I wake up with a start, but relax when I feel Lucas clutching my hand.

Right. We're at my log cabin.

"Sorry, Audi, but you need to wake up now."

I nod, and he helps me straighten up in bed. I wince, grabbing onto my shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Why do I feel like there's lead inside my brain?" I whisper, covering my face.

"You need to eat. Here, I got you some soup."

I open my eyes to look at him. He has a tray of food beside him.

"I put it in a mug so you can just sip it," he says, handing it to me.

"Thank you," I reply, grateful for his ingenuity.

I take small sips of the soup, and my stomach seems to agree with it. Lucas watches me with a raised eyebrow, as if I'm about to spit it in his face any second.

"Relax," I say. "It's good and my stomach is cooperating at the moment."

He relaxes, but is still watching me curiously. His blue eyes stand out like they always do, even through the giant fog filling my head.

"Did you really help me shower last night?" I ask. It's a serious question, one that I've been debating asking since I woke up.

His lips twitch. "Yes, Audi."

"Okay. Just making sure my brain is working properly. It kind of feels like it's all over the place. My body feels like I'm eighty years old right now."

"Your brain is fine, and so is your body. Trust me. You just need to recover."

I don't have time to process his comment as he hands me my medicine. I take it and finish the rest of my soup.

"Do you want to walk around for a bit?" Lucas asks.

"Maybe later. I still feel tired. I kind of want to go back to sleep. Is that bad?"

"No, it's good to rest. I just wanted to make sure you ate something."

I get under the covers again. "Okay. Thank you, Lucas. I'll try not to be so boring all week."

"Don't worry, Audi. I was plenty entertained last night."

I would swat him if I had the strength or energy. Instead, I try to hide my face under the covers, and he chuckles as he adjusts a pillow behind my back. I realize he does this to prevent me from rolling over in my sleep, and it warms my heart that he seems to think of everything.

❄️

When I wake up again, my body is covered in sweat. A quick glance at my phone shows that it's almost midnight.

Damn. I slept all afternoon.

I make my way to the bathroom to change and wash up, then I head to the kitchen. I try to keep quiet in case Lucas is sleeping. My stomach seems to be in a permanent knot, but I manage to eat some yogurt and a banana.

When I head back to my bedroom, I notice that the door to Lucas's room is ajar. The lights are off, but he has the TV on. He's lying down in bed with his head propped up against his arm. He must have noticed me creeping because he looks in my direction and straightens.

He grins. "Hey, you're up."

I smile and push open the door. The light from the TV illuminates his face. It occurs to me that I'm interrupting him. I stay by the door.

"Get in, Claudia. It's cold." He lifts up the covers of the bed, inviting me to join him.

Naturally, I can't resist. I slip next to him, but still leave a decent amount of space between us.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Okay. My shoulder still feels sore, but the rest seems fine."

"Are you hungry?"

"I ate a bit just now, but I still don't have much of an appetite yet."

"I can make you some pancakes tomorrow if you're up for it."

"That sounds nice, actually."

He smiles and looks back towards the TV.

"What are you watching?" I ask.

"Channel surfing, mostly, but right now a Robin Williams movie."

I watch along with him, trying to get into the storyline. I remember it would always bother him that I talked too much during movies when were younger, so I refrain from my usual side commentary, as difficult as it is.

It cuts to a commercial, and Lucas turns to me expectantly. "Aren't you going to say something? I know you want to."

I shake my head, finding it funny that he wants to hear what I have to say.

He grins and turns back to the TV. There's something else that I've been meaning to tell him, but I'm not sure if this is the best time to bring it up. They're still playing commercials, so I decide I might as well tell him now. "Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"I never thanked you for defending me that night in my room."

He stays silent for a moment, but puts the TV on mute. He turns to give me all his attention.

"Don't thank me, Claudia. I didn't do enough," he says quietly.

"Yes you did, Lucas. You helped me. You stood up for me and defended me."

"That's the problem. It happened because of me. I should've handled that situation differently. I should've stood in front of you when your dad came in. I should've taken you with me. I should've checked up on you and made sure you were okay."

"Lucas, we were just kids. We didn't know what was going on. There is no way you could have possibly known what was coming."

