benevolent. ❀ lrh

Chapter Fourteen.

Luke may have bitten off more than he could chew.

Though it was rather gentlemanly of him to loan his truck to Avery for an undisclosed period of time, he isn't particularly fond of walking to work. It shifts his schedule, having to wake up earlier and be a bit more careful with what he chooses to wear in hopes that he doesn't sweat through his dress shirt on the way to Motion Elementary.

He could've driven Avery's car, sure, but Luke can't even look at the damn thing without a flood of worries coursing through him. A lengthy list of what ifs that make him rethink getting inside when the weather isn't particularly enjoyable.

When he isn't shielding himself from the rain on rather dreary mornings or aching to unbutton his shirt on the way home in the afternoons, a vast majority of Luke's free time is spent beneath the hood of Avery's Camry.

Initially, while awaiting Michael's response, Luke figured taking a look for himself wouldn't do any harm. He's no mechanic, however, so he relied on his friend's vague advice and some forums he scoured like crazy. That eliminated one light from the dashboard, at least.

Michael had a truck on his lot he'd been in the midst of fixing up, and offered to drive it into town so that Luke could take a look at it. And while Luke inspected every scratch and every inch of the interior, Michael would fuss around with the Camry. Theoretically.

When Thursday morning came around, despite the walk being annoyingly warm, Luke had a pep in his step. It felt good, he thought, finally getting somewhere and making progress on something that doesn't affect only him. If he could find a more reliable vehicle for Avery, then it's a win all around, and the Camry can be Calum's problem alone. He has his own mechanic friend, after all, so realistically Luke shouldn't bother asking Michael to take a look. But on the off-chance the truck doesn't meet Luke's requirements, at least the Camry will be slightly more safe. Maybe.

Or, this whole thing could blow up in Luke's face.

What a wonderful thought to have at eight in the morning.

Thankfully, though, when Luke settles the littles down and Avery passes out worksheets, a simple quiet permeates his classroom. The light babbling from the toddlers eliminates any necessity for background music, and Luke can focus on lesson planning while awaiting Michael's text that he's in town.

Luke had even toyed with the idea of making up some excuse that he isn't feeling well, or has some urgent matter to deal with, so he could dip out and meet Michael if the guy shows up before school's finished. Avery's capable of watching the toddlers, that isn't an issue for Luke in the slightest, it's mainly the fact that Luke can't lie to the aide.

He probably could, if he really tried, but then he would be plagued with thoughts and worries that it will only set things between them back. Even if he was doing it for the right reasons. So, for now, Luke will settle with hoping time goes a little bit quicker today.

"You're so engrossed in your phone," Avery comments with a light laugh as she sits in the empty chair beside Luke's desk. Startled, wide blue eyes flicker from the device, still open with his and Michael's exchange visible, over to Avery. "Oh, please don't tell me you're still on this car thing. Luke."

"Look," Luke finally locks his phone, pushing the pulsing thoughts aside for the time being. He tilts his head down, voice lowering. "Wouldn't you rather have your own car? One that's reliable?"

"Ideally, yeah," A crease forms between Avery's brows. "But I can't afford one right now. I still have time to find one, Luke, it's not an urgent matter."

"Right, but–" Luke exhales from his nose. The unfortunate thing is that Avery's right, in a sense. In her mind, a new vehicle isn't urgent, given her current circumstances and the upcoming finalization. But to Luke, it is. Maybe it's his uncategorized feelings for the aide that's pushing him on this but when Luke sets his mind on something, he isn't one to give up easily. "I'm just looking at it, alright? Nothing's set in stone."