Unknown Number Read online

(18:30) Of course Cavan. I don’t say these things lightly.

  (18:34) Oh! Dinner’s ready!

  (18:38) Time for me to reconcile with my lover, Jack Reacher.

  (18:41) Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!

  (18:45) Kid, I’ve already done so much you’d never even dream of.

  (18:49) I look forward to finding out ;)

  ~0~

  A gentle knocking on the front door drew Lucas’ eyes away from the book in his lap. Frowning down the hallway he let out a low groan, unwilling to move from his cocoon on the sofa. It really was warm. He had a cup of tea just within reach and the TV had been turned down to a low hum so he could concentrate. He really did not need a distraction right now.

  The knocking continued.

  Summoning up his energy, he kicked the blanket from around his legs, grumbling as he stood up. Every joint creaked as he straightened up and stretched his arms and shoulders. His head still felt a little fluffy but there was only so much tea and painkillers he could take before he blacked out completely. Padding barefoot down the hallway, he tugged the door open not even bothering with the peep-hole.

  Bonnie gave a sheepish grin as she leaned against the doorway. “Hey stranger,” she grinned a little wider.

  “What do you want?” Lucas deadpanned.

  “Fletcher’s on a confCavance call with China. Fancy some company?”

  “I knew I’d regret you moving in,” he said. “Fine. Come in. You know where the kitchen is.”

  “So hospitable,” Bonnie smirked before edging into the kitchen.

  Lucas listened to her potter around, idly picking up his book from the arm of the sofa and settling back down. About five minutes later, Bonnie shuffled into the room and wriggled down onto the other end of the sofa and curled her legs up underneath her.

  “What’re you watching?”

  “I don’t know. I was reading.”

  Bonnie peered over his shoulder and grinned. “Oh, so you’re powering through Jack Reacher then?”

  “I might be.”

  “I hope I get to meet this kid,” Bonnie snickered. “He seems to be a good influence on you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Fletcher and I have been trying to get you to read more books for the last ten years minimum. Now, some kid talks to you for a month and you read some? Not only one to try it out, you’re going through the whole stack!”

  Setting said book aside, Lucas took his glasses off and turned to look at her, raising a sardonic eyebrow. “Do you have a point Bonnie?”

  “You l-i-i-i-i-i-k-e him!” she chimed, nudging his shoulder.

  He stiffened slightly but gave her a tight-lipped smile. “He’s a good kid. Mad and very emotional, but good.”

  “Well if you ask me you could use a little more emotion in your life.”

  Lucas snorted. “Yeah sure. Cause you lot aren’t enough for me.”

  Bonnie chuckled and sipped at her tea. Lifting a corner of his blanket, she wriggled under it and nestled her head against his shoulder. “I’m glad you’ve found someone,” she hummed.

  “It’s not like that, Bonbon.”

  “I know, I know,” she waved her hand. “But … it is nice to see you smiling more.” She tilted her head to look up at him. “Are you going to meet him soon?”

  “We’re sort of skirting around the subject.”

  “Have you asked him about it at all?”

  “Yes. He seems to want to meet me too.”

  “That’s good isn’t it?” she frowned at his sombre expression.

  “I just –what if he doesn’t like me?” He looked across the room at nothing in particular. His chest felt tight. “He already had an issue with me smoking. What if he –takes issue with other things?”

  “You’re over-thinking this, sweetie.”

  “I just … He seems perfect.”

  “In what way?”

  “He just … He’s been through a fair bit in the last few weeks alone, even before I came along. He just … sort of gets through it and makes jokes.”

  “Coping mechanism?” Bonnie frowned.

  “Maybe,” he picked at the blanket spread over their laps. “I don’t think so though.” He glanced at the redhaired girl beside him. “I called him the other night. Per Eleanor’s threats.”

  “Oh God YES!” Bonnie grinned, “I bet that went down like a ton of bricks.”

  “It was a bit rocky but … Bonbon, I think we clicked. I never click with anyone and –when I heard his voice –it felt so wonderful.”

  “Really?” she breathed.

  Lucas nodded. “He –I told him my age. I’d been hedging around it for a while as you know, and I finally told him over the phone.”

