A Little Bit of Trouble (19 page)

After Light, Comes Darkness

     “You’re not seriously still sulking are you?” Loryn asks as we walk through the park. Hotdog’s in hand and homemade smoothies in the other. “I said I was sorry. You were out there for like five minutes.” Actually I was out there for half an hour when the man from the apartment across from me walked out and winked…

     I shake my head, “No. I’m just relaxing.” Finishing off my dog in one bite I throw my arm around her shoul
der. “We have to go do girly hair shit soon.”

     “
I know. Thanks for the new clothes,” she pulls a leaf from a low hanging tree and twists it between her fingers. “I love them.”

     We spent two hours shopping, she was a pain in the ass in the beginning, so I loaded up my arms with items that shouldn’t even be legal they were just that hideous.
She soon started changing them for items that fit her perfectly. After half an hour she finally just started throwing stuff at me with a huge grin on her face. See? I knew it was a good idea. Everyone loves being spoilt every now and then.

     I find a nice spot under a tree and rest against the bark. I then pull Loryn to sit between my legs and lean her back against my chest. Her finger tips tickle my thighs. My lips can’t resist touching the soft skin behind her ear. I love the way she shudders every time I do it.

     “I love watching people,” she says suddenly.

     “Let’s pretend that’s not weird…” I laugh and rub her shoulders.

     “Look,” she points to a group of kids kicking a football and then points to a man walking whilst texting. “Every single one of them has their own story. It’s fascinating, wondering what they’re thinking, what their fears are, and their worries. Where they’re going, where they’ve been.” She then points to an old woman walking alongside a younger woman. “I’d love to know her story. I bet she has a lot to say.”

      “Back in my day,” I joke in a high pitched voice. “You didn’t get allowance or bikes. You got dirty sticks and you beat your cousins with them for fun.”

     “You’re so weird
.”

     “Coming from the person who likes watching people. There’s the starting episode for Stalkers Are Us.”

     “I dislike you,” she jokes and sighs deeply. Suddenly she jolts forward. “Oh my god. Is that Dana?”

     I follow her line of sight and sure enough, about to buy a hotdog from the
same stand we just purchased ours from, is Dana. We both jump up and stroll casually towards her. Loryn grabs her elbow before she can attempt to run.

     “Lucas, Loryn… what a surprise,” Dana says and lets us lead her away from the stand. She
takes a bite of her hotdog. “They always forgets the damn onions.”

     “You’re looking healthier,” I comment because it’s true, she’s not as haggard and has put a bit of weight on. She still looks ill but it’s not as bad. “Now. Tell us you’re going to deal with this Daniel shit.”

     “Are you crazy? I don’t have that kind of money,” Dana scoffs and tugs her arm free. She takes another bite of her food and wipes her mouth on the napkin. “He’ll get over it.”

     I grab her arm, enough to hurt but not enough to bruise, “You do realize that they trashed Loryn’s store, threatened her life, and it cost a hell of a lot more than ten grand to sort out.”

     For a moment I think she actually looks guilty until she says, “Shit. I need to get out of town.”

     “Don’t you care at all?” I snarl.

     Dana just rolls her eyes, “They aren’t going to do anything else to you. Daniel’s all talk.”

     “So why are you so damn scared?” Loryn barks and shoves her cousin. “That was our gramps’ store! Don’t you care about that?”

     Dana looks around as if searching for someone, probably paranoid, “Of course I do. There’s nothing I can do. If I hand myself into Daniel now he’ll kill me. Or worse. I don’t have that kind of money. I can’t even get that kind of money. In reality I only owe him five but his interest rates suck.”

     “So you’re going to leave your cousin to be tortured?” Loryn laughs incredulously. “What about your dad? Can’t you get it from him?”

     “My dad stopped helping me months ago,” she shrugs and looks at Loryn. “I’m sorry. I can’t help. I have to go. You two could be being followed.”
Talk about a bad case of paranoia.

    
Loryn grabs her bicep before she can get away, I watch her nails dig into the skin, “What am I supposed to do?”

     “That’s not my damn problem.”

     “Christ Dana, you’re still as big of a bitch as you were in High School.”

     “Shut up Lucas. Why ar
e you even with her anyway?”

     “That’s none of your business Dana.”

     “Oh my god,” Dana laughs loudly, its high pitched and awful. Exactly how I remember it. “Fucking hell. Crystal would flip her lid!” Shut up, shut up, shut up. “Scary Carey? I remember you once said that her face would look better on a chipmunk’s body and how she was always staring at you.” She laughs again. “And now you two are dating? Christ Lucas… you must be desperate!”

      I clench my fists. “I swear, I never said that.”

     
“Oh you liar!” Dana laughs. “This is good though Loryn. At least now when Daniel comes back Lucas can just ask his new sister for the money.”

     “I’m not having my family pay your debts,” I snarl and tug Loryn back to me. “I never said that Loryn.” Why’s she
being so silent?

     “You will eventually,” Dana finishes her food and throws the napkin on the floor. We watch the breeze carry it away. “Nice talking to you both. Lucas, you should be ashamed… Crystal would never be happy about this.”

     “Rot in hell Dana.”

     “Already there Lucas.” She lifts her arms to the side and lets them slap back to her
thighs. “You know as well as I do that she would hate this.” She winks at Loryn. “He’ll never love you. He’s never loved anyone but her.”

     “Is your life that
shit that you have to put me down to feel better about yourself?” Loryn scoffs. “What did we ever do to you?”

     Dana’s smirk falls, she doesn’t say anything, she just walks away. I take Loryn’s hand in mine and pull her away.
“Babe, I swear I never said that.”

