwiches did you make anyways," I question, my curiosity boiling on edge.

"You'll just have to eat it to find out," he teases, taking a sandwich out and biting it. He holds out to me and I eyeball it with suspicion.

"How do I know if you aren't trying to poison me?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"You don't, but you're just gonna have to trust me. Now bite." I reach for it but his hand retreats. "I didn't say you could take it."

"I have very capable hands, thank you." I reach again, but he's quick and yanks his hand out of reach. I try again, and this time he's so quick, I roll and fall on top of him.

"Are you willing to accept the hand that feeds you, or are you going to try to steal the sandwich," he questions me after a while of staring.

"Are you sure you can trust me? I might bite you." I smirk down at him, and he grins up at me.

"Will you? I don't know how to feel about that. But I'm willing to take the chance." He holds the sandwich up and presses it to my lips. I part my lips and sink my teeth into the bread, never braking eye contact with him. I watch him as I chew what's in my mouth. "Good?" I nod. "Good."

I swallow and open my mouth for another bite, but instead of a bite, I get a kiss. I kiss him back, running my hand through his hair. He places his hands on my hips and pulls me closer.

"I brought some refreshments...oh my," I hear my mother say. I gasp and look at her, tearing myself away from his addicting lips. I'm about to apologize when he kisses me again. I pull back, shocked.

"You're trying to get me killed," I whisper. I look up to apologize to mom, but she's gone. I glance back at Leo, who gives me a cocky look before planting his lips on mine again.

"You are so beautiful," he says, pulling away. I blush and look at the grass, avoiding eye contact. "Let's eat the sandwiches, though I would rather have you for dinner." This makes my face turn even redder. He chuckles as I get off of him. I grab another sandwich and bite into it without another word, and we enjoy the picnic in silence.