The Book Thief 》Hemmings A.U

8.00

     My judgment may have been more than slightly clouded because of the gargantuan amount of alcohol I had consumed in the past hour or so, but I could still feel. And right now, I was feeling very, very scared because Lucy had caught us and what did she think was happening and what if she confronted me about it in the morning? Luke told me not to tell her about our arrangement and I don't know if he was scared of her or what but I knew that if Lucy found out, I would probably never see my story again. And I couldn't let that happen. So if Lucy didn't buy into our excuse of tree bumping or old people visiting or her dreaming -- then I was fucked. 

     "Sorry, had to lock the house door." Luke mumbles, sliding into his car and jamming the key into the ignition. Instantly, his radio blares on and I rush to cover my ears as I cringe against the car seat. How did someone who listened to music this loud even have his hearing anymore? Maybe he had a hearing aid or his hearing was so damaged that the music had to be this loud. Whatever it is, I am grateful that his blue eyes widen and in seconds he leans against the lever and turns the knob down. I thought that if I endured that for much longer, my ears would bleed.

     "Sick Puppies?" I offer, arching a blonde brow. It's a lame attempt to ease the silence but he won't stop staring at me and frankly, it's making me very uncomfortable. I hope the buzz isn't wearing off. He clears his throat and buckles his seatbelt.

     "All The Same, yeah. Do you like that band?" I nod, slinging the seatbelt over my body and huffing in annoyance when I aim left and right and left again but it won't click inside of the stupid slot. I try for a few more seconds before Luke unbuckles and leans over to me, his fingers pushing mine aside as he scrambles to grab onto the metal clasp. He jams it into the slot and then pulls away, wrapping his hands around the steering wheel.

     "Thanks," I mutter, sinking lower into the seat and fiddling with my fingers. "Do you uhm...happen to have more alcohol in here?" We had endured awkward silences before but somehow, being sober and trapped in a car with him as we drove to the old age home seemed horrifying. 

     "Nope, sorry princess." My green eyes widen and I lean forward in my seat, snapping my head in his direction. He tightens his grip around the steering wheel and I can see his neck getting redder and redder, until he catches me staring and ducks his head. 

     "Did you just-" I start, forehead crinkling as a smirk spreads along my lips.

     "No," He says quickly, turning the volume up on the radio again. Not a deafening loud, but loud enough that I have to yell for him to hear me. I guess that's the point. He wants me to drop it, but I won't. If he liked to make me squirm and thought ruining my life was funny, he had another thing coming. I could make him uncomfortable too.

     "Yeah, you did!" I yell, turning my body so that it angles towards him. "If I'm a princess, are you going to be my prince?" He scoffs, shaking his head. I don't know if the next thing to come out of my mouth is the liquid courage or me enjoying how he was getting redder and redder with each passing second or if maybe this was just word vomit and I was being an idiot. Maybe all of the above. "Or do you prefer to be called daddy?"

     Luke slams his foot against the break and as a low groan emits from the back of his throat, I double over. I try to hold it in at first but I laugh and laugh and laugh right in his face because the car lurches to a stop and he looks so embarrassed, biting his lip and shaking his head and rubbing at the back of his neck. Saying something like that is so unlike me and at this very moment I decide that it was indeed the alcohol that caused me to say that because without it, that thought wouldn't even cross my mind.

     "Don't say things like that," He mumbles, avoiding my green eyes intently searching his face for any trace of emotion.

     "Why not?" I reply, feigning confusion as I bite back a smile.