Текст книги "Love in Between"
Автор книги: Sandi Lynn
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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 15 страниц)
4
Lily
I rummaged through my closet, trying to find the black skirt that I wanted to wear tomorrow. I couldn’t believe I was going to be teaching fourth grade for an entire year. The teacher that I replaced took a year off to take care of her terminally ill husband. I unpacked the last of the boxes and found my black skirt. I looked at the clock, and it was midnight. I needed to take a shower because I felt dirty from unpacking. As I walked to the bathroom, I undressed, and turned the shower on. As I reached up to adjust the shower head, the pipe broke, and water started pouring everywhere. I screamed then quickly reached down and turned the water off. I stood there in a fit of rage. It was late, I was dirty, and now, what the hell was I going to do? I had no choice; I had to ask Sam if I could use his shower. I knew he was up because I could hear the loud music through the paper-thin walls. I threw on a tank top and a pair of yoga pants then went next door. After several knocks, Sam finally opened the door.
“Lily, what’s up? Is everything ok?”
“No, the shower head pipe in my shower just broke, and I start my new job in about seven hours. Can I use your shower real quick?” I asked.
“Sure, come in. The bathroom’s right down the hall.” He smiled.
I walked into his apartment and quickly scanned for Luke. He was the last person I wanted to see right now. All I saw was some other guy and two half-naked girls. I looked at Sam and raised one eyebrow.
“Sorry, but we’re playing strip poker,” he said.
“None of my business, Sam,” I said as I held up my hand.
Suddenly, standing before me, was the guy that was sitting at the table.
“Sammy, who’s your friend?” Lucky asked.
“This is Lily. She just moved in next door.”
“Hello, beautiful.” He smiled as he softly kissed my hand. “I’m Lucky, and it’s my pleasure to meet such a gorgeous woman.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lucky,” I said with a fake smile. I know his kind, and I wasn’t about to fall for it.
I excused myself and headed down the hall. I opened the door—to which I thought was the bathroom—and gasped when I saw Luke standing there, getting a blow job. I instantly shut the door and left the apartment. Sam came after me and asked what was wrong. I told him that I’d changed my mind. I went back into my apartment, shut the door, and slid down until I was on the ground. I cupped my face in my hands and sat there. I was startled when there was a knock at the door. I got up and looked out the peephole; it was Luke. I opened the door, and he was standing there in his jeans and a t-shirt, carrying a tool box in his hand. I couldn’t even look at him after what I saw; I was so embarrassed.
“Sam said the pipe in your shower broke.”
“Yeah, it did. What are you, the handyman?” I asked.
“As a matter of fact, I am. I’m the maintenance guy, and I need to take a look so that I can get whatever parts I need and come back tomorrow to fix it.”
“Fine, come in,” I snarled as I stepped aside.
I couldn’t stop staring at his ass as he walked down the hall. What the hell’s the matter with me? I don’t want to look at him or any part of his body. I followed him into the bathroom as he set his tool box on the toilet.
“So, what the hell did you do to this?” he asked.
“I didn’t do anything. I just went to adjust it, and it broke off.”
“These things just don’t break off that easily. You must’ve really grabbed it and yanked it hard.”
He was making me angry with his attitude, and I was thinking about something on him that I was going to grab and yank really hard. I rolled my eyes as I stood there, leaning up against the sink.
“You know what, Mr. Handyman? You’re right; it must be my superhuman strength that broke it.”
He turned his head and looked at me. The corners of his mouth turned up into a small smile that grabbed my attention. I couldn’t look at him anymore. I was getting turned on, and that’s something that hasn’t happened to me in a very long time. I was starting to get annoyed with the way my body was reacting just at the mere sight of him, and the worst part was I couldn’t get what I just saw out of my head.
“I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me,” I said as I walked out of the bathroom.
I looked at the clock on the stove, and it was 2:00 a.m. I was practically in tears because I had to be in my classroom at 7:00 a.m., but I still needed to clean myself up. Luke came walking out of the bathroom with his tool box.