  “Oh right. How did that go?”

  “He laughed at me. Told me I’d been stupid for being so worried. As soon as I heard him laugh –ARGH!”

  Bonnie laughed and squeezed his hand. “Oh, Luc! Careful or you might just get some colour in those cheeks!”

  He swatted her hand away and tutted at her. She shrugged with a smirk before turning her attention to the quiet TV. They relaxed that way in quiet companionship for an hour or so before another quiet knock came from the front door.

  “Oh, that’s probably Fletcher,” Bonnie yawned, unfurling herself.

  Lucas tossed the blanket off him and swung his legs over the edge of the sofa. Together, he and Bonnie padded down the hallway. On the other side of the door a tall man with dirty blonde hair and shadow on his jaw leaned against the doorframe.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” he grinned down at Bonnie, tucking her under his chin as they hugged.

  “Well I figured it was easier instead of making noise in the next room.”

  Lucas smiled at the pair of them, arms folded across his chest. They’d been together for years and he should be used to seeing them acting affectionate towards one another. It’d never really niggled at him until now.

  “Okay well, I think we should all head to bed,” Fletcher chuckled quietly. “We all have work in the morning.”

  “I’ll be right in,” Bonnie smiled as Fletcher dropped a kiss on her forehead and made his way back down the hallway towards their flat. Turning to Lucas, Bonnie cocked her head to the side. “You can text me if you start to feel over-whelmed you know?”

  “I know it’s just –bad habits.”

  She smiled sympathetically before leaning in for a hug. “It’s alright, chickpea.”

  “Eurgh, what did we say about no nicknames?”

  “That it’s a lame rule and you need a boot up your arse?” she smirked.

  Lucas rolled his eyes, a smile teasing at his mouth. “Go to bed, woman.”

  “Fine!” she pecked him on the cheek. “I like this new you.”

  “New me?”

  “This version of you. I’ve never seen it before.”

  “WHAT, Bonnie?”

  “I just like seeing you in love, that’s all,” she stuck her tongue out before backing out of the doorway. “Have a good night!”

  “Oi, I’m not in love!” he stated leaning out of his door and glaring down the hallway.

  “Sure thing!” Bonnie called back before closing her front door.

  “I’m not,” Lucas ground out to no one before closing his door. Just as he was getting ready for bed, shutting off all the lights as he carried his book into the bedroom, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was from Cavan.

  (23:13) Sorry I’ve been quiet. Had ‘family-night’. Hope your night was okay. Have good dreams. C x

  Lucas found himself staring at that small ‘x’ for a moment longer than necessary before Bonnie’s words resurfaced in his head. “Shit!”

  Chapter 7

  Tuesday AM

  (10:02) Hey I didn’t hear from you yesterday, are you okay?

  (10:06) Not really no. Had to go to my school counsellor yesterday.

  (10:08) Um why?

  (10:13) My arm, mainly. Although I think my pa
rents are worried it’s going to trigger something in me again. I feel like they’re walking on egg-shells around me and it’s really making me feel shitty.

  (10:16) What are they so worried about?

  (10:19) That I’m suddenly going to go on angry rampages like I did when I first started secondary school.

  (10:22) Was there a reason for it happening that time?

  (10:24) My parents got into a huge fight. Contemplated divorce. Apparently, a nurse at work was flirting with my dad and he was being a bit dense about it all.

  (10:27) Oh, that old cliché.

  (10:30) Yep. Although, mum made a formal complaint instead, nurse transferred out and contact ceased so. Crisis averted.

  (10:35) But it made you angry and go on angry rampages?

  (10:39) Well when your entire life is going to be uprooted and changed, what else am I supposed to do?

  (10:43) Not getting shot, is a good way to start.

  (10:45) What do you mean by that?

  (10:48) Well it’s a long story but my life was about to be changed for the better and then one morning my parents are dragging me to the airport and shipping me off to the army.

  (10:53) So … you didn’t even go voluntarily?

  (10:57) Nope. Kicking and screaming the whole way.

  (11:01) I’m sorry.

  (11:04) Yeah. Me too.

