Prologue
LUCIANE
What if we ever did break up?"
I didn't know what to think, so I ignored the question and snuggled closer; wishing I could unhear what he'd said. I could have passed it off as another nonsense but that wasn't the case with the expression imitated on his face—he was deadbeat serious.
“Shortcake” he called at me, rubbing my upper back, steadily yet gentle.
"I don't know" I snapped and stared down at my legs which were quivering slightly. I never did prod on that thought, even when my mind drifted there. The relationship was almost close to being perfect as we rarely argued and talked through our fights to figure out what was wrong.
I doubted the way he felt towards me at first because he was the golden boy of the school—brilliant, athletic and most of all, he had the charming look— and I was just me, but he'd proved me wrong in every way.
"Right?" he said, failing miserably at his venture to pull me closer. A different type of silence proceeded afterwards, with my eyes trained on the ceilings and hoping to find a way to deal with the tensed air.
What was he going on about? In barely an hour ago, we were doing perfectly fine; grinding against each other and panting while he repeatedly told me he loved me.
I swallowed when his teeth nibbled the base of my throat. In a split second, he flipped over me—but frowned when he noticed how steeled my body was still against him. He planted a soft kiss between my brows and scrambled off me, hesitantly.
"I didn't mean for it to come out that way" Pierson grumbled.
Frankly. It did come out that way, in the most heartbreaking way he couldn't have imagined. I prodded my body up so I could look him in the eyes.
"Well maybe it's better to never bring that up" I shrugged, my eyes slightly glossed. He scooted closer, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of my hair behind.
"I won't because it's never happening" He chuckled, causing a sigh of relief to subconsciously ease it's way through my lips.
"Well if we do split, Luke's a better..." I teased but lost the willpower over my words when his nose came in contact with my neck.
"He's what?" He asked, trailing soft kisses along my bobbing throat while he attempted to pull his hands under the sheets, I swatted off his hand and glared playfully.
"You tell me?"
"I can't believe that bastard thought he had a chance while I existed"
I shrugged, ruffling his dark curls. "It's just him and I hate his attention already but you literally have hundreds of guys and girls fawning over you, don't even..."
"Look at me" he reprimanded softly, I obliged and looked up to meet his blue green eyes filled with nothing but pure sincerity; the kind that made my heart melt and butterflies swirl inside me. "It's always you, Luce"
"I love the way you say my name" I smiled, leaning to place a swift kiss on his swollen, plump lips.
"It's the way you moan mine" He said, letting out a stifled laugh that made my heart rap steadily against my chest. A bead of water glide down from his wet hair, considering we had just gotten out of the bathroom after showering together, some minutes ago.
The sides of my lips twitched, "You're on heck of all bloody pervert" glaring playfully, I said.
"Only for you, darling" Pierson said and, I squinted my eyes to adjust from the effect of the sunlight spewing through the curtain, my eyes skimmed to study his face features—taking note of the fresh but clean slitted right above his left brow, I swiped across it with the pad of my fingers.
He stopped me and held my hand to place a soft peck on it, an then left it to drop on his rigid biceps.
"What's was that?"
"I slipped in the restroom" he said almost instantly, unaware of the fact that I could see through his lies.
"Also the almost healed bruises on your stomach"
"It was during practice on Monday, I wasn't focused..."
I chimed in, cutting his bluff halfway and sitting up carefully not to let the sheets draped around my bare body fall off, not for a second did I believe what he'd said.
"Luke told me you'd quit football team since last week" I muttered and watched as his eyes widened. "Why and when were you planning to tell me?"
His lips were slightly parted, he groaned as if debating on what to say but instead, he remained silent and looked everywhere but at me.
"I was looking for you at the pitch when Luke told my clueless self that my boyfriend had quit" I grumbled.
"It's..." He paused, scratching the unexistent stubble beneath his chiseled jawline. What was going on with Pierson? We never kept things from each other until now.
"You don't trust me enough to tell me things and..."
"It's not that" he paused when he noticed my steely gaze settled on him, he gulped hard.
"You had the time in the world to tell me but you decided not to, it's not how things work between us. We communicate and..."
"I'm sorry" he said silently, reaching to grasp my hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "I swear I wanted to, I just don't want you to feel disappointed in me"
I nodded, signaling for him to continue.
"Things have been really hard at home, We needed money so I had to quit and take a few job to help Mom out" I nodded, biting back the tears that threatened to spill. "It's been long since I had taken you on a date and I know you want flowers too but I'm so broke and..."
Oh, the things he'd say sometimes.
I interrupted him by clasping his jaw and pulled him into a kiss, he responded instantly and leaned closer. It was slow and lasted so long but we had to let go to catch our breath.
"I'd never be disappointed in you because you're the best, I don't need flowers, it dies. It's you I want, Pierson" I said, almost breathless before I pulled him into a comforting hug.
It must had been hard to leave behind one of things he loved but I know Pierson loved his family more.
The loud bang that erupted from the opening of my house front door made us split instantly, Pierson sprinted from the bed, grabbing his clothes sprewn on the floor and putting them on.
Someone was home.
"I think Mom's back is back from the bakery" I sighed, running an unsteady hands through my ginger hair. Pierson smiled, understanding the fact that he had to leave.
He sauntered to the bedside and placed a peck on my forehead, he smiled. "I'll text you" and with that he headed to the window, about to jump out but then turned back and called my name.
"Yeah"
"I love you" he grinned sadly, not giving me the chance to respond or ask about the bruise- he jumped out instantly.
He was gone; and he never texted back or show up at school the next day. I'd cycled to his old house the next evening and found out he'd moved away from Tennessee to God knows where.
That day, something in me snapped.