“I’ll get the parts that I need tomorrow, and I’ll come back to fix it. Will you be home?” he asked as he looked at me. “Lily, what’s wrong?”
I turned towards the refrigerator and acted like I was getting a bottle of water so that he couldn’t see the tears that were about to fall.
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m just really tired; I start my new job in a few hours, and I feel disgusting from unpacking boxes all day. And to answer your question, no, I won’t be home tomorrow; at least not until after 3:00 p.m.”
I heard him take a few steps closer to me from behind. “Hey, grab your things and take a quick shower at my place. By the way, I’m sorry for what you saw earlier.”
I put my hand up to stop him. “Please, don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong. It was my fault for walking in on you and your girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he said unexpectedly. “Come on. Time’s ticking away, and you need a shower.”
I turned around and looked at him. “Thank you, Luke. Let me grab my things.”
He waited for me, and we walked to his apartment. He opened the door, and as I stepped inside, the only thing I saw were two completely naked girls sitting at the table while Sam and Lucky were fully dressed. Luke sighed and walked over to the table. He gathered up the girl’s clothing and threw it at them.
“Girls, it’s been fun, but it’s time to leave now.”
“Hey, man, what the hell are you doing?” Lucky said as he stood up.
“Lily, the bathroom’s on the left,” he said.
I started to walk to the bathroom, and I heard Luke tell Lucky the party’s over and that he needed to leave as well. Lucky wasn’t happy about it, but he did what Luke said. I shut and locked the door. I stepped into the shower and stood under the hot water and relaxed. As I was shampooing my hair, I heard the door open.
“It’s just me; don’t freak out,” Luke said.
I froze. “What the hell, Luke? Get out!” I yelled.
“You’re not the only one who has to get up early. I just need to brush my teeth real quick,” he said.
“You can’t wait until I’m out of the shower and back in my apartment?”
“No, I’m tired, and I want to go to bed. Besides, you women take long showers.”
I heard him start brushing his teeth. I couldn’t believe the nerve of him. “The door was locked; how did you get in?” I asked.
“The lock’s broke, so it wasn’t locked.”
I heard him turn the water off. “I’m going to bed. I’ll be by your place to fix your shower tomorrow after you get home. Night,” he said.
The door shut, and he was gone. “Good night, Luke,” I whispered.
I stepped out of the shower, dried off, threw my clothes on, grabbed my things, and headed towards the door. Sam was cleaning up the mess that was left in the kitchen.
“Lily, before you go,” he said as he walked towards me. “I’m sorry for tonight, and for the things you saw.”
“Don’t be sorry, Sam. What you and Luke do is your business, not mine. You have nothing to apologize for.” I smiled.
He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “Sleep tight. I’m going to give Gretchen a call tomorrow. Could you please not mention what you saw here tonight?” he said with a twisted face.
“Don’t worry; I won’t tell her a thing.” I smiled and walked out the door.
* * *
I jolted out of bed at the sound of my alarm buzzing. I quickly turned off the irritating sound and looked at the time. It was 5:30 a.m. I didn’t fall asleep until 3:30 a.m., and I was exhausted. I made my way to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face to try and wake myself up. I stumbled into the kitchen, and made a pot of coffee. As the coffee brewed, I put on my makeup, straightened my blonde hair, and put on my clothes. I poured some coffee in my travel mug, grabbed my purse and school bag, and opened the door to leave. As I was locking my door, Luke’s door opened, and he came walking out. Our eyes met.
“Morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” I replied. “You’re up early.”
“I told you last night that you weren’t the only one who had to be up,” he said as he locked his door.
“Have a good day!” I smiled.
“Yeah, you too,” Luke said as he walked up the stairs.
