Moonlit Walks and Summer Dreams

[sevenpuddings]

Thankies Shortie, especially for the cherry on top

And for that, another update! Yeah, I'm on fire.

Chapter Twelve

Enjoy!

[sevenpuddings]

Aww thanks Kase, and I'm so glad that you're happy with how you went! It must feel so amazing to have them over and done with! Hopefully with this next update, I might be able to bribe both you and Kat to update your fics... after reading it I think you'll think I totally deserve it. (Yes, its possibly that good)

So, because I'm not on my own computer, and I don't have word, I'm just posting it in here for now. I hope everyone enjoys what could be my best ever chapter to date! Thanks to Jade for proofing it for me so quickly, you're a star girl!

Enjoy!

-

Chapter Thirteen

“Men see things in a box, and women see them in a round room”

-

The heat from the sun, the blinding light; sometimes, it all becomes too much. Sometimes, Summer Bay becomes too damn hot, and you don’t contemplate moving. You just sit, or lay, on a couch, with tired eyes, the fan on high speed, and ice melting on your stomach. Because there is nothing else to do on a hot day… those are the days on which you waste away to nothing.

“Get up, you lazy sod.” Kit said, as she and Kim walked into the living room. I pretended not to hear her, but couldn’t help and opening an eye, as she came to stand directly in front of the fan.

“Stop being so lazy, you lazy girl.” She said, as Kim rolled his eyes from behind her, causing me to grin a little.

“Not going to happen.” I mumbled. “Too hot to move.”

“Yeah right.” She said sternly. “Kim and I are taking you out. Get up, and go and shower, and stop acting like this heat is the worst possible thing in the world.” She said finally, shutting off the fan and pointing in the direction of the shower.

“Kill me now.” I groaned childishly, sitting up slowly, as the heat attacked every part of my body.

“Stop being so childish Matilda Hunter.” Kit said mockingly.

“I will when you stop being all motherly.” I replied, poking my tongue out at her as I trudged aimlessly towards the bathroom.

Why did she have to be so pushy, I thought angrily as I slammed the door behind me. If I wanted to be a lazy cow for a day, why shouldn’t I be? Fuming silently, I looked up into the mirror and staring back at me was a dishevelled form of myself. It was the heat, I told myself, as I looked at my unkempt hair that was all over the place, the bloody hotness that was summer in Australia, I continued, ignoring the large bags that were under my eyes. None of it had anything to do with Luke and Sara, and how utterly awkward things had been since Cass and I had arrived home from the city, and I’d ran off.

No, nothing at all.

Sighing to myself, I realised that everything I needed was still in my room. I hadn’t been with the living world for a while, so today was no exception. Only, when I went to open the door, I found it stuck… or broken. And no matter how much I jingled it, how many times I turned it, it would not come un-stuck.

“F%#K.” I swore, as I fell backwards onto the toilet seat, my face hot, my body perspiring. I wasn’t make for manual labour on normal days, let alone days when it felt as if we were living on the hinges of hell.

Calling out seemed like the most plausible option, only, I knew Kit and Kim would be in their own world by now, so that idea fell flat before it had even gotten off the ground. Instead, I reached down to my foot and threw my thong at the door angrily, but… just as it was about to impact, the handle turned, and Luke stepped threw the door, baring the full brunt of my thong’s force.

“Hey.” He said, picking the thong up and shaking it at me “That’s not…”

“Luke.” I screamed over him. “The…”

But it was too late, the door had clicked shut behind him.

“And now you’re screaming? Jeez Matilda,” He said, rolling his eyes, turning to walk out “Stop being such a drama queen.” He continued, as he tugged at the handle. Smirking a little as I watched him, I could only begin to think of this as karma for the Drama Queen comment only seconds before.

“The door won’t open.” He stated, and I resisted every urge to openly mock him. I just didn’t have the energy to do that today. “We’re stuck in here until someone comes.”

