Chapter 12
Luca
Walking in the front door of Deb and Art’s house feels like coming home.
It’s always smelled like cinnamon and apples, and today is no exception.
The dimly lit living room hasn’t changed at all.
Same worn-out couch, same well-loved recliner in front of the TV.
That’s gotten an upgrade, though. The last time I was here, it was still a big box TV.
I guess Art finally decided to join the land of technology and upgrade.
“About time you showed up,” Deb chides Austin, her voice carrying from the kitchen.
He shrugs, shooting me a grin. “I’ve been canceling because I didn’t want to leave you alone.”
“Austin,” I hiss, nudging him with my elbow. I can’t believe he’s been skipping dinner with his parents just to keep me company.
“I was thinking my son had forgotten me.” Her words cut off as she steps into the living room, drying her hands on a dishrag. “Oh, Luca! I’m glad you joined us.”
My lips curve into a smile against my will. “I know. I’m sorry I didn’t sooner.”
She steps closer, then grips my chin with gentle fingers, tilting my head back and forth. “What happened here?”
Austin tenses beside me, but I chuckle. “Got in a fight with the trees at Austin’s.”
Deb shakes her head with a wry grin, then drops a kiss on my forehead. “No surprise there. You boys always did act too rough in the woods.” She steps back and waves us into the kitchen. “Well, come on now. Art’ll be here in a bit. He’s out feeding the chickens. Dinner’s just about done.”
I can tell Austin doesn’t know what to do with me downplaying my injuries, but I’m thankful he didn’t call me on my shit. Not that I expected him to. He’s been so… steady since he showed up at Damien’s house to bring me back with him.
He’s always been solid, don’t get me wrong. But there’s just something more about it now. When we were teens, he was tenderhearted. But now? Now he’s different. Not in a bad way. It’s just easy to see that the years have been kind to him, and in return, he’s kind as well.
It also seems like he knows when to push and when to let me live in my lies, and for now, I need to live in my lies.
We follow Deb into the kitchen, and I sniff the air. “What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”
Deb laughs. “Is my boy not feeding you properly?”
Austin scoffs, but I smile. “He does his best, but no one does it quite like you.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “You’re a suck-up, Luca Pierce, but I’ll allow it. Nice to know some things never change.”
My grin grows. At this point in my life, without my own parents, I can’t afford to lose another set. It’s bad enough I’ve gone all this time without talking to Deb and Art.
“That damn rooster won’t quit—” Art’s voice drops off quickly as he catches sight of me. “Well, I’ll be damned, kid. Glad to see you alive and well. C’mere.”
Art holds his arms open, and I stumble toward him. He’s the closest thing to a dad I have these days. It shouldn’t surprise me that he’s still like this. Especially with me. He and my dad were the best of friends, and I know it hit him hard when we lost them.
We hug for a long time, but when I feel tears start to burn my eyes, I step back. “I’m curious what the rooster’s doing,” I say, trying to smile so I don’t break down.
Art shakes his head with a chuckle.
“Chasing him,” Deb says from behind us.
That makes me laugh, and I turn to pull out a chair and take a seat at the table beside Austin. “Oh?”
“Damned thing won’t leave me alone,” he grumbles, walking around the table and pressing a kiss to Deb’s temple before turning to wash his hands.
“Well, what did you do to him?” I ask, and Austin snorts.
“He took his favorite hen away. Told you that you should have put him in the coop before you butchered his hens.”
Deb lets out a tinkling laugh. “He doesn’t chase me. Cutie pie will climb right up in my lap to take a nap.”
Austin and I share a look, then burst into laughter together, and Art sits down at the table. “Yeah, yeah, I learned my lesson. Too late, I suppose.”
Too late for sure. Deb gestures for us to make our plates, and honestly? I don’t need to be told twice. I’m starving. I pile my plate high and dig right in.
This feels like home. It would be better if Mom and Dad were here, but this is still nice.
Being back home with people who know me and appreciate me for who I am.
Being surrounded by people who feel like family, and eating a meal cooked by a woman who practically raised me is exactly what I needed today.
Damien’s ghost is still lingering, but I find seeing these marks on my skin doesn’t bother me.
Not in the way that the marks he actually left on my skin did.
Sure, I was running from imaginary Damien while I got them, but Austin tended to them in a way Damien never did.
And then I slept in a bed I wasn’t terrified of being in.
I woke with the sunlight warming my face and Austin’s humming floating through the house.
“You should see them,” Deb says, dragging me out of my thoughts. “They’re amazing. Would be nice if I could keep it staffed. Daisy’s is basically a labor of love, not profit, these days, but I can’t part with her.”
“What do you need help with?” I ask, taking a bite from the corner of my roll.
Deb sighs. “Just can’t keep enough servers at the diner. I have Arlo. Real good kid and a hard worker, but he’s the only one I’ve got that’ll show up reliably.”
“I can come work for you,” I blurt out. Yeah. I’d like that a lot, I think. A job? Time out of the house? Being able to hang out in a place that feels like a second home? Win, win, win.
