Isabella's POV
I killed the engine in front of a big white house, bigger than anything I had seen in my parent's neighborhood. Tall ceiling high windows, a double front door and a driveway longer than my house at home, my old home, with a Range Rover and another expensive looking car parked on it. I found myself in a freaking gated community and I didn't know what to think. My fingers were lightly shaking as I took the key out of the ignition.
"Bells, are you nervous?" Lukas's voice hit my eardrums softly and when I turned to meet his eyes, they were staring at me in the most loving way. But yes, yes I was freaking nervous.
I frowned my brows at him and even I could feel the nerves radiation from my expression. "I am now I know your parents are freaking rich, rich like the freaking Desperate Housewives of Beverly Hills!" I exhaled, trying to calm myself but my voice sounded everything but calm, scared even. "What am I going to say or do to make a good impression, I'm p-poor and have nothing to bring to the table." I said out loud, which wasn't my purpose, but it came out before I could twist my tongue in a knot.
Lukas smirked, he just smirked, that was his initial reaction and it didn't calm me down whatsoever. "You have wine?" He tried to laugh my nerves away, but it had an adverse effect.
"Not funny! Why didn't you tell me? I swear if you have a pool behind this giant house, I will punch you... If I had known you were taking me to see the duke and duchess of who knows what I would have worn something more..." I ranted looking down at my plain sweater and jeans. "Something more... Chic, I don't know. I wouldn't have worn jeans if I had known you're p-" I was half raging, until Lukas's lips cut me off, his lips smashing against mine.
"Shut up, you look perfect." He said against my lips before pulling back to look me straight in the eye. "I didn't tell you because, for one it's just money, it doesn't matter and two, I wanted you to be you... I know they're going to love you if you're just yourself, how could they not... I mean look at you, you're adorable!" He said, flicking his index finger on the tip of my nose before sliding away out of the door. I got out of the car and quickened my pace to catch up with him.
He was walking towards the door and as soon as I caught up with him, he grabbed my hand. "Baby, just relax." He leaned in to whisper in my ear, his thumb caressing my hand as he pressed his other one on the doorbell, trying not to drop the bottle of wine. Okay here we go, please like me, please like me...
A beautiful and polished woman with jet black hair like Mia's, opened the door, a genuine smile pasted on her face. "Lukas honey!" She said stepping out of the doorway to hug her son. She stepped back having a look at Lukas's beat up face. "What the hell happened to your face!?" She said, worry in her tone as she took his face between her hands.
"Nothing just a stupid fight that's all." Lukas tried to shrug it off, but his mother gave him a judging look, shaking her head at him.
"Will you ever stop getting into trouble?" She said but he handed the bottle of wine to his mother to distract her. "And you must be Isabella?" She said when she met my gaze. "Come here." She said pulling me into a hug. "I'm so happy to meet the girl that made my son finally love something other than himself. But please keep him out of trouble. His handsome face can't take it." She joked, tightening her arms around me, a laugh escaping her.
"Mom, seriously?" Lukas Rolled his eyes next to me but it only made me chuckle. This is going better than I expected.
"Look at you, you're so beautiful." She said, putting her one arm on my shoulder to have a good look at me. Her eye's the lightest shade of blue possible and very mesmerizing, assuring me from where Lukas and Mia got their looks, Mia almost a spitting image of her mother.
"Thank you, Misses Davis." I tried to stay polite and also, Lukas didn't fill me in on his parents' names. Thank you, Lukas...
"Oh please, that sounds too formal, call me Margot." She said while she turned around and invited us in, Lukas smirking at me with a tale telling look in his eyes.
"Told you she was going to like you." He leaned in, whispering in my ear grinning all over while dragging me by my hand through the door.
As soon as I stepped into the hall with giant stairway my jaw nearly dropped to the marble floor. Holy cannelloni! We followed Margot into the living room and when I saw she was wearing jeans, a white shirt and white sneakers; I felt a bit more comfortable with my own attire. She was very stylish in a sporty way, it suited her perfectly. The living room looked like the rest of the house, like it came straight out of a magazine, with a white marble fireplace, white furniture, high ceilings, topped off with a sky-high and wide window giving an amazing view on the numerous trees behind the house and a huge surprise when I laid eyes on a lake. So much for having a pool... It has a freaking lake...