“Enough of the obvious Luke.” I said seethingly. Maybe it was the hot weather influencing me, maybe not, but he was already getting on my nerves… big time.

“Sorry Mattie.” He replied a little snappishly, a subtle hint of sarcasm laced through his words, and I realised that it wasn’t just me, it really was the weather.

“No matter, Sara will come looking for you eventually…” I said, trailing off, unable to finish the sentence with “because she follows you around like a puppy dog.”

“Actually,” Luke said, sitting down and leaning against the door “Sara’s gone out today.” He finished, shrugging.

“Alone?” I spluttered, ignoring the look Luke threw me.

“Yes, alone.” He replied spitefully. “She said she wanted to go exploring like a normal tourist would, and who was I to stop her?”

“Her ever loving, ever suffocating boyfriend?” I replied sarcastically, and Luke threw me another dirty look.

“Okay,” I replied, rolling my eyes boredly as I attempted to ignore how stuffy the room was beginning to feel. However, between the heat, and the obvious tension between Luke and I, in the end, it was just too hard to ignore.

“Close your eyes.” I instructed Luke, who raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

“Yeah, right.” He scoffed untrustingly.

“Luke...” I growled, but he scoffed again.

“I wasn’t born yesterday Matilda.” He said, drawing out my name for added effect. “You’re obviously angry, and I refuse to be your punching bag, not this time.” He finished snappishly.

“Excuse me?” I asked, standing up from the toilet seat. “All I wanted to do was take a quick shower, and I’d hoped you’d have the decency to respect me, hell, even your commitment to Sara, to close your eyes. But, what the hell?” I screamed at him, as he glared up at me.

“You do not want to go there.” He mumbled harshly under his breath, only creating more fuel for the fire.

“Like hell I don’t.” I replied. “My punching bag? You and I have barely spoken two words all summer, and now you’re my punching bag? You’re supposed to be the logical one.” I yelled in his face, causing him to stand up and look me in the eyes.

“Yeah, our friendship has really gone places, hasn’t it Matilda?” He replied, his tone full of sass. “You’ve blown me off all summer, and when I have spent time with you, you’re angry, you’re spiteful, you’re mean. Its like you’ve got all this pent up hatred inside of you and I’m the only release.”

“Are you kidding me” I asked, shocked by his outburst. “How about the reason we never do anything together; I’m always at work, and you’re always with Sara.”

“The girl you just can’t be nice to, you mean?” He said nastily at me.

“I am nice!” I cried defensively, but Luke only shook his head, a bitter laugh falling from his lips.

“You’re sarcastic.” He spat back. “And she’s too nice to realise it. And you know that, you’re forever mocking her with your remarks, forever attempting to hurt her with your twisted ways. Don’t think I’ve missed you’re subtle comments Matilda, I’ve just ignored them, because I know I only have to deal with this for a couple of weeks, and then Sara and I will be gone again, without having to deal with you.”

The tears that formed in the corners of my eyes informed Luke that this time, he’d taken it one step too far. But, as running was not an option, all I could do was look away, and brush the tears from my eyes, refusing to meet his own. My name escaped his lips, strangled by the fact his mind had willed him not to say it, yet I ignored any approach he gave me.

His words hung in the air, mixing with the dense heat from the burning sun, and, as I lay my head gently down against the wall, they repeated themselves over and over, tormenting my very soul, until it became a harmony in the background of my dreams.

Haunted, I can hear his voice on the wind. Or maybe, he is the wind, calling me to him. But I refused, I stay, as my hair whips against the wind, my white dress blows freely. The sun is hidden behind the clouds, taking the warmth from my skin. I shiver, knowing that I should move on. But I can’t, I can’t let go, not of here.

My face is wet in my hands, and I wait for the rain to soak the rest of my body through. I hold my hand open, my palm facing the heavens, waiting, waiting for the cool drops to overwhelm my soul.

But… they never came.

