Page 60 of Falling Backwards
I don’t know if he says it about the joke or my blush or the way I’m taking this drink.
Not caring to ask, I admit instead, “It’s making my skin crawl to know Kyle hasn’t left yet.”
And once again, he doesn’t reply right away.Moment by moment, that tension from before creeps up anew.
He inhales slowly, and so do I.
“I’m sorry he’s bothering you,” he tells me softly.
Softly.
Luke.Soft.
The half-stunned thoughts and his tone ring in my mind.Tingles dance over the side of my body that’s warm just from being close to him.
While I try to figure out what to say back, he reaches for his drink—and shifts even closer to me.His leg grazes mine.
The tingles overtake the rest of my body like wildfire.My heartbeat skips.
I’ve caught his gaze before I’ve even realized it.
This blue-eyed bastard shouldn’t be able to make my heart skip a beat two minutes after pissing me off.
“But you can relax,” he goes on.“This is as much of a problem as he’s gonna be tonight.”
His eyes aren’t quite as soft as his tone.
I’m left breathless by that as he looks away again—by how he’s making that assurance from his end, not from Kyle’s.
He’ll watch over me.
It doesn’t matter what else Kyle might try to do tonight.Luke will be between him and me.
My heart swells in my chest with…
…a lot of things.
For a lot of reasons.
After another few moments, I choose to focus on the gratitude.
Softly, too, I say, “Okay.”
He nods, then unexpectedly clinks his glass against mine in a,‘Cheers,’kind of way.
“Okay,” he echoes.
L U K E
The evening passes in such a strange way.It’s like I’m living in a blur but also like everything is sharp and clear.Makes sense, I guess, though not because I’m drunk—Maggie and I haven’t imbibed as much as our friends.It’s just that this is all so….
I don’t know.
For the most part, I still don’t know what to think about what’s going on.
But one thing I have had a grip on is my determination to do what Maggie needs me to do.Even with most of our conversations being stilted and her proximity to me making me feel shaky deep down—even with our past whispering in the back of my mind—I haven’t felt discomfited.Haven’t felt burdened.I’ve only felt determined to get her through this evening in one piece.