"I know, but I still think about it all the time. Seeing your dad hit you ... it broke me, Claudia. I couldn't let anything else happen to you because of me. That's the reason I stopped talking to you. The only reason. I didn't care about anything else. I just wanted you to be safe—and if that meant losing you, then that was a price I was willing to pay."

I had no idea that it affected him like that. I always thought that he'd been embarrassed by it, that he didn't want to be exposed to further ridicule in school by being associated with me. Not that he didn't want me getting hurt.

"Did your dad ever hit you again?" Lucas asks.

I shake my head. "That was the only time. I think he caught your dad and my mom together that day. I think that's why he was so enraged when he came home. It's the only way I've been able to explain his behavior."

"Yeah, he did," Lucas confirms. "My mom told me."

"She told you?" I ask in shock.

"Yeah, the next morning. My dad didn't come home that night. My mom called your mom looking for him, and your mom told her what had happened."

"She told her about their affair?" I ask, incredulous.

"I guess she didn't have a choice. Your dad had already seen them together, so it was just a matter of time. My mom wanted me to be prepared, so she told me what was going on before I left school that day."

"Did your parents know my dad hit you?"

"No. I told my mom I had gotten into a fight with one of the Allen twins. I begged Jared to back up my story, and he agreed, thank God. I think he just wanted to be able to brag about giving me a black eye. He even got grounded for it when my mom called his. He didn't care."

I grip the sheets. "Lucas! I can't believe you did all of that!"

"It wasn't that hard. I was surprised at how easy it was. But I had to do it. I didn't want to make things more difficult for you. Your dad could have faced charges."

"Well, he deserved them," I say, still in shock.

"Claudia, it would have been a nightmare. Not that it wasn't already, but it would have made things much worse if your dad ended up serving time for assault. Especially for you. We already had enough gossip and taunting at school because of the affair. I wasn't going to let it ruin your life."

I never realized how much Lucas had done for me until now. How much foresight he had to understand the gravity of the situation. How much he cared about me, despite everything. That he would cover up something huge like that just to protect me.

"Lucas. Thank you. I can't thank you enough."

"It was nothing, Claudia. It was the least I could do."

I can't believe he feels guilty over this, or even responsible. He has absolutely no reason to be. It wasn't his fault that the kids at school decided to make fun of us once they picked up on the news.

"That's how I found out about the affair," I say. "Through the gossip, I mean. My parents never told me what was going on. I found out a week later when I was in the bathroom at school. Some girls were talking smack about it."

"Shit. I'm sorry, Claudia. That must've been rough. I wish I could've been there for you."

"Not as rough as your parents going through a divorce."

He shrugs. "Honestly, things got a lot better when my dad moved out. It was tougher on my mom, but she always had a spine of steel. You know, she's dating someone now. He's younger than her. Only by a few years, but I still call him her Boy Toy."

I raise my brows. "Go, Mrs. Elwood! I always thought she was sweet. Although, I suppose she goes by her maiden name now, huh?"

Lucas smiles. "Yeah, Smith."

"You know, it feels good to be talking to you about these things. I never had anyone I could confide in."

"I feel the same way, Audi. You've just lifted a weight off my chest. I'm glad you brought it up."

I scoot closer to him, and he takes my hand, our fingers entwining. It almost feels like not a day has passed since we last lay in bed together like this. Before that moment he lowered his lips to mine unexpectedly and kissed me.

He's looking into my eyes the same way he did then, and I know he's thinking about it too. What I wouldn't give for him to kiss me again. To feel like I was fourteen years old and invincible. To feel like nothing was wrong with the world.

The problem is, I'm not that same girl anymore. He's not that same boy. We're not invincible anymore. And the world is scary as hell.

He lets out a harsh breath and lifts my hand. He places my palm against his mouth, pressing a single kiss to it. It rocks my entire being. He rests my hand over his chest, turning his gaze back towards the TV.

I follow his gaze and turn to watch it too. I don't know what we're watching, but I don't care. The TV is on mute, so I can't follow it anyway.

All I know is his hand over mine, his heartbeat underneath, and as I close my eyes, his warmth is all around me.

Author's Note: Claudia and Lucas finally had a long overdue conversation, and we found out the details behind their parents' affair and how they were torn apart because of it.

Were you surprised by their actions?

By the way, this is how I imagine the cabin that they're in. I wouldn't mind being there at all!

The song of the chapter is "If You Ever Want To Be In Love" by James Bay.