Page 10 of Puck Blocked
I gasp as my eyes snap open. Someone is screaming. Not someone. Me. I’m screaming.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you. You’re safe,” Luke repeats over and over again.
I peer up at him. The screaming stops, and the tears start as my eyes bounce from surface to surface in a room I don’t recognize. He was here. Andrew was here. Where did he go?
“Tanna, you’re okay. I’ve got you,” Luke says again, and then I’m being lifted.
“What are you doing?” I ask, only just realizing he’s not wearing a shirt when my hand lands on his bare chest.
“Taking you to my room. I’m not letting you sleep alone,” he says as he sets me on a bed I’m assuming is his. Everything smells like him.
I freeze when he climbs in next to me and then pulls the covers up over both of us. “What are you doing?”
“Being the friend I should have been the last four years.” His hand reaches out and wraps around mine. “I’m not going anywhere, Tanna. I’ve got you now and no one is going to hurt you again. I swear it.”
I know he believes what he says, but I can’t. I don’t have that luxury. I can’t fall into that trap. I’ve tried to leave Andrew before, and that didn’t turn out too well for me. It’s not going to be any different now.
“I don’t think Sean would approve of me being in your bed,” I whisper to the silent room.
“Sean’s not here. And, honestly, right now I don’t give a fuck. I’m not leaving you alone.”
I let Luke’s words wash over me. This is the first time he’s ever said he didn’t care what my brother would think. Does he mean it?
“Do you ever think about what he’d be doing if he were still here?”
“I try not to,” Luke says. “I wish I knew… I wish I could have helped him.”
“Nobody knew what he was going to do.” I sigh. “There were no signs. I know everyone thinks there were. That it should have been obvious. But there was nothing. I’ve gone over those last few months, and I still can’t pinpoint a single moment that indicated he was struggling.”
“I lived with the guy. He hid it good, Tanna,” Luke says. “I never would have thought…”
“Yeah… me either.”
“Try to sleep.” Luke squeezes my hand a little before he drops it. I reach back out and take hold of his palm again. I don’t want to let go.
“It’s weird, but when I’m holding your hand, I feel…. a kind of peace,” I admit.
“It’s not weird, and you can hold my hand as much as you want, Tanna.” He shifts a little closer to me on the bed.
I close my eyes and release a long breath. “Thank you.”
“Montana…”
“Mmm,” I moan, rolling over and burying myself into the covers more. Every part of me hurts when I move, so I stop and just lie here instead.
“I have to go to morning skate,” Luke whispers, and I open my eyes. I didn’t even feel him get up.
“Okay. You want me to…” I don’t know what I’m asking. I don’t know what he wants me to do.
“Go back to sleep,” Luke says. “I’ll be a few hours, but I have Gray’s sister stopping by to bring you some clothes.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I tell him as I try to push up from the mattress. My arms are useless and I don’t get anywhere.
“I want to,” Luke says, then adds, “Are you going to be okay, Tanna? Do ya want to come to the rink with me? Or I could call Coach and tell him I’m sick?”
“No. Go. I’ll be fine. Besides, I can’t snoop through all your things with you standing here.” I grin into the pillow and finally manage to turn over to look at him. “I didn’t mean that. I won’t snoop. Sorry, bad joke. I won’t touch a thing. Promise.” Sometimes it’s easy to fall into bad habits. Like saying things I don’t mean. Especially with Luke around. He reminds me of the girl I used to be. A liar, according to Andrew. And I don’t want to be a liar.
“Tanna, you can snoop to your heart’s content. I don’t keep any secrets from you,” Luke says.
