Chapter 6...
"Soak Up The Sun"
Sheryl Crow
To win me some of your love
Every time I turn around
I'm looking up, you're looking down
I'm gonna soak up the sun
Perfection. That's what that day was to me. Nothing went wrong for the first time in a long time. Lucas and I laid on the beach all day long, occasionally getting up and getting into the water. It felt good to be around someone who made me feel so happy. I rolled onto my stomach and leaned on one elbow looking at Lucas. He was asleep. I rested my head on his chest.
I opened my eyes to see Lucas' face. "Hey." He said in a tired, raspy voice. "Sleep well?" He asked me. I nodded and he kissed me on the cheek.
"I didn't even know I fell asleep." I told him. I lifted my head and rubbed my eyes. I crossed my legs. "I really just want you to know how much I appreciate you, Lucas. The past week has been really hard on me but you have been there for me. That means more to me... than anything." I told him.
He nodded his head. "Madison, you are so wonderful and I... you deserve the best. I just want to look out for you. That's all." I smiled a nervous smile. There was a feeling in my stomach that Luke was looking out for me but it was in a different way than what I had hoped. I felt myself falling for Lucas but if I could save myself the heartache again, I would.
Lucas sat up. "What are you thinking about?" He put his arm around me a rubbed my shoulder. "You look so serious."
I pushed my hair out of my face and put my sunglasses on top of my head. "Can I ask you something?" He took his hand off my shoulder and nodded. "Okay." I paused, took a deep breathe, and looked up at him. "How do you feel about me?" I felt like I should hold my breathe waiting for the response.
"You're amazing. I know we haven't been that close, but I am glad we've become better friends and I am not trying to sound generic, so I'm sorry if I do. I wish you didn't have do go through all of this because I know how hard it has been on you. You're a sweetheart and I care about you a lot." I hung onto his last words hoping that there wasn't going to be a "but". It was almost like he read my mind, "But..." He paused. My whole body tensed up. He smiled. "No but."
"You asshole!" I hit him on the arm. He grimaced. "Sorry! I'm so sorry. Bad shoulder right? Did I hurt you?"
"No, I'm fine. It's getting better, slowly."
"Oh." I looked around. Brooke was laying out, Peyton was drawing, and Nathan and Haley were in the water. "Wanna get in?" I asked him.
"Race ya." He said jumping off the towel and running into the water.
We ran into the water. I dove in. When I came up, Lucas was no where to be found. "Luke?" I yelled. He popped out of the water right in front of me. "Hey there." I said looking into his ice blue eyes.
"Hey." He said. He was so cool. Lucas Scott oozed cool. "Madison, I have something I need to tell you."
I went underwater, trying to get away from whatever it was that Lucas was trying to tell me. "Luke," I said as I wiped the salt water out of my eyes, "Can you tell me later? I have been told way too many things the past few days. I know you'll understand."
He nodded. There was a sense of anxiousness in his eyes. "Yeah, no problem." Lucas smiled which made a smirk creep across my face. I laid on my back, floating in the water. Lucas' arms were under me. I looked at the sun. It was beaming and so was I. "We meet again weather." I thought to myself. "And for the second time in eighteen years, we feel the same way."