My eyes flicked open, and my hands reached for my cheeks, stained with salty tears. And Luke was reaching down for me. His strong arms pulled me to him, and I couldn’t even fight it, I let myself melt into the familiarity of him. His hands moved in small circles on my back, soothing my sobs, scaring away the fears of the nightmare that was my dream… and I let him. Because sometimes, it’s just too hard.

“I’m so sorry Tilly.” He whispered down to me. “You know I didn’t mean those things, It’s just, I’m so angry, about…” He trailed off, but I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t, because then my eyes would meet his, and I’d see in them confusion and fear, and I couldn’t be the one causing him that… I couldn’t be the one who made him doubt himself.

“It’s not you Luke. You were… right… to say those things. I mean, I am horrible, but I don’t mean to be. I do like Sara, she’s a sweet girl.” I said, gulping down air as I tried to breath. “But, it’s just hard to learn to share you with someone.” I continued, as the closeness of Luke and I became more apparent as each second passed. “Because up until last year, you were mine and mine alone… because sharing you with Ric didn’t count. And now, it’s just, different? You know?” I asked, looking up towards him finally, and finding myself becoming lost in his blue eyes.

The heat around us was nothing compared to the heat between us. Luke pulled me closer to him, his hand gently cradled my face, as he murmured softly to me.

“You’ll never have to share me Tilly.”

My eyes were closed, and our breath mingled with the flavour of heat trapped with us, and I knew his body was pulling me in again, and if I didn’t stop now, I’d never stop. And I just couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t stop.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered against his lips, pursing my own together as I pulled away, sniffing a little, as I wiped a stray tear from the corner of my eye.

“So am I.” He replied, as he stood up, and placed me gently down on the toilet seat, before turning and walking to the other side of the bathroom. The heat was nothing compared to the silence that hung heavily between us, for minutes, or hours. It lay there, as a boundary for Luke and I… a reminder of a line we never intended to cross… a line drawn in the sand long ago.

I closed my eyes, and tried to steady my breathing, concentrating on anything but Luke, his close proximity to me, and the heat, the silence, the awkward feelings that surrounded us. And the next thing I knew, Kit was gently shaking me, calling out my name.

“Mattie,” She said softly “Mattie, I’m sorry, Kim and I, we just thought you were being childish, that you didn’t want to come, so we left without you, oh honey.” She said guiltily.

I smiled up at her, shaking my head as she apologised over and over. “Kit, don’t worry.” I replied, looking over to see Luke had already vanished from the room. “Did Luke say anything?” I asked offhandedly, hoping that I was subtle enough not to arouse suspicion.

“Only if Sara was home,” She replied, as she pulled me up to her.

“Oh.” I replied, my voice weakened. “I think, I might have that shower now,” I continued, looking up to Kit as we walked to my room.

“Are you okay Mattie?” She asked, as we came to stand in my doorway.

“I’m fine,” I replied, realising that that was becoming my automatic response. “Just coming to realise, that men see things in a box, and women see things in a round room.”

Kit laughed a little, shaking her head before hugging me. “There will never be another you Matilda Hunter.” She said, amused.

I wished it were only that simple.

-

[-Jade-]

And another chapter has landed! (Finally) Sorry for the delay, don't get the wrong idea, Jess was writing the chapters, I've just been busy and kinda unable to proof for a while. But now that you've had an absence of chapters, you're probably going to get quite a few at once.

As you may or may not know, Jess is away at the moment so I'm posting the chapters for her. Please leve comments/reviews so that Jess can read them when she gets back!Ok, I'm not going to keep going on, here's the next chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter Fourteen

[-Jade-]

The next chapter is here! Hope everyone enjoys it, and of course, please leave your comments for Jess to read when she gets back.

Chapter Fifteen

[-Jade-]

No, you're not dreaming, chapter 16 is here.

Chapter Sixteen

Well that's all the updates from me. Hope you enjoyed them all!

[sevenpuddings]

Chapter Seventeen

Say goodbye to the series that captivated a nation - or a few faithful readers

Enjoy everyone, I know writing this was one of the best things ever.

Jess

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