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"I have to go to work." Luke mumbled, placing a soft kiss on my neck. I didn't want him to go. I wanted him to keep holding me and kissing me and touching me. I wanted him to stay. I hated when we worked opposite schedules. He trained his clients during the day and I waitressed at night. I only had to do that on a few occasions but it sucked. I had just gotten home and he already had to leave. "I don't want to leave you, baby but I really need to go and you need to sleep." He sighed, kissing my forehead.
"I missed you, Luke." I frowned, wrapping my legs around his waist so he couldn't get up. "I haven't seen you all week."
"Brit, I really need to go. This is the last day we have to do this. Don't make it hard." His voice was husky and his eyes were low and I knew he didn't want to leave. This whole week, we hadn't seen each other long enough. We'd gone without one another for too long, like a drug withdrawals. "Baby," he kissed my lips softly before pulling back and staring at me blankly. "We can't keep doing this. We're making each other crazy." He pressed his forehead against mine before kissing me again, harder. I held his face and he held my thighs while we kissed. It was quick and intoxicating. It was like something was wrapped around us, keeping us from pulling away from one another. He held my thighs in an almost painful grip and kissed me with more than I knew he had.
Before I knew it, it was over and he was pulling away, shaking his head while he stepped out of the bedroom.
I didn't chase after him or ask him what the hell just happened. He had never kissed me that way. Not with so much angst, so much that I felt like he was a part of me. Then he was gone. Like nothing happened.
Luke's POV
"I fucked up." I ran my hand through my hair, looking over to Charlie. He took a large bite of his burger and shook his head. "I should have never gotten involved with her."
"You like her?" He smirked, taking a gulp of his soda. I didn't answer him but I don't think I had to. It was clear. "I don't understand what the problem is. I mean, it's not bad to like someone."
"She and I got together right after the shit with JT. She never got to even try to move on alone. Whether I like her or not, it doesn't matter. She doesn't even know if she has a choice. I mean, think about it, she moved in with me because she couldn't stay in their house. She doesn't go out unless she's working, she doesn't have many options. JT didn't let her have a life. She latched on to the first thing that she could." I rubbed my forehead and pushed my plate away. I felt like an idiot. I shouldn't have done this to her. I should have given her the option to leave. I had just taken advantage of her vulnerability and made her a part of my life.
"You're an asshole." Charlie shook his head. "It's called friendship. Bringing someone in when they need it. Do you really think that this is still about the breakup? It's been like 6 months. She told you she moved on."
"Yea, but," I groaned, closing my eyes while I tilted my head back. "What if she's masking it all with me?"
"Ok, this is really fucking weird and don't argue with me, but did you ever consider the fact that you're just an insecure little bitch?"
I would hit him but we are in public. How could he possibly call me such a thing?
I have never been that.
Never will be.
Especially not over a girl.
I don't get insecure.
Never.
"You're fucking scared." Charlie laughed loudly. "Dude, you actually think that you're not good enough. No! Not think, you know you're not." He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. I don't know why I'm friends with him. He never just agreed with me. "Brit Olsen is the best thing that has ever happened to you and you know it. Stop being a bitch and maybe take the girl on a date."
"You're not getting it, man." I cleared my throat, scratching my neck. "Last weekend, we were babysitting. We had this kid and she was really cute. Brit, she knew what she was doing. She did everything to make sure she was safe, fed, bathed. Whatever. I wanted to have fun, ya know? It's not everyday you hang out with kids. Something happened though. I don't know at what moment but I had this thought. It was like, for a second, me and Brit were... I don't know." I shrugged, shaking my head.
"It felt real." He looked away from me and then shifted in the booth. "Like she was your kid."
"Yea."
"Luke, you're in love with her." He cleared his throat and pressed his hands together. "You have been since high school. You got a taste of what it's like to have her and you're scared of losing her. This isn't about JT and it's not about her not feeling the same. You've wanted this girl since you were 15 years old. You have her. So fucking make it into something rather than freaking out because you felt something other than your dick getting hard."
"I really don't like you, dude."
Brit's POV
"I mean, he just walked out. Did I do something wrong?" I sighed, holding my hair back while I leaned on the counter with my elbow, the phone pressed to my ear.
"I don't think so," Harper said, her voice unwavering. "I mean, you guys do a lot together. It's not like you've never kissed, so for him to get so weirded out is kind of strange."
"That's what I thought." I mumbled. "I mean, it was different, yea. But, we do this stuff everyday." I bit my lip, wondering if maybe something was different between us. If he had felt something different.
"Babe, why don't you just come stay with me and Talia? You and Luke can get some distance and you can live closer to work. The offers been on the table for months." She sighed and I looked around the house. I really did need to get out of here. I couldn't keep disrupting his life. We needed space and I needed to figure myself out. He did too.
