Page 39 of My December Darling

This is a trap.

Yet here I am, considering willingly falling into it anyway.

Aiden looks up at me. “Tell Luke about the time I built that IKEA bookshelf for Gaby.”

“Which time are we talking about? Because it took you three tries to get it right, and when she asked for another one, you hired someone off the internet to build it for her.”

“That’s exactly what I thought.” Luke plucks the instruction manual from Aiden’s hands. “You’re officially dismissed. I appreciate the offer to help though.”

Aiden doesn’t look the least bit affronted when he asks, “For real?”

“I can’t risk the structural integrity of the base.”

A small laugh slips out of me, and Luke’s head whips in my direction.

Aiden looks over at me too, his smile expanding. “You think this is funny?”

“Nope.” I take a step back and accidentally bump into my sister.

Aiden scoffs. “My pride is being obliterated here, Cata. Show some damn respect.”

“Aw.” Gabriela kneels beside her fiancé and rubs his chest. “There. There. I’ll buy you some MEGA BLOKS to practice with first.”

“Aren’t those for toddlers?” he asks.

“Fitting since you have the ego of one…” Luke throws the barb with a smile, earning another soft smile from me.

Aiden points an accusatory finger at me. “Stop encouraging him.”

Luke doesn’t bother shielding his bright grin like I do. “Don’t get mad at her for finding me funny.”

“I’m laughingatyou. Not with you.”

Luke shrugs. “So long as you’re doing so, that’s all that matters to me.”

My cheeks betray me in that moment, making him smile wider.

Dammit. One week ago, I found ten different reasons to dislike his smile, but now, he has me all torn up inside as I try to navigate this new gray area of our…friendship? Situationship? Relationship? The third feels too serious while the first feels like a lie when a single graze of his fingers across my skin makes me flushed.

Bottom line is that I’m more confused than ever about whatever is going on between us, and I’m not sure how to best go about dealing with these newfound feelings.

“Are you going to stare at each other all night, or are we building this thing?” Aiden reaches for a plastic bag.

Before Luke has a chance to stop him from ripping it open, I steal it from his grasp. “Don’t open that.”

“Why not?”

I point at the number five. “It’s the wrong one.”

“Care to point me in the direction of the right one then?”

I take a seat on the carpet between him and Luke and search through the pile of bags until I find the correct one hidden at the bottom. When I hand it over to Aiden, he ignores me and drags my sister onto his lap instead.

I don’t realize I’m looking over at Luke, wondering what he thinks of their excessive PDA until our eyes connect. His brown irises look darker in this light, and the stubble on his cheek appears thicker than usual, framing his lips.

I’m not sure how long I stare at his mouth, but it must be long enough for him to unleash another smile.

“See something you like?” he says.

---