Chapter 20 Love by. Lana Del Rey
Jackie
Waking up in Will’s house was a dream. It took me a moment to get my bearings.
I looked around his room which looked completely different in the daylight.
I forgot just how wealthy he was and his home showed it.
His room was large, but with little furniture.
We were on a huge bed with the most comfortable beds.
Everything was in soft gray tones; the bedding, the walls, the curtains, the floor…
everything. The lack of color highlighted the focal point of the room.One of the walls was entirely glass, which showed the forest he lived within.
After Sarah gave me his address and I made the drive here, I had convinced myself three times that I must have taken a wrong turn. I had been driving on dark streets through a literal forest for at least five miles. There wasn’t another house in sight.
When I finally pulled up to his house, I was shocked. He lived in a literal mansion. It was huge with the greatest views of the trees around his property. In the daylight after the storm it was even more beautiful.
I turned over to find Will sleeping peacefully next to me.
He was on his stomach which showed off his tattoos that covered his back.
He didn't wear short sleeves often and I had only seen him shirtless one other time so this was really the first solid view I got of his tattoos.
They were unique, unexpected even. The fall of Icarus was on his bicep, the hands from the Creation of Adam were on his upper back, he even had the punishment for Prometheus tattooed.
He was covered in historical references.
It was beautiful.
I slowly stood and stretched wide and tall. I was wonderfully sore from last night's escapades. It was a feeling I could get used to. I wandered into Will’s closet to find a t-shirt to wear and began to wander his home.
The beauty of his home extended into every corner.
I wandered through halls and rooms. I had seen a home gym, what I assume was his office, a dining room with a table that could seat probably twenty people, a top of the line kitchen, multiple guest rooms. Each was beautiful and decorated in neutral tones.
However, none of it felt lived in. It looked like a model home.
Staged to appeal to others. There were no personal touches of Will.
That was at least until I found his library.
It was two stories tall, with a balcony on the second floor.
Each wall was lined with hundreds, maybe even thousands of books.
There was classic literature, romance, horror, research textbooks, and even some of his own published works.
It had an incredibly well-loved couch in the center of the room that sat in front of a fireplace.
It was truly the most beautiful room I had seen.
I continued to peruse the books when I noticed something peculiar.
He had all of my writings. They were the printed copies of the Fibonacci Files, but with my articles marked.
It wasn’t just a few of them, but every single one I had written and published.
I began to flip through them and saw that he hadn’t just collected them but read each one.
There were notes and annotations written on the side.
“Find something cool?” Will asked, making me jump. He chuckled. “Sorry to scare you. I woke up and you were gone, I was nervous… well, nevermind.”
I set down the article I was looking at, walked towards him and wrapped my arms around his torso. “Nervous I left?’
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, maybe.”
I smiled at his response. He showed the world such a tough and unbreakable exterior, but he was hiding the soft and emotional sides of himself within. “You couldn’t make me. Especially with a library like this.”
I felt his chuckle more than I heard it. “What were you looking at when I came in?”
I looked up at him with a quirked eyebrow. “My articles. Have any explanation for that?”
“Honestly, no,” he said with a smile. “I subscribed to the journal when it first started to support Sarah and when you started writing for it I really resonated with what you wrote. Most of those are from before I even met you.”
I hummed in response.
I had no words for him. He truly blew me away.
He guided us to his kitchen so he could make us breakfast. If my growling stomach had anything to say about it, I was totally ready for some food.
I watched as he gathered the ingredients to make omelets. He was still shirtless with just sweatpants and it was a look I could get used to.
“Coffee?” he asked, interrupting my ogling.
I shook my head. “Don’t like it.”
“You don’t like coffee?” he asked, perplexed.
“Nope. Wasn’t allowed to have it growing up so I never craved it and when I left I couldn’t get used to the taste. I stick with tea for my caffeine fix.”
He shook his head in response and handed me my food. We sat side by side and ate our breakfasts and just talked about the smallest things. That moment was truly so special.
Many people look at falling for someone in the big moments such as the first kiss, or the confession of feelings. But it is the small moments that were the most impactful, such as talking about our favorite authors and music genres.