On the way to the school, I couldn’t help but wonder why he was up so early, and why he was going upstairs. He said he didn’t have a girlfriend. Well, he said she wasn’t his girlfriend. I shook my head. He’s no different than every other guy out there, except he was the hottest looking man that I’d ever seen. I couldn’t stop thinking about the scar I saw on him, and I wondered where it came from. Why was I thinking about Luke so much? I can’t do this. I’m starting over, and I can’t have any distractions. I pulled into the school parking lot and headed to my classroom. I walked through the door and stared around the room. This was going to be my second home for the next ten months. I smiled at that thought, and I set my things on my desk. My main focus has to be my students, not Luke.
I heard a soft knock on the door. As I turned to look, Chris Channing, Gretchen and Giselle’s aunt, and the principal of the school, was walking towards me.
“Lily, it’s been way too long. How are you?” she asked as she hugged me.
“I’m good, Chris. Thank you again for hiring me.”
“You’re welcome, and you were the perfect candidate. Not only have I known you for the past twenty years, but I know how much you love children. Gretchen told me about your situation, and I just want to tell you that I’m sorry.”
I looked away and started rearranging things on my desk. “Don’t be sorry, Chris. I’m moving on and starting over. Things worked out for the best.”
“They sure did,” she said as she hugged me again. “Your students will be here any minute. If you need anything at all, call me.”
“I will,” I smiled as the bell rang, and a flock of children entered the classroom.
* * *
I spent most of the day getting to know the children and having them get to know me. We all had lunch together in the classroom, which they thought was cool. I wanted them, not only to like me, but to trust me as well. I wanted them to feel safe every time they walked into the classroom. The end of the day approached, and the bell rang. In a matter of minutes, the classroom was empty again. I walked around the room and straightened the desks. I grabbed my things, turned off the light, and headed home. Once I arrived at the apartment building, I unlocked and opened the door, threw my bags onto the chair, and kicked off my heels. I sat down on the couch for a minute to relax when I heard a knock on the door. I got up, looked through the peephole, and saw Luke standing there. I opened it and motioned for him to come in.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hey,” he said without even looking at me and just walked down the hall.
I rolled my eyes. I was extremely tired, and I was in no mood for his attitude.
I put the kettle on the stove for some tea. All I wanted right now was the comfort of my plush bed. As I was waiting for the water to heat up, I heard Luke yell from the bathroom.
“Shit!” he yelled.
It sounded like a yell of pain, so I walked to the bathroom to see what had happened. He stood there holding his hand.
“Are you ok? What happened?” I asked.
“Nothing, just go!” he spat.
“Excuse me, mister, but this is my fucking bathroom, and I’ll be in here if I want to be.”
He looked up at me. “Do you always use that kind of language?”
“Yes, I do. Now let me take a look at your hand,” I said as I lightly touched it.
He pulled away quickly. “No, it’s fine. I don’t need your help.”
“Maybe you do or maybe you don’t. You’re hurt, and I need to see how bad it is. Now sit your goddamn ass on that toilet so I can take a look.”
He looked at me with anger in his eyes. “You can come off as being really mean.”
“Good, I’m glad you noticed. Now, give me your hand.”
He held out his hand, and I removed the blood-soaked tissue. I grabbed a washcloth from under the sink and wrapped it around his hand. “Put pressure on that while I get the antiseptic and a Band-Aid. It doesn’t look like it needs stitches.”
I reached into the cabinet and got out the antiseptic and some cotton balls. I could see him staring at me out of the corner of my eye. I soaked the cotton ball with antiseptic and set it on the edge of the counter. I turned to him and took his hand. I didn’t want to look at him because he had the most amazing brown eyes.
“Where are you from?” he asked out of nowhere.
“Why do you care?” I replied.
“I don’t. I’m just trying to make small talk.”
“Seattle.”
“Is your family still there?”
“I don’t have any family. They’re dead.”
I removed the washcloth and took a cotton ball from the edge of the counter. “This is going to sting, but I know that you’re a big boy, and you can handle it.” I dabbed his cut on the side of his hand with the antiseptic soaked cotton ball.