"The view is amazing huh?" Lukas said, joining me next to the window where I found myself staring outside, completely mesmerized by the stunning view.
"You should have told me your family runs a drugs cartel!" I whispered, as his mother disappeared in the to what I supposed was the kitchen.
He smirked, shaking his head with amusement. "My mom was a pro tennis player back in the days, she was one of the best in the country, and my dad owns a restaurant. Nothing illegal." He said sliding his arms around my waist from the back, smirking against the skin in my neck before gently kissing that divine spot.
I turned around in his arms to face him. "Are you sure?" I smiled and he nodded. "That explains why your mom looks so athletic." I widened my eyes at him, eying at the kitchen.
"Come, my dad's cooking..." He said, grabbing my hand to drag me to the kitchen. The kitchen had the same amazing view and some fancy cooking equipment. Margot was getting plates from one of the cabinets and behind the cooking plate, with some deliciously smelling cooking pots on was a man stirring a spoon in one of the casseroles. I hesitated, nervously staying put in at the doorway, Lukas already on his way to greet his dad.
"Another fight?" His dad said, shaking his head like he didn't expect anything else from his son.
"Yup..." Lukas said, like it was something ordinary yet his eyes were looking at the floor.
"I'm not lecturing you again Luke..." His dad said with disappointment lacing through his voice. "Hope the other guy looks worse." He rolled his eyes before slapping the back of his hand on Lukas's abs, making him flinch in pain. "I guess not..."
"Daniel, it's not funny! He needs to stop before we have to arrange his funeral!" His mother said with an over dramatic tone and her hands at her side. "Our children are supposed to arrange ours, not the other way around!" She's definitely Mia's mother.
His dad shook his head with a smirk on his face and by doing so his eyes landed on me standing at the doorway, nervously fidgeting with my fingers.
"There she is, our guest of honor!" He said smiling at me which made me feel welcome in an instant. "Come here, Isabella, you get to taste my little experiment first." I looked at Lukas and Daniel the both of them in next to each other, his dad the older version of Lukas minus the ink. He was wearing a black shirt with rolled up sleeves and a kitchen towel hanging from his back pocket. The two looked so much alike I was shook, I didn't look like my parents at all, not like them at least.
"Don't be shy Isabella, go ahead have a taste. Daniel doesn't bite." Margot urged me with a smile on her face and a stack of plates in her hands. I smiled, walking towards Lukas's dad who handed me a spoon of stew.
"Careful it's hot." Lukas said, playfully blowing on the spoon. I took the spoon to my lips, carefully having a taste on whatever it was we were having for dinner and as soon as I tasted the divine goodness and the explosion of tastes I bet his dad didn't only own the restaurant but he was the freaking chef.
"That's uhhmm." I didn't know how to describe it.
"Amazing, delicious, a masterpiece?" Daniel said and it reminded of something Lukas would do which made me chuckle.
"Pretty much, yes!" I smiled at him and for some reason I felt more at home here after five minutes than I ever felt with my parents.
"Luke, she's a keeper, she has great taste." Daniel patted Lukas on the shoulder which made him roll his eyes in a playful way.
"I know, that's why she picked me." He laughed and I could tell he and his dad got along fine, maybe because his dad wasn't the average stiff father but a fun one with a young spirit and not to forget great cooking skills.
The doorbell rang and Margot's eyes lit up with love. "That's our girl." She said, putting the plates on the kitchen counter to open the door and moments later I heard Mia's voice squeal through the house. I missed that sound!
While I was looking forward to seeing Mia walk through the kitchen door, I caught Lukas's eyes pinned on me, his smirk accentuating his good mood. He eyed me up, adoring every part of me while his dad was talking to him.
