player [ 𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 | 𝗮𝘂 ]

three

I glanced at the clock and felt my stomach drop. It was already past 6 PM. I was supposed to be at home with Dad for our movie night, but here I was, sprawled out on the grass at the park with Luke, completely lost in our conversation.

"Is it just me, or is this the best day ever?" Luke grinned, tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"Definitely! Who knew watching you attempt to catch popcorn could be so entertaining?" I laughed, shaking my head. "But I should get home. My dad's waiting for me."

Luke's expression shifted from playful to disappointed. "Wait, you're actually going to ditch me for a movie with your dad? What kind of betrayal is this?"

"Hey! It's a tradition!" I shot back, trying to suppress a smile. "We do this every Friday night. You can't compete with that!"

"Can't I?" he replied, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, we have snacks, the great outdoors, and me—your favorite person."

I rolled my eyes, but my heart raced at his teasing tone. "Okay, fine. I'll let him know I'm not coming. But you better not eat all my popcorn while I'm texting!"

I pulled out my phone to type a quick message to my dad. Hey, Dad! I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to skip movie night. I got caught up with schoolwork.

I hit send and glanced back at Luke, who was watching me with a mock-serious expression. "You're really doing this, huh? Choosing me over your father?"

"Don't make it sound so dramatic!" I laughed, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I promise I'll make it up to him."

He shrugged, a playful smile creeping across his face. "Just remember, the more time you spend with me, the more I expect from you later."

I smirked. "You mean like that pampering night you keep bringing up? Good luck with that; I'm a terrible masseuse."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," he replied, leaning closer. "Just imagine how great I'll feel after a massage from a professional like you."

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. "You're really pushing your luck here."

He chuckled, and for a moment, the playful banter faded into a comfortable silence. I found myself stealing glances at him, wondering how we had ended up in this playful arrangement of all possible things.

As I settled back against the grass, I couldn't shake the feeling that I might be crossing a line. Luke had always been there for me, but now things felt different. What if I was developing real feelings? No, I told myself. Just friends. This was all just part of the game.

"Hey," Luke said suddenly, breaking into my thoughts. "You good?"

I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just thinking about how I'm going to make it up to my dad. He'll probably be disappointed."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll understand. You're stuck with me now," he teased, nudging me playfully with his shoulder.

"Stuck? I thought you liked my company," I shot back, grinning.

"Of course I do," he said, his tone suddenly serious. "But I also know you're really close with him. I just... don't want to overstep."

I glanced at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. "You're not overstepping. I enjoy spending time with you. Just... don't tell my dad I'm ditching him for you. He might get the wrong idea."

Luke chuckled, but there was a hint of something deeper in his eyes. "I promise I won't. But let's make tonight epic. No glitter bombs or hidden cameras, I swear."

"Deal," I said, feeling a flutter of excitement. "But only if you promise to share that popcorn you're hiding."

"Only if you promise to keep me entertained."

"Challenge accepted."

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