Page 4 of Lose Me In The Shadows

“Maybe jump was the wrong word. But you need to push off with one leg and your arms and sort of… hop up.”

“Bonkers,” she muttered under her breath, but went for it.

And got on the first try.

After that, it was only another few feet until they reached the top. She caught her breath, and Luke—whose arms were killing him at this point—stayed next to her, basking in her glow of accomplishment. Because she did glow, and it wasn’t from sweat.

“How’d that feel?” he asked her.

“Fucking phenomenal,” she laughed, joy in her voice.

“I’m Luke.”

“Kara.”

Not sayingI know, I’ve been shadowing youfelt like a lie, but Luke dismissed the feeling. Honesty mattered; loyalty mattered more.

Even if introducing himself to Kara wasn’t very loyal.

“Great job,” the instructor yelled, interrupting, “but you both better come back down. Now.”

Luke got kicked out of the climbing gym, but he didn’t care, because Kara gave him her number and suggested they “climb for real” sometime.

When Conor called from god knew where, Luke found himself in an unfamiliar position: as a liar two times over. First, because he was lying to Conor through omission by not telling him he’d met Kara, and second, because he was in denial about what that lie meant.

He had the opportunity to tell the truth, he just didn’t take it.

“Boy scout,” Conor said in greeting.

“You safe?” Luke asked immediately, like the three of them always did when they were separated. Conor had been on a mission with another SEAL team since October, and Luke didn’t have the security clearance to know the specifics.You safewas a silly question when the real answer was often no, but still, Conor responded how he always responded.

“As I can be,” he said. “How’s home?”

Fuck.Luke wavered, that essential part of himself that Conor and Micah teasingly called “Luke’s inner George Washington” making itself known. He didn’t want to lie. He needed to tell Conor now:I’m in Denver. Kara is here. I spoke to her earlier today and she asked me out on a date and we’re going hiking next week.

Except that would prompt both Conor’s anger as well as the question: why are you following Kara, when that was Micah’s job? And then Luke would have to tell Conor that Micah had fucked Kara, only forherto fuck up his head, and then Luke was being disloyal to Micah.

He couldn’t fucking win. He never should’ve suggested to Micah that he take over Kara watching duty in the first place. He never should have interfered at the climbing gym.

Except she’d been so scared up there. She needed someone, and just watching her wasn’t going to cut it.

“Luke?” Conor asked.

“I’m in Denver,” Luke offered, a partial truth. “I needed to get out of town for a bit. Took some leave.”

“Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” Luke muttered.

Lie.

“Have you talked to Micah? He didn’t pick up when I called.”

“Yeah, he’s fine, too.”

Lie.It had been a couple months, and Micah was still shaken up over Kara. That woman’s pussy was kryptonite. Luke had a feeling he was about to learn that firsthand.

True.

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