“Fuck!” he screamed and tried to pull his hand away.
“Do you always use that kind of language?” I asked.
“Only when someone’s hurting me!” he exclaimed.
“Stop being a baby and man up.”
“Don’t tell me to man up!”
“Fine,” I said.
I put the Band-Aid on his hand. “There, all better. Now get back to fixing my shower.”
He looked at me and got up from the toilet. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said as I walked out of the bathroom.
I took a teabag from the cupboard and made some tea. I took my cup and sat down at the table. About thirty minutes later, Luke emerged from the bathroom.
“You’re all set,” he said.
“Great. Thank you. Can I offer you a beer?” I asked, not sure why those words escaped my lips.
“No, I need to go. Enjoy the rest of your evening,” he said as he walked out of my apartment.
5
Luke
I opened the door to my apartment and set my tool box by the closet. I looked at my watch, and it was almost time for Mrs. Clements to bring Charley home. I walked outside to wait for her. Charley takes a dance class after school with her best friend, Allie. Allie’s mom picks the girls up from school, takes them to dance class, and then drops Charley off at my place. When Maddie works the day shift at the bar, she usually doesn’t get off work until 6:00 p.m. She doesn’t work many nights, but when she does, Charley spends the night at my place.
“Hey, peanut, how was your first day of school?” I asked her as I carried her backpack inside.
“It was great, but I’m hungry,” she pouted.
“What do you want to eat?” I asked.
“Grilled cheese,” she smiled.
“One grilled cheese sandwich coming right up,” I said as I got out the pan. “Tell me about your day.”
“I love my new teacher. She’s so nice and super pretty.”
“Is that so?” I asked. “What’s her name?”
“Miss Gilmore.”
I made Charley her grilled cheese sandwich and listened to her as she told me all about her day.
“Uncle Luke, what happened to your hand?” she asked as she looked at the Band-Aid.
“Yeah, Uncle Luke, what happened to your hand?” Sam asked as he walked through the door smiling.
“It’s just a cut from fixing the shower next door. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Do you have homework, Charley?” I asked.
“Nope. Miss Gilmore said we would all be too tired from our first day to concentrate on homework, so she didn’t give us any.”
“She sounds like a cool teacher,” I smiled.
“She’s really cool, and you would like her.”
I walked out of the kitchen as she said that and sat down on the couch. Sam opened a beer, handed it to me, and sat on the chair across from me.
“How did it go at Lily’s?”
“It went fine, except I cut myself,” I said.
“I invited Gretchen to go with us to the beach this weekend, and I think you should invite Lily.”
I looked at Sam and sighed. “Your hang up with me and Lily is getting old. I’m not interested. If you want her to join us at the beach this weekend, ask her yourself.”
“Fine, I will,” he said as he pulled out his phone.
Charley came over and sat next to me. “Can I watch SpongeBob Squarepants?”
I put my arm around her, and she snuggled up against me. I turned on her show, and looked over at Sam as he started laughing.
“What is so funny?” I asked.
“Lily asked if you were going to the beach, and when I told her yes, she said no. You two are going to kill me.”
I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t stop thinking about how Lily told me that her family was dead. I couldn’t imagine not having my family. I haven’t seen any guys coming around, so I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Not that it matters, I’m just surprised that someone as beautiful as her doesn’t have one.
The door opened, and Maddie walked in.
“Mommy!” Charley exclaimed as she jumped up from the couch.
“Baby, how was school?” she asked as Charley jumped in her arms.
“Hey, Maddie,” I said as I kissed her on the cheek. “How was work?”
“It was the same as every other day. I got hit on a few times. A couple of drunken guys grabbed my ass. You know; the usual.”
“Yeah, well I better never see them grabbing your ass, otherwise I’ll kick theirs,” I said.
“Tell Uncle Luke and Uncle Sammy goodbye, Charley.”
