The Player Next Door ✓

18 | Sidechick

Settle in with a cool drink, this chapter is a long one. Enjoyy

Chapter 18: Sidechick

Things were tense between us. We've had a lot of fights in our short time together, but this one was real. Luke had turned back into the unapproachable Greek god that I used to watch from the house next door.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" I asked Austin, as he was getting into his car, "We need an ombudsman."

New word... it's going in all my school essays. Henceforth, the ombudsman...

"You managed to mess things up right after I told you not to underestimate him."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm telling you not to judge before you know the whole story. With the way Luke acts, it's easy to think he doesn't have feelings. You hurt him."

"How? He doesn't even like me."

"You two make a good team. He had your back, didn't he?" Austin asked me.

Austin didn't know about the grizzly bear or our late-night convos, but he knew Luke well enough to guess something like it. And what Austin didn't say - but what was left in the air between us - is how I didn't have Luke's back. I should have.

"We're having a party for the campers tomorrow night. If you're free, you should come," I invited him.

"Sounds incredibly lame," he said, reminding me of our difference in social status.

He goes to parties with people our own age.

It made me wonder whether Luke was going to attend. As counselor, he was meant to. But as Luke... one never knows.

Austin's characteristic smirk returned as he fired up the engine. "You'll figure it out, Millie. You'll pull something crazy out of the bag and Luke will cave."

I was grateful for Austin's faith in me, but I wasn't sure if I had acted wrong. Luke dumped Tamara. That's the only fact I had. It sounded like she really liked him, and he didn't seem too hung up over their beak up. 

I've seen a lot of girls go in and out of his house over the years. So I am not convinced of Austin's version of the truth.

He talks a good game, but I'm watching how Luke plays.

**

It was night time and I'd turned the lights off in the campers' room, so they would fall asleep. After all the drama today, I wished I was 8-years-old again. When everything was clear cut and morals were clearly defined.

The bad guys were bad and the good were... Disney princesses.

I was about to turn in myself when I heard noise from the campers' room. I turned the lights back on and saw Malik jump under the covers. Alicia ran to her bed but didn't make it before the lights turned on.

"What's going on here?" I asked, "You should be sleeping."

A girl giggled. A couple others followed.

"Malik is learning how to dance," Tony told from his bunk bed.

The kids ssssh-ed him. Tony didn't say more.

Then I felt a tall, strong body behind me. "Tell us why."

The giggling and sssh's stopped as soon as they heard Luke's voice.

Us.

I liked the way it sounded. And I really liked how he still said us even when he's mad at me.