KATE
“What are you doing here?” Michael’s usually menacing tone that he reserves for Luke is nowhere to be found in his surprised voice. The tension in the room is mainly coming from my mom and Britt, who have no idea what is going on. Well, they can join the club.
“I came to talk to you, actually,” Luke says clearly. He seems slightly nervous, but I can tell that it is not aimed at Michael. “Something came up at the office.” There is something in the way that Luke inclines his head subtly, his eyes alight with secrets. “Nice dress, by the way,” Luke’s eyes linger on Michael’s apron with a small smirk.
Michael seems to have finally gotten a grip as he tears the apron off and starts towards Luke; I don’t think he would actually do anything here, but I follow through on my instinct to step in front of Luke, just in case. I immediately regret it when Michael’s eyes flash with hurt, like he can’t believe I would protect Luke.
Oh, Michael, can’t you see that it’s you I am protecting? It’s always you.
Michael’s eyes lock with mine for a moment, and his are full of apprehension, and if I am not mistaken, dread. I step out of the way, allowing Michael to lead Luke out into the foyer. I linger in the hall, desperately trying to hear this conversation, but to my surprise I hear the front door open and then close. Why are they going so far?
My mom and Britt are both wide-eyed when I re-enter the kitchen. I do my best to suppress the groan that rises to my lips. “Who was that?” My mom asks incredulously.
“Luke, Michael’s… friend. From the office.” It’s not technically a lie. Well, maybe the ‘friend’ part.
“You work in one hell of an office, Kate,” Britt lets out a breath. It takes me a second to realize that she is talking about Luke; she finds him attractive. Well he is attractive. But I am oddly protective, and I fight the urge to snap at her over it.
Woah, calm down Kate. Luke is not yours. Michael is. Michael is.
I sit down at the table with a sigh, rubbing my temples. When I open my eyes again, my mom and Britt are both staring at me with intense looks of worry on their faces, and I clear my throat. It’s not anything that they need to worry about. So I square my shoulders and put on my best fake smile, trying to pretend like my head and heart aren’t battling each other outside.
MICHAEL
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I nearly bellow at Luke the second the heavy wooden door closes behind us. Luke rolls his eyes and stands back, giving me space. He and I have done this enough times that we almost have a template to follow: He pisses me off and I scream at him before I calm down enough to let him explain himself, and then we reach a semi-logical conclusion. Right now, we are only at step two.
“I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing, Luke, but back the fuck off. Do you see that I’m trying here? I’m really trying to salvage something with Kate and you keep sticking your big ass head where it doesn’t belong, trying to ruin shit. Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”
“Michael, I—"
“No! Fuck whatever excuse you have, man. We hate each other and I get that, I know that you don’t owe me anything. But just for once, can you just try to be a decent human being and let me have this?” I hate the way my voice is practically pleading.
“Michael, I don’t hate you.” Luke sounds like a fucking politician, skirting around the goddamn question so he doesn’t have to address the issue.