“Bye, Charley,” Sam smiled from the couch.
“Bye, peanut,” I said as I held out my fist to hers.
“Later gator,” we both said at the same time.
I walked over and sat back down on the couch. “Do you know anything about Lily’s past?”
Sam shot me a look. “No, but why are you asking?”
“I don’t know. It’s just something she said earlier.”
“What did she say?” Sam asked.
“I asked her where she’s from and she said Seattle. I asked if her family lived there, but she said that she doesn’t have any family and that they’re dead.”
Sam looked at me, and his mouth dropped. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously, dude.”
“Wow, poor Lily, to be all alone with no family. That’s awful.”
Sam got up from the chair to take a shower. He was taking Gretchen out on a date.
I grabbed an ice-cold beer from the fridge and sat back down on the couch. My phone beeped, and there was a text message from Lucky.
“Dude, come to the bar tonight; there’s some really hot chicks here, and I scored us a gig for Saturday night.”
I wasn’t in the mood for the bar tonight. I replied back.
“Sorry, Lucky, not tonight, and thanks for the gig on Saturday.”
I got up from the couch and grabbed my guitar. I sat back down, and as I was going to begin to play, I heard music coming from the other side of the wall. Lily was playing her guitar. The song she was playing sounded familiar. As I strummed a few chords, the music from the other side of the wall stopped. I played a short tune and waited. Lily played it right back. I strummed another tune, something a little more difficult, and then I waited. A few seconds later, she played it back. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Is that a smile I just saw on your face, Luke?” Sam said as he walked by.
“No, and where are you taking Gretchen?” I asked to change the subject.
“I’m taking her to a new restaurant for dinner and then maybe a movie after.”
“Have a good time,” I said as Sam headed out the door.
I strummed a few more chords and waited for Lily to strum back, but she never did. I decided to try and write a new song. It’s been a year since I’ve written anything. Ever since…
6
Lily
“Hello,” I said as I answered Gretchen’s call.
“Guess what I’m doing tonight,” she said.
“I don’t know, taking a bubble bath and shaving your legs?”
“No, Lily, stop it! I’m going on a date with Sam!”
“Ah, so he finally called you. That’s great, Gretchen; I’m happy for you.”
“Try it sometime, Lily. You might surprise yourself and like it.”
“No thanks. I’m happy with my life as it is. I don’t need a man to be complicating things. Have fun on your date with Sam. You better call me tomorrow and let me know how things went.”
“I will, Lily, and try not to have too much fun in that apartment all by yourself.”
“Goodbye, Gretchen.”
“Goodbye, Lils.”
I smiled as I hung up the phone and picked up my guitar. I could hear Luke trying to play something. He kept strumming and stopping. The little game we played just before Gretchen called was fun. He would play a tune and stop, and I would play it back. I couldn’t help but wonder how his hand was doing. Something about him bothered me. On one hand, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. On the other, I couldn’t stand him. I got up and put my guitar back. I had a corner in my living room that sat empty, so I moved my guitar there. That guitar holds a lot of memories for me; some bad and some good.
* * *
The next morning, I stumbled out of bed, tired as hell, and made my way to the kitchen for some coffee. You’d think I’d be used to only getting a couple hours of sleep a night since it’s been over a year. I poured a cup then headed to the bathroom for a shower. I stepped out of the shower and heard my phone beep from the next room. I walked over to it, and there was a text message from Sam.
“Good morning. I need to see you before I leave for work. Can I stop by?”
I smiled because he probably wanted to talk to me about his date with Gretchen. I replied back.
“Sure, the door’s unlocked. Grab a cup of coffee, and I’ll be right out. I’m getting dressed.”
I quickly ran to the door and unlocked it then ran back into my bedroom. As I was putting on my black pants, I heard Sam come in.
“Hey, Lily, it’s just me.”
“Hey, Sam, I’ll be right out!” I yelled.
