Page 77 of Bluebird

Tears ran down my cheeks. “I know.” I squeezed his hand and he kissed mine tenderly in response. “Will you lie with me for a little while?” I needed to be closer to him.

Without hesitation, Luke cautiously climbed into the small space next to me. His giant body devoured my tiny frame, as I nestled my head under his chin. He draped his arm across my chest and we lay in an easy silence until I drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Over my two-week hospital stay, my family organised a schedule so I would never be on my own for long. Fairleigh didn’t have a hospital, so I was a few towns away, which made it hard on everyone. It was already a two-hour return trip and as much as I told them not to worry, I knew it was no use.

Luke somehow managed to visit every day. He brought in delicious food, games, books to read, and coffee for the nurses — of course. No wonder they all looked at him like he was some sort of God.

Although his visits were short, they soon became the highlight of my day. We mostly chatted about trivial things, but steered clear of serious stuff, i.e. Marni. She was in Melbourne packing her Mum’s belongings and I felt guilty for causing a rift between her and Luke.

He obviously felt deeply for her. I saw it in his face the night she drove away. As much as it made me sick to my stomach to see them together, I needed to move past it. Luke’s friendship meant more to me than my animosity towards her.

* * *

“So…you never told me how you got that black eye?” I asked Luke, as I took out his king for the second time that day.

He pursed his lips and started packing away our chess game, avoiding my eyes and the question.

I frowned. “Was it Jake?”

“I wish,” he snorted, as he lifted the chessboard and peered underneath.

His hand ran over my bed sheet, searching for the remaining chess piece that had mysteriously disappeared. Giving up, his eyes resurfaced and his gaze shifted to my hand.

I held the queen hostage with a mischievous smile. “So…who did it?”

Luke sighed. “It was Nate.”

“Nate?” I raised my eyebrows, assuming I heard incorrectly.

“Yep,” he uttered, indifferently.

My mouth fell open and he snatched the queen back whilst I processed my shock. “Like, my brother, Nate? Your best mate, Nate? Nate who has never punched anyone in his life, Nate?”

Luke chuckled. “Well, he has now…and it was a good one.” He slid the lid over the box, and stood up, preparing to leave.

My forehead creased as I gazed up at him. “Why would he punch you?”

He shrugged. “I deserved it.”

“What? Why would—”

“Blue…” Luke exhaled, lowering his gaze to the floor and placing his hands on his hips. “He figured it out, okay?” he said. “When I couldn’t bring myself to step inside your room after your surgery, he knew something wasn’t right…he did the math.”

I sucked in my breath. “Are you guys okay?” I asked, softly. I couldn’t handle the thought of coming between the two of them.

A subtle tint of pink crept into his cheeks. “Yeah, we sorted it out. You don’t need to worry about that.”

I sensed there was more to the story than he was willing to tell, but I didn’t push it. As long as they were still friends, I was happy.

“Does anyone else know?” I was worried about my parent’s reaction.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. “Nate didn’t want me to tell anyone.”

I nodded and smiled sadly, as I watched him pick up his keys.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Blue,” he assured with warm smile.