Cigarettes

Chapter 8

When I came home from my morning walk I got the idea of baking brownies. I got out to the store to buy the ingredients and when I came back I got to work.

They were done in about an hour and I definitely baked too much for just two people so I supposed either we're going to throw them away or give some to our neighbors. I decided I'd wait for Luke, maybe he would want to eat them all.

Now it was nine in the evening and someone just knocked the door. I assumed it was Luke so I opened the door and let him in.

"Hey." I said greeting him. "You were gone all day.." I trailed off wanting to offer him a brownie.

"So?" he rudely interrupted trying to adjust his snapback but then taking it off and throwing it on the couch.

I was a bit taken aback by his repeated rudeness, especially after him being so nice yesterday, so I stayed quiet not knowing what to answer him.

Why are you surprised, he's bipolar.

I watched him reach in the back pocket of his black jeans and take out a box of cigarettes and a lighter. He lit up a cigarette between his lips and blew the smoke in my direction, looking at me. For goodness' sake do I have to smell that shit every day?

He probably noticed my annoyed expression since he glanced at me, offering me his cigarette.

"Please stop smoking around me. At least when I'm here." I repeated again.

"No." he simply said and sat by the kitchen counter.

How am I supposed to stop him from smoking if I don't tell him my reason?

"You were so nice yesterday, why are you rude now?" I asked looking at him, actually almost glancing. I wanted an honest answer and not a shrug or an 'I don't know'.

"I almost slept through something." he said like I didn't already know that by his hysterical swearing, yelling and storming out.

"So I noticed." I whispered.

"And you didn't wake me up." he continued.

"You didn't tell me" I protested.

"Whatever. I almost slept through" he repeated again.

"But you didn't..?" I said more as a question than a statement and looked at him with my most innocent look.

"No" he said and walked into the kitchen. Wow, he's talkative today.

"What's that smell?" he asked and bent down to look at the opened oven.

"You're smoking." I stated the obvious.

"Not that, the sweet smell." he explained sounding a bit annoyed by my ignorance.

"I made brownies." I smiled and jogged to the living room to get the plate with the brownies on it.

"Chocolate or vanilla?" he asked, raising his eyebrow and quizzing me.

"Chocolate." I answered and offered him the plate.

"Good, I didn't even think you're a vanilla type of girl." he smirked and in that one second the realization of the real Luke being back hit me.

"Excuse me?" I asked checking if I heard him right.

"So are you going to let me try one now or are you going to ask me questions?" he practically stole the plate from my hands and started swallowing the brownie making pleasing moans on the way. I guess he likes it.

"Do you smoke even when you eat?" it slipped before I could close my mouth.

"Sometimes." Luke answered and took his second brownie. He then took the cigarette and, on my surprise, turned it out.