Strangers To Lovers

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I yelled out, "Troy!" as I saw my brother hurling his hands in the air and diving at Luke. It happened so quickly. Given that it was Troy, it was only natural for me to anticipate a scene like this. My heart dropped as I watched the collision about to happen. Luke, calm but swift, twisted Troy’s arms behind his back in one fluid motion. I blinked, shocked by how quickly things escalated.

“Let him go!” I screamed, rushing toward them. I knew Luke wasn’t trying to hurt Troy, but the sight of them grappling was jarring. I grabbed Luke’s shoulders, tugging him backward. "Luke, stop! Please!"

Troy grunted in pain but refused to back down. "So, you’re the guy then, huh?" he spat, his voice full of contempt. His eyes burned with fury, the protective older brother in him coming to the surface.

Luke’s brow furrowed in confusion as he slowly loosened his grip on Troy. "Sorry?" he asked, clearly taken aback by Troy’s aggression.

Troy snapped his arms free, rolling his shoulders. "Sorry? You think you can just waltz in and play house with my sister, huh?" He balled his fists, stepping toward Luke again. I placed myself between them, my heart hammering in my chest.

"Troy, stop it! Please, this isn’t what it looks like," I pleaded, feeling the tension coil tighter around us.

Dylan, who had been watching from the sidelines, let out a low chuckle, clearly amused by the drama unfolding. "Ella, it looks like you’ve got a real soap opera going on here," he commented, shaking his head. "Two men fighting over you—it’s like the climax of some cheesy romance novel."

I shot him a look that could’ve melted steel. "Not. Helping," I grumbled through gritted teeth, trying to keep my focus on Troy and Luke.

Troy wasn’t backing down, though. "What’s the deal, huh?" he demanded, glaring at Luke. "You think you can just give my sister a place to crash and everything’s cool?"

"Yes, actually," Luke said, his voice calm but firm. "I’m helping her out. There’s nothing more to it than that."

Troy snorted, clearly unimpressed. "Yeah, right. Guys like you don’t do things out of the goodness of their hearts." He turned to me, his eyes softening just a bit. "Why didn’t you tell me you were staying here? You should’ve come to me."

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "I tried, Troy, but you weren’t exactly reachable at the time," I said, referencing his time behind bars without directly saying it. "And Luke’s been nothing but kind to me."

"Kind," Troy echoed, his lips curling into a sneer as he eyed Luke again. "Is that what you call it?"

Luke held his ground, his gaze steady. "Yes, that’s exactly what I call it."

Before Troy could respond, Donna stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm. "Troy, relax. Luke’s been taking good care of Ella, and from what I’ve seen, he’s a good guy. You don’t need to go all protective big brother on him."

Troy looked down at Donna, his expression softening just a bit. "Donna, you don’t understand. It’s my job to protect her."

"I get it," Donna replied, her voice gentle but firm. "But sometimes, protecting someone means trusting the people they trust."

Troy’s gaze flicked back to me, his shoulders finally relaxing. "I just— I don’t want anything happening to you, Ella. You’re my little sister. It’s my job to make sure no one hurts you."

I stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. "I know, Troy. But I’m okay. Luke’s not the enemy here."

Troy grumbled something under his breath, but he didn’t make another move toward Luke. Instead, he turned to Dylan, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "And who the hell are you?" he demanded.

Dylan grinned, completely unfazed by Troy’s hostility. "I’m Dylan, just a friend helping Ella out."

Troy raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Just a friend, huh? You don’t look like ‘just a friend’ type of guy."

Dylan laughed, shaking his head. "Trust me, man. I’m not interested in your sister like that. I’m just making sure she’s got a safe place to stay until she finds her own."

Troy looked between Dylan and me, his jaw working as he processed this new information. Finally, he let out a long sigh, the fight draining out of him. "Alright. I guess I’ll let it go for now."

"Thanks," I muttered, relief flooding through me. "I promise, everything’s fine."

Troy crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes flicking back to Luke. "But I’m keeping an eye on you," he warned.

Luke nodded, unbothered by the threat. "Fair enough."

Donna, sensing the tension had finally dissipated, stepped forward with a bright smile. "So, now that we’re done with all the testosterone-fueled drama, how about we grab something to eat? I’m starving."

Troy’s face lit up at the mention of food. "I could eat."

Dylan clapped Troy on the back, grinning. "You’re going to love the diner down the street. Best burgers in town."

Troy shot him a sideways glance. "We’ll see about that."

As the group began to relax, I noticed Luke hanging back, watching the scene with quiet amusement. I made my way over to him, nudging him with my shoulder. "You okay?" I asked softly.

He glanced down at me, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I’m fine. Your brother’s... intense."

I let out a laugh, the tension finally lifting. "Yeah, he can be. Sorry about that."

Luke shook his head. "No need to apologize. I get it. If I had a sister, I’d probably act the same way."

I smiled up at him, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks for not fighting him."

Luke chuckled. "I wasn’t about to start a brawl in a coffee shop."

"Well, I appreciate it," I said, my smile growing wider. "And hey, now that we’ve survived my brother, what’s next on the agenda?"

Luke’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "How about a quiet walk? Just the two of us?"

I grinned, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. "That sounds perfect."

As we made our way toward the door, I glanced back at Troy, who was already deep in conversation with Dylan and Donna. He caught my eye and gave me a nod, as if to say, I’m watching you, but I trust you. It was the best I could hope for right now.

Luke held the door open for me, and as we stepped out into the cool evening air, I couldn’t help but feel like things were finally falling into place. Sure, there was still a lot to figure out, but for the first time in a long time, I felt like everything was going to be okay.

We walked side by side, our hands brushing against each other. After everything that had happened, this quiet moment felt like a gift. I glanced over at Luke, his face bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights, and I realized just how much I cared about him. More than I’d even admitted to myself.

"Hey, Luke," I said, my voice soft as I looked up at him.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For everything."

He smiled down at me, and for a moment, I forgot about all the chaos in our lives. "You’re welcome, Ella."

And just like that, in the quiet of the night, with the city humming around us, I felt the weight of everything lift. Things were complicated, but right now, in this moment, everything was exactly as it should be.