Page 57 of Love's a Glitch
At long last, Cat let free a full smile, a flash of white teeth and all. “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“Aww.” Penny placed her hand on top of mine and Cat’s and I recalled George Lucas doing similar to Luke and me.
With my friends mostly onboard, I sought out my boyfriend, squeeing over the new label. I’d never quite believed those people who claimed their significant other was also their bestie, but Luke was the perfect combination of friend and lover.
Penny reached across the table to snag what remained of my fries—we occasionally teased her about practically licking the basket clean. She tossed the short, super crunchy pieces in her mouth and said, “I’m glad you finally found someone who doesn’t consider it a loss of power to admit they care about you. You’ve dated way too many babies who were afraid to say ‘I love you.’”
The joy suffusing my body crystalized and cracked.
Luke’s actions tonight proved that he cared.
Right?
We hadn’t been dating long—technically it’d been official for less than a half hour. Exchanging “I love you”s was a huge step, and I wasn’t sure I was there yet, either.
Liar, my brain accused as he strode toward me, a tray of drinks balanced in his hand. I wasn’t sure when I’d fallen, but I was tumbling hard.
For freaking Charles Lucas Davis.
I didn’t want to say it to him too soon and scare him away, the way I’d done to Dillon and a few of my other exes, and I didn’t expect him to say it to me.
While I hoped he’d at least tell me he cared about me before leaving for his next trip, we had a little time to get there. Yes, the planner in me would like to know exactly how long, but Luke didn’t make long-term plans, and I refused to pressure him.
Despite my inner pep talk, a hint of fear crept in. Silly me, I’d already flung myself on over the edge, no harness, no backup plan, and no bothering to check if there was a safety net to catch me if, on his next adventure, Luke decided he wasn’t a relationship guy after all.
28
Luke
“Did you see the house down the street just went up for sale?” Mom asked casually over breakfast, as though I’d never be able to see through her question and put together the implication. “It’s well-maintained and close to us and Henry and the kids…”
“Mom,” I said, not bothering to hide the warning in my tone. Truth was, the slightest breeze might send me running right now.
The other night I’d gotten an email. Not from Eloise from Zero Gravity Designs, as she’d been seated on the couch next to me, dozing with her head on my shoulder. At one point during our tango lesson, I’d confessed I’d never seen her belovedMoulin Rouge, and she’d insisted we amend that. Despite having seen the movie “at least a dozen times” and the fact that the main character started off by spoiling the ending, Ellie had cried on the shoulder she’d eventually fallen asleep on.
But not before muttering a comment about painful goodbyes, and how much she was dreading ours.
For someone who prided himself on not needing people and being able to leave at a moment’s notice, the idea of telling her goodbye for weeks and maybe months at a time caused my airway to restrict to the painful point.
When I’d heard my email chime, I’d lifted my phone, not giving a second thought to checking the message. One of the senior photographers had broken his leg, and not that I didn’t feel for the guy, but excitement beckoned as the rest of the email confirmed the conclusion I’d leaped to—his misfortune meant that there was an opening to cover the adventure marathon in the Oman Desert. For two days and two nights, competitors from over seventy countries competed in the eighty-five mile foot race that included rocky terrains, sheer cliff faces, steep walls, and a gain of over twenty-five thousand feet in elevation. Less than a third who started the race finished.
I’dbeggedto shoot it for three years.
Now I had my chance, and I waited for the elation….
Instead, I’d glanced down at the woman sleeping on my shoulder and hesitated.
That moment had fucked with my head for the last two days. With the race two weeks from tomorrow, I didn’t have the luxury of time.
“I’m not saying you’d have to move in now,” Mom continued, not the least bit dissuaded. “We could purchase it and consider it an investment for our future or yours. The value will only go up in the next year, but you know how rarely homes become available in this neighborhood.”
I shoveled the last of my eggs into my mouth and stood to place my plate in the sink. “I’ve got too much on my plate to discuss this right now. Aren’t you supposed to be cutting back on the guilt trips?”
Offense pinched Mom’s features. “Oh, so planning for the future is an awful thing to do? What about Eloise’s future?” Last Sunday, Ellie had joined us for dinner, and upon learning my girlfriend’s full name, Mom had taken to using it. “If she gets lonely while you’re off on all your adventures, wouldn’t it be nice for her to have us nearby?”
Shit. Now I felt another heap of guilt, this time for not considering Ellie’s loneliness. “She has her job and her friends,” I said, assuring myself as much as Mom. “And her cat.”
“Do you sincerely think a woman as beautiful, as smart, and as successful as Eloise is going to be satisfied with that? How long do you expect her to wait around for you? Weeks? Months? Maybe a year? Dating a guy who constantly travels the world sounds far more romantic than it is. You’re going to lose her if you don’t give her more.”
