Chapter 88 | Boners & tiramisu

Isabella:

It's pelting down with rain outside, heavy droplets splattering against the window, the sounds of thunder rumbling overhead. The rain is partly one of the reasons as to why Lucas and I are still rooted inside his car, despite being parked just outside the two of our houses. I only really say partly however, because the other, more prominent reason as to why we haven't moved is because our tongues are currently exploring each others' mouths...to put it lightly.

Yeaaaah, Lucas and I are hardcore making out.

The tight confinement of sitting, (more like grinding) on Lucas' lap in the front seat means that I'm pressed deliciously against him with one hand tangled in his hair and the other trailing down to slip under his t-shirt completely to feel the hard planes of Lucas' abdomen. The muscles of his abs flex as my fingers brush the band of his boxers, briefly teasing him before moving my hand up to rest on his left pectoral to feel the hard thrashing of his heart against my palm.

"Tease," Lucas murmurs against my mouth causing me to smile before his head dips to trail warm, open mouthed kisses down my neck. My hips slowly start to pick up a faster, more urgent rhythm when Lucas chooses to focus his lips on one particular, sensitive bit of skin just under my ear and his large hands move down to rest against my hips, sporadically controlling my movements from time to time.

I feel Lucas harden further beneath me, a groan escaping his lips when I run my fingernails against the skin just under his belly button.

"I have to be honest," Lucas suddenly says, his voice low and his breath hitting the side of my neck everytime he releases a quick burst of breath.

"Hm?" I answer, not focused at all on what he's saying. My attention is still solely hooked onto the glorious feeling of Lucas lifting his hips, trying to subconsciously gain greater contact with me.

"Although I very much want to continue doing this," Lucas continues after several beats have passed, just as another sharp exhale leaves his lips the moment I pop open the button of his jeans and slip my hand inside of his boxers. Before my fingers get to move any further however, Lucas grabs my hand, stilling me, "Izzy," he pauses to swallow, clearly struggling to get any words across when I'm distracting him like this. Nonetheless, somehow, he does manage to find the focus to push the words past his lips, "can we, uh, move inside if that's okay with you?" Lucas asks. "My ass is seriously numb from sitting down here for over an hour and I'd rather get more comfy...and frisky with you on the couch or my bed."

"It's been an hour?" I pause, slowly moving away from Lucas and turning my head to look at the time on the dashboard. My eyebrows shoot up when the digital numbers 9:50 glare back at me, confirming Lucas.

"Yeah," he nods, giving my hips another playful squeeze, bringing my attention back onto him and promptly reminding me of what we had been doing in that hour to make the time pass ever so quickly. His hard-on nudging against me is yet another lovely reminder and I find myself nodding my head eagerly as a flurry of highly inappropriate images flood my brain.

"Yes, great plan," I agree already beginning to excitedly clamber off of Lucas so I can grab my bag from the passenger seat - the more quickly we get out of the car the more quickly we can continue, "being inside the car is also very much restricting the amount of wrist movements that I can use to give you an epic handjob," I continue saying once I've gotten a grasp of the bag handle, "so let's get inside, chop chop."

When I'm met with no reply, or no movement beneath me, I turn back to Lucas to catch him staring at me stunned. That is until he blinks and then in a flash, opens the car door, hauls me out with him and begins half dragging/carrying/moving me up his driveway until we escape the patter of rain and reach his front door.

Lucas barely gets his key in the slot before his lips find mine again and we both blindly stumble into his house, me stumbling a little further over tripping over some shoes or whatever it is in the hallway, almost falling flat onto my back if it isn't for Lucas' hold around me.

"You need to tidy your bloody shoes," my eyebrows knit together as I pull away from Lucas and look down at everything I've stumbled over.

"That's not any of my shoes," Lucas returns, looking equally confused as he stares down at all the shoes littering the side of his hallway beside the front door; all of the random heels and sandals and...baby shoes.

He continues to stare pointedly at the pink and blue bunny shoes as it takes a second for my lust fogged brain to catch up with me.

When it finally does however, it's almost comical the way we both turn to look at each other.

My eyes widen into saucers as does Lucas'.

"Shit, shit, shit!" An expression of panic crosses his face. "I forgot. I forgot. I forgot!"

"You forgot what?" I exclaim in return, eyes flitting back to my baby sister's shoes on the floor. "Why are Sofia's shoes here? Why are my abuela's shoes here?" I point at the sparkly, ridiculously high heels on the floor. "Those are my mom's!"

Lucas drags a hand down his face, paling. "When we got into the car, I got a text from my mom saying that you guys were invited to dinner, and then you, you came into the car and I forgot...and then we started making out when we got here and I forgot! Shit-"

We both pause at the sound of loud laughter carrying through the house.