"Hey Bella!" Mia's voice made me turn towards the door and she looked as beautiful as ever, throwing her arms around my neck to hug me. Letting go, she gave me half a smile and by the look on her face I knew then and there something was off. I lightly frowned my brows at her, non verbally asking her to spill the tea, but she turn the corners of her mouth up to meet her dad, obviously faking her cheerfulness. "Daddy!" I heard her squeal with joy as she fell into his arms, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Well, if only you were this happy to see me." Lukas snorted at his sister.
"Shut up!" She said, taking a good look at her brother. "What the fuck happened to you!?" She widened her eyes, looking between Lukas and myself.
"Yup what the fuck indeed." Daniel whispered under his breath as he continued to stir his spoon in the casserole.
"Nothing." Lukas huffed and when another guest entered the kitchen, we all felt like that person was one to many in the crowd, shifting the mood to something dreadful. In walked Jason with his bastard smirk. Even Mia didn't look very happy with his presence and neither did her dad. He looked up not even acknowledging him in the slightest, throwing in a good old Davis eyeroll of which I had gotten used to. "What are you doing here." Lukas tried to divert the attention from his bruises to the elephant in the room.
"Dropping of my girlfriend, may I?" Jason scoffed and I wanted to backslap him for acting so smug. Mia's face shifted as soon as he said girlfriend which made me wonder if she may have found out about him cheating on her... Something's up, I can feel it... She knows! That's when I noticed she had that look in her eyes, like she was holding a stream of imminent tears, inevitably about to roll down her face.
"Weren't you going to go to your parents?" Lukas half scoffed, saying just as much as get the hell out, you're not so very welcome...
Margot walked into the kitchen, adding herself to this awkward situation. "Yeah, but I'm staying for dinner." Jason barked at Lukas and his father let out a snort from behind his cooking pots, not even bothering to look up.
"Honey, grab another plate, he's staying..." Daniel said on a sarcastic and bitter tone. He doesn't like Jason very much, that's clear. Do they know already?
"Daniel, don't be mean." Margot walked to the cabinet to get another plate. "Of course, you can stay Jason." She doesn't know. Margot smiled, and I could tell it was sincere, just as sincere as Lukas was annoyed by it and as Mia's expression wasn't trying to hide that she hoped her mom would pick her dad's side.
"What happened to you?" Jason eyed at Lukas, almost laughing at the fact he got hurt. I want to freaking slap him!
"What's about to happen to you if you don't stay out of my face." Lukas's mood changed from white to black in a second and I couldn't blame him. The awkwardness in the room made me feel uncomfortable and I didn't know what to do with myself.
"Girls, will you help me set the table in the living room please, so we can leave these grumpy men to it? Isabella, can you grab the napkins off the counter?" She pointed to a stack of black napkins in the counter next to Lukas. As I went over to him to grab the stack, I brushed my arm against him and his hand lingering around my wrists, his eyes almost pleading me not to leave him in the kitchen. But I walked out to meet Mia and Margot with the napkins in my hand.
"What happened to Luke?" Mia whispered while both up us were putting plates on this huge oval table, Margot getting forks and knives from the kitchen.
"Drew happened." I exhaled, happy to tell someone the truth. Mia bit her lip while she shook her head, trying to hold back, trying not to cuss or curse. "You should have seen him yesterday Mia." I manage to say trough the ball of emotions in my throat. "Blood all over his face, he could barely stand!" I huffed out, needing to vent. "I went to see Drew after, I just couldn't let him get away with it. He's crazy, truly crazy, after he hit me, I knew there was no way back for him, the things he said, the way he acted, he's distur-".
"Wait what did you say? He fucking hit you?!" She stopped doing whatever she was doing to look at me, thoroughly look at me and I nodded. "Fuck baby Jesus! I'm going to fucking kill hi-"
"Whose funeral should I arrange now?" Margot walked in not seeming affected by Mia's language, she knows her daughter.
"The one who fucking beat up Lukas and then dared to lay his hand on Bella. He hit her!" Mia raged, her temper getting the better of her and I wouldn't disagree cause if someone were to hit her, I would do the same.