“Really?” Austin and Deb say at the same time. Austin’s voice holds curiosity, but Deb’s is full of relief.
I nod. “Yeah, I think it would be great. I’d be happy to.” I give her a big smile that she returns.
“That’d be great, Luc. When do you want to start?”
I shrug. “Anytime. Tomorrow.”
Austin chuckles. “Going stir-crazy at home all the time?”
Something like that. “Maybe. Plus, I get to help your ma out. That’s a win to me.”
Deb smiles at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “Come in tomorrow if you want, and I’ll get you set up. I think you and Arlo will have a lot in common, actually. You’ll get along well.”
I have no idea what she means by that, but I’m always down for meeting new people. Or, at least, I used to be. I’m not sure how to be a person now. Not with all that Damien took from me. I’m willing to try, though. “Sounds good.”
Everyone goes back to eating, and I can’t help but feel good. It’s good that I have things happening for me. Good that I’m getting a job. Good that I’ll be able to stop relying so much on Austin. If there’s anything I want for myself post-Damien, it’s the ability to take care of myself.
I don’t ever want to be beholden to another person again.
Not even Austin. It’s too hard to have it held over your head.
Not that I think Austin would ever do that, but I’m also not too stupid to learn a damn lesson when it’s presented to me.
I need to make sure I can stand on my own two feet.
Even if I never have to. I need to know I can.
I can’t sleep. I don’t know why. But it’s been a thing since the first time I slept with Austin. Other than the night I explored the woods, I haven’t had any issues sleeping here. And I’m not even worried, I don’t think. Especially now that Austin locks the door every night before he goes to bed.
But since that night, it’s like… I just can’t get comfortable. No matter how much I try.
After another twenty minutes of useless tossing and turning, I throw the blanket off myself and tiptoe across the living room to Austin’s bedroom. I peek in to find him dead asleep.
I tap on his door a couple of times, but he doesn’t stir.
Dammit. I take a step into the room and then another, my heart pounding like crazy.
I would never have dared wake Damien up.
What am I even doing anyway? Creeping into Austin’s room in the middle of the night like some kind of baby? I should go back to the couch.
I pause right at the edge of his bed. He looks like he’s sleeping peacefully, his eyes moving back and forth quickly under his closed lids.
His lips are parted, and there’s a couple of days’ worth of stubble lining his jaw.
I’ve always been jealous of Austin’s ability to grow facial hair.
I thought as I got older, I’d be able to grow it better, but older came and facial hair never did. A damn annoying shame.
I take a step backward, and the floor creaks under my foot.
I freeze, eyes darting back to Austin, hoping I didn’t wake him.
I’m thankful to find him still asleep, so I turn to leave the room.
I make it a couple of steps, then trip. Over what?
Who knows? My feet? The nonexistent obstacle on the floor?
Doesn’t matter—I stumble, trying to catch myself, and end up falling forward and crashing to the ground.
I flinch without meaning to. Damien used to get so mad if I woke him up in the middle of the night.
Making any noise was wrong. Taking up any space was a crime.
“Fuck,” I whisper under my breath.
“Luc?” Austin says, his voice thick with sleep.
“Sorry,” I say, climbing to my feet so I can get the fuck out of here.
“Hey, wait,” Austin says, so I pause and turn back to him.
He’s sitting up in bed, the blankets pooled around his waist, and the light from the moon is casting a glow on him.
He’s shirtless. And… whoa, what the fuck?
I haven’t seen Austin without a shirt since we were teens.
Back then, he was still all long, skinny limbs. This is not that.
My throat goes dry as I stare at him. When did he get abs like that? Holy shit. Okay, wait. What? “What?” I say out loud, wondering where the fuck my thoughts just went. “What did you say?”
“I asked what you were doing.” He rubs at his face, then drops his hand to his lap, squinting at me in the semi-darkness of his bedroom. I shouldn’t be in here.
“I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Austin closes an eye, peering at me through the other, then he pats the spot next to him. “Come on, sleep in here.”
I shouldn’t, right? But who says?
“Are you sure?” I whisper. I’m not sure why I’m asking. He wouldn’t offer if he didn’t mean it, and really, isn’t that why I came in here in the first place? Maybe not consciously, but still.
“Better than being sprawled across the hardwood, don’t ya think?”
I can’t help but chuckle. I guess he’s got a point there. I slowly walk around the bed and climb in beside him.
He pulls the blankets up around me, and even though it’s selfish, I let myself enjoy his gentle care. Austin’s always been this way. Sweet and pure to his very core. It’s nice to know nothing’s changed. “Sleep well, Luc,” he murmurs, then he rolls to his side, putting his back to me.
I settle into his bed. It’s comfortable.
I wonder how opposed he’d be to letting me do this more often.
My stomach does a nervous flip. I don’t want to feel like a burden or like someone he has to take care of.
He doesn’t owe me anything, least of all a spot in his bed, but maybe tomorrow I’ll get the courage to ask if I can start sleeping in here with him.
For tonight, though, I’m gonna take what I’m given, so I roll to my side, facing the wall, and close my eyes. It doesn’t take long to drift off, knowing Austin is beside me.