Devour

by E. K. Blair

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The second I opened it, Luke looked me up and down.

  “What did I tell you?” Giselle whispered in my ear as she walked by me. “Have fun everyone, and Lily, make sure you call me tomorrow.”

  “Hi, Charley,” I said as I patted her head. “Hi, Luke.” I smiled.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  “I sure am. Just let me grab my purse and camera.”

  I turned around and headed towards my bedroom. I could feel his eyes staring at me as I walked away. You know that feeling you get when you know someone’s looking at you? That’s the feeling I had. I grabbed my purse, put my camera around my neck, and walked back to the living room.

  “You look really pretty, Miss Gilmore,” Charley said. “Uncle Luke, doesn’t she look pretty?” Charley asked as she tugged on his pant leg.

  “Yes, Charley, Miss Gilmore does look pretty,” Luke said in embarrassment.

  Charley looked at me and winked. I needed to watch out for this little girl. We climbed into Luke’s Jeep and headed for the carnival.

  “Nice camera. I take it you like to take pictures,” he said.

  “Yeah, I love taking pictures. Photography has always been a passion of mine. Someday, I’d love to work for a big magazine.”

  “You mean like National Geographic or something like that?” He smiled as he looked over at me.

  I nodded my head. “Yeah, something like that.” I smiled back.

  ***

  Charley’s eyes lit up the moment she saw the lights. “I can’t wait to get inside!” she said with excitement as she grabbed onto our hands and dragged us through the parking lot. Luke looked over at me and smiled. We got to the gate, and I pulled out my wallet to pay for my ticket.

  “I got your ticket,” he said.

  “I can buy my own ticket, Luke.”

  “Charley invited you, so I’m buying your ticket.”

  We stepped up to the window, and he purchased three wristbands. I tried to give him my money, but he wouldn’t take it.

  “If I let you buy my ticket, then this becomes a date. I don’t do dates,” I said to him.

  He stared at me for a minute. “I can assure you that this isn’t a date. I don’t do dates either.”

  “Will you two stop it and hurry up,” Charley said with an attitude.

  “I’ll make you a deal,” Luke said. “You can buy the food.”

  “Deal,” I said as I held out my hand to him, and we shook on it.

  We both held one of Charley’s hands as we walked around the carnival. The lights were bright, and the music coming from the games was loudly blaring through the speakers. Charley saw a ride she wanted to go on, so we waited in line.

  “Do you watch Charley a lot?” I asked as I looked at Luke.

  “Yeah, I do. I try to help Maddie out as much as I can. It’s hard being a single parent.”

  “I’m sure it is. I could only imagine,” I said.

  “What about your parents?”

  “They help out a lot. Right now, they’re on a month long cruise.”

  “They own the apartments?” I asked.

  “Yes. They’ve owned those apartments for over twenty years. I remember them buying the building when I was seven years old. It’s where Maddie and I spent most of our childhood. What about you?” he asked.

  I didn’t want to talk about my childhood or my family. It wasn’t a topic that I was comfortable with. The only thing I ever wanted was a normal, happy childhood. I can thank mommy and daddy for not giving me that. I felt horrible for having to lie to Luke about my family, but I didn’t want him to know about how horrible they were. I didn’t want to be judged for their actions. And as far as I’m concerned, my family is dead.

  “I grew up in Seattle with my parents and my sister. They died a couple of years ago in an accident.”

  Luke looked at me, and I could see the empathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “Thank you. I don’t like to talk about it,” I said so he wouldn’t ask me any other questions.

  Luke nodded his head. We finally arrived to the front of the line, and Charley got on the ride. We stood there, waving to her as the car she was sitting in sped by us.

  “She’s a great little girl.” I smiled.

  “She’s the best,” Luke said. “She’s a huge part of my life, and I will do anything to protect her.”

  I looked at him and smiled. The ride ended, and Charley got off. She grabbed onto our hands once again and led us over to the games.

  “Miss Gilmore, do you like to play games?” she asked as she looked up at me.