I put on my shirt and walked out to the living room, rubbing my hair with a towel.
“You look very professional today.” I smiled.
He was wearing a three-piece black suit with a light green shirt and matching tie. Needless to say, he looked hot.
“I have a meeting today with a big client, and he’s the uptight, everything needs to be professional, type of person.”
“So, what brings you here for a visit this early in the morning?” I asked.
“Being a teacher, I knew you’d be up getting ready for work.”
“Follow me to the bathroom. I need to start getting ready,” I said.
Sam got up from the table and stood in the doorway of the bathroom while I put on my makeup.
“I had a great time with Gretchen last night. She’s an amazing person.” He smiled. “I think the four of us should go out.”
I was leaning over the sink, putting on my mascara. “The four of us?” I asked.
“Gretchen, me, you, and Luke.”
“I don’t date,” I said as I looked at my eyes in the mirror.
“I know you don’t, and I’m really sorry to hear that.”
I instantly looked at him. “Gretchen told you, didn’t she?”
“Yes, she told me all about your ex and what had happened at the church.”
“Damn her. Just wait until I talk to her,” I said in anger.
“Don’t, Lily. She’s worried about you. She told me that she’s happy you moved to Santa Monica because then she can keep a closer eye on you. She doesn’t want you to be lonely.”
“I like being lonely. Did she say anything else?” I asked as I ran a brush through my damp hair.
“She told me that your family isn’t dead and that they’re still living in Seattle.”
“My family’s dead to me, Sam. What my sister and mother did is unforgivable. I want you to forget about that conversation, and don’t ever mention it to anyone. Do you understand me? I’m starting my life over, and that’s my story. I never plan on seeing either of them again.”
“Ok, I’ll forget about it, but I want you know that Luke isn’t a bad guy like you think he is. He’s hiding himself, just like you are.”
“I don’t care about Luke, Sam. I’m not interested in men, period. I don’t care who they are. They’re all lying, cheating bastards who break my heart over and over. I refuse to ever let it happen again.”
He put his arm around me and held me tight. “I understand, and don’t worry; your secret’s safe with me.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
“I have to go, or I’ll be late. Have a good day with your students.” He smiled as he turned and left the apartment.
“Have a good, professional meeting!” I yelled from the bathroom.
As I was blow-drying my hair, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Sam had said about Luke; that Luke was hiding himself. I didn’t care about Luke or his life. I threw my hair up in a ponytail and headed out the door.
* * *
The students were wound up, but we had a productive day. I was sitting at my desk as the students were doing a writing assignment when Charley came up to me.
“Miss Gilmore,” she said.
“Hi, Charley, what’s up?” I asked.
“My uncle’s taking me to the carnival Friday night,” she said with a huge smile plastered on her face.
“Wow, what a nice uncle you have.” I smiled back.
“He’s the best! He takes care of me a lot while my mom’s working. He helps me and my mom out since my daddy isn’t around.”
Hearing Charley say those words broke my heart. I knew what it was like not having your dad around.
“Your uncle sounds like he’s an amazing person.”
“He is, and I love him very much. I think you would like him, and he doesn’t have a girlfriend. She died.”
“Oh, Charley, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure that I’d like him.”
The bell rang, and the end of the school day had arrived.
“Bye, Miss Gilmore.” Charley smiled and waved.
“Bye, Charley. See you tomorrow.”
The classroom emptied, so I walked around putting things away and straightening the desks. I grabbed my bags, got in the Explorer, and started driving down the road. As I was driving and listening to my favorite tunes, my car started to shake. I quickly pulled over onto the side of the road, and it stalled. I turned the key to try and start it, but it was dead. I sighed and got out my phone. I tried to call Gretchen and Giselle, but there was no answer. Shit—shit—shit! I said as I got out and leaned up against the side of the Explorer. I tried to call Sam, but he didn’t answer either, so I left a message and told him where I was.