"Oh Honey, are you okay?" Margot's mother instinct took over, something my mother could never bring herself to do and she didn't hesitate to pull me into a warm hug.
"I went to report him to the police, something I should have done a lot sooner." I exhaled again, every time I could tell someone feeling lighter and liberated.
"Look, I probably don't know the full story but if there's anything we can do for you, tell us." She said, and warmth spread through my body nodding at her in return.
"Here we go! Set for diner everybody?" Daniel walked in with four plates balancing on his arms like the pro he is.
"We are now." Margot smiled at her husband, hurrying to put the forks on the table.
Lukas walked around the table, his eyes meeting mine and silently asking me if I was okay and as soon as he was in reach he grabbed my hand, pulling me to two chairs next to each other at the end of the table. He pulled away my chair and smiled, being his gentlest self. After everyone, including Jason was at the table we had dinner and enjoyed Daniel's cooking skills.
"So, Lukas, how are your classes going? Is he studying a bit Isabella?" Margot asked both of us at the same time and we looked at each other not sure who should answer. Of course, asshat Jason had to share his opinion.
"Who cares about a college degree, both of you didn't study much and look at the place you live in." Jason addressed Margot and Daniel, making Daniel shove his chair back and cross his arms with a non-approving look on his face, chewing down whatever was left in his mouth.
"Jason!" Mia squeezed her eyes at her boyfriend who was sitting in front of her at the table, and I'm pretty sure she wanted nothing more than to kick his ass under the table.
"What?" Jason shrugged and I felt Lukas tighten next to me, hate filling his veins as he cursed under his breath. I put my hand on his leg, trying to calm him down so this bomb wouldn't explode in the middle of dinner.
"It's rude." Mia shook her head, but Jason didn't seem bothered like he was on purpose testing his limits here.
"It's fine Mia, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion." Margot tried to stop the conversation from going south but by the look on Daniel's face he didn't agree.
"Not having a degree doesn't mean you don't have to work hard to get to this lifestyle. If you don't work for wat you have, you're never going to appreciate its value. I had to take the night off, leaving my restaurant, my third child in the hands of to what I hope capable people so I could cook for your smug ass." His father huffed and Lukas hesitated to fist bump his dad but the rest of us whimpered under the awkwardness at the table, including Jason. That prick finally shut up.
"Are we going skiing this Christmas?" Mia tried to change the subject to something light as we finished our dinner. "Bella do you know how to ski?" She smiled at me, ignoring her boyfriend's disastrous remark from before.
"Uhm, I went skiing in high school a couple of times so a little." I smiled at her. "Do you ski?" I frowned my brows at Lukas, unable to imagine it. His bike I could get yes, but him in the snow, that was something I couldn't wrap my head around...
"Snowboard." He said looking at me like it was something so normal for him to do. "What?" He continued when I looked at him with a thousand questions on my mind.
"I don't know, I just don't see you on a board, in the snow, that's all." I chuckled, truly surprised by this new information about him.
Mia started laughing. "Don't worry he's more faceplanting in the snow that he's actually going down a hill."
"That's not true and you know it!" Lukas barked at her like typical brother and sister.
"Alright king of the hill, you manage..." She used her fingers to accentuate manage and I enjoyed the look on her face, no longer being bothered by whatever was bothering her.
After finishing dinner and a delicious dessert sharing entire ski trip memory repertoires, all of us decided to watch a movie, like the big happy family I never had. I was enjoying this more than I thought I ever would. This was what I needed and sitting on the couch with Lukas's arms around me I knew I never wanted to say goodbye to this, whether it was with a view over an amazing lake or the streetlights through the window of my crappy apartment.
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❤️ Hi Loves, I'm finally all moved in and no longer living between cardboard boxes. I hope you enjoyed this in-between chapter because you know what's coming next... dum dum dum.
💡 Leave your thoughts below I missed reading them!
Okay so I got this crazy idea that as soon as this book hits 100K I'm going to get my second tattoo, that way I will have to keep my promise and not postpone it all the time.
You can always vote, just hit the star :D
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