"Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do." — Benjamin Spock
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Chapter 24
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Maggie

I would have loved to watch the shit show unfold, but before I had a chance, Luke was pulling me by the hand. I grasped my heels on the way, and quickly caught up with him.

The commotion behind us continued on, and in it all, I could hear the mayor trying to cover his mistake. I turned to catch at least some of it, but before I could, Luke had grasped me by the waist.

"We have to go," he said in my ear. "Come on." I nodded in agreement, turning on my feet to follow him to the car. I'd watch it all in the morning.

The heels dangled in my hand as we pushed through the crowd. My feet hit the bare grass before we finally got to the pavement. This side of the mansion was the only one that was empty, as it had been before.

I nearly fell out as we stopped. My hands fell to my knees as I struggled for a free breath. It felt like my lungs were on fire. "Shit." I wiped the back of my mouth with my hand before looking up.

Luke was standing across from me without an ounce of exhaustion. He was watching me, a big, silly grin on his face.

My eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. "Okay, Ronald McDonald," I countered, flicking my head at the car. "Wipe that grin off your face, and unlock the door."

I straightened up from my knees, pulling at the handle, but it was still locked. I turned to jerk a glare at him, but just before my head fully turned, I felt my body lift off the ground.

Luke had his arms trained around my body, our chests pressed against one anothers. I scowled, pushing my hands against him. "Put me the hell down, you—"

His eyes met mine, the shock in them bare. "You're a fucking maniac, Norris," he breathed out. "A fucking maniac."

"Get off my dick, bitch," I cursed as he lowered me back down to my feet. "They deserved that, and worse."

"Why..." he mumbled to himself before raising his eyes to mine. "Why did you help me?"

"I wasn't helping you specifically...I was simply joining a conversation." Even saying it aloud sounded like a lie. I had stood up for him, and we both knew it.

Luke nodded, breathing out. "I just...I've never had anyone..." he clasped his lips shut, averting his gaze from mine. "I've never had anyone stand up for me against them, before. I—"

"Luke," I interrupted with a head nod. I understood what he was saying, but if he said it out loud, I wasn't sure if we both could accept it. "It's cool."

He still looked so conflicted, so lost and confused, but he nodded, anyway.

I offered a reassuring smile, turning my head to the car. "You can show your gratitude by starting this piece of shit up, and taking me to the nearest drive thru." I thumped his hand with the point of my heel. "Food was promised, was it not?"

His mouth twitched as he nodded. "It was."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" I shook the handle of the passenger door. "We don't have all night!"

Luke shook his head at me with a chuckle. The horn sounded out as he unlocked the car. I moved to get in quicker than I ever had; the sooner we got out of here, the better.

The ride was as smooth as it could be, until we got to the front of the mansion. Several of the people from the crowd recognized Luke's car, so before we knew it, we were surrounded.

"Shit," he hissed under his breath, combing a hand through his hair. A groan followed. "How many years will I get if I hit them?"

"However many, it might be worth it." I chuckled, forcing my eyes forward to avoid the flash of a camera. The windows were tinted, though, thankfully. "Also, the fact that that was your first thought was pretty troubling."

"Fuck," I heard him curse, again, barely pressing on the gas. "They're not going to move."

I turned my head to the window with a glare. My patience was long gone after the night. "I'm too hungry for this." I shifted to face Luke. "Fuck them. Go."

He looked at me as if I had grown five heads. "There's no way—"

Before he could finish, I slammed my hand down on his knee. He had no other choice but to go. The engine roared through the night as the car flew forward. The people, as I had expected and hoped, jumped out of the way before a collision could be made.

It was a trick I learned during the court cases. With the abundance of cameras, and journalists that couldn't take the hint, I quickly realized that all it took was a little motivation to get the hell out of the way.

With a chuckle, I leaned back into my seat. "Works every time." French fries, here I come.

Luke passed an odd look my way, brow raised. "What would you have done if it hadn't worked?"

"Easy," I responded, pulling my clutch out of my bra. "Put all the blame on you." I pulled out the makeup wipes, then opened the mirror to my seat.

