Page 42 of Lilly
“Oh.” I wasn’t expecting that response. I’ve only ever known him to be staying in a hotel, whether it be this or another one elsewhere in the country. “Where?”
“On the outskirts of town. I hardly ever gothere.”
“Couldwe?”
“What? Gothere?”
“Yeah. It would be nice to be away from here, don’t you think?” I watch as he thinks about it for a few seconds before agreeing. “So what are we doingtoday?”
“Going to my house, by the sounds ofit.”
“Okay. I’m cooking you dinner then. Let’s pretend to be a normalcouple.”
“I don’t know what normal is,Lilly.”
“We’ll make a normal forus.”
His answering smile melts my heart. Every second I spend with him I feel myself getting in deeper and deeper. I’m pretty sure it’s not a good idea. God, even his mother warned me about him, but I can’t stay away. I should be at home; my final deadline is Friday, and I should be working, but here I am, spending the weekend with Lucas and not really giving my final week of uni a second thought. It’s not like I’m unorganised. If I’m honest with myself, I’ve finished, but the perfectionist in me has me continually going back to tweaksomething.
* * *
“What’s your favourite food?”I ask on the way to a supermarket to get supplies for hishouse.
“Uh…I’m not sure I haveone.”
“What! You don’t have a dish that reminds you of something? Of being a kid and your mum calling you for dinner and being excited because you know she’s made youfavourite?”
The second I look at his face I know exactly what I’ve justdone.
“No, Lilly. I would have been excited if there was any kind offood.”
“I’m soso—”
“Don’t.”
“Okay, so what do you always pick when you go to a restaurant? Any certain cuisine, ormeat?”
“Sea food, Iguess.”
“As long as it doesn’t make you sick,” I say with alaugh.
“Yeah, that’spreferable.”
“Okay, so I’ll make you apaella.”
I spend the rest of the journey looking up a recipe I’d like to cook before writing a list of everything we’re going toneed.
“Have you got anything to actually cook with at your place?” Iask.
“Yeah, it’s fully stocked. The fridge will be full too, but probably not with what youneed.”
I refrain from asking why it would be stocked if he’s never there. I get the sense he doesn’t really want to talk aboutit.
Lucas grabs a basket with one hand as we enter and my hand with the other. The simple action brings a smile to my face. Nothing about our relationship has been what anyone would class as normal so far, so doing something as every day as visiting a supermarket is a littlesurreal.
“Come here often?” I ask with a laugh as we head towards the in-storefishmongers.
“No, I can’t actually remember the last time I visited one. That’s bad, isn’tit?”