“What?” I asked lightheartedly.
“Nothing, I promise! I really just didn’t expect your favorite band to be Queen,” he responded, raising his hand in surrender.
“They’re incredible! How could they not be my favorite?”
“I’m not saying they aren’t incredible. It was just unexpected, Sunshine.”
I sighed in defeat. “You need to talk to Oliver, he is obsessed with all things music. He’ll explain how Queen is the best…
ever.” I looked at him for a moment and really took in his messy bed hair and glasses-rimmed eyes.
They seemed almost bluer today, reminding me of the ocean in San Francisco. “Why do you call me Sunshine?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he responded as he leaned his elbow on the counter, resting his head on his hand, a soft smile on his face.
“I wouldn’t be asking if it was,” I responded sarcastically.
“You light up my life. You’re my Sunshine,” Will responded very matter-of-factly.
I smiled as I felt his words warm my heart.
He really was a big softy. I stood and straddled his lap where he sat in the chair.
I grabbed his face and kissed him with everything I had.
I would never get tired of kissing him. My lips were still swollen from last night, but I could kiss him all day and die a happy woman.
After a few minutes I pulled away. “I don’t want to, but I need to head home soon.”
He pouted. This six foot man covered in tattoos literally pouted.
“Why?” he asked, wrapping me tighter in my arms.
“I need to feed my cat,” I responded.
“You have a cat?” he asked, confused.
I laughed. I guess it never came up in conversation.
“Yeah, a black cat. Named Jedi.”
I was very proud of the name.
He was silent for a moment, almost as if he was choosing his next words carefully. Which was smart. I was willing to admit I was unhealthily obsessed with my cat. He was about five pounds too heavy, the least graceful cat in the world and way too spoiled.
“I need to meet this Jedi.”
I smiled. “Come with me, then.”
Will smiled in return and opened his mouth to respond when we were interrupted with a knock on the door. Will picked me up and placed me down as he stood to answer the door. Luckily I had put some of his sweatpants on while he was cooking breakfast, and I followed behind him.
He checked who had knocked through the front window and sighed before answering the door.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked Sarah and Oliver who were smiling like idiots on the porch.
“Not a great way to say hello to your best friend,” Sarah responded as she made her way into the house.
Oliver followed closely behind and his eyes met mine. They were filled with amusement. I rolled my eyes in return.
“I was looking for Jackie when Sarah said she was probably here,” he started as he walked next to me and draped his arm over my shoulder. “I was confused because why would Jackie be here at ten in the morning?” he asked sarcastically.
I elbowed him in the stomach. It didn’t do much. Oliver was over six feet and solid muscle. I probably hurt myself more than him. He just laughed in response. “Yet here is my best friend in all her glory. In your house, Will, in what I am assuming are your clothes.”
“I hate you,” I whispered to my best friend.
“No, you don’t,” was his only response as he kissed the top of my head and followed Sarah deeper into Will’s home.
Will chuckled, grabbed my hand and followed them into his living room where we all sat on the various chairs and couches. No one said a word for a moment. Sarah was busy smiling so hard her cheeks must have hurt.
Oliver was smiling smugly, glancing between Will and myself. Will was too busy glaring at the two of them still shirtless, and I was just trying to figure out what was going on.
“So…” I interrupted the odd tension. “What did you guys need from me?”
“Well, Ophelia, first I want to say good job. Second, Theodora called Oliver and I, looking for you.”
Okay, whiplash. I shook my head trying to make sense of Sarah’s words.
“Wait, first. Good job?” I asked.
She smiled in response. “Of course. You scored Mr. Anti-Commitment. I’m extremely proud.”
Oliver and I broke out into such uncontrolled laughter you could barely hear Will muttering beside me, “I can’t believe you’re my best friend.”
“You love me, William,” Sarah responded as she chucked herself.
“Unfortunately, I do. You also said Theo called?”
That sobered me up, it was odd for Theo to go to such extents to get a hold of me. We did talk most days, but if one of us didn’t answer it was normal. I was busy with work and her with Violet.