Toxic Lips [l.h]

s i x t e e n

"See what you've done!?" I shout.

"Don't panic," Luke says, quite calmly.

"Don't panic!? Don't panic!? How can I not panic!? We're stuck in a pitch black elevator--"

A light suddenly turns. Luke puts his phone on the ground, the torch shining throughout the small space. He takes a seat on te floor, leaning back against the wall. 

"I told you not to press al those buttons!" I snap. "I fucking told you!"

Luke rolls his eyes, "Will you pipe the fuck down? This has happened before. They'll come for us." 

I ignore him, turning around and looking at the selection of buttons to see if there was one for emergency calls. 

"Don't even try," he says. "That button doesn't work. Broken."

"Well shouldn't they fix it?" I ask, my voice shrill.

"They should, but all the maintenance people here are dipshits."

I sigh, running a hand through my long hair. "Well how long are we going to be in here? We have to drop off that file." 

Luke stares at me for a second, before bursting into fits of laughter. "You're stuck in a small, compact elevator with me, someone you clearly despise, and you're worried about dropping off the file?"

I crack a small smile. He does have a valid point. "I guess you're rigjht," I sigh. I sit down, taking a seat next to Luke on the floor. "And for the record, I don't despise you."

This causes Luke to laugh even more. "That's a real joke," he snorts. 

"I don't," i protest. "You're just an asshole."

"Yeah, I get that alot."

"Well, maybe you should be nicer to peopole."

"And where would that get me?"

"I don't know... Friends? A girlfriend?"

"How do you know that I don't have a girlfriend?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. 

"Oh... Sorry," I flush.

He laughs again. "I'm just teasing," he says. "You're so gullible."

"I'm not gullible," I snap.

"You know, you really do try to deny alot of things about yourself."

"I do not. I deny things that aren't true."

"Right," Luke snorts. 

"Oh, look. You're being an asshole again," I fake smile, crossing my arms over my chest.

Luke laughs, "Again? I thought I was always an asshole."

 "True," I say. "You seem to behave in this constant state of asshole continuum."

He laughs again. "At least wecan agree on something."

I smile, "Yeah."

Luke sighs and takes a pack of mint gum from one of his back pockets. My mind quickly flashes to when our lips almost touched in the car, the way his breath smelled like spearmint. I avert my eyes as he unwraps a piece and pops it into his mouth. 

"Want one?" He asks. 

I shake my head. "I only chew watermelon gum."

"Why?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. 

"It's the best flavour," I shrug.

"That's bullshit."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes it--"

"Enough!" I shout, both of us laughing. We really do fight about everything. 

"So, tell me Allie, what is the real reason you moved to Sydney?" He asked. 

"I'm not answering that," I say.

"Why not? Got a dirty little secret?" The tone in his voice makes me shudder, giving me goosebumps. 

"No," I tell him firmly. "No I don't," I say, my heart pounding in my chest. 

"Then just tell me."

"I know you're just mad that I moved into that apartment."

He stiffens, "Uh, what do you mean?"

"You're obviously upset that I moved in there. Who lived there before?" 

"Uhhh. I don't remember," He says, his voice a bit shaky, as thought he's lying. 

"Oh," I say. I know he's hiding something. Or more than one thing, with Luke, you never know. 

"i think that is complete bullshit," I say. 

"Why? You know nothing about me, Allie."

"You know nothing about me either," I fight back. 

"I have your file right here," He says, smirking. 

"Well..." I trail off, not really know what to say, as his statement is true. 

"I still think you're a liar," He says. 

"Takes one to know one."

"That it does," He agrees, looking at his hands as he plays with the sleevs of his black hoodie. 

We sit silently for a few minutes, the small elevator illuminated by the light emitting from Luke's phone. I look down at my lap and notice that Luke and I are sitting only about three inches apart. I don't remember sitting so close to him. I can even smell his minty gum from where I sit,  along with the faint scent of his cologne. 

But, Luke is full of surprises. And I was certainly not prepared, nor expecting these words to come out of his mouth in this moment. 

"Do you really love him?"