"Oh God!" Lucas turns back to me, grabbing my shoulders out of panic. "They can't see me like this!"

"Like what!?"

"Like this!" He gestures wildly down to his crotch. "Shit!" Lucas begins pointing at the very prominent bulge in his pants. "Go down! Go down! Oh God, Izzy it's not going down."

"Think of something to unhorny-fy yourself!" I suggest, flailing my hands in the air, Lucas panicking, making me panic.

"Nothing is working if you're standing right there!"

"Oh God!" My hand flailing gets worse as I try to think of things to help him. I reach down to poke my index finger into the bulge as an offer of my assistance. "Go down!"

Lucas promptly swats my hand away. "That's not going to help woman!"

"Then what else can you do?" I groan, running a hand through my hair frustratedly, well I attempt to anyways but my fingers get stuck in the tangled caress. "Shit!" I curse, relisatiton dawning on me that I probably look like a crazy person, "I probably look like I got electrocuted, you always fuck up my hair whenever we make out! Where the fuck is my braid gone?"

"Fuck your braid." He curses. "Hello, Izzy there are bigger matters at hand," Lucas stops to laugh at his own innuendo before getting serious again, "my dick is going to walk into the room and say hello before I do! We gotta sort this issue!"

"Just close your eyes and think of something horrid!"

"Like what?"

"I-I don't know, just think of something!"

Lucas shuts his eyes tight. "Okay, okay!" He says, his face beginning to grow pink from the clear exertion he's putting out in whatever thought he's trying to think of to get his penis to shrink.

"What are you thinking of?" I ask cautiously when a good beat has passed and I'm worried at how red my boyfriend has turned.

Lucas shakes his head, eyes still shut. "You don't want to know Izzy."

"Okay, well...did it solve the problem at least?"

Unfortunately, I don't get to hear Lucas' answer as before he even gets to open his mouth to reply, another jovial voice decides to join our hushed panic whisper shouting.

"Lucas honey? Isabella? Is that you?" His mother's voice carries through the hallway to where we are standing still by the front door.

Lucas' eyes fly open, meeting my gaze as we both simultaneously lock up and freeze. Another wave of panic flooding through the two of us again.

"That is my mother!" Lucas mouths, hazel eyes widened into the size of saucers as a clanging is heard and suddenly Mrs Miller pops her head around the corner of the kitchen at the far end of the hallway,

In reflex, Lucas immediately pulls me in front of him to hide his deflating boner and begins patting down my hair for me just as I wipe any smeared lipstick from my face and plaster on the biggest smile. "Stay cool," I mumble to him, just as Mrs Miller speaks up again.

"Oh it is you two!"

"HI!" I greet Lucas' mom, absolutely not staying cool, my voice too suspiciously chipper. Lucas tugs at my hair to get me to lessen the wattage of my smile as well as an octave of my ridiculously high pitched voice. I am making it too obvious that Lucas and I are hiding something.

One glance at Mrs Miller's face however, luckily shows me that she is completely oblivious to Lucas' boner and my frazzled state.

"Hi honey, you guys just missed dinner!"

Lucas clears his throat. "Yeah sorry mom, we lost track of time."

"Mm very sorry," I add in a murmur.

Mrs Miller waves a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, I'm just setting out dessert. Why don't you join the rest of us in the kitchen? Lucas, I made your favourite, tiramisu!"

I nod my head eagerly. "That sounds lovely!" I return, still embarrassingly excessive with the happiness.

Mrs Miller however, simply offers a kind smile and turns around to head back to the kitchen.

When she's out of earshot Lucas makes a face. "I hate tiramisu." He grumbles, tugging me forward down the hallway so we can both fix ourselves in the hallway mirror before remeeting our families in the kitchen. "And you so did not stay cool."

I grimace. "I know."

***

Once my hair is finally tamed and Lucas has wiped off any of my lipstick from his chin, we both head into the kitchen hand in hand, all eyes falling onto us at our arrival, silence ensuing into the air.

"Oh the two lovebirds finally made it then," Mr Miller's booming voice is the first to greet us from where he sits at the head of the dining table, swirling his scotch in his glass.

I try to offer him a smile but it comes out in sort of a grimace, the grimace turning into a mild scowl when he continues to speak, his eyes snapping onto Lucas.

"Lucas, what time do you call this?" Unsurprisingly, his 'warm greeting' lasts barely a full minute before his attitude drops to a severely frigid temperature. "I expect better from you, we have guests," Lucas' dad points his glass toward my mom and grandmother where they're sitting on the left side of the table.

