"Spending time with you is as precious as a diamond for me." — Unknown
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Chapter 25
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Maggie

Luke cast me a side glance, casually bumping into my shoulder as we walked to our rooms. "We have a problem."

"I've had enough for the night. Try me again in the morning." I chuckled at myself, observing him over. "And, where's my keycard?"

He paused in front of a door, turning to face me. "Well..." A look of caution crossed his expression as pressed his palm to his neck. "That's kind of the problem."

He reached into his coat pocket, dangling a key at me. I blinked a couple of times to ensure that I hadn't just missed the second, but nope. It was only one.

One. Freaking. Key.

"They only had one room," he hesitated. "And..." His eyes fell from mine, a sigh following. "One bed."

My mouth fell. "No. Hell no."

"I knew I should have told you once were inside the room," he groaned under his breath. "Listen, it's a king bed and—"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better or something?" I hissed.

"I told them to bring us a shit load of pillows, okay? We can put them between us, and—"

I turned and walked away.

"Maggie Norris, don't you dare think you're taking your ass back to that car." His demand was just as stupid as he was if he thought I was staying.

"Watch me."

Luke's long legs caught up quickly, stopping in front of me. He held out two arms. "Stop it, damn it."

I pulled my clutch from my bra. "If you touch me, I swear to god, Luke. I'll blind your ass right here, right now."

He narrowed his eyes at my clutch, which my hand was digging in at the moment. They returned to mine with hesitation. "At least look at the room."

"I'm not looking at shit, but the front fucking door," I retorted. "Now move."

I tried to side-step him but he was one step ahead of me. Literally.

I scowled at him, and he matched it back with the same malice. A moment passed before he blew out a breath, straightened his back, and crossed his arms. "Fine," he put out with a sharp tone. "Take your smartass outside. The doors are locked, anyway."

Shit.

I put my hand out. "Give me the key. Now."

He smirked, training his eyes on my face. "Let's go see our room."

The mix of frustration and anger nearly tasted toxic. "Give it to me, or I spray." My hand fell to the clutch again, but before I could even graze the pepper spray, Luke had snatched it from my hand.

He tossed it up, catching it in the other hand before he put it away. His smirk built as he stepped by me to walk back to the room.

With a huff, I followed behind him. "Give it back, you idiot." I tried to reach for it, but he blocked me before I could.

He held me at arms length, his hand to my throat, and the other swiping the keycard. I scowled, shoving his hand down with force. When I did, he caught my hand in his, tugging me into the room.

I jerked around to face him with a glare. He pressed his back against the door, offering a half-grin to me. "You done with your little pity party now, angel?" He threw the backpack over the bed while he worked at his tie.

"I'm not having a pity party," I grumbled, quite literally in the middle of said pity party, now.

My glare landed across him before I risked a look over the space.

On my left side was a long stretching, brown dresser with a flat screen on top. Below that was a mini-fridge behind a row of shut cabinets. There were a couple of light furniture pieces, as well as a bathroom to my other side. As Luke said, behind us was a king sized bed, right in the center of the room.

"See," Luke insisted, throwing his coat jacket across the room. With a shrug, he began to unbutton his shirt. "It's big as shit. We'll put pillows between us, and everything will be cool."

He was right. The bed was big enough to fit the both of us, but I didn't want to chance it, nonetheless.

It was bad enough I went to a dance with another man, let alone slept in a bed with him, hours away from home. It looked terrible, and like betrayal on my end.

"You'll sleep in the chair," I decided.

Luke made a silly face at me. "I'm not waking up with a sore neck for you."

"Well, one of us is going to have to sleep somewhere else." I walked over to bed, and took a seat on the mattress. "And, it won't be me."

He snorted, pausing on his buttons. "Well, it sure as hell won't be me. There's literally enough room for five people in that bed."

I rolled my eyes at his difficulty. "You're the man," I told him. "You're supposed to be the gentlemen, and offer to sleep in the chair, or the floor."

Luke raised a brow at me. "Have you met me?" His head fell with a chuckle as he started on his buttons, again. "I'm one of the most selfish bastards you'll ever meet, Norris."

I leaned back on my arms, the softness of the mattress nearly sucking me in. "Won't argue with you there."

He chuckled, pulling his arms out of the dress shirt. "So. Which side do you want?"

"Neither," I said, glaring at him. "Because I'm not sleeping in this bed with you." I eyed his naked chest for a moment, before forcing my attention to his face. "The fuck are you doing?"

He gave me an odd look, his attention falling to his belt. "Getting ready for bed. The fuck are you staring for?"

I averted my eyes when I realized he was right. The muscles in his arms, his chest, and his abs combined nearly made me dizzy. "I'm not staring."

I heard him undo his belt. "Whatever helps you sleep good at night, angel. You good with the left side?"

"Luke—"

He groaned, calling my attention. I caught sight of his print in his underwear before I moved my eyes to his.

"Fine," he relented. "Let's play rock, paper, scissors for it."

This man had no shame at all, just casually cruising the room in only underwear, and a body that had my own questioning it's pull toward him.

From his backpack, he pulled out a hoodie, as well as a pair of sweats, and changed quickly.

"You're going to cheat," I said, unconvinced.

He rolled his eyes at me, tugging me closer by my hand. "I won't. Here."

His finger motioned between him and I. "Eyes on me, Norris. I'll do the same." I wasn't sure if he meant to do it, but his tone dipped so deep, it strummed like a harmony in my ears.

I pulled myself out of it, raising my hand. "Just letting you know...I always win this shit against Raven."

"I beat Levi and Kade every single time," he shot back with a confident tone. "You ready?"

I nodded, tightly, letting my eyes remain on his. He flicked his head at me to go.

"Rock, paper, scissors," I breathed out. "Shoot!"

Immediately, our eyes fell to look at the other's hand.

We were both rock.

I smacked his hand away. "You cheated."

"How the fuck did I cheat when you were literally staring so hard, you probably saw my past, present, and fucking future?" he hissed back, smacking my hand in return. "How do I know that you didn't cheat?"

Frustration heated my blood. "Oh, suck a freaking fish," I snapped, stepping back. "I'm getting the bed. That's final."

I turned to face the bed, ready to live up to my statement.

"Over my dead fucking body, Norris," he threatened, turning as well.

Slowly, our eyes fell from the bed, and followed up to one another. We both read right through the silent threat. Our gazes clashed in warning before we made the move.

We both ran straight for the bed. I had to put in extra work to keep up with his strides, but I managed. At the same exact time, we leaped onto the bed with all of our stubbornness behind it.

With our combined weight, and the mattresses springs, neither of us stayed on the bed for more than second. It all happened so quick, I thought it to be a dream.

Before our backs even settled into the mattress, we flew right off the bed, and landed on either sides of it with a thud.

For a moment, everything went silent before we both groaned in union.

"Shit," Luke hissed from his side of the bed. "What the fuck just happened?" he groaned, but I barely heard it through my own. "Norris?"

Pain shot through my back the moment I tried to move, but I managed to groan out a, "What?"

"You alive over there?"

I palmed my head, moaning at the pain racking through me. "Unfortunately. You?" Slowly, I raised my upper body until my aching back was against the bed.

"Same," he ground out. "I think you broke my ass."

Slowly, I turned my head to the side until I was staring into the white sheets. "You mean your tail bone?"

"Same thing."

I heard him shuffling around the bed. A moment later, he was at my side. He still hadn't gotten up, though, so he plopped down beside me, a painful grimace on his face.

"You broke something in my back, I think," I murmured, thumping the back of my head against the mattress. I was definitely going to have a mark on my ass in the morning. "Why did we do that, and why did we think it would work?"

Luke chuckled, leaning back with me. "We're hardheaded as shit, that's why," he joked, bumping his shoulder against mine. "You take the win home, though."

I glanced at him, nibbling the inside of my cheek to stop from returning a chuckle. The longer I tried to suppress it, the more it threatened to turn into laughter.

Luke wasn't doing any better. His eyes went to mine, the humor building in his expression before he chuckled, again.

My own broke through, soon transpiring into full blown laughter. He matched me, his throaty laugh blending with mine until they became one.

My lungs were barely holding on the longer we continued. "Stop making me laugh, you idiot," I hissed between the laughter, my eyes watering. "Stop it."

Luke clenched his stomach, his head falling back against the mattress. "You first, smartass."

I tried to, but it was impossible. Despite all of tonight's events, we had made the mistake of clashing heads, and actually busting our asses as a result. We were both stubborn individuals, and today, that came back to bite us in the ass, literally. It was more than comical.

It was a relief to laugh. To actually laugh. It had been fifteen years since my last one, but this was real. It sounded like Luke's was, too.

I was the first to climb back down from the ladder of giggles. Luke was getting there but in the meantime, I watched him in near fascination.

The first thing I caught sight of was his dimple. It pinched deep as he continued on, only adding to his appeal.

His laugh was deep, rumbling from the pit of his throat. It was surely a rare occurrence. It was strange to hear it, to see the crinkle of his eye, to watch his Adam's apple bob under his scar through the laughter.

I couldn't deny it even if I wanted to; it was beautiful.

"Fuck," he hissed out through another chuckle. His watery eyes went to mine, a grin still lighting up his face. "I've never laughed that hard in my life."

My stomach went into whirls of turmoil. Most people just said that in the moment, but in his, all I heard was honesty, and shock that it even happened. I found my skin growing hotter by the minute to know that I shared the exact thought.

Placing my elbow on the side of the mattress, I situated my head on my hand with a smile. "Thank you."

He blinked before he got it. His skin flushed with a reddish tint before he pulled a scowl. "That was not a compliment."

The smile on my face grew as I shrugged. "I think it was."

He rolled his eyes, shifting to match me. "You know..." He glanced over me for a minute, tugging his lip between his teeth. "If you're worried about me being weird with you or some shit, I'll go and sleep in the car if that'll make you more comfortable."

I stared back at him, thinking over his offer. It would have been tempting to say yes a couple of minutes ago, but I'd give this one to him. He worked hard for it.

I kicked his knee with my foot to gain his attention. "It's fine," I decided with a shrug. "We can do the pillow thing.

"You sure?"

"Mhm." I nodded before my lips tipped into a teasing smile. "If you start snoring, though, I'm kicking you out."

"You kidding me?" He turned his face to me. "You're one to talk. Those snores of yours are more dying iguana than anything else."

I rolled my eyes at that. "I'm not agreeing that that's true, but would you even know?"

"I've been haunted by the shit ever since I went by your house," he responded with a shudder. "Pure nightmares."

"Hey, you were the one who decided to come," I reminded him with a chuckle. "Take some responsibility."

"Mhm," he hummed, his eyes falling to his knuckles. His brows drew in tight as he ran a finger across the bruised skin. "I have a question."

"Not sure where you got the idea that I care to hear it," I repeated his statement from a while back.

Luke chuckled, still looking down at his hands. Finally, his lips parted to ask, "Why didn't your boy toy stop by and check on you when you were sick?"

I nearly ripped my ears off at the mention of Xander. At least it reminded me to check my phone, though.

"He's not my boy toy," I reminded him for the millionth time. "And, how do you know he didn't?"

"If he did, he would have done whatever it took to get you warm, and feeling better. Obviously he didn't."

I nibbled on my lip, trying to give myself time for a response. Xander knew I was sick, but he had worked a double, and probably wanted to sleep. It wasn't like I was dying or anything.

Then again...Luke hated my guts, yet he had done what my own boyfriend didn't do.

I pulled in a breath, shoving the thought away. "Why are you asking?"

"I'm just giving bare questions."

I tilted my head in confusion. "Bare questions?"

"Mhm." At my empty expression, he explained, "You know, those questions that people always have, even thought they deny it. Kind of like intrusive thoughts, but in question form. They just don't ask because they don't want to make someone uncomfortable, they're afraid of hurting said person, or some shit like that." He shrugged. "I simply don't give a shit and ask, anyway."

Oh. That was true. Everyone had those thoughts that weren't morally right to ask, but still existed. I'd never thought that hard on it before, though.

Instead of giving in, I palmed my heart. "You're such a sweet generous boy, Luke."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he chuckled, yanking his jacket from the top of the bed. "Here." He tossed my clutch to me. "You call him, yet?"

"I texted him," I revealed for some reason.

I pulled the phone from the wallet, setting it down in the middle of my legs. The battery was nearly dead, but it should be okay for a while. If only I would have brought my charger.

My stomach fell with something at the message on the screen. Sorry, babe. I took a nap. I miss you, too.

I didn't even have time to relish in my relief before I heard a chuckle over my shoulder. My head whipped around.

Luke was being as nosy as fucking ever, his eyes running over the screen. I pushed him away by his neck.

"Can you quit that?" I said, annoyed.

He rolled his eyes before clicking at my screen for me. I jerked it away from him, shooting daggers at him. "What are you doing?"

"Call him," Luke suggested. "FaceTime, not audio."

"I'm not calling him."

"Why not?"

"Because, I..." My voice fell as I cast a glance to Luke. "Why should I?"

"To see if the son of a bitch is lying or not," he responded carelessly. "You call, I'll record." With a casual expression, he pulled his phone from his pocket.

"What?" My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. "You're not recording my boyfriend. Are you crazy?"

"Sort of," he replied with a shrug. "But, I'm trying to see something. Do it with no warning. If the fucker rejects, that tells you everything you need to know."

"What are you..." I paused to allow myself to breathe. This man was insane. "You have no idea what you're talking about, okay?"

"I'm a man, Norris." Luke chuckled at me. "Trust me. I know when another one is fucking around, no matter how good he thinks he is at hiding it."

Trust me. Those two words left my mouth dry.

The worst part of that statement was that I did. As badly as I denied it, I did.

I'd prove him wrong, though. Xander took a nap, and that was the only reason why he didn't answer. Just because he usually stayed up late didn't mean a thing. People get tired. People take naps.

"Fine," I relented. "But, you need to stay quiet. No funny business."

He smirked. "I'd never."

"Luke," I warned. "I'm serious. I already look like a bad girlfriend enough for going out with you."

By the purse of his lips, I guessed he caught notice of the seriousness on my face. "I'll be good."

My eyes fell to my phone, again. I hadn't even noticed until now that my hands were trembling. Jesus.

I pushed out a shaky breath, then hit his contact.

I passed a glare to Luke as he angled his phone to the screen. Not enough to be seen by Xander, but enough to catch anything that possibly could be caught.

I frowned as the ring continued on. He never took this long.

Just as my hope began to thin into pure panic, the ringing stopped, and the call connected. I stared back at myself in the mini screen, mentally cringing at the anxiousness on my face. I wiped it away, pulling a smile on.

For a moment, all I saw was black. I heard, what sounded like shuffling, before Xander's face came into view.

"Hey, babe. What's up?" he called with a smile. "Sorry. I just came from the shower."

I observed him over, carefully. His hair was tousled, but he didn't look like he'd been sleeping, nor was his hair wet. I'd been with him numerous times when he woke up, so I knew the look, and this wasn't it. Maybe he'd been awake for a while, though, and got a shower, then.

I held onto my smile. "I was just wanting to see you," I covered up. "And, I wanted to check if you were good, if you know, we, were good."

He lifted himself, pressing his back against the headboard as his brows knitted down at me. "Of course we're good."

"Are you sure?" I paused, adding, "I'm really sorry about—"

"It's cool, Maggie," he reassured me. "I shouldn't have overreacted the way I did. You couldn't help what happened, and I trust you enough to do what you have to do. I know you're loyal to me and only me, and I'm sorry for making you think I thought any different."

Luke snorted, but luckily, Xander didn't hear it. I pinched his arm, earning a glare in return.

Xander offered a warm smile, and I returned it, nodding. "I'm glad we're on the same page, now."

He ran a hand through his hair before dropping it. "Of course." His head tipped up at me. "Tell me how your night went with that dickhead, though. Do I need to pay him a visit, or is everything good?"

Luke chuckled to himself. "I'd sure as hell like to see him try," he murmured. "My address is 457—" I kicked his foot so hard, his words came to a halt.

Despite Luke shooting daggers into the top of my head, I continued on. "It was fine. Nothing really that eventful, honestly." I couldn't even begin to tell him the mess that went down these past couple hours. "I missed you, though."

"Really?"

I nodded, feeling my chest lighten with relief as we spoke. "Absolutely."

"How about I come over to your place tomorrow night and you show me?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke's free hand tighten into a fist. His jaw rolled as he glared down at the screen. I passed him a confused glance before I looked back to the screen.

"Sounds like a date," I responded to Xander's request. I'd need it after the night I had. "I'll see you, then."

He nodded, a cute smirk on his face. His eyes went somewhere behind the phone before returning to me so quickly, I nearly missed it.

He offered a smile that would have washed away all of my insecurities had I not trusted my eyesight. "I'm gonna let you go, babe. I'm about to hit the shower, and try to get some sleep for my shift. You know how busy Sundays are."

I froze at this, despite the sweet farewell. No way.

I didn't think I was losing my mind. I wasn't. I was pretty sure that when the call first started, he said he'd just taken a shower.

"Babe?" he called to me, an eyebrow raised at my silence. "Did you hear me?"

"Uh...yeah, yeah. I heard you. Sleep good." Before he could say anything else, my finger hit the button to end the call.

"Either I'm forgetful as shit," Luke started from beside me, not wasting any time. "Or, he just said he was taking another shower."

My head whipped toward him. "So, you heard that shit, too? I'm not losing it?"

Luke nodded in agreement. "His hair wasn't wet the first time, either." Shit.

"Okay," I breathed out, my heart slamming right into my ribcage. "Okay, there has to be an explanation."

"Of course there is," Luke snorted at my attempt of reason. "He's fucking another girl. From how long it took him to pick up—"

I threw my head back against the mattress with a groan. "Luke," I groaned aloud. "You're not helping at all right now."

"Never said I would, angel," he mumbled, sounding distracted.

I raised my head, glancing his way. He was rewatching the video, but zooming in on something in particular.

I scooted closer until our shoulders were touching. "What is it?"

Luke's finger scrolled across the bar at the bottom of the green until he got to beginning, again. His eyes shifted up to me. I was shocked to see the hesitation. "You sure—"

I nodded. I needed the band-aid off. "Show me."

His eyes lingered on me for a moment before he sighed. He shifted closer to me, placing the phone in my hands.

I clicked play, nearly pressing my face into the screen as I tried to find the problem.

When I didn't, I looked to him, confused. "There's nothing here."

He placed one hand over mine, leading my finger until it got to the middle of the beginning of the video. He paused it, then pointed to the screen.

I nearly missed it, again, but once I got it, I realized it was right in my face all along. It was moments before he scooted up to the headboard. A couple brown, or red long strands of hair were on the pillow.

"He has brown hair, but that shit's long," Luke pointed out, motioning to the hair. "And, you're Snow White." He nodded at the screen then looked to me. "So, what are you thinking?"

I didn't think I was capable of forming words, right now. All I could manage was a shrug while my mind raced for possible explanations.

It could be his hair. The shading could have been off from the quality of the camera. But, with the length of the hair and his lie about the shower, I was so conflicted.

Was he cheating? And, if so, why? I couldn't exactly find an answer, though, considering people cheat every day, and every minute without reasonable explanation.

Nonetheless, I thought I'd done everything right. I was there for him, I was there with him, by him. I'd done so many things, held so much back just to make him comfortable. Maybe that meant nothing to him anymore, though, if it ever did at all. It stung like a bitch.

I didn't realize my lip was trembling until Luke came into my line of vision. Wary wrapped his expression up, before it shifted into pure panic.

"Shit, shit," he hissed, yanking his backpack from the bottom of the bed. "Don't cry, just...shit. Here." Before I could even debunk the theory, he had shoved a handful of French fries in my mouth. He clamped his hands on my shoulders, nodding at me. "Now, stop."

My head bobbed. I chewed the fries, and swallowed. Despite the stabbing feeling of betrayal, it did help.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the words came out cracked and saddened past a chuckle.

Luke was still so fidgety, holding the carton of fries in his hands. "I don't know what to do when someone's crying, so...here." He poured some more of the fries into my limp hand. "Eat."

I bit one, a mix of a sigh and a chuckle leaving my lips. "I'm not a dog, dingus."

I'd been so contested on the fries, I hadn't even seen him grab my phone. I didn't even try to fight him on it. "What are you doing?"

"Texting him," he responded tightly. "Don't worry, I'm not threatening the fucker. Yet."

I glanced over the message. It sounded like me so I went with it. He was as blunt as possible, of course, and asked where the hairs came from.

Xander responded, quickly, this time with: It was my hair, babe.

Luke chuckled as he read it. I looked to him. "What?"

"Little fucker's a liar," he claimed, tossing the phone into my lap.

I nibbled on the fry in thought. Maybe he wasn't. The camera quality could have, possibly, brightened the hair to make me think that it was red, and it could have appeared longer than what it was from the angle. I was a bit drunk off of the champagne, so that could have aided to it.

"I believe him," I voiced. "It probably was his hair. The champagne is making me imagine shit."

Luke raised a brow to me, then leaned forward. One second I was looking at him, and the next, he had thumped me in the forehead.

"Ow!" I rubbed at the spot with a glare. "What was that for?"

He leaned back onto his palms, then nodded at me. "Are you stupid?"

"I literally have a 3.9 gpa, bitch," I retorted with a scowl. "I'm not stupid."

"Exactly, you're not," he remarked. "So, why are you pretending to be for a little bitch?"

"I'm not—"

Luke snaked a hand through his hair, his blue eyes falling to me. "Norris, I'll never ever say these words, again, but you're honestly one of the most intelligent women I've ever met."

"I know that already."

"Then, why are you dumbing yourself down for him?" he questioned. "I don't wanna see you ever doing that shit, you hear me? Not for anyone, and especially not for a guy. If you do, they'll see it, and take advantage, every single time. You know what you're really thinking, and you know what you're really feeling. Don't ever pretend you don't for the benefit of someone else. If the fucker really respects you, you shouldn't have to."

My glare shifted into nothingness as his words settled. I didn't want to listen to his accusation, but it was more of facts than that.

I'd avoiding the facts all night just to cover up my suspicions. But, they were facts for a reason, and my gut was telling me to listen. I wasn't stupid, nor was I naive, and I knew that.

There was nothing I could do from here, though. The best I could do was wait until we were back in Washington, then confront him from there. Tonight, my mind was too frizzy to focus on this, and this alone. I needed a distraction.

Luke was watching me for a reaction, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something else. Before he could, I demanded, "Distract me."

His expression told me that he wasn't expecting the request, but he recovered. A chuckle fell from him. "Norris, my only form is distraction is bending someone over, and—"

My skin flushed red. "Do not finish that." A smirk crossed his face before he shrugged. "Let's play a game or something."

"A game?" he repeated as if he were trying to figure out a test answer.

I nodded.

"So, you're telling me...instead of getting a shower and sleep, I'll be playing a game with you. Even after the last one ended with you slapping the shit out of me," he pondered, before finally moving his eyes to mine. "If it makes you stop making that ridiculous face, then fine."

"What face?"

"Like you're about to cry, or some shit." His eyes ran over me with revolt, but I didn't think it was aimed toward me. "Stop it. You're not going to cry over him, Norris."

I let out a weak chuckle, swiping at the corner of my eye. How considerate.

"Come on. Let's do this game shit." He turned so that we were across from one another. "What do you want to play?"

I hadn't even thought on it before I said it. I peered around the room for an idea, but none came until I remembered that this was Luke. He was as stubborn as I was. If we played anything other than a verbal game, we would probably get kicked out of the hotel.

I looked to him. "Twenty questions, but only about each other. No yes or no answers either, only detail."

"Oh, fuck no," he snorted, crossing his arms. "Knowing you, you'll ask if I've ever watched food porn, or some shit."

I chuckled. "I won't, I promise. They'll just be basic questions."

His stern expression remained in place. "No."

"Luke," I sighed out his name. "We're going to have to be around each other for the next two years. Don't you think we'll have to learn a couple things about the other?"

"Nope."

"Oh, come on," I groaned. "It's only ten questions each."

Luke glared at me for a moment, his lips parted to likely release an insult.

Instead, a sigh came out before he dropped his arms. "Fine, damn it." He motioned to me. "You first."

I grinned, tucking my legs under me. Luke eyed me, then turned to reach into the same backpack from earlier. He came back with a hoodie, tossing it into my lap with a nod. "You can sleep in that if you get cold, or some shit."

My eyes ran over the hoodie as if it were a bomb. As weird as it was, I knew I'd need it with this dress.

I nodded as a thank you, sliding it on. It was strange wearing another mans' clothes, but with the temperature, and this dress, I couldn't reject it.

As soon as I had it on, my muscles relaxed under it. It was warm, and smelled of a masculine cologne. Involuntarily, I found myself nearly swimming in it.

Luke was watching me closely, a tangled mess behind his gaze. As soon as he realized that I caught him, he jerked his look elsewhere.

I passed by it to clear my throat. "This doesn't count as a question," I started. "But, why did you have a backpack full of clothes in your car?"

Luke shrugged. "It does count, but it's because I used to stay at Kade and Levi's a lot, so I always kept an extra bag of shit in my car."

I nodded, digging my hands into the pocket of the hoodie. "That makes sense."

We started off with basic questions, first. Favorite color, favorite music, favorite number, the basic shit. I'd found out that his favorite color was black, he didn't listen to music, and his favorite number was 69 for...obvious reasons.

We were now on question five. Luke studied me over for a second. "My turn," he announced, leaning back onto his palms. "Your boy toy. He ever make you come?"

I choked. Quite literally choked on the fry. I wheezed for a moment to allow myself a moment to understand what the hell he just asked. And, how he could have asked it.

Then again, this was Luke. He had no conscious, whatsoever.

"I—" I attempted. "What the fuck kind of question is that?"

"An unanswered one."

I managed to fully swallow the fry, but the color stain in my cheeks remained. "It's an invasion of privacy." I uttered, casting a glare his way. "Not that it's any of your concern, but yes, he does. A lot, actually." It wasn't true, but he didn't need to know that.

Luke chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "I'm not talking about that little moaning, boring, fake shit. I'm talking about the ankles to ears, body shaking, nearly blacking out type of shit."

I knew what he was implying. He was talking about the ones only he had given me that night at the party. And, that following morning.

I wouldn't give him the satisfaction, though.

Instead, I rolled my eyes and threw a fry at his face that landed straight into his lap. "Again, not that it's your business, but he has easily given me the best sex of my life, and yes it extends over your little list, and far over that little worm you call a dick."

A grin followed up on his lips. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes," I snapped, annoyed at his growing grin.

He cocked his head, darting his tongue into his cheek as he fought back a chuckle. "Yeah, Norris?" His eyes ran over the hoodie, then my face, before finally settling on my own.

Heat built in every part it could the longer I thought on him. I squirmed under his gaze, nearly tempted to yank the suffocating hoodie from my body. "Are you having trouble understanding the English language or something?"

He dangled his head at me, his eyes sparkling with a challenge. "I can hear just fine, angel," he insisted with the same grin. "Just fine."

I wasn't sure how long I could remain upright with the way he was staring."Then, quit..." I tripped over myself before huffing out a breath. "It's my turn."

His chuckle swirled right through me as he snatched some of my fries. "I'm all ears."

I tipped my eyes to him. "Why did you help me?"

He snorted, shaking his head. "You're confusing me with someone else, angel."

"I'm not." Now was the perfect opportunity to ask, and if it wasn't, I'd make it. "Jax told me that you paid our gas bill up for a year. You bought me a heater, and made me soup and everything else. Why?"

Luke kept his attention on the cold fry, squinting down at it in deep conversation. "Simple. I needed my employee back."

I rolled my eyes. For someone who claimed they didn't lie, and who preached for me to be true to myself, he sure wasn't repping his own statement.

"You paid for an entire year," I noted. "No person just does that."

"I did, though."

"You didn't. You could have easily paid a month, or just—"

"Maggie," he groaned, sweeping a glance over me. "Just take it for what it was, and move on. Save your time, and don't try to make me more than I am. I promise it won't be worth it." His voice fell with something before he cleared his throat. "Now. It's my turn."

I didn't have enough energy to pry. Luke only gave what he wanted to give, I had found out. I wanted to take a guess as to why he did it, but this wasn't any ordinary person. This was Luke.

He eyed me over with hesitation before giving his question, "Why do you keep a knife under your pillow?"

Utter and complete shock washed over me so quickly, my body shuddered. My blood grew cold with it, my mouth falling to my knees.

My words tumbled over the other. "I...how did you—"

Luke watched me carefully, a brow raised. "I saw it. When I was at your house, you moved and it was under your pillow. Why?" His question didn't hold any teasing, or mischief. If anything, all I heard was honest curiosity. But, when it came to that part of my past, I always felt a million eyes on me at once.

My mind raced for a lie, a cover-up, a distraction. Anything to avoid even a fraction of the truth.

Yet, when I looked into his eyes, no judgement, or humor in them at the moment, I felt my mouth part on its own. As if my heart had given him my trust without any permission from my head. I tried to fight it, but as soon as I found his gaze, I couldn't stop it.

I snuck a shaky hand through my hair. "It helps me feel safe."

"From?"

I shook my head; that was all I could manage right now. "I can't answer that."

Luke ran his eyes over me, his cool expression lowering. His mouth opened, and I nearly flinched as I waited for him to interrogate me.

Except, he didn't.

All I got was a head nod and, "Ask me something personal, now. An eye for an eye."

I hadn't realized my hands were shaking until I placed them back inside the hoodie pocket. I strung my fingers together as I thought it over.

I nodded toward his neck, and his arm, as well. "Where did you get those scars?"

He looked taken aback for a moment before he pulled himself out of it. He cleared his throat, his fingers grazing the scarred skin along his neck. His eyes darkened to a sunken state until they fell to his lap.

"My dad," he sighed out. "He was drunk off his ass one night, pissed as shit about a campaign that went wrong. I was...seven, I think?" he paused in thought before shrugging. "I was in the hallway, and tried to run off as soon as I saw him. Of course, he caught up, and broke his beer glass open. I honestly don't know if he was trying to kill me, but he swung the glass at my throat, anyway and left like nothing happened. Our butler, Walter, snuck me to his car, and took me to the hospital. The glass never went deeper than the skin, but the scars stayed."

With another shrug, he added, "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess. It's kind of been that way my entire life."

He raised himself, lifting his arm to catch sight of the scars. "This one came from Beatrice. My dad let her cut me as a punishment for trying to have dinner with them. I remember it was my birthday, so I was definitely eight or nine at the time."

Jesus.

My jaw had been hanging so long, it hurt. I fixed my face, but I wasn't sure if the shock had left. I wasn't sure if it ever could.

"That's why..." I willed my voice to continue. "That's why you stayed with Kade and Levi so much."

"Mhm. They were there to take me in the times my dad was in the middle of a tantrum, and kicked me out for a couple of days, and a whole lot of other shit." He nodded, sucking his bottom lip in by his teeth. "I honestly don't think I would have survived without them. Those two idiots are the only resemblance to a family I've ever known."

I'd read about Kade from a simple Google search a couple years back, and the story made me sick to my stomach every time I thought of it. Raven had mentioned that Levi was the neglected one out of his siblings, as well. It made sense why they were so close, now; they'd found homes in one another when they couldn't find it anywhere else. Out of everything Luke had been through, I was glad that he'd somehow been able to do that.

My heart ached every time I thought of it all, though. How alone he must have felt in his own family for a reason that he couldn't control. How his only parent had been too ill to care for him, stripping him from any chance of parental care he could have had. It was so unfair.

It was chilling how nonchalant he was about it, too. It'd been going on for so long, I didn't even think he realized how wrong it was.

"What are you thinking?"

My eyes shot up at the fear in his voice. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes alone told me. He was ashamed. He was scared of what I thought about what he said.

"Are you...are you embarrassed of it, or something?" I asked. "Why?"

Luke appeared appalled, his skin going ghost white. His scar on his throat jumped as he shook his head. "I'm not, I just...I've never told anyone about my scars. I've never talked to anyone about my dad or my mom other than Kade and Levi, but no one else has ever known this much. You're the only person who has ever even seen my mom, actually."

I believed he was trying to come to terms with an unfamiliar notion: trust. I could understand it.

I nodded, a small smile on my face. "I think you trust me." I pulled my knees to my chest, dropping my head on top. "Do you?"

Luke shrugged, averting his eyes to his own hoodie. "I don't know...maybe." His gaze rose to mine, the hesitation evident. "Do you trust me?"

I shrugged in return, despite already knowing the answer. "Maybe." His lips perked so effortlessly, I found myself wanting the sight forever.

I bit into my cheek, willing the next surge of confidence to flow through. I'd need it for the next question. "It's your turn. Let's get all deep and shit."

Luke nodded, slowly, turning his question over until he laid it bare, "Where did you get the scars on your stomach?"

I knew it was coming, but hearing it aloud nearly blew me smack into the wall. I hadn't wanted to hear it, ever, but when Luke shared such a part of his life, I found myself wanting to do the same.

"You know I can tell when you lie," Luke warned, thumping my foot with his own. "But, I'll let it slide this time, if you want."

For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel my mind automatically resort to lies and cover ups. But, it'd been so long since I spoke the truth, and only the truth. I willed the words to come out past the thick lump of fear, but only a small worded statement made way.

"Someone hurt me..." It wasn't the entire truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. Not at all. "Badly."

Luke slowly scooted closer until our knees were touching. "Someone hurt you?"

I nodded, letting my gaze fall to the carpet. "Yeah. I was a kid when it happened, but the scars...they never went away." I didn't just mean physically.

I didn't want to know what he was thinking in this moment. I wanted that hardness to creep up on me, to hide my insecurities from the world. Except, for the first time, it didn't come when I called. A sense of exhaustion marked me the longer I tried to conjure her.

"Maggie," Luke's voice had softened so deeply, it stroked right at my fear like a feather. "Who hurt you?"

My eyes raised until they collided with his. He'd grown closer in a matter of seconds.

I sighed, heavily, wishing it'd be that simple to answer him. But, it wasn't. It was so hard, it was so fucking hard that it was laughable to even consider it. If I ever made that side visible to anyone, I knew I'd have to confront it myself. I couldn't do that.

That familiar guilt climbed through me all over again, but for some reason, I wasn't able to bypass it. It lingered, despite my every wish for it not to.

"I can't tell you." My eyes burned under the pressure until I was forced to squeeze them shut. "I'm sorry."

I was a coward, I knew it. I couldn't confront that side of myself, because I knew, without a doubt, that I'd never come back. If I even attempted to, I'd die trying. It was a lose-lose situation no matter which treacherous road I took.

"Hey, fuck no," Luke's voice grew thick. His hand went to mine so quickly, I barely caught it. His middle finger wrapped around my own. "Fuck no, Maggie, okay? Don't apologize. You don't owe me, or anyone else a goddamned thing you don't want to give, okay?"

Either hand went to my face before I could ready myself. He tilted my head up to his, his lips in a concentrated scowl. It reminded me of the day I'd cleaned him up in the shop. The tables were turned now, though.

"Okay?" he repeated, sternly.

I nodded, weakly. "Okay."

I knew that was he was right; I didn't owe anyone anything of myself. But, as time went on, I found the guilt growing for having to conceal so much from the people I grew to care about. It was draining, it was so fucking draining.

Luke still hadn't let me go. My mind drifted from the cold the longer his hands remained on me. It was like, for a moment, that weight in my chest had lifted, and been replaced with something so unrecognizable, I had trouble placing it.

Peace.

His chest was moving so rapidly, I was sure his heart couldn't be doing any better. My own was failing to catch up the longer we watched one another.

His thumb stroked my jaw so softly, it could put me to sleep if not for the tingles that followed behind it. I dared myself to meet his eyes this time. My lips parted for a single breath under his wired gaze. His attention fell to the motion. His tongue darted under his own, his eyes growing hooded as he slowly, so slowly, tilted his head.

I willed myself to speak. "What are you doing..." slipped from me in a whisper.

"I don't know," he responded in a shaky voice. "I really don't fucking know." His eyes went to mine only for a fleeting second, before falling back to my lips, again. I found my own repeating the action, too. I couldn't find one thing to remain concentrated on, until he began to lean in.

A knock at the door sounded out. We both tore away so quick, my head nearly collided with the nightstand. Luke flew back as if I were a disease, and I did the same.

We both looked to one another, our eyes wide.

Realization crept into my blood before the disgust followed. "What the—" I exclaimed with shock. "Were you going to kiss me? Gross—"

His eyes raked over me with a mirror of repulsion. "Oh, fuck no," he hissed in return, his own disgust building. "I'd gladly jump from a cliff before I ever let your lips touch mine."

I drew my leg back, fully intending to slam it into him, but he jumped up before I could. His agitated expression only built as he shook his head, turning to tend to the door.

I glared at his back with malice. What had he been thinking? I wasn't hallucinating that; he wanted to kiss me.

And, fucking hell, why was I going to let him?

I shuddered the thought away. It was the alcohol. It was the aftermath of the shaky events at the event. It was the worry of Xander being unfaithful. It was all fucking with me, and that was the only explanation as to why I'd been so amenable.

I needed a shower to get my mind off of this shit before it exploded from within. I stood, not even waiting for the blood to flow back to return to my legs.

Luke shut the door, holding a stack of pillows in his hands. I shoved past him so quickly, I nearly knocked my own self over with the hardness of his shoulder.

"I'm getting in the shower," I murmured loud enough for only myself to hear.

I tried to refrain from slamming the bathroom door after me, but my mind was too fuzzy to tell whether I did or not.

With a quickness, I stripped, and got in. I didn't even wait for the water to heat up. I needed to try, and clear this mess inside of my head.

I made a mental count of all of the messes I'd experienced in the last twenty-four hours. Went out, danced, and had fun with Luke, fought his brother, nearly fought his dad, exposed his dad, found out that Xander could be cheating, got stranded with Luke, in a one-bed scenario with Luke, and nearly kissed Luke.

That settled it. Luke was the problem.

I was only two months in with him, and all of this shit had already started. My life had never been sunshine and rainbows, but my problems never came in the form of a foul-mouthed, 6'4", asshole until he came along.

And, what was that shit in the room about? He actually comforted me, and in doing that...I couldn't imagine what could have happened had the room attendant not interrupted.

How he looked at me, how he held me, and touched me so gently, as if he knew that I were only milliseconds away from breaking, it was all so mortifying. I'd never had that before, and to have it now was so comforting, but to have it with Luke? It was a deal breaker.

The man was a hothead, a selfish, entirely ignorant prick. I knew that.

Yet, he had looked at me as if he would have given his own two hands to stop me from feeling guilty.

This shower wasn't helping. It was only providing more opportunity to screw with my head.

I got out after my skin had grown numb, quickly dried, then dressed. I thought it'd help me get my sense back, but instead, I was still stuck on bullshit.

Luke was waiting on the bed, phone in hand. Whoever he was texting apparently had all of his attention. I rolled my eyes; it was probably some poor girl from the event.

His head raised to mine as I stepped out. We stared at one another for a moment without a word from either side. He broke it with a grim expression, getting off the bed, and passing me to to get to the bathroom.

The door rattled as he slammed it shut, earning my scowl. At least I tried not to slam it.

I stared after him with a glare. What was his problem? Was he mad that the room attendant interrupted something that wouldn't have happened, anyway? Or, was he mad that I hadn't fallen for his tricks?

Luke was a player in every sense, and everyone knew that for a fact. Before Kade and Levi got tied down by their balls, I knew the three of them had made their way through nearly every girl in the town.

Raven and Kimberly had been the ones to change that. Hell, I'd even had the amusing chance to see the two men cry and beg for the girls. They were total mush when it came to them.

But, that wasn't the case with Luke. He didn't seem to be the type to get tied down, and I sure as hell wouldn't be the one to find out whether that was true or not.

Not that I'd want to, or anything. But, theoretically.

I listened to the water run for a few minutes before I cleaned the fries I wasted, then got into the bed. The pillows Luke had ordered were laying around, so while he showered, I set them up to form a barrier between us.

Once I was finished, the door to the bathroom opened.

I tried to avert my eyes from Luke's firm chest, and toned arms that were just around me a couple hours ago. Finally, I managed to tear myself away long enough to find a distraction.

I picked my phone up from the ground. Except it was dead.

Shit.

Panic struck me so hard, it had no trouble piling on top of the fear, too. Not at the phone being dead, but at the fact that I wouldn't be able to avoid disastrous sleep, now.

My eyes jerked up to Luke, who still hadn't put a shirt on. He was digging around for something in his backpack, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was trying to avoid me.

My request would probably remain as that, knowing him. I knew how ridiculous it sounded to a stranger, but to me, the notion would be the one to decide whether or not I had a panic attack, tonight.

Oh, fuck it.

"Luke." My lips shook with a sigh before I finally found the courage to continue, "I was wondering if I could..." With a silent curse, I swung my shoulders back for confidence. "If I could use your phone tonight."

His head raised from his backpack, his expression ridden with confusion and annoyance. "For what?"

This was more than embarrassing in itself, but with the way he was looking at me, I felt like dying.

"Well..." I cleared my throat, motioning toward my phone. "I can't sleep in a new place like this without something playing. Like a comfort show to calm me down." That was true, but also not.

Luke's head tilted. "You're nineteen years old, and you can't sleep without a comfort show," he repeated with a chuckle. "Wow." He rolled his eyes, his attention returning to his bag, again. "And, you shit talk me."

I nearly offered a retort, but I couldn't bring myself to. This was more serious than he could realize, but he didn't know that. He had no idea.

He had no idea that Jax used to hold me through my panic attacks at granny's, with a movie or show on and a voice ready to console after I woke up the way I did. The terrors had never stopped completely, but being in a new place like this, my mind would resort to panic before anything else if I woke up in it.

"I've never—" Luke's snarky chuckle paused midway as he glanced to me.

His lips pulled into a thin line at whatever expression I wore before he drew out a sigh.

His hand went to the table to grab his phone. He tossed it to my lap. "Password is 2418."

I let out a sigh of both relief, and shock that he had said yes. And, that he'd given me his password so easily. I wouldn't question it, though.

As soon as I typed it in, I glanced over the screen for the streaming app. I'd go for anything, usually, but this show had always been the one to help when I was down. And, shit was I down.

"You don't have any games," I murmured to myself. "Shocker."

Luke rolled his eyes at me before he zipped his bag, and placed it in the chair. "You're an ungrateful little brat, you know that?"

He came to the bed, sinking right in with a sigh of relief. I gazed over the pillows at him.

"I'm not—" My words ceased as soon as he turned the lamp off.

Darkness filled the room. Even with the light source from his phone, it did nothing to halt the pure panic that sunk into me the moment I realized.

My breath drew in sharp, my back attempting to mold right into the headboard. I felt every fear, every nightmare, and every single insecurity creep upon me before it snatched me in its grasp, entirely. A whimper swept right past my lips.

"Luke," I managed to squeak out.

His groan bounced through the room. "Leave me alone, Norris."

"Luke," I repeated, my voice trembling from under me.

I heard him shuffle, before he turned the lights back on. His eyes went to mine, immediately, the curiosity flowing right into annoyance.

"What?" he grumbled. "I'm trying to sleep, Maggie. I gave you my phone, so quit—"

I hadn't realized my body was trembling until I looked down to the shaky phone. I let my attention linger there as I whispered, "Keep the lights on."

"Oh, fuck no." He scoffed, sweeping a frustrated hand down his face. "No way. No fucking way." He went to turn off the lamp, again. "Don't bother me, again."

I clamped down on his arm so hard, I was sure I left marks. My desperation peaked as I peered back at him. "Luke, Please."

He rolled his eyes at me, glancing between me and the grip I had on him. "I'm not sleeping with the lights on, Maggie. What the fuck is your problem?"

I couldn't even get it out. Even a second in the dark left me all scrambled, and lost.

His eyes surfed my frightened stature before the hint of realization hit him. "Oh, shit." A startled expression settled. "Are you actually scared of the dark?"

My hand fell from his arm, instead going through my hair. "I just..." I blew out a shameful breath. "Please don't turn them off. Please."

Monsters came out in the dark. Not the fictional ones. The real ones. The ones that made me never want to shut my eyes, and be so helpless in the darkness ever, again.

His look of annoyance had slowly disfigured. Instead, his expression went blank, his lips thinning in a line. Without another word, he dropped his hand from the lamp, and turned to his side.

A sigh of relief flew out of me. "Thank you."

I didn't receive a response, and after a while, I assumed he was asleep. His body had stilled, and I hadn't heard him make a noise ever since.

I ended up picking American Dad, but I tried to keep the volume to a minimum so that Luke could sleep. He was already agitated enough.

Just knowing it was here helped, though. The show streamed across his phone until by a miracle, sleep finally called me.

***

I loved night time the most.

It was so quiet, so peaceful and seemingly endless. I didn't see, or think of the monsters. Only the promises of tomorrow. There were nothing, and no one to fear.

Except when the door creaked on its hinges.

I thought it'd be Jax. Or, mom. I thought it'd be anyone other than the monster I had once not believed in.

I remembered it all. His hot, beer-stained breath masked with peppermint. The panic. The pain. The muffled screams. The tears. The emptiness.

The thing I remembered most of all, though?

Monsters came out in the dark. 

I was gasping. I was crying. I was screaming, and falling and—

"Maggie?"

He was here. He was here, and he was going to tear into my fractured soul all over again. He'd take it all.

I tried to bolt, but a weight pulled me right back into place. Strong, and impossible to throw off. Hot panic seized every inch of me until it became painfully unavoidable.

"Get off of me!" I screeched until it felt like my throat would burst from under me. "Get off!" I repeated the words until the weight lifted off of me.

"Maggie!" I heard in the midst of it all. "Wake up!"

I was too afraid to confront it head on. The very thought left me in distress. All I had left were my words. "Stop," I whimpered out, my eyes squeezing shut until it pained me. "Please stop." The words played until they blended in one another.

"It's me," I heard the same voice counter in a softer tone. "It's just me, Maggie."

Hot, fresh tears fell rolled either cheek until I was forced to open my eyes. It took a minute for my vision to adjust, but when it did, a familiar face filled the frame.

Luke stared down at me, eyes soft with worry, his hands careful. "Maggie, hey..." I had never heard his voice so shaky until now.

"You're okay," he reassured. Slowly, he reached forward to pull strands of hair out of my face. "It was just a nightmare."

The fear remained despite his reassurance. It felt real, it felt so real.

Because it was.

I hadn't realized until now that he had shoved all of the pillows to the floor to get to me. "I'm not going to hurt you, Norris," he whispered. "No one's ever gonna hurt you, again, you hear me?"

My skin felt itchy, so shaky and clammy. I shook my head, rearing back at the shame. It pulled through anything else.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry." The tears hadn't stopped, not in the slightest.

Luke shook his head, immediately. "No, hey," he whispered back, his fingers stroking over my cheeks. His expression fell into a pit of softness. "You don't have anything to apologize about, Maggie."

His hand fell between the cracks for my own. I squeezed my eyes shut, attempting to embrace the comfort long enough to get myself together.

"I'll go get you some water—" He started to lean up, but before he could leave, I grasped him by the wrist.

The fear was making my ears ring so hard, I had trouble distinguishing it from much else. "I...I can't," I whispered, my voice desperate. "Please don't go."

Luke stared back at me, his expression heavy with thought before he leaned back into bed. He didn't hesitate to pull me into his embrace, and I didn't reject it. He wrapped me in his arms, cradling me until my head was on his chest.

"Deep breaths for me, Norris," I heard him whisper. His large hand lowered to my back, running comforting circles into the skin. "Deep breaths. Come on. We'll do it together."

I squeezed my eyes shut against his chest, sniffling. "I can't." The words burned at the back of my throat along with everything else.

Just like that, my ability to just be was ripped right from under me all over again.

One hand remained on my back while the other went to my arm. His rough hand ran the length with assurance before ending at my chin. He tilted my head up to face at him. "Listen to me, angel."

His expression was entirely serious other than the space of care in his eyes. "You're safe," he whispered to me. "They aren't going to hurt you. No one will hurt you. I won't let them." His thumb swept over my chin. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, you hear me?"

I hadn't realized how badly I needed to hear that until the moment I did. I nodded, slowly, willing the tears back. His words had provided a source of comfort, and trust in them, more than any other I'd ever heard.

"Breathe in, Norris. Give me four seconds. Only four," Luke instructed, his chest sucking in. My own did the same. "Let it out to another four. Just like that, angel." I did, the breath shaky and choppy, but still one, nonetheless.

"That's my girl," he whispered, nodding in encouragement. "Keep doing that for me. I'm right here with you, okay?"

One hand continued to stroke my back while the other started to trail through my hair. I followed his suggestion as much as I could. The longer I did the breathing exercise, the more my thundering heartbeat relaxed.

Luke reached over to my side of the bed to grasp something. When he came back, I saw that he had grabbed his phone.

My face fall into his chest with a sigh. As comforting as it was, I wasn't sure if I could go back to sleep, again after that.

"Here." Luke offered, hauling me closer by my waist. American Dad was playing on his phone, just as I left it. "Watch it with me."

His heavy gaze remained on mine. "Try to get some sleep, yeah? I'm gonna be right here, Norris." The honesty in his voice made my insecurities nearly dissolve. "As long as I'm here, I won't let shit happen to you. I promise you that."

I nodded tightly, shifting my eyes up to him. Despite it all, that shame remained, nonetheless. "Could you go to sleep first?" My eyes fell. "It's just, I'm embarrassed that you had to see..." My words continued to sink into nothingness until I was forced to give it up, altogether.

Luke watched me for a lingering moment, before it broke into a nod. His hand stroked at my hair before he leaned forward, warm lips pressing against my forehead.

If it weren't for the fear, I would have been able to elaborate on how easily my skin had buzzed at his kiss.

He tightened his grip around my body, and it only brought in more of something. He placed the phone on his chest so that I'd be able to watch it, then shut his eyes.

I laid my head against his chest, squeezing my eyes shut, again. I listened closely to the beat of his heart as the night went on. It was one of the most calming things I'd ever heard. That, out of all other things, was the only one to course me back into slumber.