Breaking the Arm, Healing the Heart

by Ashley Andrews

  Sicily could only smile sheepishly in return as she barred her teeth with her lips reaching her ears. "I still don't like him."

  "But you don't hate him anymore," Bailey returned, elbowing her friend.

  "And your point is?"

  "You've come from hating him to being okay with him in a matter of weeks," Bailey said mischievously. "If that kind of pace keeps up, I'd say you'll like him just fine by the time the Valentine's Day Dance hits our school."

  "I think you've got to wake up from your dream," Sicily then returned, leading her friend down the marble staircase.

  "Lucas would be nowhere near my dreams," was the comeback she received.

  Some instinct made Sicily look up to find Lucas chatting amicably with Matt.

  "What are you two doing together?" Bailey asked, speaking Sicily’s thoughts out loud.

  "We're practically living under the same roof now," Matt said. "Isn't that reason enough for two friends to talk with each other?"

  "You called his house the Devil's Lair," Sicily reminisced. "What a friendly description of his mansion."

  "You called him a bastard, jackass, asshole, fu-"

  "What else did she call me?" Lucas asked in a teasing tone of voice that caught Bailey off guard.

  "I didn't say you were my friend." That was Sicily.

  "But you don't hate me anymore so might as well be friends."

  It was rude to send messages via facial expressions but Sicily couldn't help it and just had to look at Bailey. The two, right in front of Matt and Lucas, started nodding and shaking their heads without saying anything out loud. The two guys were amazed by their actions. They could only watch and wait for either Sicily or Bailey to say something. After a while, the telepathic messages finally stopped and Sicily took a step forward to face Lucas.

  "Friends?" she asked rather awkwardly as she held her hand out for him to shake.

  Lucas blinked rapidly for a few seconds and stared at her hand. He was confused since he didn't know if this was a genuine gesture of Sicily's or a prank. She had told him to grow up the night before and that hurt his feelings and his pride. But more, it had wounded his heart, which just couldn’t handle much more. Then he’d realized something. That Sicily was telling him that his happiness didn’t have to be tied to his parents. That was an important point for him.

  "In case you're as dumb as a rock, I would take her hand if I were you and shake it," Bailey offered, her lips curving up into a smirk.

  Even though Bailey had been a bitch towards Lucas, Sicily knew that it was all just an act. Bailey was very blunt and honest with her thoughts.

  "I don't do handshakes with girls," he returned apologetically, leaning his good arm over the injured one.

  Sicily felt a tug at her heart as she stopped herself from frowning. She didn't want Lucas to know that what he’d said affected her. She smiled, waiting for an answer from him.

  Bailey spoke up, "Oh, I forgot you only have sex with them."

  That made Lucas let out a grunt, and to prove his point, whatever it was, he pulled Sicily closer to him by gently taking one of her arms and drawing her closer, before encircling her waist. He gave her a long, drawn out hug.

  Both astounded, Matt and Bailey gasped out loud and turned to face each other with widened-eyes and opened-mouths.

  "I prefer hugs," Lucas then said after he let go of Sicily. "When it comes to girls."

  "So you could feel their boobs against your chest, right?" Bailey interjected smirking.

  Matt headed over to Lucas and patted the older guy's back before he said, "Genius idea. Maybe I should hug the chicks in my class."

  "You should," Lucas replied as a tease, and that, earned him a light punch from Sicily.

  "I know my brother's no angel, but don't add more thoughts to his already garbage-like mind!" Sicily said in a loud, laughing voice. "He's not eighteen!"

  "It's not like you were an angel when you were fifteen!" was Matt's reply.

  Bailey laughed, and decided on a little blackmail. She said, "Remember the time you hooked up with my ex? You did that just so you could break his heart and revenge me?"

  "I wasn't fifteen when that happened," Sicily replied sheepishly.

  Lucas and Matt exchanged considering glances while the two women reminisced on what happened to them a few years back. Just by listening to them, Lucas learned a lot. Sicily was really the stereotypical cheerleader. She was the kind of girl who partied, drank, and slept with guys. But she was also extremely loyal, secretly giving, and concerned about those in her inner circle. Her wild and over-the-top past, actually attracted Lucas, as did her beauty, her personality, her smile, her laugh, and her biting wit.

