Play The Part (Player Next Door Book 3)

06 | Valient Effort

I've missed writing chapters like these.  So happy for us all to be back <3

Chapter 06: Valient Effort

Luke stared us down in the driver's seat of his black jeep wrangler.

"You're both looking at me like I'm prey."

"We're not," I insisted, "We love you and we're asking you to do us a small favor."

"Tiny really," Austin commented, his head sticking in between the two front seats.

I love nothing more than these moments where we were in Luke's car, warm days outside and all the time for us to go anywhere. 

"No."

"Can you say something other than no?"

"Why?"

"Luke-"

"You two have completely misjudged this situation," Luke shrugged, "I don't care if Cearra comes to this barbecue or stays in her house. It doesn't affect my day in the slightest."

It does if I become a pain in your butt for the rest of the year.

Unless I already am a pain... in that case, life wouldn't change much for Lukey.

I leaned my head against Austin's and batted my eyelashes at Luke, trying to tempt him, "Come on, you can't resist us."

Austin's neck was starting to get strained, poking his head between the front seats for so long. He looked a bit more constipated than cute.

Luke leaned back against the car door, "My girlfriend and my best friend emotionally manipulating me is not something I ever expected to see."

"There's no manipulation Luke," Austin said, "We're straight up asking you for a favor."

"Yeah, to play act for this random girl's parents after I almost got suspended from school in a-"

"Yeah, yeah, we don't need to rehash that. We were all there," Austin waved it away.

Memories. Maybe one day we'll look back at that one and laugh.

"She's also not random. She's my best friend," I added, glancing at Austin, "Plus you, but Luke would kill me for saying that so..."

Luke raised his hand dismissively, "I don't want to get involved in any more shenanigans than I have to."

He was acting like this was some new year's resolution.

"Pft," I snorted, "Says the guy who made me do a thousand morally dubious activities to pay back my debt on your laptop."

Dubious. I should use that word more. Duubioos.    

Luke's eyes clouded over as he thought back to our beginning. His fingers slid over the steering wheel, and he smirked, "Fair enough."

I took that as a sign of victory. He owed me.

Dubiously.

**

~5 minutes later in Luke's car~

The door slammed shut with such aggression it made the car frame shake. We watched Luke's back as he started to cross the street, wearing his cute white shirt and chinos.

"Ooh he's mad," I muttered, wondering how grumpy he would be later tonight.

I also enjoyed watching the show. He walked like a runway model... all dressed up after his photoshoot. He seemed older, more mature. Ha.

"He's fine," Austin assured me. "He's pretending to be this responsible, new version of himself but, in the end, you and I both know that Luke loves chaos."

Luke 2.0?

Austin and I peered out the window.

"Are you sure we gave him the right excuse to tell Cearra's mother?" Austin asked me.

"It had to be," I answered, "It's the only thing Cearra could realistically teach him."

"But how is her mom going to believe Luke wants to learn that?"

"Let's hope he's a good actor."

"He has his moments," Austin tilted his head, and I was sure he was thinking of times he and Luke have weaselled their way out of trouble, "Especially when it involves sweet-talking women."

It's Cearra's mom we're talking about here.

Luke was on Cearra's street. He subtly looked at his phone in order to shoot us a glance and then he moved his phone in the direction of her house.

I nodded and mouthed, that's the one.

He made a subtle nod back and faced the house, beginning to walk up the steps.

"Oh no!" I realized, unbuckling my seat belt in a hurry, "We're not going to hear anything from here. We need to get closer."

"Millie no-"

Too late. I'd already opened the door and rolled out.

Austin sighed before following me, "Sh*t."

I was already creeping along the street, hiding behind parked cars, as stealthily as a raccoon.

**

~Luke's POV~

I arrived at the front door of Cearra's house. I mean, I really hope this is Cearra's house.

Minnie has an unbelievable track record of messing up directions.

I rang the doorbell and counted down seconds before I could walk away. 

No one's home. It's a simple excuse and we'll be one step closer to the juicy hamburger waiting for me at O'Conners.

3, 2, 1. I'm out. It was a valient effort. 

I turned around and started to walk back when I heard the screams of little children on the other side of the door.

It gave me PTSD from summer camp.

All those sugar-addict twelve year olds. Or were they five? Dupree was like a sixty-year-old trapped in a nine year old's body.

A boy opened the front door and enthusiastically greeted me, "Hello!"

Did no one teach this kid stranger danger? Close the damn door and let me leave.  

A/N: More Luke's POV in the next one.  Pls remember to vote first!! >>