After Midnight | lrh

• 17 •

--- RUBY ---

Alex and I fell asleep on the couch, our legs tucked into one another and heads on our arms. It wasn't very comfortable, but I guess it must've been okay because I wake in the morning to pounding on my door and a ringing phone.

I stumble toward the door in a fog of sleep and confusion, unlocking it and flinging it open without checking the peep hole. I am squinting through tired eyes, rubbing the chaos that is  perpetually my hair from my face.

The guy on the other side looks a lot like Luke to my bleary gaze. Maybe I'm still dreaming, or just way too tired to be trying to people.

"Sorry, we don't-" I start to close the door when he sticks a boot in it and an unmistakable rich laugh bubbles through the boot-sized crack in the door.

"G'morning, sleeping beauty," says a lilting mashup of an accent that is as distinct as the laugh.

Luke.

Luke is at my door.

I can feel the panic rising in my chest as alarm bells ring inside my mind and suddenly I am awake as if I've been doused in ice water. I am an absolute disaster, having slept on my couch and – OH GOD, Alex is still sleeping on my couch.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss, stepping out into the hallway and into very close proximity with Luke, who decidedly does NOT take a step back. I tug at my tank top which is doing nothing to cover me the way I am trying to achieve. We are almost touching and when I look up at him, I can see the amusement dancing in his eyes.

"You miss me?" he brings his hand up like he's going to touch me, eyes on my mouth before letting it fall away. When I look at him again, the amusement is gone and he looks a little panicked. Almost like he didn't mean to speak. I soften at this turn of events and before I can stop it, a quiet "yes" slips past my lips.

"Can I come in?" he's whispering, maybe just to match my tone, but I find it endearing as if his question is a secret he wants me to keep. I nod but bring a finger to my lips, indicating that he should be quiet then take his hand, leading him through my apartment and to my bedroom. He throws a worried glance at Alex sleeping on the couch, but I shake my head and pull him along.

Once we are in my room, I turn to him and repeat the question I started with, "What are you doing here, Luke?"

He flops down onto my bed like he belongs here, hands falling over his face. "I don't know.. I... We're on promo again and we just got in like an hour ago and .. I.. I don't know. I came straight here. I'm so tired. Can we take a nap?" He's already curling into my pillows like he's decided he's napping no matter what I say. Jerk.

I haven't had enough coffee- or enough sleep- for this kind of epic surprise. I turn to check the clock while considering his words but catching my reflection in my dresser mirror instead. I am an absolute mess. My hair sticks up in every direction, and no make-up but yesterday's mascara (that's relocated to my cheeks) remains. But I can see him grinning his adorable lopsided grin at me and I smile too despite the ache in my chest and the panic in my mind.

"I haven't heard from you in days." I tell him abruptly, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice.

"Check your phone." He furrows his brow, but his reply is quick. I pull my phone from my pocket, but when I do his bow tie falls to the floor.

"Is that ... my bow tie?" he sounds surprised as he rolls to his side toward the edge of the bed, lifting it from the floor.  A blush rises hot and furious like fire as it climbs from my belly to my chest, throat and cheeks while his small grin spreads to a face-splitting smile, dimple deepening and his tongue poking out between his teeth.