  "Oh, I forgot," Bailey then said grinning. "You were only fourteen at that time."

  Sicily nodded and lifted up her head in mock-arrogance.

  "Slut!" Bailey joked.

  "I was just being a good friend!"

  "And so you slept with her ex?" Lucas asked, pretending confusion.

  Sicily nodded. "For revenge. And we didn't sleep with each other, we just made out. Bailey’s trying to make it sound worse than it was."

  "So if I told you to do something, you'd do it since you're my friend?" Lucas asked as his lips curved up into a small smile.

  Sicily tried to stop herself from grinning in return, but she couldn't. Lucas' smile was infectious and she couldn't look away from him. He was gorgeous in that cocky but uniquely cute way of his, and it was a good thing they were teasing each other at the moment. If they weren't, the blush that crept up her cheeks would be too obvious.

  "Don't abuse our friendship," was Sicily's innocent reply.

  Bailey let out a fake cough. "I think you guys are taking this whole new friend’s thing a little too serious. May I remind you that you two used to try to break each other down just a month ago?"

  "And I succeeded didn't I?" Sicily exclaimed proudly.

  "Keep dreaming, Barbie."

  "Then what do you call this?" Sicily asked in a mischievous manner as she held up Lucas' cast.

  "A cast?"

  "A cast which protects a broken arm," Sicily then continued. "And who broke that arm of yours?" she then said in mock-oblivion.

  "How about a broken mouth for you?"

  "Don't do that!" Sicily said, pretending to be disappointed. "You'll hurt a lot of guys' hearts if you break my mouth."

  "And how so?"

  "I'll be un-kissable."

  "There goes your streak," Lucas replied smirking.

  Bailey didn't know whether to smile or frown at the interaction between her best friend and their arch enemy. She’d always thought Lucas was an ass, but today she was seeing him in a whole new light. It was weird having Sicily swear at the guy one minuet, and then have her smiling and laughing with the devil himself, just a few seconds later. This was just weird. Something else she’d realized and she didn’t think her friend had really caught on. Lucas was attracted to Sicily. The two used to hate each other, but just because of a broken arm, their hatred for each other had started to morph into something else.

  "So," Lucas began, "What should we do on our first day of officially being friends?"

  Bailey cut her train of thoughts short and turned back to listening to the two, as they teased each other.

  "I don't know," Sicily answered before she shrugged her shoulders. "What do friends usually do?"

  "Have lunch?" Lucas offered. "Watch a movie? Or maybe just hang out?"

  "You sound like an amateur," Sicily said, nudging him on the elbow. "And I thought you were a social animal, especially with the girls."

  Lucas laughed evilly before he said, "We usually skip the getting-to-know-you part if you get what I mean." And then he winked.

  "I get it. I get it," Sicily said smiling as she shook her head. "No words needed?"

  "That's right," he reaffirmed her. "Actions speak louder than words."

  Bailey let out a silent laugh.

  Sicily could only look at L
ucas and frown. She needed to get used to this softer side of Lucas, with him joking and all. They had been teasing each other ever since she had to watch over him, but his jokes before always had a hint of mean and nasty to them. They were no longer derogatory. His joking now fit her sense of humor, and she liked that.

  "I think lunch is a great idea," Sicily then said, smiling genuinely at Lucas.

  "What do you guys say?" she asked Bailey and Matt who were busy eyeing her and Lucas converse.

  "I'm playing ball with the guys," was what Matt said. "That means I'm out."

  Lucas couldn't help but envy Sicily's younger brother. He missed playing basketball. It was a sport he loved and had taken pride in learning. He used to be the best in his school but now he was sure Tanner, Zack, and his other friends would outdo him. He could only play with one arm and he would be embarrassed to play alone. He wouldn’t even really be able to play the game, just shoot with his one good arm. That would be useless.

  "Sure, I'm actually craving Italian," Bailey said, rubbing her stomach for exaggeration. "What do you guys say?"