"Wow," he chuckled at me. "And, I thought friends were supposed to have each others backs."

I froze, the cool makeup wipe glued to my cheek. His body tensed up once he realized what he said.

Did I hear that right?

Friends.

I wasn't sure if that made my stomach flip, or if it was the reminder of him claiming me as his in front of his brother. And, the fact that I didn't correct him on it.

I shook my head. It was a spur of the moment type of thing; I had no time to correct it. That was it.

That. Was. It.

I focused on the friend part, instead. I didn't imagine it. That single request swung through my head as if he just asked for a lung.

Friends. Was that what we were? We spent nearly every day together, we knew more about the other than either one ever imagined. Then again, though, we were still relentless when it came to egging the others' nerves. It was all too confusing to stick onto.

Instead, I settled on another thought. He wanted to be friends, which meant that I had rubbed off on him. I still would drop-kick him if the offer arose but until then...I could settle with this.

I turned toward him, a grin building on my lips.

Luke was watching me already, his lips pressed so thin, the skin grew white. "No. Don't you dare—"

My hand smacked against his chest, earning a scowl. "You like me!"

His face curled with disgust as he shook his head. "Don't you ever say that, again."

"Not in that way, dingus," I corrected with a shudder. There was no way in hell I meant anything other than friends. "I meant friend wise. You have to like someone in order to be their friend."

"Oh, bullshit," he argued with a scoff. "I barely even like Levi, and I'd gladly slap the shit out of Kade if I got the chance." He tried to say it with malice, but I knew it wasn't true, at all.

"It's okay." I smoothed over my expression, shifting back into the seat with a small smile. "I know that I'm the best person you've ever known, and I simply bring happiness and sunshine wherever I go—"

"Happiness and sunshine?"

"Mhm." I swept my makeup wipe down my cheek. "Unicorns, cotton candy, clear skies, all that shit. When I'm around, it's there."

"Norris, the only things you bring with you are pepper spray, a big mouth, and an attraction to trouble."

I got my chin, next. "The best kind of trouble though, yes?"

"You just single-handily fucked with my dad's career," Luke replied with a shake of the head. "You decide from there."

I paused, chancing a glance at him. He was chewing on the inside of his cheek with a hardened jaw. I didn't know if he were mad, or just in deep concentration.

"Luke..." I started, my voice falling. "If I caused more harm than good, and he puts it out on your mom—"

His eyes jumped to me, immediately. "Stop," he dismissed. "If you did, then I'll handle it. I'll make sure that he can't touch my mom. Until then, just...know that I appreciate what you did, what you said. I really do."

"It was true."

His gaze fell before it rose with small specks of surprise. "You think so?"

"I know so," I returned, a smile turning my lips to the sky. "I better see my name on the front of your building the moment it's done, though."

Luke chuckled, his eyes lowering from me. He fought back a smile with a smirk. "I'll see what I can do." My eye roll followed as i looked back to the mirror.

The longer I thought on it, the more the realization set in. Tomorrow morning, the alcohol, and the adrenaline would have worn off. The things I'd done tonight might come and bite the both of us in the ass.

"At least we're both on your dad's hit list, now," I attempted to lighten the situation with a joke. "Is he going to send his men after me, too?"

Luke's jaw worked back and forth as his head shook. I waited for a chuckle, or a smile, or something, but all I got was the flicker of rage that flashed at lightning speed.

"He won't touch you, Maggie," he concluded. "No one will ever touch you."

My gaze hung over him. It didn't just sound like a thing he said, it sounded like an oath. My heart worked in a painful pace until I shoved it back into step.

Despite the obvious turn of events tonight, though, I found myself not wanting it to end. Not wanting this to end. For some reason, I didn't want to know whether or not we'd go back to hating each others' guts in the morning, or if he was serious about being friends.

Friends with Luke Vaudest. Jesus. What has my life turned into?

If I would have known a year ago that I was even pondering it, I would have known I'd officially lost it. And, if I would have known that I wouldn't be disgusted by the idea...hell.

But, there was more to Luke than I'd ever anticipated. He was going through so much on his own, but still holding on. He was actually funny, he didn't take my shit, and he cared in his own way for the few who meant something to him. Was I one of those people now, too?