  (11:06) How were your parents when you came home?

  (11:09) Well, that’s the thing. After my first tour I came back and told them I was disowning them as my parents. I filed to be emancipated. I’ve not really spoken to them since.

  (11:13) I’m sure there’s more to the story but –well –I want you to know that your friends aren’t the only family you have.

  (11:15) Oh?

  (11:18) I’ll be your family too. If –you know –if you’ll have me.

  (11:22) That’s really kind of you, Cavan.

  (11:25) Although you may have to put up with Sophie and Arthur too.

  (11:29) As long as you can handle Fletcher, Bonnie and have a stick to beat Eleanor –I’d say we’ll be fine.

  (11:32) Good :)

  (11:42) So are you feeling better now?

  (11:49) More so than before.

  (11:51) I’m glad I could help.

  (11:59) Aren’t you meant to be teaching? You’re being really bad right now.

  (12:04) It was actually planned weeks ago that this was going to be a prep class, so it’s fine.

  (12:09) Still though. We need to set some boundaries.

  (12:13) Oh shut it, brat. You know you’d go stir-crazy without spamming me all day.

  (12:16) HEY! It’s not SPAM!

  (12:19) SPAM is just a load of crap you don’t want to see!

  (12:24) Forgive me for offending you.

  (12:28) I meant multiple loving messages.

  (12:31) That’s better.

  (12:34) Brat.

  (12:39) Feels nice having my phone back.

  (12:41) I know you were silent yesterday but why didn’t you have it? At all?

  (12:45) My mum took it off me like I was a child.

  (12:47) She sat me down with her and dad in the kitchen and started giving me a lecture.

  (12:49) About what?

  (12:55) She was going on about being worried for me, that I was texting someone far too much even when I had Soph and Arthur in the same room as me. She said that if I was still troubled about this whole Jordan thing, then I could go to either of them and talk about it.

  (13:04) Her and dad seem to think I’m trying to disassociate from my feelings and escape the ‘reality of the situation’.

  (13:07) I mean, don’t get me wrong I wish I could have been there to knock his teeth out, but you handled it well enough. Minus the burn on your arm.

  (13:09) I know right?! That’s what I said but apparently, I was being reckless.

  (13:13) And Awww, look at you being all protective over me ;3

  (13:17) I’m allowed to be protective of you, brat. It’s practically my right at this point.

  (13:21) That’s so friggin’ cute!

  (13:23) Shut up.

  (13:29) Anyway, I get that your parents are worried about you, but it could be so much worse. You could be out drinking hardcore shit in the park, doing drugs, sleeping around with sluts and bimbo’s and sling-shotting stones at your neighbours’ cat.

  (13:36) OMG Lucas did you do all these things?!

  (13:38) No, of course not.

  (13:40) Not all of them, anyway.

  (13:42) OMG WHAT ONE DID YOU DO?!

  (13:46) NO WAIT, DON’T TELL ME! IMMA GUESS!

  (13:48) You won’t.

  (13:50) I’m gonna say … the cat.

  (13:55) It was the cat, wasn’t it?

  (13:58) Fuck you, you’re too good at guessing.

  (14:02) Lucas that’s just cruel!

  (14:05) Got to run, kid. Teaching the Year 7’s now.

  (14:07) DON’T SLING-SHOT THE KIDDIES!

  ~

  (14:32) Ha. No promises.

  Wednesday PM

  (16:07) So what’s on the agenda for you tonight, oh adventurous one?

  (16:10) Believe or not, we’re having a game night.

  (16:12) We?

  (16:17) Bonnie, Fletcher, Eleanor, and Milo. I’m the odd man out.

  (16:20) Well maybe you won’t have to play alone any longer.

  (16:23) Oh? Is that because you’re going to come and join this madness?

  (16:24) Maybe.

  (16:28) You’d regret it instantly. Especially if we break out the Monopoly board.

  (16:31) I may have to bring some of my old football gear then.

  (16:34) Or at least a crash helmet.

  (16:36) And knee pads!

  (16:49) Alright we’re gonna start now. I’d say wish me luck, but I don’t need it.

  (16:52) That confident are you.