  "I'm in," Sicily said, actually excited that Lucas, her ex-enemy, and Bailey, her closest female friend, were going to hang out together for the first time without trying to rip each other's eyes out.

  "I'll go wherever my newfound friend goes," Lucas said teasingly as he led the way to the garage.

  "Shut up," Sicily couldn't help but say with a laugh.

  * * * * *

  Antonio's was the place to go for Italian cuisine on this part of Florida’s coast. It had excellent food and was priced right. The entrance was situated on a corner. This place was so popular that over the years it had expanded in size, slowly absorbing the other properties as they emptied or moved on. Today the restaurant took up half a block. The place had cobblestone walls, both inside and out. There was indoor seating, or you could have your meal on the patio. There were a number of function rooms, as well as both small and large ornamental gardens. The walls were painted a deep red color. There were black metal tables and dark brown leather seats occupying the entire restaurant. Sicily, Bailey and Lucas decided to eat outdoors with a big spouting fountain for their view.

  "We have to get their Four Cheese pizza," Bailey said, her eyes lighting up as she showed Sicily a picture of the meal printed on the menu. "It's honestly to die for."

  "No problem," was the answer she received from her friend. "As long as I get my Puttanesca. How about you?" she then turned to Lucas, who was quietly surveying his menu. "What are you getting?"

  "Maybe the seafood pasta in penne and a plate of Ravioli," he replied. "How's that?"

  "Hungry much?" Bailey asked smirking. "Doesn't Sicily feed you?"

  "Sadly, no," he said, joining in on the joke. "She was still sleeping when I woke up and had to cook my own breakfast."

  Bailey couldn't help it, she found the guy sitting across from her to be drop-dead gorgeous, his face, his eyes, his hair, his body, everything. His hair was a deep jet-black color and would sometimes give off that dark midnight blue effect, and whether he fixed his hair or not, it still looked great. She especially loved the right out-of-bed look that he had done today. His eyes were a dark gray color. They rarely sparked in delight, and when they did, she imagined they could make a woman fall desperately in love with him. You’d spend your lifetime trying to ignite that happy spark.

  On the other hand, his facial features were strong and chiseled. If his hair and eyes gave that mysterious vibe, his face projected a commanding presence. He had a sharp jaw line, straight nose, and wide sexy lips. If only his attributes stopped there, but they didn't. He had long, lean muscles that filled out his shirt and made both Sicily and Bailey watch his movements closely. Sicily didn't want to fall for Lucas, although her best friend could tell her that it was too late. Bailey knew on the other hand, that she would never be able to really interest Lucas. His acerbic tongue would just destroy her if he did. Sicily was made of much stronger stuff.

  "Can we order now?" Lucas asked with a sheepish smile. "I feel my stomach grumbling."

  "You make me feel like I treat you badly," Sicily teased, crossing her legs under the table. "I gave you a comfortable bed. I drive you around. What more do you need?" she then said laughing.

  "I need to remove my cast," he answered seriously as he rested the plaster over the metal table. "I hate it."

  Like always, Sicily refused to take the blame for this. "It was your fault you weren't watching were you were going."

  Bailey was about to squeal, but thank god she stopped herself from making that girlish shriek. Sicily was her best friend, but that wasn't the right thing to say. She knew guys like Lucas had egos the size of a continent, and what Sicily said may have hurt his manhood, and another argument could erupt. Bailey, because of that hypothesis, was very smart to say that after only a second, Lucas had said something that would annoy her friend even more.

  "No. You couldn't wait to buy a new top at that store you were running to you just had to topple me over."

  "FYI, you're twice my weight, besides, I was running for a new bra and panties, that’s more important than a top," Sicily said, irritation level rising. "How could I make you fall?"

  Lucas choked on his water as the visual of Sicily trying on bras and panties filled his head. Most of the heat shifted out of his argument at that thought. "Maybe you should forget about your Puttanesca and save a pound or two," was Lucas' smart comeback.

  "You guys have to lower your pride," Bailey butted in. "Man, it's suffocating me!"