I pinched myself.

Luke shot me an odd glance. "Did you just pinch yourself?"

The stung rang through my arm. "Mhm."

"Why?"

"I'm trying to see if I'm dreaming, or not," I responded, releasing the now red skin. "Because if I'm not. My worst nemesis and I are actually getting along."

He tilted his head at the road in thought. "Shit, you're right," he agreed. "It's weird to actually not be arguing with you."

"Exactly."

He operated the wheel with his knees, offering his wrist to me. "Pinch me, too."

My brow rose at his request before I shrugged, and punched the skin along his arm. "Wake up yet?"

Luke sighed, pulling his hand back into his lap. "Hell no. I guess we're friends, Norris."

"Frenemies," I corrected him. "I don't care how buddy buddy we are, I'm talking shit to you by default."

Luke nodded in agreement. "We can be straightening each other's hair at a certain point, and I'll still remind you how much of a brat you are."

"Agreed, asshole." I placed the makeup wipe in my clutch, sitting it in my lap. "That's a healthy, long-lasting friendship if you ask me."

Luke's mouth twitched, but he bit the inside of his cheek to stop from pulling the grin through. Once I had my own under control, I shifted my gaze to him, again.

"So what..." I pondered. "Do we hold hands or some shit now?"

Luke snorted. "You're ridiculous." I rolled my eyes just as his hand fell from the wheel.

He lifted a middle finger for me, to which I wrapped my own around. My grin sealed the deal. "Locked in for life now, bitch."

He snatched his finger away with a scowl. "Hell no."

I pulled my hand back to my lap with a chuckle. "Oh, come on," I suggested. "Ask anyone. A couple weeks with me, and you'll be obsessed. Watch."

"I've gotten enough of you in the past two months, Norris, trust me."

His car skidded to a slow stop as he pulled into the McDonald's. He ordered our food through the drive-thru, and pulled us into a spot to eat. I nearly broke his hand as I snatched my food.

"Jesus," he hissed with a chuckle. "You nearly ripped my pinky off."

Undoing the seatbelt, I settled against the door, pulling my feet under me.

"By all means, Norris," Luke said sarcastically, unwrapping his burger. "Get comfortable in my car." He pulled his seat back, pressing his back against the door to match me.

I nearly moaned at the salty fries. "It's technically our car."

He raised a brow at me. "In what world?"

"This one," I responded. "I was the one who fixed it."

"Out of all of the unbelievable shit you've said, that might be the worst. That logic makes no sense,."

I drowned my fries in sauce before looking to him. "How?"

He took a bite from his burger. "Different mechanics have fixed my shit, does it make it theirs, and hold the fuck on," he blinked at me in shock. "Did you just dip your fries in mustard?"

I nodded. "Mhm."

"Get out of my car, Norris."

I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. "It's good. Here, try." I attempted to hand him one, but he smacked it out of my hand. I whipped a glare at him. "If you do that, again, this bag's gonna become a lethal weapon."

His nose scrunched in disgust. "Your taste buds are dead, Norris. That's the only explanation I can find."

"You didn't even try it," I argued, pulling another nugget from the container. "But, I'm not about to argue with you about my preferences."

Luke chuckled to himself, tossing the last of his burger into his mouth. "Your preferences are bad in more than just one category, then."

I paused at that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He raised his hands in surrender, a smirk building. "You told me to shut up about your boy toy, so I'm—"

I finished the last of my fries with disappointment. I should have ordered more by the emptiness of my stomach. "Since when do you do what others tell you?" My head bobbed at him. "Say what you have to say." I tried to stop my eyes from falling to his fries, but I couldn't help myself.

His smirk grew. "Levi always told me to shut the fuck up if I didn't have anything nice to say, and for once I'm going to listen."

My eyes raised from his fries, and to his face, then. "What's your problem?"

"With?"

"Xander."

"He's a bitch."

I scowled at him, both at the insult, and at the fries he hadn't touched. "You can't just say that, and not give a reason behind it."

Luke rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "I'm good when it comes to reading people. One glance at him and I knew."