"Oh we're hardly guests," my abuela interjects, wrinkling her nose at Lucas' dad ever so slightly, "we see Lucas more than you do," she tips her wine glass at Mr Miller in a similar manner and smothers her jab with a jolly laugh.

I watch Lucas' dad's ears grow red and my mother cover a snort by taking a sip from her glass at his reaction. His mother simply busies herself by cutting the tiramisu into square pieces.

"Also Mr Miller," I perk up, deciding that I want a word in, "please don't blame Lucas, it was my fault that we're late," I say, throwing him an innocent smile as his gaze turns towards me before lying straight through my teeth, "I asked Lucas to take me to get a mcflurry but every mcdonalds we went to had their ice cream machine shut down and then we fell into traffic,"I wave my hand, "you know how it gets."

He clears his throat and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "Yes, traffic has been very bad lately."

I nod my head at his reply and pull Lucas to take a seat beside me at the dining table as Mrs Miller passes around bowls of tiramisu. As we sit down, Lucas squeezes my thigh under the table in silent gratitude.

***

After the weird tension between Lucas' dad and the rest of us dissipates, our families fall into easy conversation that Lucas and I stay out of most of the time. They mostly talk about boring adult things that Lucas and I have no interest in.

I'm more focused on watching Lucas draw patterns and words onto my thigh with his finger that he makes me guess and the electricity that runs up my spine at every one of his touches.

"I didn't get what you wrote just now?" I whisper, my eyebrows raised confusedly at the long ass sentence he had just traced onto my skin.

"Guess," Lucas' mouth tips into a subtle smile.

I cock my head to the side in thought. "Something about a cow?"

Lucas blinks. "No. Izzy it was nothing about a cow."

I slink back in my chair and shrug my shoulders defeatedly. "Well retrace it again, give me another try."

"Alright, but pay close attention this time, it's a very important sentence."

I quirk an eyebrow but do as Lucas says, paying very close attention to his long finger lightly drawing each letter on the top of my right thigh. Yes, paying very close attention to what he's writing and not the feeling of his hand on my leg or the way a strand of his tousled hair falls in front of his left eye as his head bends in concentration.

"Oh I got it!" I finally perk up after I make Lucas trace the sentence a third time. "Isabella is very sexy," I answer confidently, a coy smirk playing on my lips.

"Well you are right with that sentence," Lucas grins, "but that wasn't exactly what I wrote down on your leg babe. Change the first word."

"To what?" I ask innocently, very well knowing that he had written his own name instead of mine. My grin widens at his huff of frustrated breath. "Just kidding," I tease, grabbing his own thigh. "I know you wrote that Lucas is very sexy."

"See, all I wanted was to hear that sentence come from your mouth."

"Well I said it," I tilt my head and smile warmly at him. "You happy now?"

He smacks his hand over my own on his thigh and grins. "Very."

***

"So, Kate, which country are you guys off to next?" My mother asks, taking another bite of her tiramisu.

"England," Lucas' mom answers with a smile before clasping her hands together excitedly, "This upcoming wedding is going to be absolutely gorgeous, as long as the weather is okay!" She pauses to laugh, "Val you know how it is there."

"Yes," my mom returns, "you have to be prepared for a sudden downpour of rain, even when it is the sunniest, brightest day."

Mrs Miller nods. "Well, fingers crossed the rain stays to a minimum because the part of the English countryside we're going off to is absolutely gorgeous! Lush hills and masses of fields and the estate the reception is taking part in is so old timey and beautiful-"

"Honey," Mr Miller cuts her off with a wary smile, "You're getting a tad carried away, I'm sure Valeria doesn't need a vivid description of England, she did live there for a couple of years."

"No no it's okay," my mom interjects, smiling kindly, "it sounds very lovely Kate, we actually didn't get to explore the countryside of England when we were there, we pretty much spent our time cooped up in London."

"Oh well that is a shame," Lucas' mom frowns, "it really is beautiful there, you have to visit some time."

"One day," my mom nods. "When are you guys setting off?"

Mrs Miller clears her throat and her eyes flicker at Lucas for a second before turning back to my mother. I was only half paying attention to this conversation but the uncomfortable look crossing Mrs Miller's face and a sudden tension tightening the air is enough for me to zone back in completely. Lucas must pick up on it too because he moves his gaze from me and onto his mom.

"Ah, in about 2 weeks time, on the 1st of May," Mrs Miller answers after a brief pause.

The tension in the air crackles, picking up a notch as my spine grows stiff.

"But Lucas' birthday is on the 2nd," I state, flitting my eyes between both his parents. His mom shifts in her seat uncomfortably but his dad continues to sit still, completely indifferent.

Silence tenses the air for a beat before finally, his mom speaks. "There are a couple of complications in terms with the wedding photographer and the wedding cake and it would be helpful if we flew down a week earlier to smooth the issues out."