  “I love to play games, Charley.”

  “So does my uncle Luke.” She winked.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Charley, when we’re not in school, you can call me Lily.”

  “Really?!” she asked in excitement.

  Luke looked over at me and laughed. “Just remember though, she’s Miss Gilmore during school hours,” he said.

  “Ok, I’ll remember,” she said as she led us to the game that had the huge, stuffed purple cat hanging from the tent. “I want that cat, Uncle Luke,” she begged.

  I laughed as we approached the milk bottle toss. There was no question that Luke was going to win that cat for Charley. He paid the guy behind the booth as he handed him three baseballs. He told Luke to stand behind the line. I looked at him and frowned.

  “That seems pretty far back,” I said.

  “Nah, it’s fine. I used to play some baseball in high school. I can do this.” He smiled.

  Luke threw the first ball and knocked down the milk bottles. There was something about watching him throw those balls that made my heart beat faster. I was scared, because I suddenly saw him as almost perfect. As promised, he won Charley her cat.

  “Here,” he said as he handed me the baseball. “Try it.”

  I shook my head. “No, I can’t throw. I’d just embarrass myself.”

  “Just try it for fun.” Luke smiled.

  I sighed as I stepped behind the line and threw the ball. I almost hit the man behind the counter. Good thing he ducked when he did. Luke and Charley started laughing. Suddenly, Luke was behind me, and he grabbed my hand.

  “Here, let me help you,” he said as he continued laughing.

  He brought my hand up over my head and counted to three. His touch was amazing, and my impulses were starting to go crazy. My heart was rapidly beating, and the sensation deep below was back. I closed my eyes for a moment. On the third count, he helped me throw the ball. Needless to say, I knocked down all the milk bottles. I jumped up and down, clapping my hands as Charley was cheering with excitement, and Luke was smiling at me. The carnie told me to pick which animal I wanted, so I picked the smaller version of Charley’s cat.

  “Look, now we match,” I said as I held my cat next to Charley’s. “Can you do me a favor and hold it for me while I take some pictures.”

  “Sure I can!” she said excitedly.

  I brought my camera up and started taking pictures of Charley walking in front of us. I would call her name, and she would turn her head right before I pushed the button.

  “Why photography?” Luke curiously asked.

  “I love to capture people in a way you normally wouldn’t see them when they’re standing in front of you. Pictures capture true emotions. You know how people say that ‘a person’s eyes are the window into their soul’?”

  “Yeah,” he responded.

  “That’s how I feel about pictures. I feel photographs capture the true nature of a person at that moment. The people don’t just become images, they become stories. If you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I think I do.” Luke smiled as he looked at me.

  “I see the world differently through the lens of a camera.” I smiled.

  I felt comfortable talking to Luke. Too comfortable in fact, and it was scaring the shit out of me.

  9

  Charley wanted to go on
the Ferris wheel. In fact, she wanted all of us to go together. I hated Ferris wheels because I’m afraid of heights, and the thought of being stuck at the top scared the shit out of me.

  “Come on, Uncle Luke and Lily; let’s go on the Ferris wheel!” Charley squealed in excitement.

  “Ok, Charley, we’re coming.” Luke smiled as he tried to catch up with her.

  “You two, go ahead. I’ll watch from the sidelines.” I smiled.

  “You don’t like Ferris wheels, do you?” Luke asked with a small grin on his face.

  “No, I don’t. I’m scared of heights.”

  We got up to the gate, and Luke grabbed my hand. I looked at him as he smiled at me.

  “Luke, what are you doing?” I said in panicked tone as he pulled me through the gate.

  “Face your fears, Lily. It’s the only way you’ll get over them.”

  “Luke Matthews, I’m not getting on that Ferris wheel,” I said as I tried to loosen the tight grip he had on my hand.

  “Just like you weren’t getting on my bike?” he asked.

  He stopped pulling me, turned around, and our eyes met. “You’ll be safe; I promise.”

