Clueless.

I was entirely undoubtedly clueless. It was apparent to everyone else that Beckett had feelings for me, but not to me. When I had told Blaire and Himari about his confession and how taken off guard I was, they erupted into uncontrollable laughter.

My main question was why would he like me. I couldn't understand it. He was good looking and on my best day, I considered my outer look decent.

It had been a few days since his confession. He acted normally around me but I could feel the elephant in the room. I knew I couldn't avoid the subject matter forever. He would soon need an answer.

I didn't know what I felt. Sometimes I felt like I could go through with it. That I could just give him that chance but at the same time, I was anxious. I didn't want to risk my heart.

"Liz," Himari called and I looked up at her from staring blankly at the kitchen sliding door.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?" She asked and I nodded. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."

"She's been sulking ever since Beckett confessed his undying love," Blaire said, putting spices into a pot. She was making pasta.

"I have not been sulking," I stifled a yawn. "He's my friend. I should think about this carefully before jumping into something we'd both regret."

"I think you overthinking everything. You and Beckett spend every day together. It's like you already dating him," Blaire shrugged.

"Well she does have a point," Himari chimed.

"And as for you," Blaire said to Himari and Himari smiled.

"Me," she said holding a hand to her chest.

"Yes, you. Are you ever going to tell us what happened between you and Percy that night?"

"There is nothing to tell," Himari shrugged. Himari never engaged in girly gossip or spoke about her feelings. She would occasionally tease me about Beckett but that was it. She wasn't one to pry the answer out of someone.

"Wassup ladies," Callum greeted cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen with Beckett by his side. "My lady," he said, walking over to Blaire and giving her a peck on the cheek causing her to giggle.

Beckett's eyes landed on me and I felt my temperature go up as soon as our eyes locked. Beckett being around me all the time wasn't going to allow me to think clearly. I stood up and went to the sliding door. I pulled it open and stepped out into the back yard. There was a large lemon tree in the corner of the yard.

Well, life gave me lemons. It gave me lemons even when I minded my own business. Just once could it throw me a pineapple.

I sat down under the tree resting my back against it. The tree rustled due to the wind and a few leaves fell. The sun peeked through the branches of the tree as the cold gusts of wind had my hair blowing in every direction.

The sound of the sliding door opening got me to look up and see Beckett. He put his hands in his pocket as he walked over to me and sat in front of me cross-legged. "Hey," he started and I looked up at him. "I didn't mean to put pressure on you or ruin our friendship," he confessed, the usual light that used to light up his eyes were dimmed. His eyes looked tired and I immediately knew that the stress of our situation was weighing down on him too.

I felt horrible that I couldn't come to a conclusion on our relationship. "I'm just confused. My brain keeps going in circles about us," I admitted, bringing my knees closer to my body.

He sighed. "I understand. I want you to know that I thought this through before coming clean Liz. I needed to make sure that I cared about you first and that it wasn't just infatuation, and I want you to do the same," he said, releasing a shaky breath and running a hand through his hair. "That's why I think it would be best if you gave me an answer after your trip to England."

My eyes widened. "You prepared to wait that long for an answer?" I gawked and he smiled.

"Yeah. I mean see what life would feel like without me around all the time or if you find yourself missing me or my voice." He stood up and offered me a hand to help me up. I clasped his outstretched hand and he pulled me up. He put his arm around my shoulders as we walked back into the house.

************
The day had come for me to leave for England. I was excited yet anxious. That particular feeling was one that constantly stuck with me. It was the theme of my life. It was like having two minds all the time.

I pondered over my opened suitcase as I went through all my belongings. When it came to packing for vacations I tended to over pack in the case of emergencies. You could never have too many clean clothes.

The problem only arose when I couldn't zip the bag up. I sighed. In my head, I needed everything in that bag. The possibility of leaving something behind and regretting while I was in England was a chance I didn't want to take.

I grunted as I jumped on top of my bag elbow first, trying to zip it up.

Come on just close this one time.

The zip refused to budge and I let out a heavy breath as I fought with it. "Come on," I growled as I struggled.