Thirty minutes had passed, and I was getting ready to start walking when a motorcycle pulled up behind me. I was a little nervous. He pulled off his helmet and looked at me. I couldn’t help but smile as Luke got off his bike and started walking towards me.
“So, you’re my knight and shining armor?” I asked.
“Something like that,” he said. “Pop the hood so that I can take a look.”
I popped the hood and stood next to Luke as he examined the engine. “Try and start it,” he said.
I got inside and turned the key—nothing. “Sorry, but it still doesn’t want to start!” I yelled form the driver’s seat.
Luke shut the hood and walked over to me. “It’s probably the alternator. You’re going to have to get this towed.”
“Great,” I said as I put my forehead on the steering wheel.
“My buddy owns a garage not too far from here. I’ll call him and have him come tow it.”
I looked over at him. “Thank you, Luke.”
“No problem,” he said as he walked away and made the phone call.
He walked over to me and handed me his helmet. “Here, put this on.”
I looked at him confusion. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want you on the back of my bike without one on.”
I looked at him like he was crazy. “I’m not getting on the back of that thing. I hate motorcycles.”
“Suit yourself,” he said. “The guys won’t be here for another two hours. If you want to sit in the hot sun, or the hot car, that’s fine with me. I really don’t care either way,” he said as he walked away.
I sighed as I got out of the truck. I sat down on the ground next to it. This is going to be the longest two hours of my life. Luke got on his bike and started it. He pulled up next to me and yelled over the roaring engine. “Are you sure? This is your last chance!”
“I’m sure,” I said.
He sped away and left me sitting there on the side of the road in the hot sun. I pulled my phone from my pocket, and it was dead. Of course it was; could this day get any worse? A few minutes later, I heard the roaring engine of a motorcycle. I look up and saw Luke getting off his bike. He walked over to me and grabbed my arm.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” I yelled as he pulled me off the ground.
“Taking you home, and watch your mouth,” he said.
“I’m not getting on that thing, and you can’t make me!” I said as he was dragging me to his bike.
He stopped dead in his tracks, turned around, and looked at me. “What is it that you’re scared of, Lily?”
“Nothing,” I said as I walked back to the Explorer. “Just leave me alone, and go home, Luke.”
I sat inside to try and escape him. He opened the passenger door and climbed in. I stared straight ahead and wouldn’t look at him.
“Something about motorcycles has you freaked out. Tell me what it is, and maybe I can help you.”
“You can’t help,” I said as my eyes started to tear. He wouldn’t stop staring at me, and once again, he was making me feel uncomfortable.
“Please, just tell me, Lily,” he whispered.
I sighed and took in a deep breath. “I was in a motorcycle accident with my dad when I was a child. I can still remember the pain, as if it happened yesterday. I haven’t been on a bike since, and I don’t plan on starting now.”
“I can understand that, but you’ll be safe with me; I promise.” He said.
I turned my head towards him. There was something in his eyes that drew me into him. It was hot, and the thought of sitting here for the next two hours wasn’t a pleasant one. “Fine, I’ll go,” I said hesitantly. “But just to let you know, I may have an anxiety attack.”
He reached over and touched my hand. I should’ve pulled back, but I couldn’t. He tilted his head and smiled. “You’ll be fine.”
We both got out of the Explorer and walked over to his motorcycle. The memories of the accident started to flood my mind. He handed me the helmet and saw I was shaking. He clasped my shoulders.
“Take a deep breath. You’ll be safe.”
I took the helmet and put it on. There was something soothing about his voice. I trusted him, and I started to calm down. He straddled his bike and started it. He patted the seat behind him and told me to get on. I climbed on and leaned forward, wrapping my arms around him as tight as I could. I closed my eyes as he took off down the road, and the only thing I felt was the wind against us and Luke’s muscular form. He looked back for a second and asked me if I was ok. I told him I was. The sick feeling that I had a few minutes ago had passed, and it wasn’t so bad riding with him; he made me feel safe.
