Imagination || L.H.

Chapter 17

Since neither of us have a car, and I don't feel like riding in the basket attached to the front of Luke's bike at the moment, we start down the sidewalk on foot. 

An awkward silence stretches out between the two of us where neither of us know what to say. It's been a confusing past couple of days.

Luke shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans, clearing his throat. "I'll ask the obvious question we're both dying to know the answer to but are too afraid to say. Are we, like, together? As in, boyfriend and girlfriend? Or just friends with benefits or..." 

He trails off uncertainly, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear, ducking my head just to have an excuse not to look at him. "I mean, if you want to... you know, like, date..."

"Do you want to?" He looks over at me, a vulnerable look in his ocean eyes.

I remember the way they looked when I ditched him on the pier and a sudden determination to never see that look ever again floods me. Not if I can help it. I can't say that when I finally meet his ex that I won't attack her for ever hurting him. 

"Yes," I respond so quietly that it's practically a whisper. "I want to."

The next thing I know we're not walking anymore and his hands are in my hair, his mouth moving in sync with mine. 

I stretch up onto my toes, locking my hands behind his neck to tug him even closer. I don't ever want to stop kissing him. He runs his tongue along the seam of my lips and I grant him access, deepening the kiss. 

I'm sure we're getting some weird looks as the teenagers making out on a sidewalk where literally everyone can see us, but I can't find it in me to care. 

When we're forced to break away to catch our breath, we stand there in silence for a few seconds, arms still wrapped around each other, savoring the moment.

"Should we head back?" I say.

"I think we should wait for Calum and Michael to calm down," Luke muses. "Actually, I wanted to head into town anyways. There's someone who's been worried about you."

I frown as we start to continue our way down the street. "Who?"

"Well, Cassidy, for instance. And Lynn and April and Liv," he ticks off the names on his long fingers. "I stopped by there once to see if you were there, I didn't think you would be but I had to try, and they were at my throat for answers on where you'd been and what was going on and why you weren't answering your phone. I told them that you were working through some things but you'd be back as soon as possible and would fill them in on everything. I came back every day and gave them the truest answers I could." 

Turning to me with a completely serious expression that makes it hard to ever imagine him underneath the influence of absurd amounts of alcohol, he says, "Kat, those people care so much about you. I don't blame you for not contacting them, and they certainly don't blame you, but you should realize that you have a whole family over there, watching out for you."

I don't know what to say. I've always known that The Scoop girls and I were close, that we stuck together, but it's weird to see that friendship and loyalty tested. 

Eventually, I break the silence. "Thank you. For talking to them."

Luke smiles down at me lopsidedly. "Anytime." 

He snaps his fingers, exclaiming, "Oh! And I should tell you the tea. That new girl, Jenny, got fired. She was caught hooking up with the guy who sells hot dogs from that food truck a block down in the freezer."