  Sicily and Lucas both stopped at the irritation in Bailey's voice.

  "What happened to being friends?" Bailey asked, not believing that she actually wanted the two to make up.

  "If we treat each other like this right now, how much better would it be when we get together," Lucas asked with a straight face.

  This puzzled the two girls seated in front of him.

  "I’m not exactly sure what you just said, but keep your fantasies about me to yourself," was the reply he got from Sicily.

  Lucas meant what he said as a joke, but when the words left his mouth, he felt a tug at his heart, and suddenly, a feeling of nervousness washed over him. To distract himself, he started eating his food. He filled his mouth with the succulent dish before he looked over to Bailey and then to Sicily. Waiting for him to say something, they stared back at him.

  "What?" he asked in a suspicious voice. "Too gorgeous for your eyes, so I rendered you girls speechless?"

  "Everything was great until you opened your mouth," was Sicily's reply.

  "So you admit I'm great?" Lucas asked mischievously, his usual grey eyes sparkling for once.

  Sicily smiled back at him and waited for her brain to come up with a witty remark. To say the least, she was enjoying herself in the company of Bailey, and unexpectedly, Lucas. Bailey was right about Lucas after all. Sicily had started to like him in just a matter of weeks. What if…

  Since Sicily was too busy thinking, Bailey answered for them, "Only until you open your mouth!"

  Sicily laughed at Bailey’s comment while Lucas demanded an explanation. Let’s face it. The man was irresistible. She had felt the same way at one time. Now his mouth was one of her favorite things. Maybe, just, maybe she could be nicer to him.

  Chapter 12: Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

  She threw it against the carpeted floor of her room—her pink metal alarm clock. The annoying mechanical device should have shattered into a million pieces, but it didn’t. She needed it, but hated it at the same time.

  "Stupid, damn alarm clock," she muttered under her breath. "Shut up, already!”

  Rolling her eyes, she got out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom to start the morning. It took her about fifteen minutes to finish bathing, and after doing so, she went over to her walk-in closet to pick today's outfit. She decided on skinny jeans, a simple white and low V-neck top and a pair of gold ballet flats. She then picked up one of her metallic hand bags be
fore she finally left her room to go catch a quick breakfast. When she got to the kitchen, she saw Lucas devouring an omelet and bacon.

  "Morning," she greeted; eyeing his khaki cargo shorts and the black band shirt he wore to match his Nike's.

  Lucas looked up from his meal before he turned his head to give her a smile. She returned the gesture. They were acting civil towards each other now and neither one was complaining. They liked the fact that they were starting to get along; however, Sicily felt that everything was going just a little too fast. She used to see Lucas as the devil himself. How could that take a complete three-hundred sixty degree turn in just a few weeks?

  "Can't handle my looks again?" he teased playfully, pulling out the chair beside his for her to sit on.

  Sicily nodded. It probably was his irresistible looks that did the trick. He was undeniably a gift sent from above, an angel, if only he didn't have such wild partying ways. However Sicily was one to talk. They were both players.

  "It's just that you have something on your face," she lied, and tried to stop herself from blushing.

  "Oh, I do?"

  Sicily shook her head before she took a breakfast sandwich that was on one of the plates on the counter. She took a bite and then took a sip of freshly-squeezed orange juice.

  "Did you know the word gullible is not in the dictionary?" she then asked him as she tried to maintain a relaxed facial expression.

  "It's not?" he asked surprised before his lips formed a thin line and his eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't make fun of me."

  "You are so gullible," she said to him, laughing silently. "I’m going to tell my friends, or better, your friends, so they can see that their King is actually human after all."

  "So you considered me a God before this incident?"

  "Definitely," she said smiling. "The King of the Underworld himself."

  "At least I'm still powerful," he said proudly as he stuck his chest out as a tease.

  Wrong move, Sicily thought since now she had a sneak-peak of what was under the black shirt Lucas wore, a firm chest that was quickly overshadowed by the muscles in his arms. Lucas' body type wasn't muscular, but he wasn't lanky either. He had more of a firm and toned but slender figure, in other words, just perfect in terms of body type.