     “Lucas, I don’t care. It was High School. And I did always used to stare at you
whenever I saw you.”

     We smile at each other for a little while as we walk. Throwing my arm around her shoulders I press my lips to her forehead and sigh. “I’m sorry babe. She’s a waste of space.”

     “I’m sorry she brought up Crystal.”

     “Me too… she was wrong. Crystal wouldn’t think that.”

     Loryn mumbles solemnly, “I hope not.”

    
We head to Loryn’s to collect her girl shit for hair. I wait in the car, she says she needs to talk to her mom so I play Angry Birds and kill a few pigs whilst I wait. She’s gone about forty minutes and comes out looking a little flustered and pissed off.

     “God, that, that woman drives me fucking insane!” she growls. I wait for her to continue. “Do you know what she did?” I shake my head in response. “I’ll tell you what she fucking did.” Whoa, timid little Loryn can swear.
“I knew she’d do this!” Do what? “God! Let’s go.”

     “But you haven’t told me yet,”
I put the car in drive and pull away from the curb. “What has she done?”

    
“Nothing, it doesn’t matter,” she snarls. Whoa there kitty. I nod, accepting her answer for now when she suddenly blurts. “She’s been drinking! Again!”

     “Ok.”

     “She’s a recovering alcoholic.”

     “Maybe she’s lonely,” I suggest. Not really knowing what else to say.

     Loryn rolls her eyes, “Don’t defend her. She knows better.”

     “Okay, okay, calm down. I’m just saying.”

     “Well don’t.” she grumbles.

     I quirk a brow, “Are you due your monthly cycle?”

     “I’m not hormonal!”

     “Okay, okay.”

     “Stop laughing at me!”

     “Okay, okay.”

     She huffs and crosses her arms, “She just stresses me out.”

     “Really? I couldn’t tell.”

     She gives me the finger.

     I laugh again, man she’s fucking cute when she’s angry, like a hissing kitten.

     “Oh my god, those pancakes smell amazing,” Loryn is practically drooling, I’m guessing her bad mood is gone. She heads straight to the kitchen as if she’s been here a hundred times before. As usual I get left behind with the bags. I follow my brother into the room.

     “Where’s Marie?” James asks and looks behind me. Oh shit.

Lucas
: On my way!

Marie
: You bastard! You forgot about me didn’t you!

Lucas
: No! I swear… Loryn’s fault!

Marie
: I’m coming now… asshole… I’ll remember this.

Lucas
: I’ll buy you a bottle of whiskey.

Marie
: The good kind?

Lucas
: The best.

Marie
: What were we just arguing about?

Lucas
: I was just thinking the same thing.

     “Where’s James?” I ask as Loryn and the females laugh and squeal as Loryn does Maya’s hair.

     They completely ignore me, “Your hair is gorgeous Maya. I’m so jealous. Don’t ever cut it short.”

     “I won’t, I wouldn’t dare,” Maya grins. “Where’s James?” We all scan the room for the other male. “Ah shit. That bastard!” She looks at us all sheepishly. “He hates having his hair cut.”

     “That’s ridiculous.” Marie laughs. I completely agree with her.

     “No, he hates the feel of it afterwards, you know when the hair is all over you?” Maya gives a small shrug. “Last time he spent three entire days itching and had twelve showers in total.”

     I start laughing, “That man is so weird.”

     “Coming from the person who is scared of cute little Velcro,” Loryn snorts and throws a black comb at me.

     “That cat is evil! It sits in the doorway so I can’t get out, it uses my leg as a scratch pole and it…”

     Marie rolls her eyes, “Just a cat Lucas. Man up.”

     “Says you!” Maya laughs in my defense. “Marie is scared of fish.”

     “What?” Loryn and I look at each other and start howling.

     “You promised you wouldn’t tell anybody!” Marie shrieks and hits Maya on the thigh with a rolled up newspaper.

     Maya sticks her tongue out at a sulking Marie and asks, “So Loryn. What are your fears?”

     Loryn shrugs, “Spiders.” Marie hums in agreement. Maya and I shrug, spiders aren’t scary. “And clowns.”

     “Those fears are so normal,” Marie grumbles. “Maya isn’t scared of anything.”

     Maya beams proudly at this revelation. I look at Marie, “So… if I was to buy you a goldfish?”

     “Don’t even think about it Lucas Grant!”

     I look at Loryn, “And I was to dress up as a clown…”

     Loryn scowls at me, before she can say anything Evelyn starts crying. I stand up, “I’ll sort her. She in her crib?”

     “Yeah, she’s finished her nap. She may need a diaper change.” Maya responds.

     I wave her off, “I have had kids before.”

     “
James? Where are you?” Maya snaps into her phone.

     “Hey there chunky,” I say to the gorgeous little girl as I lift her out of the crib. “Thank god, you’ve only done a pee.” She grabs at my face and gives me openmouthed kisses. I lay her on the changing table. “Aren’t you just gorgeous?” Okay, I’m doing baby talk. Who can resist this little female though?

     Keeping one hand on her stomach so she doesn’t roll off, I use the other to grab a diaper and wipes and things from the shelving unit near the changing station.
Once Evelyn is ready, I lift her back up, give her lots of kisses and carry her through to the room. Loryn has almost finished giving Maya’s hair a trim, I watch as she skillfully moves through Maya’s hair with scissors. Her movement almost blurred by the speed.

     She looks up at me and smiles, “I think she wants another kiss.”

     I feel Evelyn’s open mouth hit my cheek and start chuckling before showering her with more kisses.

     “She’s a little hussy,” Maya giggles and winks at me. “Or she just knows a good looking man when she sees one.”