Be My Anchor

Chapter Nineteen

I was stuck in a closet with my boyfriend.

And my little brother.

I groaned before turning on my heel to face Luke. "I told you to stay put and now look what you've done!" I threw my hands up in agitation. "This is why you need to learn to listen to people!"

If he hadn't followed me, the door wouldn't have gotten locked.

Luke clenched his jaw and glared at me. "You're one to talk. When do you ever listen to Mom and Dad?" I opened my mouth to counter, but he cut me off. "I just wanted to hang out with you. You left me all alone." He dropped his voice to a whisper and his eyes to the ground. "Sorry if I just miss my sister sometimes."

The argument vanished from my mouth. I definitely shouldn't have left him alone like that. My stomach turned with guilt.

"Luke," I started, "I didn't realize-"

"Yeah, that's your problem isn't it?" he retorted hotly. "You don't think about me. You don't care about me. You hate me!"

"I don't hate you!" I said, taken aback. I caught a glimpse of tears brimming his eyes before he turned to face away from me. "Luke-"

"I don't want to talk to you," he said, plopping down on an upside-down bucket, careful to keep his back to me.

"Good one," muttered Gabe.

I shot him a lethal glare and he put his hands up in mock surrender.

I knelt next to Luke, determined to make amends for my mistakes. I'd made so many lately. "I'm sorry, okay? I do care about you and I should've made more of an effort to spend time with you."

He didn't budge.

"I was being selfish," I added, "and a bad sister. We can do anything you want once we get out of here." Still, Luke was silent. "Come on, how about mini-golf? You love mini-golf."

Both to my surprise and chagrin, Luke scoffed in disgust. "Ew, no! That's where you kissed Tristan."

Where I...WHAT?

I blinked at him in disbelief, wondering if I heard him correctly. Behind me, Gabe made a choking sound.

I smacked Luke on the shoulder. "I did not kiss Tristan!" I looked back at Gabe whose eyes were now bugging out of his head. "I did not kiss Tristan," I repeated for his sake. He had a pained look on his face.

Luke persisted, turning his head to look me in the eye. "Yes, you did. Tristan told Davis, and Davis told me that you kissed...for like, multiple minutes."

I gaped at him. Multiple minutes?

I wanted to deny that Tristan and I ever made out, but I was so confused that all I could do was stare at him incredulously.

Why would Tristan tell Davis that?

"So, it's true?" exclaimed Gabe with wild eyes, grasping at answers from my silence. "When did this happen? Is that why he thought he had a chance? I thought the guy was just an idiot!"

"No- what? We didn't kiss!" I stood up and maintained eye contact with Gabe so he knew I wasn't lying. "I did not make out with Tristan. I don't know why he would tell Davis that."

His expression softened, but the concern didn't leave his face.

"So, he's spreading rumors about you now?"

I started pacing the short length of the closet, running a hand over my face, and muttering, "Jerk. If he's trying to brag, why would he tell Davis? Out of everyone. I highly doubt Davis cares."