Josie Mills is a precocious and straitlaced young woman who is pursuing a career in architecture. The field is very difficult to get a foot into and Josie has been working nonstop to make her dream come true. She's so focused on her slowly growing c...
Luke's mouth freezes against mine as my brother again bangs on the door with impatience, our bodies stiff as garden statues.
"Josie!" Ben calls, "Hurry up! What's going on in there?"
"He's not going to go away," I groan, hating my brother for the first time in my life.
What great timing he has.
"Dammit..." Luke finally whispers, just as reluctant as myself to let go of me.
Very carefully, he sets me back down against the carpet as my legs unwind from his hips. We linger in each other's arms, embracing like if we hugged tight enough we might both just disappear and not have to worry about this anymore.
Unfortunately, that doesn't happen, and Ben continues wiggling the doorknob and knocking. He's getting more and more insistent, like he knows that I'm up to something.
"What should we do?" Luke asks with a frantic glance around, probably trying to pick a window to fling himself out of.
I squeeze him a little tighter just to make sure that doesn't happen. I may only be on the first floor, but there are thorny rose bushes waiting under every sill. I'd found that out firsthand when I'd accidentally locked myself out one night after work and had to climb in through a window I'd left cracked. I still had the scars to prove it.
With a deep breath, I take a moment to clear my thoughts, make a plan, and memorize the way Luke's strong body envelopes my own.
"You go to my bedroom and close the door," I say as quietly as possible, "I'll get rid of Ben, he won't even know that you're here."
He nods, frowning when I slowly pull my arms free of his body, though my palms ache to once again press against him. His fingers glide along my face as he pulls me in for one more kiss then escapes across the wooden floor into my bedroom. I stare after him, a strange sense of dread blooming in my heart with every step that he takes.
When Ben knocks again, Luke shuts the door and the dread in my heart seems to solidify, weighing it down like cement.
Is this how it would be with us, if we tried to make this relationship into something more real? Would we constantly be running and evading my older brother?
Just what kind of relationship could that even be?
"Josie!" Ben calls again through the door, "I've got food!"
I whirl back around, inhaling deeply, then crack open the door.
"Hey, sis! I knew mentioning some grub would get you to open up," Ben says cheerfully, holding up a greasy to go bag of French fries and a burger, "I figured you were still so busy working that you didn't have time for dinner..." he blinks once, his eyes suddenly narrowing on me.
My entire face starts to get hot and I clutch the door a little tighter, hoping that nothing of Ben's was sitting right in sight.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I ask demandingly.
"Is that a hickey?" he asks, pointing at my neck with the bag of food in his hand.
My hand flies up, cheeks burning even brighter.
"Oh my god," Ben mutters, almost dropping the bag as he thrusts it through the door into my hand, "do you have a guy over right now? Are you serious?"
He peers around me, trying to see any hint of my male guest, "Do I have to beat somebody up?" he asks, only half joking.
"If I did have someone over, it wouldn't be your business. Why do you care anyway, Ben? I'm an adult now, I can make my own choices."
Seeming a little taken aback by my words, his only partially teasing smile fades into a stern frown.
"I just don't want to see you caught up in some guy that won't treat you right, Josie. Men are dogs and you're so naive sometimes. It'd be too easy for someone to take advantage of you. Somebody's got to look out for you, and that somebody is me."
"Ben, you're a good brother and a great guy, but I can make my own choices."
My brother lifts his hands towards me in surrender, shrugging his strong shoulders.
"I get what you're saying sis, but I'm your big brother. It's literally in the job description for me to hate anyone you're dating."
I roll my eyes, choosing instead to drop the argument. Right now isn't the time or place, and Ben is way too stubborn to see reason, especially about a topic like this.
"Thank you for dinner," I say instead, knowing that I have to get rid of him before Luke starts feeling antsy. "I do really appreciate it."
"I guess I should've gotten you the large fry," Ben adds bitterly, sending a pointed look at my closed bedroom door before shaking his head.
He starts to take a step away, then stops and looks back.
"Josie?" he says quietly. When I nod, he continues speaking, "No guy is ever going to be good enough for you, at least as far as I'm concerned. Just know that."
Again I don't answer, instead choosing to quietly say goodbye and then push the door closed. I lock it once more, just in case a very nosy Ben decides to try again to open it. A few moments later, the sound of his car leaving the front of the apartment reverberates through the walls. I peek through the window to be sure, making certain that Bens actually leaves.
When I turn around, the bag of takeout in my hand, Luke has emerged from the bedroom.
"I should go," he says quietly, running a hand through his hair and averting guilt-ridden eyes.
I want to argue with him, I want to beg him to stay, but the mood between us has been soured and the reality of our situation is unavoidable. No matter what, Ben is going to be hurt, and it's going to be our fault.
The weight of that is just too much, smothering out any chance of something growing between Luke and myself no matter how badly we want it.
Luke walks towards me, his arms slowly lifting. I sink into his embrace, his arms tight and comforting around my body as his lips press against the top of my head.
I cling to him, eyes squeezing shut to staunch the tears I know are about to start falling.
The last thing I want to say is goodbye, but I know it's our only choice.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