"Knew what?"

"That he was a bitch. Come on, Norris. Keep up," he said with amusement. "Besides, he seems like a bore."

My stare shifted into a glare. "He's not a bore."

Luke smirked. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes, you don't even—"

His chin upturned at me. "Tell me something exciting about the fucker in the next three seconds."

My lips parted. "He..." I racked my brain for an answer just to get him to shut the fuck up, but nothing came out. I didn't have an answer.

Luke chuckled at my silence, the humor stretching across his expression. "That's what I thought, Norris."

I had to refrain from choking him out with his own seatbelt. "You didn't give me enough time."

"I didn't have to," he responded with a shrug. "If I'd been wrong, you would have had an answer in less than a second." The humor in his expression shifted into something else as he ran a hand down his jaw. "Besides. There's something else I picked up on when I saw the fucker, too."

"Let me guess: he's a secret FBI agent, or showing the signs of an active serial killer."

Luke examined me over for a moment, a thought passing over his expression. He shook it away quickly, his gaze falling to the paper bag. "Nah, something else. I won't tell you for your own good."

Now, I was curious. I observed over his expression for a hint, but was given nothing. "Tell me."

"I'm not gonna make you start overthinking shit for that fucker." He shook the container of fries at me. "You want them? I'm full."

Despite my pending hunger, I shook my head. "You can't just tell a girl that you have a weird feeling about her boyfriend, then expect them to ignore it."

"Why not?" he shrugged. "I could just be trying to fuck with you."

"Yeah, but you're not," I replied, ramming my head for answers. "You're quite literally a walking tutorial when it comes to women. You know everything there is, which means that you definitely can tell if another man is doing something."

Luke averted his eyes from mine, staring down at the container. He definitely saw me eying them. "You sure you don't want these?"

I glared at him until I got it. It clicked so hard, I had to swallow back the fear to continue. I raised my eyes to his.

"Luke." My voice weakened. "Is Xander cheating on me?"

Instead of meeting my gaze, he flicked his head at the door. "I'm going in to use the bathroom," he said so casually. I questioned how easy it's be to suffocate him with the fast food bag. "I'll be back."

"You said that you don't lie," I reminded him. "So, why are you doing it now?"

"I'm not lying," he responded with a shrug. "I'm just not... purposely sharing information. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place."

The frustration made my skin go red. "You don't get to decide that for me."

Luke sighed, his eyes bouncing between me and the floor. When he realized that he couldn't avoid it, his shoulders fell with defeat.

"All I'm going to say is...call the fucker when you get home, tonight. Video call, not audio. And, don't warn him that you're about to call before you do it. Pay attention to everything you can, too." His head shook, his hand falling to the door handle. "I'll be back."

Before I could further the conversation, he was gone. My frustration didn't follow him.

His keys were still in the ignition; I could pull off and leave his ass stranded for saying what he said.

What was his problem? Why did he fill my head with questions and assumptions, and why did I struggle to not believe him?

Xander and I had been distant lately, but we both understood that we were adults with responsibilities. We couldn't be together every millisecond, and this thing with Luke was just a convenience.

Did he see it as something else, and maybe use it as an excuse to go, and fuck another girl? What if he'd been doing it before any of this even started?

Fucking Luke.

That big, stupid asshole. He was the one to make my mind resort to these type of questions.

And, what did he know? He had probably never even had one real relationship in his life. All he knew was to undress, insert and eject. That was it.

This was Xander and I's relationship, not his. We were committed to one another, and a silly fuckboy's opinion wouldn't change that. I'd show Luke that his little 'radar' was completely off.

I pulled my phone out of my clutch. I had to pass the low battery percentage notification before I got to Xander's contact.

My finger hovered over the phone icon before I pressed the message instead. I wanted to pass it off as him possibly being asleep, but I knew better. Xander was a night owl.

My fingers tapped at the screen until I had the message: Hey, babe. Missing you.

I nibbled on my lip as I stared at the screen. The still screen glared back at me, a reminder that I wasn't getting a message back. I waited and waited, but nothing came. He didn't even read it.