"What on earth are you doing princess?" Luca's humor-filled voice came from my doorway. The sound of his voice surprised me, leaving the tiny hairs on my body to stand. I looked up to see him dressed in black track pants and a red hoodie that had the words 'Liverpool' sprawled on it.

I composed myself before he thought I looked happy to see him. "Trying to catch a fairy Hendricks. What do you think I'm doing?" I hadn't seen Luca in two weeks but he always messaged or called me. I knew he volunteered at the hospital in his free time so he was always busy.

His hair was slightly longer and he had a slight beard on his face. "Well, you doing it wrong love. Sit," he instructed, I did as he said and sat on the suitcase. He came over and zipped it up with ease. "You do realize I never asked you to move to England but just accompany me for a few weeks." Humor lit up his forest green eyes as he spoke.

I rolled my eyes at him. "How did you even get in here. Who let you into the house?" I asked as I got back onto my feet.

"The violent girl with the pretty dark hair. I kind of like her. Well if you all done can we leave?" He picked up my suitcase from the bed and stumbled back a bit. "Bloody hell. You really did pack the entire wardrobe." I kind of missed the sarcastic Jack ass but I would never admit it to him. "You don't look like my grandmother today," he attempted to compliment, while his eyes looked me up and down. "Well done princess."

I wish I could have said I looked the way I did on my own accord but I asked Blaire to find something for me to wear. She also took the liberty of doing my hair and makeup as well. She paired a black polar neck top with black tights and boots. She straightened my hair and added just a little makeup to my face.

Slight knocking came on my door and I looked to see Beckett leaning against my door frame. He was looking between me and Luca. "I'll take this down to the car," Luca gestured to my bag, prodding out of my room with it.

"You look beautiful," Beckett complimented and I smiled.

Giving someone a compliment without an underlying insult wasn't that hard but I knew Luca would act like he was being force-fed poison to say something nice to me.

Beckett came over to me. Something distant in his eyes as he looked down at me. He engulfed me in a hug and I wrapped my arms around him breathing in his scent. I'd miss him and maybe the distance would help me reach a conclusion about our relationship.

"Promise me that you'll at least answer my calls," he said into my hair and I could feel the smile on his lips.

"All of them?" I joked and he looked directly into my eyes as he smiled. "I promise."

The sound of ferocious sobbing coming from my doorway got us to release each other immediately. "You guys," Callum sniffled. "I just can't. You two are going to make me cry," he said, fanning his face with his hand.

"Urgh," Beckett groaned. "Such a drama queen brother. That's why you the daughter mom never had."

Callum glared at his brother. "I'm not the one that put on mom's shoes to go help her get the groceries from the car brother," he defended.

Beckett tinged red. "It was one time."

Callum shook his head. A smirk on his face. "No it wasn't," he laughed. "Anyway, I was sent to fetch the fetching Elizabeth," Callum said in a fake English accent.

My eyes searched the room to make sure I didn't forget anything. Once I was sure I walked out of my room with both boys and closed the door behind myself.

Blaire, Himari, and Luca were waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me. As I walked down the stairs Himari grabbed me pulling me into a comforting hug. It was the first hug she ever gave me. Soon Blaire joined in, hugging me from behind and squeezing the life out of me.

"I'm going to miss you guys," I said, stepping out of their embrace.

I moved to walk out the door and Beckett held Luca back. "Take care of her," he said in a threatening tone of voice and Luca shrugged his hand off.

Something I wanted to describe as evil lit up his eyes as a devilish smirk etched its way onto Luca's face. "She's a big girl Beckett," he started menacingly. "But if she has trouble sleeping at night. She'll know where to find me."

Callum put his hand on Beckett's shoulder pulling him back and I pulled on the fabric of Luca's hoodie. He knew what he was doing. He knew that Beckett liked me and he was just being a jerk by trying to make Beckett believe that something like that would ever happen. But it would never because he was the most annoying person I've ever met and he had a girlfriend.

