The Friend Zone

Chapter Sixteen: The After-math

It feels good.
That's my first thought.
It feels good, and then I realize that I'm kissing him back, and I'm not thinking of Sam, but then again why should I think of Sam? he doesn't love me, so my lips melt under the weight of Luke's soft lips, and his tongue licks at my lips until the part and gently he thrusts his tongue inside my mouth, and inter-wines it with my tongue, and then the shock kicks in.
I'm kissing Luke, I'm kissing Luke, and I'm liking it.
I push him away.
"Leah, I'm sorry, I really am, I got carried away, and I'm sorry."
I stay silent, my index finger gently traces my swollen lips.
"Leah, please say something." Luke pleads.
"That was my first real kiss." I say.
"I find it hard to believe that you've never been kissed before especially with how we were kis_"
"No, I have been kissed before, but I've never put myself into it, until now."
"Okay." Luke says.
"My first real kiss was supposed to belong to Sam, but you stole it away."
"Leah, I'm really sorry_"
"No Luke." I put two fingers on his lips to shush him. "It was okay, really, I liked it, don't apologize."
"Then why are you_"
"Right now, I'm just confused."
"Why are you confused?"
"Because I'm supposed to be in love with Sam, and I can't like you while being in love with him."
"So you like me?" Luke grins "I like you too."
"I_ Luke, I...I'm not sure what you want from me..." I begin.
"What I want from you?" Luke smiles, his smile is warm and sweet and such a contrast to the cold breeze od the ocean "Leah, isn't that clear? You're beautiful, and you're funny, and you're really easy to talk to, and I like you, don't you know what I want from you?" he's smiling, but his eyes are serious, and me? I'm so confused, I don't know what to say, Luke likes me, and I like him, but I love Sam...and Sam doesn't love you, a sneaky voice in the back of my head says, but it doesn't stop me from loving him.
"Luke, I'm just_"
"Don't you say confused." he gives me a grin, and my heart swells up, and it feels like it can't fit my chest, and I'm suffocating and I need to...I need to...
"I need to think." I say and then I walk away leaving Luke standing behind me with a little peice of my heart.

I avoided Luke as much as I could the next few days, which was extremely difficult considering the fact that our parents were adment we hang out together, Luke understood me, and gave me the distance I appreciated, a fact that made me like him even more.
My heart was into two, I was on pain over Sam's regection, but I also wanted to reach out and give Luke a new chance, so I listed all the good qualities about him.
First of all he was all out sexy, his broad shoulders, his dreamy eyes, his thick dark hair, he was so like Sam in many ways, and so unlike him in others.
He was sweet, very, and that cheeky smile he sometimes gave made my heart race, he was a good listener, and he could make me laugh too.
My cell-phone rang, and in excitement I pick it up "Jas!" I squeal without looking at the screen.
"Leah! Baby! How's Bahama's is it as awesome as I thought it would be?"
"It is, and some very intresting things been going on, but forget about that, are you having fun?"
Jasmine stays silent for a while before she says "Yeah I'm, and don't think you can throw me off, what things?"
I sigh "Jasmine, how can I throw you off? You're too smart." I say sarcastically.
"Look man, this call isn't for free, so get to the juicy parts." she says with annoyance.
"Is that Leah? tell her I say hi." I hear a gruff voice saying the background.
"Okay, don't distract me, Eric says hi by the way, now spill."
Biting back a sigh, I tell Jasmine about the last few days, about Luke, and finally about the kiss.
"So...what are you gonna do?" Jasmine says quietly.
"I don't know, I've been burned, and I don't think I'm ready for anything new."
 "I'll give you the only peice of advice I know, the only way to get over a man_"
"Is to get under another." I interupt her with disdain.
"No, actually I was going to say is to read a good book, but suit yourself." she says before hanging up.
Sometimes talking with Jasmine leaves me even more confused.
The next day my parents announce they're about to leave, somewhere they can drag me along with, my thoughts ran along the synonoms of elderly strip bar, and I was thankful I had the time for myself, they also said they were going with Luke's parents, and if I didn't want to be all by myself I may as well go hang out with the brothers.
Right now, the idea of hanging out with Luke's 13 years old, horny as hell brother was more appealing than hanging around the guy himself, which was saying alot.
I was already very confused and I didn't Luke to stun me with his muscles and smiles and sway my decision, but the choice wasn't really mine, when mom dragged me along to the swimming pool were the brother resided, they exchanged greetings with the Whiteman before, waving at us and leaving together.
I was at an uncomfortable position, and from the grimace on Luke's face I could tell he wasn't too cozy himself.
I knew he got the message when I started avoiding him after the kiss, and even if I didn't he came up to me right now to tell me so "Leah, I like you, but I'm sorry I pushed you like that, I shouldn't have kissed you and_"
"It's okay Luke, really, I'm just confused."
Luke let out a small smile, it teased the edges of his lips and warmed my heart "So...there's still hope?"
I gave him a small smile "I don't know, maybe."
"Then I'll keep trying."
I let out a sigh, but remained silent.
"I'll give you space, so you can think." Luke says before stepping back a couple of inches.
"Is this enough?" He calls out, making me laugh.
"No? need more?" he steps back some more un-aware of the pool behind me, and before I can react Luke plops into the pool jerking me into action, I have taken some life guarding lessons and I know how to react in such a situation, while his brother was laughing, I jump into the pool after Luke, to see my efforts gone to waste when Luke emerges from the water solely.
Soaked and wet, I stare at Luke, at his beautiful face, at his blue intense eyes, and the chill they give me when they look at me like that, like I'm the only girl in the world.
"Are you okay?" he asks me, laughing.
I nod my head as sudden comprehension fills me, the way he laughs, it's not like Sam's but it fills me with warmth, and that's enough, but am I ready to give up hope of Sam?
"You're sexy as hell." he grinned at the compliment "why you bother with me I don't know."
Luke rested his hand on my shoulder and looked deep in to my eyes, now all serious "Because you're worth it."
And that's what tips the scale.