I pulled in a ragged breath. Chill, Maggie.

He could have taken a nap. Maybe he was in the shower, or eating. He could have worked an extra shift, and couldn't answer.

The longer the list got, the bigger my insecurity did. When Xander and I first started dating, I used to tease him for always answering my texts and calls so quickly. It was something most men didn't do, so it was funny at the time.

Now...I longed for that familiarity.

I resorted to peeling off the polish from my fingers instead of throwing the phone. I had another idea.

I went to Instagram, and immediately searched up his name. While the page loaded, I begged and pleaded for my overthinking to be wrong. My eyes fell down to the screen as soon as it finished.

Active now. He was online.

Which meant that he had ignored me.

Cool wind stung at the side of my face as the driver's door opened. Luke appeared a moment later with a bag in his hand.

He tossed it into my lap. "Here, brat."

His expression doubled back at whichever one I wore. "You good?" He studied me over. "You look like you're about to throw up or some shit."

I struggled to pull a neutral expression over my face. Instead, I let my eyes fall to the bag in my lap. Peering in, I was shocked to see two large containers of fries.

I looked to Luke with a raised brow. "You went and got two large fries."

"Obviously," he mocked, rolling his eyes. "What? You fail math, or some shit?"

I'd been hungry before, but at the black screen in front of me, my hunger was long gone. "Thanks."

Luke nodded, tugging his lip in between his teeth. He was still watching me. "What's up?" His gaze fell to the phone in my lap. His brows scrunched before a frown followed up.

"Nothing..." I yanked the phone away from his view even though it was off. "Can we just go home now?"

Sleep was never a peaceful experience for me, but tonight, I'd accept the distraction over my mess of a mind.

His gaze hung over me for a moment later before he finally nodded, jerking the car in reverse, and backing out of the parking lot. I continued to glance at the phone for a notification, but none came.

The more time that passed, the more my mind wandered for explanations.

Maybe Xander was pissed, and was simply being petty. As much as I could understand it, I quite literally had no other choice, but to go with Luke tonight.

Maybe he was getting back at me. I wouldn't even know if he had it in him to go and fuck another woman, but then again, he was a college boy. He could go to a party, and get his dick sucked without much effort.

I didn't even know how to feel if the situation arose. I knew I'd be pissed, but would I be sad? I wasn't sure.

Over the past couple of months, I knew that I hadn't grown to love him. I cared for him, dearly so, but love was an entirely different thing that I had never been able to find.

Fuck. I was getting way too ahead of myself. It probably wasn't as serious as I was making it. Nonetheless, I needed to clear shit with him.

"Eat your fries."

I jerked my eyes up to Luke, who was staring at the dark road as if it were a puzzle.

"I honestly don't know how to make people feel better," he started in an uneasy voice. "But, food helps nearly anything. Eat them or punch me to get your frustrations out, or something, just...quit making that face."

I was too exhausted for the second, so I settled on the first. I pulled out one of the carton of fries. "Why?"

His grip had tightened on the steering wheel. "Because if you keep that hurt little look on your face, I'm going to drop you off at your house, find where the fucker lives, and tear his spine in two."

"You know, that's technically a threat."

He made a silly face at me. "Did I make it sound like a compliment?"

"There's no need," I played it off with a shrug. "We're good. He's just busy right now." Oh, how I wished that to be true.

"The fuck is he doing at..." he paused to glance at the time on his radio screen. "Midnight on a Saturday night that involves him not being able to text his girl?"

Exactly, I almost said.

Instead, I decided on, "It's none of your business."

Luke tsked, his tongue darting into his cheek. I guess that was his tactic of keeping his insults to a minimum. "Eat your fries." I did, using the tasty goodness to help my racing thoughts.

The ride was quiet, which I both enjoyed and hated. I needed a distraction from the war of my mind, but Luke wasn't much of a distraction. More like a temptation to commit homicide.

I needed to think, though. How would I handle this? Was there anything to handle? I didn't want to be an obsessive girlfriend over a single missed text, but gut instinct was important. And, right now, that motherfucker was taunting me more than anything else.

