Reality || L.H.

Chapter 3

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demand sharply, feeling like the blood in my veins has turned to ice. I haven't seen Blake since the day I caught him cheating on me with my best friend at the time. I prefer when I didn't know where he was, what he was doing. Not when he's standing in front of me at my house.

He scratches at the back of his neck, having the sense at least to look the least bit guilty. "I didn't want you to find out I was back in town from someone else." Something changes in his expression as he reaches out a hand for me that I dodge. "Kat, I wanted to explain what happened that day. I wasn't cheating on you."

Red flashing in front of my vision, I snap, "So what? You were just making out with my best friend in your dreams?"

He fumbles for words, opening his mouth to tell me just where I went wrong.

"Babe?" Luke calls, stumbling out of the bedroom, pulling the hem of his shirt down. His eyes narrow on Blake and he storms across the apartment.

I place a hand on his chest to hold him back, trying not to focus on the way his muscles move beneath my fingertips. "He's not worth it," I spit.

Blake looks with wide, heartbroken eyes between me and Luke and I take joy in his pain. This is what it was like, I think bitterly. This was how I felt when I caught you cheating on me with my best friend.

Luke scowls but steps down, glaring daggers at Blake. "I'll still kick your ass," he threatens darkly and my ex actually blanches. Luke is a good five inches taller than him and with the fury blazing in his eyes, he looks downright menacing.

"Please, I just want to explain what happened." Blake looks to me as if I am going to offer him any mercy. "Piper snuck into my room and she forced herself onto me. I was trying to push her off of me when you came in." His dark brown eyes are wide and sincere when he says, "I never meant to hurt you, Kat. I thought it would help you if I left town, but I can't stay away from you for forever."

I purse my lips together tightly, curling my hand into a fist around the doorknob. Luke says nothing, setting a gentle, comforting hand in between my shoulder blades. Blake sadly notices the other boy's movement.

"You expect me to believe that shit?" I snap, clenching my jaw tightly. "It's been two years, Blake. Two fucking years. Why now? Why ever?" He flinches and I storm forward, fueled by pure rage. "I cried over you for too long, and now that everything's perfect again, you come back and say that it was all a big misunderstanding? That you still care about me? You're an asshole, Blake. Now get lost."

He looks torn, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I'm truly sorry about everything, Kat. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me." With that, he turns around, dejectedly walking down the hallway.

I slam the door shut, my hands shaking. Luke looks at me in concern, twisting his lip ring around with his tongue. I turn away from the door, sobbing into his chest. Wordlessly, his arms come up around me as he slowly rocks me back and forth while I cry.

When my tears start to slow down, he whispers into my hair, "If you decide you do want to get back together with him and see how it works out, don't worry about me. I just want you to be happy, Kat, and I'd hate to be the one holding you back from that."

I frown, pulling back to look up at him. "Luke, I would never get back together with Blake. I love you."

"You might change your mind down the road, I just wanted to get that out of the way." He smiles sadly as he smooths my hair back, blue eyes flickering all over my face as if he were memorizing every detail.

It breaks my heart to see how he believes that no one is capable of loving him, of choosing him. I stretch up on my toes as I lock my arms around his neck and his hands move without thinking to wrap around my waist. We fit like pieces in a puzzle.

My brow furrows as I murmur, "It hurts that you don't see how amazing you are. Luke, you're not anyone's second best."

Something changes in his expression and his lips crash into mine with a sudden ferocity that takes me off guard. After a moment of surprise, my arms come up around him as I kiss him back.

He breaks away, leaning his forehead against mine. Swallowing hard, he murmurs, "No one's ever said that to me before."

"Well, now someone has." I smile as I slide my hand into his. Biting my lip, I add, "And I may take you up on that offer to beat up Blake. I don't think he'll be leaving town anywhere near as soon as we'd like him to."

At that he grins. "It'd be my absolute pleasure."