Page 50 of Unexpected

I could see the finish line, and it looked like there was an expensive bottle of red wine and a ton of fucking independence on the other side.

I grabbed my phone and couldn’t help the smile that crossed my face when I saw Luke’s name appear.

Luke: No, I don’t think I need a statue of St. Peter. Sadie has an issue with statues. I bought a garden gnome once and learned my lesson really quick.

I laughed and imagined Sadie growling at a little, innocent garden gnome.

Me: Well, if Sadie says no, then it’s a definite no.

I hadn’t seen Luke since earlier that week when I stayed at his house. Between trying to work, clean out the house, and find a new place to live, among other things, I didn’t have much free time. Although I did always find time to text him.

With everything else going on, I didn’t know if I also wanted to add on top of that trying to navigate my new feelings for him. Feelings that I also hadn’t felt since Michael and I started dating, but even then, it was hard to compare. It seemed different. It was different.

Without knowing too much about him, I already trusted Luke. But I felt guilty for flirting—even if it was just innocent and over text—when I was going through a breakup. I didn’t even know if I could see myself in another relationship, nor did I know if that’s what he wanted.

I kept myself awake at night, trying to figure out what the hell I was doing or what he was thinking. I compared how I was healing and recovering—words I found myself using more often after the stupid podcasts—to others and then felt bad for appearing to be okay when I didn’t always feel okay.

I was a mess.

Luke: She is in charge.

When I didn’t respond right away, another text came through.

Luke: Steak or chicken?

Me: Steak.

Luke: I was hoping you’d say that ;)

I peered around the room once more and tried to come up with a game plan. I had two hours until I was supposed to meet Luke at his house for my late birthday dinner that I had already tried to get out of a few times over the week.

Not that I didn’t want to spend time with Luke. It was the exact opposite… I was nervous about how much I did want to spend more time with him and how excited I was at the prospect of him making me dinner.

I knew I needed to shower and shave—just in case—as well as pick out an acceptable outfit and do my hair. I decided to leave the room in the chaotic state it was in and get ready as my heart pounded in anticipation.

TWENTY-ONE

Hazel

I was fifteen minutes late.Even though I lived next door, I was still late, because I changed my outfit six times and had to redo my makeup. It took me a while to figure out how best to apply the makeup to cover up the dull blue and yellow under my eyes. My nose was also still sore, so I did what I could to be careful when applying the concealer and powder to the center of my face.

I hurried up the porch stairs and knocked on Luke’s front door. The only upside to being late was that I was too concerned about how late I was, and I didn’t have time to psych myself out. It wasn’t until I saw Sadie running toward the door and Luke turning around the corner from the kitchen that the nerves really set in.

“Hey, come in,” Luke said as he waved me inside. It took me a moment to register that he had invited me in. I fought the nerves and attempted to remind myself that it was just a casual dinner with my neighbor. My neighbor that I hadn’t stopped thinking about over the past week. I hadn’t stopped thinking about him or the desperate kiss we shared.

Silently, I stepped inside and hoped I could keep my shit together for the night.

As Luke shut and locked the door, I greeted Sadie, who proceeded to weave in and out between my legs and cover my black sweater dress in golden dog fur. I couldn’t help but laugh at her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth.

Once I was thoroughly coated in dog hair and a little slobber, Sadie trotted away. I brushed off what I could of the fur but figured it would happen again anyway.

I caught Luke watching me with a curious look in his eyes as I stood up. He brazenly raked his eyes over my body, and goose bumps appeared over my skin and under his gaze. He paused, for the smallest second, on my hips and my chest, that were snuggly wrapped in the material of the dress, before meeting my stare and giving me a lopsided smile with his signature dimple. A dimple that was sometimes hidden by the scruff of his short beard, and I suddenly so desperately wanted to kiss.

He didn’t seem to care at all that he had been caught checking me out, and I honestly didn’t care that he had. The dress was a strategic choice since it showed off all my best assets.

And my strategy was working.

To return the favor, I also let my eyes wander over his body. He’d neatly trimmed his dark facial hair and wore a long-sleeved green shirt that closely matched his eyes. It was just tight enough across his chest and stomach that I could imagine the strength beneath it and could faintly make out the hard planes of his body. Like usual, his jeans were dark, and if I looked close enough, I swore I could see the outline of something hard below his belt.

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