India
If I tried to keep count of all the times someone knocked on our door at a late hour, I would’ve had to write them down, and I would have probably run out of paper. Usually it’s Cas or Sparky who need something from dad. One time, it was Pope and he was covered in blood. Mom ushered me upstairs as fast as she could, hoping I wouldn’t see but I did. I still don’t know what happened to this day, but he’s always freaked me out. He’s too serious and his eyes darken too much when he gets angry.
It’s not until I hear Leo’s voice that I jump out of bed and creep along the hall to see if I can hear who else is here and what they want. Leo has never shown up here on his own before.
“I can’t have her at my house for obvious reasons.”
That was Cas’s voice.
I creep halfway down the stairs and I’m faced with Leo’s back as he leans his shoulder against the doorframe.
My blood rushes at the sight of him and I feel lightheaded. This is so strange. To go from someone I know, to someone I can’t get enough of, it’s exhausting to keep up with him.
I’ve spent the last few hours replaying our afternoon together, and now he’s here, in my home, it’s like we’ve never been apart. I can still feel his fingers skimming over my stomach, his tongue grazing over my breasts, I can feel it all.
He senses someone behind him, and I walk down the rest of the stairs as he looks over his shoulder. He flashes me a quick smile and covers it with his usual stoic manner when he turns back around.
I stand by his side in the doorway, and it brings us closer than we’d normally be. I spot a girl sitting on the corner armchair and I vaguely recognise her from hanging around with Luca.
She’s clutching her bag to her chest like a lifeline and is shaking in fear. She doesn’t make eye contact with anyone and finds the carpet more interesting to look at.
“This is Sara, she’s staying here tonight,” Dad says, looking up and seeing me in the room.
“Sure, you’re Luca’s friend, right?” I ask, and it seems to settle her down.
She nods, and I feel bad for her. She isn’t normally this jittery around Luca. I wonder what has happened.
There’s another knock at the door and Leo goes to answer it as no one else moves. Who ever it is, is expected.
Luca barrels through the door first and Alannah follows him in. I step to the side just in time as he barely acknowledges me as he rushes by. He goes straight to Sara and she immediately looks more comfortable. He has her in his arms in no time, and she clings to him, forgetting her bag is between them.
She cries into him, and no one in the room can look away from them. Alannah watches on with intrigue and Cas watches with a deep frown pulling his eyebrows very close together.
Luca strokes her hair soothingly and her cries start to subside. He’s calming for her, it almost feels like we’re intruding on something private no one should know about.
“It’s okay, I got you. I swear it,” he whispers to her.
A brief fire burns against my hand, and it takes a moment to recognise Leo brushed his hand against mine. I dare to look at him for a few seconds longer than normal, and I can’t hide the corner grin my mouth is trying to hide.
“She should come home with us,” Luca tells Cas and we turn back to the conversation in hand.
“That’s not a good idea, she has India here, she’ll be safe until we…”
“She doesn’t know India,” he argues, and something I haven’t seen before burns in his eyes. I’m not the only one who notices, his parents and my dad all look on and wonder what the hell is between them.
Sara puts her hand on his arm and the burn instantly fizzles out. He takes a deep breath and smiles down at her.
“I’ll be fine, Luc,” she tells him, speaking for the first time since I came down.
“You don’t know her, you should be with me.”
“I’m sure your dad wouldn’t have brought me here if I wasn’t going to be safe.”
My eyes flick to Cas and I can’t work out what’s going through his head as he watches his teenage son try to protect this girl.
I don’t know what her story is, but it can’t be good if she’s here.
“India, go and make up Zach’s old room for Sara.”
Without eyes on them, Luca and Sara begin whispering between themselves.
“I’ll need your help, mom keeps the sheets on the top shelf,” I say to Leo, finding the perfect excuse to get him alone.
My body is remembering everything he did to me this afternoon, it thrums the closer he follows me up the stairs and it pulses as I watch the muscles in his arms strain as he reaches to the top of the cupboard.
“Which room?”
I nod to the door behind him, and he throws it open, dumps the sheets on the bed and reaches for my hand to swing me through the door. He kicks it closed behind him and he pushes me against the wood, Zach’s old poster crinkles against my back.
Leo winds his hand through my hair and presses his lips to mine. He isn’t as soft as he was earlier, this kiss is more urgent and needy. He’s taking what he needs from me and I’ll let him have whatever he god damn needs for a moment.
As much as I want to be up here kissing him, if we’re too long my dad will come looking to see what’s keeping us.
“Help me make the bed, and I’ll let you kiss me again.”
“You’ll let me, huh?”
Nodding my head, I dip out of his arms and dart across the room. I shake out the sheets and notice blotches of blood on his knuckles across his right hand.
“What happened?” I ask, jerking my chin at his hand.
“Sara’s dad fell on my fist a few times.”
“He fell on it?”
“Yeah, well, that’s how I remember it anyway,” he grins and it’s cold.
“Why? What happened since I saw you this afternoon?” I ask, tucking the edges of the sheet under the mattress.
“Didn’t you see Luca’s face down there? That girl’s dad hits her and when Luc stepped in, he hit him too, and you know none of us was going to let that slide. We asked the girl if she wanted to leave with us and she said yes, so dad brought her here. Did you see them a lot at school when you were there?”
“Sometimes, they’re always together when I did.”
“I caught them together at the club when my dad was in hospital, I don’t think anything happened between them, and my brother’s adamant she’s his friend, nothing more.”
“You can be friends with the opposite sex.”
“Can you?” he growls.
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” I smile sweetly.
Let’s see what he has to say about us, whatever us is.
“I’ll let you know when I’m done with you.”
My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline and I struggle to release them again.
“When you’re done with me?”
He dumps the pillow on the bed and takes a step back towards the door.