"I'll see you guys in a few weeks," I said to all of them and they all chimed in response a goodbye, except for Beckett who offered a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

I walked over to Luca's car with a heavy heart. Everyone was going home for winter break to be with their families. I felt guilty for not going home to be with mine. Percy had asked me if I'd be coming home and I told him the same lie I told my mother.

"Will your family be meeting us at the airport?" I asked Luca and he shook his head.

"No, they left yesterday princess."

He opened the car door for me to get in. I got into the car and he closed the door after me. I reached for my seatbelt. "Hello there," someone said and I jumped, hitting my head on the car's roof.

Luca got into the car. "What was that?" He asked.

"I frightened her," I tinged red from embarrassment as I stared at James through the car's review mirror. "I'm sorry Liz," he apologized and I smiled.

"It's okay."

Luca examined the roof of his car. "Are you okay baby," he said touching the roof and my mouth fell open at his audacity. "Did her hard head dent you?" He continued as I stared a hole through his head.

Throughout his dramatics James watched him. Somehow James caught Luca's eye and Luca's stance changed. He cleared his throat. "I'm just kidding. Are you okay my love?" Luca asked reaching over the seat. He grabbed onto my face and kissed me on the top of my head. I had to resist the urge to scream at him or swat him away.

I wanted to put his head through the windscreen but I smiled instead. My face contorting into what I could only imagine as a fake smile.

"Thanks my ..." I searched my brain for something loving to call him. "Muffin man." James sniggered from behind me and Luca grunted as he looked at me in disbelief.

He started up his car. His mouth in a thin line. "The fucking muffin man," he said under his breath and I turned away from him so I could hide the smirk on my face.

"Do you know the muffin man?" James laughed and I clutched my stomach as I laughed hard. Luca glared at both of us causing us to go silent immediately.

Terms of endearment were something I had trouble with. They all felt so cheesy. Baby, pooky, cupcake. I bit my bottom lip trying to hide my smirk as Luca continued to glare at me. I averted my eyes from him and he turned on the radio. I looked outside at the mid-day light grey sky. Tiny droplets of rain soon started to decorate the car window making it hard to see outside.

It took Luca thirty minutes to get to the airport with all of the traffic. We were cutting it close for time. Luca had sped into the airport parking lot. He looked for a spot and parked the car.

Both men got out of the car in a hurry and rushed to the trunk to get the bags. The sky was a dreary grey, cluttered with clouds and the rain had stopped. When I walked up to both men, I noticed James was carrying two bags and Luca had a roller bag and duffle bag in his hands. "It's fine I'll carry it," I said to James, and he shook his head.

"It's my job, Miss, besides even if it wasn't I would never allow a lady carry her own luggage," He smiled walking ahead of us.

When I was sure James wouldn't be able to overhear our conversation. I turned to Luca. "What does he mean by it's his job?" I asked.

"Well, I guess I never told you this," Luca trailed looking kind of embarrassed. "When I moved here. Harry insisted his bodyguard come with me to keep an eye on things." He took in the appalled look on my face and sighed. "Don't look at me like that princess. I told him he doesn't need to wait on me and hand and foot but he is persistent."

Luca took my hand suddenly, entwining our fingers. "What are you doing?" I asked, holding up our hands.

"Pretending that we in love princess. Don't flatter yourself. I'd rather chew my hand off than hold your hand for any other intention." I began squeezing his hand and he bit his bottom lip.

"Oh my love you say the sweetest things," sarcasm dripped from my words and Luca flashed me a fake smile, showing me his rows of teeth as his eyes widened like a lunatic. I burst out into laughter. He looked like he escaped a mental asylum.

We walked into the busy airport. Security guards were walking around with their dogs on leashes. The floors felt slippery under my feet. Maybe I should have worn my sneakers instead.

Luca left my hand and went to check the details of our flight. I looked around the clean airport at all the excited people getting ready to go to their desired destinations. "How is your head feeling Miss. Elizabeth?" James asked from next to me.

"Please James don't refer to me as Miss. I prefer just Liz."

"Force of habit, just Liz," he said with a smile on his face. James seemed like a cool guy. He was funny and the first time we met at the restaurant he was nice to me.

