The Fluke

16 - Luke

I spent the entirety of breakfast wanting to kick myself in the nuts. Tessa spent it keeping very little to the imagination. Jules spent it doing her best to ignore me completely. It was all I could do not to shout at her to ignore Tessa and look at me.

And if I thought Spencer somehow missed Tessa's not so subtle insinuations about us then I would be sorely mistaken. When I got up to clear the table he was hot on my heels to help me, which for the record is as unlikely as him helping me set the table earlier.

"Dude," he stage whispers with a quick look over his shoulder, "you and Tessa?!"

I drop a pile of plates into the sink and flip on the faucet, ready to get to work. Maybe if I ignore him he'll get the hint.

He doesn't. When I don't respond he reaches in front of me and turns off the water.

"Luke, c'mon."

I roll my hands into fists and place them against the edge of the sink. Normally I wouldn't hesitate telling Spencer about a girl I hooked up with but for obvious reasons this is different. How the fuck did this get so complicated?

Before he can pester me again Jules enters the kitchen carrying some more plates. The cutlery clatters against the porcelain as she sets them down on the island behind us. Both Spencer and I turn to stare at her and the air in the room is tense, at least to me.

"Do you need any help?" she asks Spencer even though I'm the one standing in front of the sink.

"Nah, we can handle it. Go enjoy the sun."

Going on nearly an hour of being in her presence without her giving me a second of her attention, I feel like I'm losing it. I was sure she wouldn't break now, but I was wrong. And I almost wish I had been right.

Jules shifts her gaze from her brother over to me and there is no warmth in her eyes. Disappointment fills me as I see her almost imperceptibly shake her head before she turns away.

I'm still watching her retreating back when Spencer smacks me on the back of the head.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You're not getting out of this," he says.

"I'm not trying to get out of anything," I say as I flip the faucet back on and shift my body to block Spencer's path.

My brain had momentarily short circuited thinking about Jules but was now back in overdrive. Spencer isn't going to drop this until I give him something he can chew on, but what can I say? If I tell him the truth and then he finds out about me and his sister he'll think I'm a scoundrel. But the alternative of lying doesn't leave me looking any better, either.

"Yeah, you are. You're being evasive."

"Who's being evasive?" Gavin strolls into the kitchen.

Fucking perfect.

"Connelly and Tessa hooked up and he won't give me any details."

"Spencer," I snap.

"If you won't fill me in voluntarily then I have no problem shaming it out of you."

"Oh, this is interesting," Gavin says as he plucks a stray piece of bacon off one of the plates. "But I heard Connelly doesn't kiss and tell, Spence. Maybe we should just go ask Tessa for deets."

The smarmy motherfucker is asking to be knocked out.

"You've left me no choice." Spencer shrugs and takes a step toward the patio but I reach out and grab his arm.

He looks at me expectantly.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of," I start. "We're both adults."

"So obviously this went down when she came and stayed with you in New York?" Gavin asks.