  Just like with the motorcycle, I trusted him. I took in a deep breath as the three of us climbed into the seat of the Ferris wheel.

  “Lily, since you’re scared, you can sit next to Uncle Luke,” Charley said.

  I sat in-between Luke and Charley. The ride started to move, and I gripped the bar so tight that my knuckles turned white. My heartbeat quickened as my panic grew, so I closed my eyes, wishing that the ride would end before it even began; then Luke took my hand.

  “Take slow, deep breaths, Lily,” he whispered as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

  The touch of his warm hand soothed me as my racing heart began to slow down, and a sense of calm slowly washed over me.

  “Now, open your eyes. You can get some great pictures,” he said.

  I slowly opened my eyes to see Charley was staring at me.

  “Are you ok, Lily?” she asked.

  “I’m fine, sweetie.”

  The time had come for the ride to end, and of course, we stopped at the top. I gasped. Luke looked over at me and smiled.

  “Look at the world through your camera lens,” he said. “It’ll calm you down.”

  I brought my camera up to my face and began taking pictures of the bright lights and the people down below. Luke was right. For a minute, I forgot we were stopped at the top because I was focused on getting the best pictures. Before I knew it, we were back on the bottom, and it was time to get off the ride. Luke took my hand and helped me out of the seat.

  “I’m hungry,” Charley announced.

  “Me too, peanut,” Luke said as he picked her up to give her a piggyback ride.

  Charley was giggling. I wanted to capture the sweetness and innocence of this moment, so I began snapping pictures of the two of them. We stopped at a stand where they sold burgers, hot dogs, and fries. Charley ate a hot dog, while Luke and I ate hamburgers. We were sitting down at the wooden table eating, when Luke and Charley started throwing French fries at each other and laughing.

  “You both need to stop.” I laughed at them.

  Luke picked up a fry, threw it at me, and smiled. I looked at him and smirked as I threw one back. After our food fight had ended, I glanced at my watch and saw that it was late, and Charley looked exhausted. Luke picked her up and carried her to the Jeep while I carried her oversized cat. He set her down and buckled her in. Being with him tonight and seeing him act the way he did with Charley told me he would be an amazing father. It’s just one more thing about him that seems to be making him perfect. We arrived back at the apartment building, and I held the door while Luke carried Charley into his bedroom and laid her in his bed. Luke walked out of the bedroom as I whispered good night to Charley. She opened her eyes and gently took my hand.

  “I haven’t seen Uncle Luke so happy in a long time,” she whispered.

  I smiled and kissed her gently on her forehead. “I had a great time too.”

  Sam and Gretchen were sitting on the couch, watching a movie when I walked back to the living room.

  “Hey, you guys, did you have fun?” Sam whispered as not to disturb Charley.

  “Yeah, we had a great time,” Luke said as he walked into the kitchen.

  “It was a lot of fun,” I agreed.

  Gretchen looked at me and winked. I rolled my eyes at her.

  “Call me tomorrow,” she whispered.

  I headed towards the door, and I heard Luke ask Sam to keep an eye on Charley while he walked me home.

  “One foot out the door, and I’m already home.” I laughed.

  “You can never be too careful in these parts.” He smiled.

  I inserted the key into the lock. “Would you like to come in for some adult drinks?” I asked.

  “You mean I can have something alcoholic?” he asked jokingly.

  I laughed and nodded my head. “Come on in and have a beer with me. I think, after tonight, we deserve one.”

  Luke followed me in as I walked to the refrigerator and grabbed two beers. After handing Luke a bottle and opening mine, I held my bottle up.

  “Here’s to a wonderful evening spent in good company and facing my fears of the Ferris wheel.”

  Luke threw his head back and laughed. “I’ll drink to that,” he said as our beer bottles came together. I was leaning against the refrigerator while he was leaning up against the counter across from me. It was one of those awkward moments when neither person is sure what to say next, so I just went for it.

  “Let’s go sit on the couch while we finish our beer.”