I risked a glance to Luke. "Can I ask you something?"

"No."

Shock built for a moment before I remembered who I was talking to. By the twitch of his lips, I knew he'd meant yes. His head bobbed once as he passed a car.

I decided to push past the doubt and start, "What was the—"

Just as Luke got off the exit, the night turned for the worse.

Something popped so loud, it burned my ears, before it turned into a screech of metal against concrete. Luke maintained his grip on the wheel just enough to pull us to the side of the road. The car rolled until Luke let it come to a complete stop on the grass.

"Shit," he hissed, his eyes darting over the hood. "Shit!"

I figured what it was, but nonetheless, I looked to him with wide eyes. "What?" Don't say it. Please don't say it.

Luke shoved out a sigh, plopping his head against the seat. "We have a fucking flat."

"What?" Hearing it aloud didn't soothe me. "You have a spare, right?"

His silence answered my question.

"How the fuck don't you have a spare?" I snapped at him. "You little—"

His fingers pressed into his sockets as he sighed. "You didn't have one, either, so don't—"

"I wasn't driving to an entirely different state."

"Maggie," he snapped, cruising a hand down his frustrated face. "You complaining won't help the situation."

"Mhm, you're right." My lips pulled into a sweet smile that I struggled to maintain. "But you know what would have helped?"

"A fucking spare," he mumbled shamefully, squeezing his eyes shut.

"A fucking spare," I repeated with a glare. I willed myself to search for a solution, but none came. "Now what?"

"No tire shop is going to be open after midnight," he grumbled, dropping his head to the wheel. When he straightened up, his scowl remained. "And, the tow won't be any better."

Of fucking course. "Luke," I expressed, slowly. "We're hours away from home."

Finally at his peak, he threw his arms into the air. "Oh, really?" he mocked flatly. "Thank fuck you're here, because I haven't noticed."

That's it.

I lunged for him, fully intending to use the seatbelt as my weapon of choice. With the event, Xander, and Luke mixed in, I no longer had a conscience.

Luke stopped me with a palm to the face, holding me at arms length. All I caught sight of was his scowl before I heard him, "Wait!" His finger pointed past me.

I contemplated on tearing the limb from his body before I jerked around to see whatever he was pointing it.

A hotel.

A. Fucking. Hotel.

Ha!

I sighed, pulling my seat back until I couldn't any longer.

Luke peered over me with confusion. "The fuck are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go to sleep," I responded, simply. "Because there's no way in hell I'm staying in a hotel with you."

He scowled down at me. "What? Do you think I'm thrilled about this shit?"

"Knowing you..." I waved him over to finish for me.

He sighed, running a hand down his face until there was nothing left, but a frown. "Maggie—"

"That's my name. Cool, isn't it?"

"It's literally a three minute walk away." His groan mixed in with a sigh. "I'll get us separate rooms, and everything. We'll go to sleep, get an Uber to a tire shop, come back, and then we get to go home."

I placed an arm over my eyes. "You make it sound so simple."

I'd read the romance books Kimberly had given me, despite claiming that I didn't like them. It was never simple when it came to a hotel room. I'd be damned if I fell for it.

"Because it is simple," he countered. "You're just making it seem like it's not."

"Whatever," I shrugged. "You can go and get yourself a room because I'm staying here."

"Over my dead fucking body," he growled back. "I'm not leaving you in a freezing car, alone, at night."

I chuckled, squeezing my arm down. "Generous, are we?"

"Fuck no," he corrected, immediately. "I'm just trying to make sure I still have an employee Monday morning."

The alert in his tone made me not believe him. "Uh huh." I passed a smile in his direction. "Enjoy your room, pretty boy. Make sure to send a couple pictures of the view for me."

"I'm not getting out of this car without you, Norris," he warned me. "You wanna get carried over there?"

"Luke," I honeyed my tone over. "If you try to carry me, again, I'm going to smack the shit out of you. Kay? Kay." I rolled to my side to get comfortable, and to end the meaningless conversation.

His door shutting confirmed that for me. He could go to the hotel for all I care, but I was staying here. I wasn't falling so easily into the trap.

