Handcuffed

Chapter 39

Chapter 39

My first realization: it was morning. That was why I was so quick to sit straight up from where I was laying against him. Second realization: Luke woke at my abrupt movement and after a second, his eyes grew just as wide as mine were. Third realization: someone was sitting in the chair next to the couch and we were not alone.

I inhaled sharply and jumped in surprise and disbelief at what happened. That I fell asleep against Luke last night. And now, someone caught us. Luke was just frozen, watching me with wide eyes before his eyes settled on the person sitting in the chair, watching us. Then came his entertaining reaction.

"Holy shit!" Luke hissed as he sat up beside me as fast as he could, looking very much awake now. A mass of realization seemed to come to him as well.  This wasn't the first time we fell asleep together.  He was freaking out though because it was the first we both woke up together and in each others arms.  Not to mention this was being witnessed, which I think made him feel even worse.   His voice was defending and panicked slightly. "Oh god," he murmured.  "Dad, what the hell are you doing here?"

His dad, Mike, only smirked and let out a loud chuckle. "Son, I think I should be the one asking you questions, don't you think?" Though Mike was clearly amused, the depth in his brown eyes showed he was a little concerned over what he was seeing right now. And could you blame him? It looked worse than what actually happened.

"Aw shit!" I heard another voice hiss from behind Mike. Glancing towards the source, I saw Francis come out from the kitchen, a sandwich he made in his hand, and a scowl on his face. "I missed it. I wanted to see you're reactions when you woke up." His scowl faded when he paused and after looking between the two of us, he managed his large smirk. "Anyways, good morning to you two love birds."

Unbelievable. They were waiting for us to wake up just to see us freak out over seeing they were here and witnessing our mistake of falling asleep together. Mike turned around to look at his youngest son. "Hey, I warned you that if you made a sandwich, you were risking missing it. It's your own fault," he said before turning back around, settling in the chair as he faced us again.

"Whatever, dad." Francis walked towards us as Luke and I just sat there, stunned and unsure what to think. Francis came around the coffee table and plopped down beside me on the couch. Sitting close against my side, he glanced over to me. He gave me his famous smirk again before holding up his sandwich to me. "Want a bite?"

Ignoring his words, I stared at him, unsure of what to say about all of this. You can tell how stunned I still was to not acknowledge his offering. Luke spoke up. "Alright guys, listen," he said again in a defending voice, clearly the most tense one of us here.  You could tell he felt beyond shitty at what happened. "We fell asleep last night together on accident. So don't start assuming anything," Luke said in a stern voice at both his dad and Francis.

Mike nodded, understanding. He also looked relieved. "I figured as much. Still funny as all hell to walk in and see though."

"Damn," Francis muttered. "I was hoping for something juicier than that. I'm sure you were too," he said under his breath to me, making me scowl and elbow him. He chuckled as he took a bite of his sandwich in his hand. 

Looking back up to where Luke was sitting beside me, he wouldn't meet my eyes.  In fact, I felt that air between us again that I was hoping dissolved.  "This is the only time that I'm thankful my family is nosy. Otherwise, you wouldn't have entered my house and Clare would have found us still sleeping down here, I'm sure. She wouldn't believe me or she would take it the wrong way. Which, after last night, is the last thing I need," he muttered, running a hand through his snarly hair from sleep. His eyes rested on the coffee table, lost in his thoughts.  He looked... different today.  In the past couple days, he's been acting strange around me.  More distant and guilty but I figured last night fixed that.  Of course, we just had to fall asleep together (which I really don't want to complain about).  Now, there was more.  A realization I think.  He was beyond stressed as it is but for some reason, us falling asleep together seemed to have really affected him.  My guess would be out of guilt, of course.  But Clare didn't see.  And if it was an accident and he had innocent feelings for me, then why should he be guilty to this degree?  I honestly wasn't sure what it was since he was right and it was much better that Mike and Francis found us like this rather than Clare. She cries over the smallest things. Imagine what she would have done if she came downstairs and found me sleeping on the couch with her husband. She would be so mad and upset... then again, maybe it would have been for the best if she found us.