Deadline≫hemmings a.u

3.3

"Hey, you okay?"

I looked up from where I was leaning against the wall with my arms folded. Luke had somehow excluded himself from the group a few feet away that was engaged in an intense conversation about planning our next break in. It had been long since I slipped away, obviously not as vital to the planning as anyone else.

"Shouldn't you be over there with the rest of them? Butting heads over which way is the least illegal but slyest way to break into someone's home?" I muttered flatly, watching the group and making sure to glare at the back of Aileen's head.

Beside me, I heard Luke take a deep breath before leaning against the wall with me. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you aren't very happy with me right now."

"What?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes before quieting in case I caught anyone's attention. "Why on earth would you think that?"

"Well for starters, when I was still over there, you were looking at me with hellfire and now that I'm not over there, you won't even look at me."

I let out an irritated huff, shifting against the wall as I refused to look at him.

"Mel, please?"

I bit my lip, hearing that convincing little note change in his smooth voice. His voice alone made me want to turn around, that's how bad I had it for him. I tried to stay still for a few more moments, but I caved and spun to face him.

"Are you over here for Melanie or the girl who everyone expected you to fuck because you're Luke Hemmings?" I said bitterly, thinking about what Aileen had said as I turned back around.

I heard Luke's sharp intake of breath. "Mel."

I scowled and balled my hands into fists beneath my folded arms as I watched Aileen glance over at us - or rather at Luke, and give him a sly smile. That smile wasn't just a smile though, even the most oblivious person could have decoded what it really meant.

"She means nothing to me." he spoke softly, but his words were firm.

"She did."

"She didn't." Luke snapped in his hushed tone, his breath stirring my hair. "No one - no one, before you ever meant what you mean to me."

I bit down on my lip after that and let that sink in. After a few moments of not saying anything, I think Luke and I both realized I had nothing else to say.

"I just wish you understood that." he said finally before he stood up straight away from the wall and walked back to the group without looking back.

***

"That's the plan?" I breathed out as I looked up at Michael with raised eyebrows. We had just gotten back to our hotel room and Michael finally explained everything I missed when everyone else was talking.

"The one and only," he nodded with a sigh as he tiredly rubbed at his eyes. Michael, well actually both of the boys looked like they never got any sleep, but tonight, it was hard to ignore that they looked especially tired tonight. "Believe me, I know you may not like it, but we went over at least twenty other plans, and that's the only one with the least amount of flaws."

"It's not that I don't like it - well, I don't, but it's just..." I frowned, clasping my hands in my lap and glancing over at the door to the other room I knew Luke was in. He hadn't said much to me since we left the others. "It puts a lot of weight on everyone involved."

"Mel, if you're worried about not being able to do your job, you shouldn't be. You've done it a thousand times before and ninety-nine percent of the time it always went well." Michael squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. "You can do this."