It definitely wouldn't be comfortable in here, but I'd fight through it. It was better than getting roped up in another mess.

Just as I shut my eyes, I felt the cool temperature increase. The door was open. My eyes snapped apart with it.

Luke was leaning down to me one second, and in the next, his upper body was in my space. With one hand, he unclicked the seatbelt from my body, and with the other, he held me in place with a hand on my stomach.

"Luke," I hissed. "Don't you dare—"

"I warned you, Norris."

As soon as the seatbelt was off, I was up in the air. All I saw was his strong back side and the green grass below as he tightened an arm around me.

The strong wind hit my bare ass as Luke crouched to grab the food bag, then rounded the car. He opened the trunk, pulled some things out, and shut it, swinging a backpack across his shoulder.

I managed to snap back into reality long enough to feel the rush of anger. "Put me down, you idiot!" I shouted, smacking at his back, his neck, him, but he was entirely unfazed. "You're so fucking dead—"

Luke reached up, and for a moment, I thought he was going to smack my ass. Instead, he grabbed the ends of my dress, and pulled it back down to cover me. A moment later, I felt something drape over my backside, entirely.

"What the fuck is that?" I tried to peer back at it, but it was impossible in my position. "Get it off of me."

"A jacket," Luke responded with an agitated tone. "I'm not letting you flash your ass to the world, so it's staying there."

I let out screams so loud, I was pretty sure I popped my own eardrum. Luke continued to stalk forward, spewing countless profanities. Good, the prick deserved to be annoyed.

My throat began to hurt after a while, so I had no other choice but to stop. I slumped over his shoulder, glaring back at the signs on the road, and Luke's car itself.

I knew we were inside the hotel when I felt the heat hit me smack in the face. It hugged at my bare skin so comfortably, my attitude nearly forgot to reject it.

Luke cast a glance over his shoulder at me. "Can I put you down, now?"

"Try it, and we'll see," I grumbled in defeat, glaring at the red carpet.

"If you run, I swear to god, Maggie, I'm tackling your ass."

"What do you think this is? The fucking Super Bowl?" I hissed back at him. "I'm not going to run. Put me down this instant."

Cautiously, he placed me to my feet. I wasn't even wearing my heels anymore, so the carpet tickled at my toes.

I huffed, meeting his hesitant eyes. To fuck with him, I pretended to hit a hard right, but before the joke could go through, Luke was blocking my body with his own. He glared at me, his eyes narrowed in warning.

I raised my hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Chill the fuck out, Tom Brady."

Before he could move, I smacked him. Not enough to even barely hurt, but enough to make his head jump to the side.

Whipping a glare to me, he hissed, "The fuck was that for?"

I glowered back at him. "I warned you."

"I save you from becoming an icicle or getting kidnapped from my car, and this is how you repay me."

I scoffed. "Oh, suck a fucking fish. You weren't saving anyone except yourself from being a suspect in my case."

"You're such a—"

"Hi!" came from our side, hesitantly. "Can I assist the two of you with something?"

Luke and I continued with our angry exchange before he turned away from me, and to the employee. "I'm booking a room." He shot a glare of warning at me, to which I flipped him off in response.

I huffed, glaring after him. What the fuck kind of luck was this? It wasn't. It was utter bad luck that I, out of all fucking people, have to be stuck with my nemesis over night.

We were labeled as frenemies now, but that didn't erase everything about him that made me want to rip my hair out. The man went total Tarzan on me just for not getting out the car.

The woman at the front desk was giggling a little too hard at whatever Luke was saying. I rolled my eyes before shifting away; whatever he said wasn't that funny. Nonetheless, I felt irritation claw at my insides the longer they continued.

I directed my mind to anything else for a distraction. It went to Xander first, but that didn't help in the slightest. I focused on Jax, or my girls who were going to be in town, soon. That helped.

The longer I thought on us finally seeing each other at the airport, the more twisted my mind made it.

My father would be out at that time. I'd tried to push it to the back of my mind for moments of peace, but it was the inevitable.

When the dark came, so did he.

Everything that I had built here would come crashing down, and there would be no rebuilding it. Raven, