Page 132 of The Heart

It feels like he’s held it a hundred times.

I take in a breath.Maybe he has.

I’m still looking down, my brows furrowed at what this might mean, when his large hand covers mine, holding it. I look up at him.

Is he?

No. He can’t be.

His eyes are glassy as if he’s about to cry.

I’ve never seen this man cry.

“You aren’t asking too much, Lu, because Iwantto give it. I just… don’t know how sometimes.” He’s quiet for a long moment, and I watch him work out whatever it is he’s trying to say. “Luke…” His voice breaks, and I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest. “Lucas, I love you.”

I stare at him, my jaw tense with emotion at hearing those words I’ve only ever pictured him saying, and thought he never would.

I know he’s always loved me in some sort of way, the same way I’ve always loved him. But for us to finally put a name to this thing between us. To say the wordsout loud?

My eyes suddenly sting. I didn’t expect to feel this way. Didn’t expect… any of this.

“Seb.” My voice is barely a whisper. “I… I love you, too.” I let out a breath, feeling the relief of finally telling this man how I feel.

He steps closer, clasping our hands together, trapping my note with our promise inside.

“So, we still in this?” he breathes.

“Yeah, we’re still in this.” My eyes don’t leave his, and we both chuckle, unable to hide our smiles. We lean in slowly, taking our time with this moment. I study every hard line of his face in the moonlight, breathe in the familiar scent of his cologne, ofhim,just as his loving eyes look at me. Our lips finally find one another’s, pressing together and parting slowly as if we’re stuck moving in slow motion.

Normally when we kiss, it’s rough, igniting a fire through my entire body. This kiss is more of a slow burn. One that makes my skin feel warm, but causes a shiver to run through me at the same time.

I feel his lips, a soft caress against mine. And for the first time, I feel…him.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

SEBASTIAN

“What happened to him?” I ask Leena, looking back to where Colton is sound asleep across the back seat.

“Well, you guys took a while and we sorta…” She smiles, that adorable blush spreading across her face.

I bark out a laugh. “Well that’s one way to shut him up. You should have thought of that earlier, sweetheart.” I smile wide at her, then look over to find Luke smiling at me.

I hold his gaze, because for some reason, I want to.

“Something happened,” Leena says, putting her arms on the console and leaning forward to look between us. Her hair is over one shoulder, andfuckshe looks beautiful in the moonlight. So does Luke. “What?” she says again, noticing the way I’m staring at her. How Luke is staring at her.

“Nothing happened,” I say quickly. But I know I’m grinning like an idiot.What the fuck is wrong with me?I need to get this under control.

Leena crosses her arms, which only props up her perfect breasts, showing off her cleavage. I stare. Luke stares. She looks down and lets out a breath, uncrossing them.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she says sincerely, then pulls back to return to her seat. I grab her hand before she can, because I want her to know.

I can’t keep shutting people out like this.

Only, I don’t know what to do now. I lace my fingers with Leena’s, then look to Luke for help. He smiles, sliding his hand over the back of hers, his fingers tangling with mine.

Without taking his eyes off me, he answers her question. “Sebastian told me that he loves me. And I said it back.” He smiles. And it’s strange, hearing it out loud.

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