  “Um, ok,” Luke said as he followed behind me.

  I sat with my back against the arm of the couch so that I was facing him. I brought my leg up and tucked it underneath me. Suddenly, I had felt the urge to pee, so I got up from the couch.

  “I’ll be right back.” I smiled.

  Luke smiled back and took another drink of his beer. When I walked back into the living room a few minutes later, I saw him standing in front of my guitar.

  “Hey,” I said as I put my hands in my pocket. I knew he was going to figure it out soon— if he hadn’t already.

  “This guitar of yours; there was only one made in the whole world, and it belonged to Johnny Gil—” He stopped before he could get my last name out. After pausing for a moment, he continued. “The guitar was handmade by an old man who lived in a small village in Southeast Asia. It was most known for the initials, L.G., that was engraved into the frets. No one could figure out what it stood for.”

  He turned around and looked at me. The expression on his face was pure shock. “The initials stand for Lily Gilmore, don’t they?” he asked.

  I took in a deep breath. “Yes, the initials are mine. He had that guitar made one week after I was born,” I said as tears started to fill my eyes. I quickly looked up at the ceiling. There was no way I was going to let Luke see me cry.

  “Wow, I had no idea that you’re the daughter of Johnny Gilmore. He’s a legend.” He smiled. “The way he merged the sounds of the late 70’s and early 80’s was amazing. He’s a musical genius. He created a sound that no one could duplicate, and everyone said it was because of this guitar.”

  I was getting pissed off with the way he idolized my father. He may have been a musical genius, but nobody knew the way he lived his life like I did. Luke’s phone went off, so he pulled it from his pocket and then looked up at me.

  “I have to go. Sam and Gretchen are leaving, and I need to get back to Charley. Thanks for the beer,” he said as he headed towards the door. He stopped as he put his hand on the knob and looked at me. “Come to the beach with us tomorrow.”

  I didn’t know what to say at that point. Did I want to go? Was he only asking me because now he knows who my father is? Are we really friends? I started to question everything about our time spent together, and he put me on the spot.

  “Su
re, I’ll go. It sounds like fun.”

  “Great. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He smiled.

  After locking the door behind him, I pressed my forehead against it, immediately regretting my decision. I can’t let this happen again.

  10

  Luke

  Charley was sleeping peacefully as I carefully opened the door and peeked into the room. Closing the door as silently as I could, I grabbed a pillow and a blanket from the hall closet, set them on the couch, sat down, and ran my hands through my hair. I couldn’t believe that Lily was Johnny Gilmore’s daughter. I remembered her father having passed away about two years ago, but I didn’t recall hearing anything about her mother or sister, so I decided to get up and bring my laptop back to the couch. I did some online searching, and because her parents were divorced for the past ten years, I couldn’t find anything on them until an article popped up that caught my attention. The headline read: ‘80’s Musical Legend’s Daughter Calls off Wedding’. I clicked on the headline to bring up the article.

  “Lily Gilmore, daughter of 80’s musical legend, Johnny Gilmore, calls off wedding after she caught her fiancé having relations with her sister, in the church, on their wedding day. Sources say Miss Gilmore caused quite a scene outside the church, climbed into a limousine and then hasn’t been seen since...”

  I looked at the date of the article, and it was dated a little over a year ago. At that moment, it had occurred to me that she lied to me about her family. The only person in her family that had passed away was her father, whereas her mother and sister were still alive. I set my laptop on the coffee table and laid myself down on the couch with my hands behind my head. Why would she lie to me? I couldn’t understand her motive, and I was pissed. There’s one thing in my life that I hated most and will not tolerate—people who lie.

  ***

  I awoke to the feeling of tapping on my shoulder. I opened one eye and saw Charley standing over me, smiling.

  “Wake up; I’m hungry,” she said.

  “Ok, ok, I’m getting up.”

  I sat up on the couch and rubbed my eyes. “What time is it, Charley?”

  She looked at the clock in the kitchen. “It’s seven o’clock.”