“I don’t know many people who want to be my friend after I’ve finished with them.”
“What if you’re never finished with me?”
His eyes dance around playfully and I swallow heavily.
“Then I guess you’re a lucky, lucky woman and I’ll be fucked,” he winks.
He manages to escape through the door before the pillow I throw at him lands on the floor where he was standing moments before.
With the bed made, it’s definitely not as much of a mundane chore when you have help. Mom has been on my case with chores around the house lately, telling me she’s preparing me for being on my own at college in the dorms.
I make it to the top of the stairs, and Cas and Alannah are waiting by the front door talking with my parents.
Leo is stood by the bottom of the stairs and I have to force myself not to go and stand beside him.
Luca and Sara walk into the hall and their hands are clasped tight together.
“What if I stay here on the couch?” Luca offers, not giving up. It’s actually very sweet.
“I got your girl safe from her dad, I’ve promised you both I’ll sort this out, but I’m tired and my patience is wearing thin, son. I’ll bring you back in the morning and you can see for yourself that she is okay here.”
Luca is relentless, and he isn’t happy when Sara pulls her hand out of his and nudges him forward.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” she says, her voice timid and soft, she braves it up and looks at Cas, “Thank you, Mr Jackson.”
He nods once at her and opens the door. Goodbyes are said, and I nearly miss catching Leo’s attention while he’s too busy on his phone.
With my mom and dad stepping outside to see Cas, Alannah and Luca off, he pulls himself up the banister and quickly plants a kiss on me, before darting out the door, leaving me with a crazy huge smile on my face. There’s no point trying to hide it, I couldn’t if I tried.
“He’s like Luca, he makes things happen.”
I forgot she was standing there. Leo isn’t obviously worried about her seeing, so I’m not going to worry either. Or maybe he forgot. Either way, I’ve had the best day of my life today and nothing is going to bring me down tonight.
“Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”
She follows me up, still holding onto her bag, and steps gingerly into Zach’s old room.
“My brother doesn’t live here anymore, you’ll be okay here.”
“Your dad is real nice,” she tells me.
“He is, and he won’t let anyone near you while you’re here.”
She smiles but I don’t think she believes me.
“Do you need anything before I go to bed?”
“No, thank you.”
“Okay, well, my room is next door and the bathroom is opposite.”
“Oh, one thing, where can I plug in my phone charger. Luca gave me this phone and it hasn’t got any battery left.”
She digs it out of her bag and passes it over. I look behind Zach’s nightstand and find a free outlet, shoving it in, she seems a lot happier when the screen lights up.
“Thanks.”
“Luca gave this to you?”
It looks brand new and expensive.
“Yeah, so I could call him if I needed him.”
“How often do you need him?”
I can’t believe I asked her that. It’s not my business what goes on between the two of them.
“Too often.”
I can’t imagine what it must be like for her, to need a boy, a fifteen-year-old boy at her age, it’s sad she only has him to depend on.
“Well, if you need me, I’m across the hall.”
I leave her to herself and close the door behind me. Mom is sitting at the top of the stairs and makes me jump.
“I’ve text Zach, letting him know there is a guest in his room in case he came home tonight.”
I refrain from rolling my eyes, Zach isn’t coming home, not to sleep anyway.
“I’m pretty sure she’ll fall asleep messaging Luca, he brought her a phone, you know.” Raising her eyebrows, she looks as shocked as I did when I heard.
“Okay, it’s getting late and I have work in the morning. Alannah said she’ll be here early so expect visitors in the morning.”
I don’t say another word and open my door. My phone is vibrating on my dresser and I get to it just in time before it cuts off and Leo chuckles when he hears my breathlessness.
“I like it when you’re panting.”
My cheeks heat instantly and I’m glad he’s not here to see the blush creeping up my neck.
“You just left, what do you want?”
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Nothing that I know of.”
“Good, I’ll pick you at nine, at the top of your street.”
“Where are we going?”
Thoughts of the cabin flash through my mind but he says, “It’s a surprise.”
I hate surprises.
No I don’t, but I don’t like not knowing.
“Fine, I’ll be there.”
I smile down the line and wait for him to speak. It’s silent for a moment and I’m about to think of something to say when he speaks again.
“I want you to know that today meant something to me, you trusted me to…that’s special to me.”
“I hear you,” I murmur.
“Okay, get some sleep, you’re going to need it,” he chuckles, lightening the mood and I smile.
“See you tomorrow, Leo.”
“Goodnight, India.”
* * *
The night never lasts long and I’m up and ready far too early. Sara is no where in sight when I walk into the kitchen. Mom is already dressed and ready to leave the house, leaving dad to roll in last, yawning and in need of coffee.
“I need you to stay with Sara for a couple of hours until I get back,” Mom says, grabbing her car keys from the bowl on the counter. I thought Alannah was getting here early?
“I can’t, I have plans.”
“What’s so important that you can’t help your mom for a couple of hours at this time?” Dad asks.
“Nothing,” I lie.
Mom’s phone rings and she stops to answer it. The call only lasts a minute, and then she’s running upstairs.
Dad and I listen to Zach’s door open and then close, and then she’s coming back down.
“She’s gone. The bed is untouched, she left this on the nightstand.”
It’s a piece of paper with, thank you, scribbled across it.
“Lana wanted to know if Luca was here, he’s gone too. Looks they’ve run away together.”
“Great, that’s all Cas needs,” Dad sighs.
My phone vibrates in my back pocket and I take it out, keeping it away from dad’s eyes.
‘Sorry, can’t make it today. I have to look for Luca. I’ll make it up to you. L.’
Great. You do something nice for someone and they end up shitting on your plans.
“So, are you coming to help me or what?”
“Yeah.”
It’s not like I have anything else to do now.