Page 61 of Cut up
Lucas.
He walks in like he always does—casual, confident, smelling like sawdust and something else that is just—him. I keep my eyes on the page, but I feel him approach.
“Hey,” he says from behind me. There is something in his voice. Soft. Hesitant?
“Hey,” I murmur back, still pretending my sketch needs more attention.
Then, a present appears in front of me. Wrapped in purple tissue paper and tied with twine.
I blinked. “What’s this?”
“Happy Valentine’s,” Lucas said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not a big deal. Just open it.”
I stare at it. No one has ever given me a Valentine’s Day gift before. Besides my dad.
With my birthday being so close, it always stole the spotlight, and it felt greedy to expect two gestures that close together. But this… this makes my throat feel tight.
“Lucas…” I say quietly. “You gave me something the other weekend. You didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to,” he interrupts. “You’ve been drawing and painting a lot. I noticed.”
My heart kicks. I open the box slowly, and there they are—a new set of pencils, watercolours, brushes, and thick textured paper. Notthe cheap stuff either. The kind you run your fingers over and feel like you’re touching something expensive.
“You noticed my paint was running low,” I whisper.
“Your sketchbook’s almost full too,” he says, softer now. I look up at him, wondering how he knows. “Sorry, I may have looked at it when it was sitting on the bench the other day… Your work, it’s beautiful Camille.” I blush. He also probably saw the many pictures I’ve drawn of him. “Sorry, if that’s an invasion of your privacy.”
“No, it’s okay. I left it out there. I don’t mind. I really appreciate this gift. You’re just so—thank you.” I stand and wrap my arms around him. Not just a thank-you hug. A real one. Tight. Full-body.
He doesn’t pull away.
His hand brushes my lower back. We lean back just slightly, faces close. My fingers still resting on his chest. His green eyes are clear, studying mine like he is memorizing them. My pulse picks up.
I could kiss him.
Iwantto kiss him.
I think he wants to kiss me too.
Is he feeling this chemistry too?
But then—
“Oi, lovers!” Tyler barges through the back door with a slab of beer under his arm. “Save some sexual tension for the party.”
Lucas clears his throat and steps back. He looks like he wants to throw something at Tyler’s head.
“Alright, mate. Need a hand with anything else?”
“Nar, just help me start getting through these,” Tyler pats the drinks in his arms.
The sun dips low as we move out to the patio. The air is warm from the afternoon summer heat. But the breeze from the beach ripples through the gumtrees behind the house, keeping the temperature perfect.
Danielle arrives in a pink heart-covered crop top, she gives me a big hug and walks over to say hey to Tyler and Renae. Renae immediately starts to shamelessly flirt with her. I can’t figure out if Tyler finds it funny or if he’s annoyed about it.
Theo—the boys’ apprentice—shows up with his infamous “vodka punch that tastes like cordial.” He’s got brown eyes and golden brown skin, he wears a lopsided grin, proudly clutching the plastic jug like it is a family heirloom. He has this boyish charm about him, with a mop of brown curls on his head.
“Alright, losers,” Tyler calls, slamming a deck of cards down next to a big plastic cup in the center of the table. “Time for Kings Cup.”