"Surely you can wait at least another day before leaving if you're going an entire week before." I try to keep my voice level as I speak, although irritation begins to coil in the pit of my stomach. Seriously, leaving a day before their own sons birthday seems like a fucking mockery.

Mrs Miller glances at her husband for a beat before turning back to me. "Sorry Bella, everything is...is booked, it would be a hassle to move things around this last minute."

"It's your son's birthday," I reiterate, speaking slowly, annoyance I was trying to hold back beginning to peek out of me.

"Lucas will be fine," Mr Miller finally speaks, his voice completely dismissive and uncaring. He takes a sip of his drink in an unbothered manner and his demeanour has my blood beginning to heat.  "It's not his first time spending his birthday without us-"

"That's exactly the problem!" I cut Mr Miller off. From my peripheral vision I see Lucas slump down in his chair, his jaw taut as he tries to keep his emotions schooled.

Irritation sparks his fathers voice. "Lucas will be fine," he repeats before scoffing and glaring at me. "He probably would prefer us leaving for his birthday so he can throw one of those reckless parties of his."

"Have you even bothered to ask him what he would prefer?"

"I know my son." he returns firmly.

My eyes narrow as I shake my head. "Mm you really don't-"

My mom must see the fury crossing my face because she decides to interject before I can say anything else. "Isabella," she says warningly, cutting me off before I can explode. She gives me the eyes before continuing to speak before I can even open my mouth again.

I'm annoyed that she's interrupted me but any annoyance filtering through me is quickly suppressed by surprise when my mom continues to speak.

"My daughter is right," my mother turns her attention onto Lucas' parents, speaking cautiously. "Kate, David, don't you think you guys should take a...little break from work, you haven't spent any more than 2 weeks at home before flying off for another wedding, I know work is hectic but...Lucas is still a child-"

"Lucas is more than capable of looking after himself," Mr Miller swiftly interrupts.

My mothers eyes slightly narrow. "Yes, I know that but he has spent several Christmases, birthdays and holidays alone-"

"Well if he had any issues with being alone he would've brought it up to us already, there is no need to express this concern over my son, it's quite unnecessary Valeria."

"Dad, I have brought it up to you," Lucas speaks up, his gaze locking onto his father. "But you didn't listen."

"You've only brought it up once sweetie," his mother answers on behalf of Mr Miller. "And that was when we had a work emergency and dates couldn't be changed, you know that Lucas."

"Well Kate, bringing it up once should be enough for you to have a bit more compassion over missing all of these important events," my grandmother replies, unable to school her snark or annoyance like my mother. Her eyebrows knit together frustratedly and she doesn't even fight a roll of her eyes when Mr Miller blabs yet another lame excuse in reply to her.

"We also make it up to Lucas every time we miss an important event, sometimes work can't be helped and Lucas understands that." He takes another casual sip of his drink like we're in the middle of talking about a sale in home bargain rather than him neglecting his son.

"That is the dumbest excuse I've ever heard." Abuela shakes her head in disdain. "You guys run your own business, work can always be helped, you two are the only people in charge of your own hours. I've also seen your facebook posts, half the time you spend in the other countries aren't even spent working but doing stupid things like hiking up mountains-"

The sound of Lucas scraping his chair back cuts abuela off from speaking.

"Abuela, thank you but it's fine, they're never going to listen," he says, pressing his lips together. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going upstairs."

"But you didn't finish your tiramisu!" Mrs Miller perks up before he can leave, gesturing to his half bitten desert.

Lucas pauses, letting out a sigh and muttering something under his breath before throwing his mother a blank stare. "Mom, I hate tiramisu, at least try to remember that if you're not going to remember that I would prefer it if you were here for my birthday." He pushes his bowl forward before retreating out of the kitchen, leaving uncomfortable silence in his wake.

Mrs Miller burns pink and even Mr Miller now seems to appear uneasy. I let uncomfortableness wrap around her for a moment before speaking again. "Excuse my language," I begin, clearing my throat, "but you guys really are shitty for neglecting your own son," I tell the Miller's directly, "it's really not nice that you miss out so much of his life. Even if Lucas seems fine on his own he's still young and still needs his parents there for him."

I shake my head in disappointment, my heart sinking for Lucas, hating that they do this to him and hating that they don't even care enough about him to change.

The thought of my clearly upset boyfriend has me rising to my feet and pushing my chair back. I don't even offer my excuses for going upstairs, I just simply throw Lucas' parents one last disapproving look before heading out of the kitchen and up to Lucas' room.

━

AUTHORS NOTE:

me to lucas' parents 👊🤜🔪

lots of love - mai x