𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦, ʟᴜᴋᴇ ʜᴜɢʜᴇs

twelve

CHARLOTTE-ALEXANDRIA woke up, feeling the warmth of Luke's arms around her. For a moment, she allowed herself to savor the comfort of his embrace. But as reality set in, so did the anxiety. She carefully slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake him, and tiptoed to her room.

Once inside, she leaned against the door, her mind racing. "What have I done?" she whispered to herself. She quickly dressed, pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, trying to shake off the lingering feelings from the night before.

Shrimp, ever the attentive dog, watched her with his one eye. "I know, Shrimp," she said, sitting down next to him. "I really messed up this time. He probably thinks it was a mistake."

Shrimp blinked, his tail wagging slightly. "You agree, don't you?" she sighed, scratching his head. "I'm probably just another notch on his belt. He has better things to worry about than me."

She headed to the kitchen to make breakfast, hoping to avoid an awkward encounter with Luke. She started cooking, her mind still swirling with doubts. "Maybe he won't even remember," she muttered to herself, flipping pancakes.

As if on cue, Luke walked in, rubbing his eyes and smiling at her. "Morning," he said softly.

"Morning," she replied, avoiding his gaze. "I made pancakes."

He walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, making her jolt. She feigned reaching for something to get out of his grip.

Luke didn't take it to heart. Instead, he went to the dining area. "Smells great," he said, sitting down at the table. "Thanks for making breakfast."

"No problem," she mumbled, placing a plate in front of him. She tried to make small talk, but the awkwardness was palpable.

"Charlotte, are you okay?" Luke finally asked, noticing her unease.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just... tired."

Luke gave her a concerned look but didn't push further. They ate in silence, the tension hanging in the air.

As Charlotte cleaned up, she couldn't help but mentally berate herself. "Of course he thinks it was a mistake," she thought. "He probably regrets everything. Why would someone like him want to be with someone like me?"

Luke finally stood up and approached her. "Charlotte, we need to talk."

She turned to face him, her heart pounding. "About what?"

"About last night," he said gently. "I can tell you're worried. Please, talk to me."

The front door was busted open, making Shrimp bark at whoever opened the door.

"Guess who just got laid?" Jack said, jumping slightly at Shrimp ogling at him.

"You and me both, Jack," Charlotte-Alexandria muttered under her breath.

Luke looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise and concern. "Charlotte, I didn't mean for you to feel this way. Last night wasn't just a fling for me."

Charlotte bit her lip, feeling the tears start to form. "It's just... I don't want to be a mistake, Luke. I don't want you to regret what happened."

Before Luke could respond, Jack walked further into the room, oblivious to the tension. "Hey, whoa! What's with the serious vibes in here?" He looked between Charlotte and Luke, then noticed the uneaten pancakes on the table. "Pancakes? Nice!"

Shrimp barked again, snapping Jack's attention. "And what's with the pirate dog?" he asked, staring at Shrimp.

Charlotte forced a laugh. "Shrimp is just... unique. Like me, I guess."

Jack raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to share my good news. But it seems like you two need to talk."

Luke nodded, giving Jack a grateful look. "Yeah, we do. Thanks, Jack."

Jack held up his hands in mock surrender. "Got it, I'm outta here. Don't let the pancakes get cold!" He grabbed a couple of pancakes and made his way to his room.

As the door closed behind Jack, Luke turned back to Charlotte. "Look, I don't regret anything. Last night meant a lot to me, and I care about you."

Charlotte's eyes met his, searching for any hint of insincerity. Finding none, she took a shaky breath. "I just... I don't want to get hurt."

Luke stepped closer, taking her hands in his. "Neither do I. But I think this is worth taking the risk. You're worth it, Charlotte."

She felt a tear slip down her cheek and quickly wiped it away. "Okay. We'll take it slow. One step at a time."

Luke smiled, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "One step at a time," he repeated.