I smiled back at him. "And you also don't need to carry my bags and stuff. I would be more comfortable doing things for myself."

He sighed. "Well you just like your boyfriend there," he chuckled, gesturing with his head to where Luca was standing. "I honestly get paid to do nothing because Luca refuses to let me do anything for him. I'm practically just paid to be his best friend." I laughed at that when I saw the smile on his face. I looked at Luca who was glaring at the guy taking his time to sort out the ticket details. "I know he seems rough around the edges but Luca has a good heart."

Luca walked back to us and James and I stopped talking. "Everything is in order," he said and then looked between me and James. "What were you guys talking about?" he asked rubbing his hands together before moving to pick up the bags.

"Liz and I were talking about England," James said.

"Oh, she's Liz now. You two got so close in what five minutes," Luca exaggerated and I rolled my eyes.

"Jealousy isn't a good color on you," James chuckled.

"I'm not jealous," Luca defended. "You ready," he asked me and I looked at the security we had to go through to board the plane.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said. We walked through security and I went through first. Putting my cellphone and other belongings into a tray. I walked through the square-shaped detectors and was clear. I collected my things. James went after me and was cleared as well. Luca was next and he left his cell phone and car keys in the tray. He was soon cleared and then we were sent to board the plane.

We walked through the tunnel to board the plane and Luca motioned for me to take my seat next to the window. He sat next to me and James sat next to the aisle.

I got comfortable in my seat. I was nervous. I let out a shaky breath as the plane began to move. One... two.... three. Luca squeezed my hand gently a small smile forming on his face. "I just wanted to say thank you for doing this princess. I know it's not easy." He let go of my hand and I offered him a small smile.

A few hours passed on the plane.

Luca was reading a book and so was I.
I could feel him peeping at me, but every time I peeped back at him to see if he was looking at me he was looking at his book. James was peacefully asleep with a headset on and an eye mask over his eyes.

I looked outside the window momentarily. A tingling sensation started to happen to my hands and feet as I looked at how far up the plane was from the ground.

I looked at Luca over my book. I was getting bored. I hated long flights. If it was possible to drive to England I would have suggested it instead. You can't get to see new towns and places on airplanes. The journey is the best part of the vacation for me.

"Take a picture princess. It's not every day you get to see the epitome of handsome," he said, while not taking his eyes off his book and I realized I was staring at him while I was daydreaming.

"I was just shocked that's all," I said and he looked up at me this time. "I didn't know that you could read."

He smiled darkly, releasing a chuckle. "Okay, we can't do this when we in front of everyone. We need to pretend that we at least like each other," he said closing up his book.

"Easier said than done," I muttered.

"Alright princess how about we list five nice things about each other to break the ice. Like a positivity exercise."

I groaned. "Aren't you optimistic you actually think I have something nice to say about you?"

He cleared his throat, shrugging off my insult and visibly relaxing. "I like your hair," he started and I sighed.

"Fine I'll play along," I mumbled closing up my book instead of saying what I wanted to say, which was:

'I rather jump out this moving plane and hurdle to the earth like a meteorite.'

He smiled at me as my eyes raked over him searching for compliments.
I did have a lot of nice things to say about him, but I knew if I was honest it would just go to his big head. "I like your pants," I said stupidly and he laughed.

"You such a pervert princess," he smirked and my jaw fell open. "Now I have to sleep with my door locked or you might come into my room just to look at my pants."I rolled my eyes and he chuckled. "I like your smile. It's bright and contagious."

I looked at him in astonishment. He was really taking this seriously. I sighed. "I like the fact that you're caring," I admitted.

"And handsome," he added.

"Though you hide behind your snarky remarks. I see right through you Hendricks. You a good guy that cares about the people around him."

He looked at me searching my face. A small smile formed on his face. A smile I've never seen before. It was genuine and humble instead of the normal cocky smirk he always flashed.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I can't think of anything else to say. Good exercise," he said and turned back to his book.

He nestled into his seat, resting his head back as he began to read again. I turned away from him and closed my eyes, allowing myself to fall into a deep sleep.

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