Page 28 of Falling Hard
I tried to make light of the incident. "I wouldn’t even call it a fire. Barely a singe. A little lace was damaged."
"Olivia!" Alex said with concern.
Slamming my locker shut, I sighed, then faced them. "Don’t make a big deal about nothing."
"What if the fire got out of control and you burned down the building, maybe even killed yourself?" Demetria said in a tone that was the reason I didn't tell her in the first place.
"Don't be dramatic."
They all widened their eyes even more. In unison. It was creepy.
So I spoke clearly. "I'd truly rather die in flames than give Luke to that woman."
Their eyes widened further.
"You waited too long, and now you have to steal him," Mei said as we filed out of the locker room.
The words hit like a body shot, low and powerful, and I needed to regain my balance.
Demetria finally spoke. "If you tell Luke how you feel, I still say he'd choose you."
"Nobody willingly changes brides after they get engaged. Liv will have to fight for him," Alex countered.
"You always play Thelma to her Louise," Mei said. By her tone, Alex and I knew it wasn't meant to be a compliment.
When I felt an arm around me, I knew it was Alex. "From the classroom to the prison cells. I've got her back."
All four of us laughed hysterically. That was the thing with having girlfriends: Even when we didn't agree, I could always count on them to make me feel better.
Some downtimewith my girls was exactly what I needed. As Hopeton drove, I found myself curious. The man had known me since I was a little girl. He'd seen Luke and me together for years. "Do you think if given an ultimatum, Luke would pick me over that woman?"
Briefly, I felt foolish, and since it seemed he hadn’t heard me over the music, I could pretend I’d never spoken.
"Mr. Forrester and you sure seem intent on doing this the hard way, but I have faith in the end that you'll find your way together. I've watched the two of you since you were kids. You are destined to be together."
It was strange how everyone else seemed so sure that we were meant to be together, but I was consumed with fear that it might not work out and that I’d lose my best friend.
"Don't worry," Hopeton said when I didn’t answer. "Just tell Mr. Forrester how you feel."
I lowered my head, remembering a time I did just that. When I did the thing that everybody was telling me to do, but nobody knew I’d already done. They weren't there; they didn't have to live with the rejection.
It was my junior year of college, and the girls and I were out singing Karaoke. I wasn’t normally the type to overdo it. I could handle liquor. Except for that night. That night, the number of drinks got away from me. So I sent a message to my hero, asking him to rescue me. Luke showed up, not just for me, but for all of us.
That was always his way.
Whenever I got into trouble, I called Luke. When he came that night, I remember watching him walk toward us in his varsity jacket, blond hair ruffled. Strong feelings returned to me that hadn't resurfaced since prom night. After Luke got hold of Alex's boyfriend Bruno, Mei's roommate, and Demetria's brother, he placed me in his BMW and drove off.
I glanced outside the passenger side window, and I figured out where we were headed. Luke's off-campus apartment. My roommate was an uptight bitch. I complained about her so often that I’m sure my friends were as sick of her as I was. She'd just love to file another complaint about me.
"I'll take you to my place to sober up."
I heard him but didn’t respond. Something in me wanted to be taken care of by Luke. So, there in his passenger seat, I closed my eyes to steady my head from spinning. It was filled with crazy thoughts.
"Why did you get so drunk?"
I didn’t answer.
Minutes later, I heard the engine go silent, followed by a soft thud from the driver's side door shutting. I sat still and waited, heart pounding, listening for the sound of my own door opening. When I heard it, I held my breath until Luke’s hand slide beneath me, strong and steady. I didn’t say a word, just let the warmth of his touch speak louder than anything I could have said. Luke lifted me with ease, his arms steady and sure. My head dropped against his shoulder, dizzy from the closeness. His scent wrapped around me, and I closed my eyes to hold on to the moment. In his arms, I felt at home, where I had always belonged. And I cursed myself for waiting so long to admit it. This was exactly where I was supposed to be. I fit perfectly there.
