The Friend Zone

Chapter Fifteen: Margarita's By The Bay.

The next few days are made bearable by Luke's presence, his mom, the famous Mrs. Whiteman, and his father Mr. Whiteman, spend a considerable amount of time with my parents, talking about what old people talk about, his teenage brother, who's 13 years old, hangs around the pool, doing what Luke informs me "COWF"ing with girls, Checking out, whistling and flirting with older girls, which is creepy but cute at the same time, at least I thought he was cute, until he yelled at a girl something like "Damn girl, you got bread for those buns?"

And then it was just creepy.

Luke covered his face with his palms and said "I don't know him." Which of course made me laugh, and when his brother made another comment about another girl's booty, Luke and I decided it was time to leave.

With no place to go, Luke picked up a map, from the hotel's gift store, and we decided to take our own tour around town, starting with a small hole in the wall restaurant, that sat by the ocean, it wasn't very popular with tourists, but we didn't want that.

So, in my flip-flops and jeans shorts and "Show girl" shirt, and look, in his sandals, swim trunks and dark blue t-shirt, we walked all the way to the restaurant.

It was small, and just as I expected, beautiful, we sat on a table in the back and ordered too margaritas, and because we were under age and didn't look a year above twenty, they were un-alcoholic, not that I minded.

"So, after I find out that she's been sleeping with my best friend, I confront her, and she says that she still wants to be with me, and he was just a lay, nothing else."

"But you break up with her don't you?"

"I break up with her."

"You go, man." I high-five Luke.

"So, what about you?" Luke says between sips of his drink "What tales of misfortune does heartache brings you?"

Should I tell Luke? I have only met him for a short time, but I feel like I can trust him, like we connected, so I tell him.

"I was in love with my best friend, till am, in fact, and when he finds out he tells me he doesn't feel the same way, and that's about it."

"Ouch," Luke says "That's it? There gotta be more to the story than that?"

"No that's pretty much it."

"Well, if the dude doesn't realize what a gem you are it's his own loss, and what do you know, one man's junk is another man's treasure."

I blush, I don't know if it's because of what's he's saying or because of the intense way he's looking, his clear blue gaze fixed on mine, so I just clear my voice and say "Are you calling me junk, Mr. Whiteman?"

Luke grins "I've said nothing of that sort."

We go out a couple more times, sometimes swimming, sometimes just walking, and we even go scuba diving one time, and it's beautiful, but at the same time scary as hell, and I realize something, a secret, that when I'm with Luke, I stop thinking about Sam, and my heart starts beat again, and I feel alive, young, and free.

And then something unexpected happens.

It was the end of our second week in the Bahamas, seventeen weeks since heart-break, and Luke and I were talking one of our usual walks by the ocean, the sand was soft beneath my feet, and the moon was illuminating our way, and Luke was telling me about his first girlfriend.

"I was twelve I think, and my hormones where just kicking in, and we were just discovering girls, you know, and I swear, at that time, if a girl talks to you, you're a cool dude, and if a pretty girl talks to you, you're freaking cool, and if you had a girlfriend you were a god, so back then I was gangly and thin, and just, ugh, I shudder at how I looked."

"Well you defineatly cleaned up now." I say jokingly, but Luke gazes deep into my eyes and I blush and look away.

"And I was dared to ask this hottie, Jessica Monroe, to Quinn Thompsons birthday party, and of course we all expect her to say no, so we're really surprised when she says, and I swear, I was the happiest kid in the world, until she dumped me two days later, said she met someone else."

"Oh, poor twelve years old you, must have had your heart broken."

"I really did," he laughs "It still hurts to this very day."

"How can I make it better?" I tease.

"Maybe you can kiss the pain away?" he pleads, making those impossible puppy eyes at me.

I laugh and smack his shoulder "You wish."

Then his face becomes really serious. "I do."

I frown at him "Luke, why are you looking at me funn_"

And that's when Luke kisses me.