Page 57 of Unexpected

“I guess you have to start somewhere.”

He shut off the kitchen light before fishing the red blanket out from underneath Sadie, who just groaned softly before readjusting on the couch.

“Those are all of my surprises for tonight.”

“It was all perfect and freaking delicious. Thank you again,” I said honestly while he settled next to me, tossing the blanket over my legs. I hadn’t realized I was cold until the warmth of the blanket settled over me.

Luke turned on a movie. It was supposedly new and really great, but neither of us watched it. Instead, we spent the duration of the movie talking about anything that came to mind, making up for the years we knew each other but never actually spoke, while the movie played in the background.

As we talked, we slowly migrated closer to each other. Our knees pressed together under the warmth of the blanket as Luke discussed how he got through college without the support of his parents and with the little support his uncle could offer. It seemed mostly due to his friends, whom I was eager to meet. Our thighs brushed against each other’s as I described how bossy Delilah was when we were younger, and we ended up both laughing hysterically when I told the story about falling off the kitchen counter and getting stuck on the drawer pull. Luke snorted when I described the look on D’s face, her carefree shrug she had already mastered at ten, and the way I hung there until my parents got home half an hour later.

He finally told me that fighting was a release for him after his parents died—a way to rid himself of the overwhelming anger flooding through him. Anger that was actually grief he hadn’t worked through. But he didn’t offer too many details about his parents or the fighting other than he made a decent amount of money and was undefeated for a while. He quietly confessed that he had taken strides to control his angry beginning after he had suffered a brutal loss in the makeshift ring they’d used. It was the fight immediately after his first loss. He was hotheaded and too fucking cocky (his words). He went into the ring too soon after his previous loss and against a man with much more experience. He was lucky to walk away.

Then he had to reevaluate everything once again after he was nearly arrested for fighting. On that topic, he didn’t expand.

In a soft whisper, he confessed this. He told me that he had put a firm lid on the anger that once ruled his life. Or at least he thought he had until I showed up blooded and bruised and impossibly broken. He said it was the first time he saw red again in so many years. When his voice broke slightly under the immense weight of the memories, I cautiously slid my hand over his jean-clad thigh and squeezed.

I didn’t press for details about his parents, although I could sense that there was so much more to the story that maybe I would know eventually.

Luke asked about how Michael and I met and the beginning of our relationship.

I gave him the short version, not wanting to relive those now sickly sweet memories from another life.

Before I knew it, I was curled into his side, my legs slung over his lap as his fingers traced light lines up and down my shins. His fingers only barely touched the hem of my dress at midthigh, but each time he did, I had to forcefully hold back the desire to urge him higher.

We moved on to lighter topics: movies, music, secret hobbies. Although I already knew Luke’s old hobby included erotic romance novels—preferably cowboy ones.

The last thing I remembered before my eyes fluttered closed with Luke’s clean, manly scent surrounding me was discussing our favorite comfort TV shows. I must have fallen asleep after conceding thatThe Officewas also one of my favorites but only behindFriendsand Gilmore Girls.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, then winced when I remembered too late that I had makeup on, hoping I hadn’t disturbed it too much. Luke’s right arm was banded around me as I lay on his chest, which steadily rose and fell with each even breath. My arm was wrapped around his stomach, and I could feel the shallow indentations of his abdominal muscles under my hand. Each time he breathed out, I could feel his breath on the top of my head.

I peered up at Luke, who lay back on the sofa, his head fallen to the side on the couch cushion. His face was calm and blank, aside from a soft smile playing just at the corners of his lips.

I felt stupid, but I hoped maybe he was dreaming of me.

Although we had just begun a friendship after several years of being neighbors, it didn’t feel like we had just met or that we were new friends. Being in his arms, cuddling on his way too damn comfy couch that I always ended up falling asleep on when I was there, felt perfectly normal. It scared me how normal it all seemed.

I needed to find my phone and check the time. I was sure it was late, but I didn’t want to move and risk disturbing the peaceful giant under me. So instead, I laid my head back on his shoulder and let my eyes drift closed to the sound of the fire crackling in the background and Sadie snoring on the other side of Luke.

It only seemed like minutes before Luke stirred awake beside me. I didn’t open my eyes though, as I felt him stretch and yawn quietly. The pads of his fingers brushed over my cheek as he pushed a stray hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. My eyelashes fluttered of their own accord, and he laughed a low, throaty chuckle when I didn’t open my eyes or stir.

“I can tell that you’re awake.” He brushed his thumb over my cheek as I opened my eyes.

“I was just enjoying a few more seconds of… of this.”

He made a sound of approval from the back of his throat and pushed my hair out of the way to grip the side of my neck. “You’re more than welcome to stay.”

At his statement, my eyes popped open. I didn’t know what scared me more: the fact that he wanted me to stay or that I sincerely wanted to. But it was all too soon, and everything was moving too quickly. It hadn't been more than a week since I decided to call off the engagement, and Michael had left.

The panic tightened in my chest and felt heavy in my stomach as I stared at Luke’s midnight-green eyes. I could tell he was trying to read my facial expression as he squinted in concentration, and even if he asked, I probably wouldn’t have been able to tell him what I was feeling. I could barely comprehend my own emotions.

“I can’t. This is…” I trailed off as I suddenly needed distance, pulling myself from the couch and finding my phone on the coffee table.

It was almost one in the morning. Luke made like he was going to grab my arm as I moved around the coffee table, but thankfully, he thought better of it and let his hand fall to rest on his thigh.

“I’ll walk you out,” Luke said instead, rising to his full six-and-a-half-foot height. He straightened his clothes as I did the same before slipping on my boots.

My panic subsided as I realized he wouldn’t put up a fight about letting me go home. I kept forgetting that I had my own free will and could do as I pleased. Something I had given up with Michael and was confused about finding again.

---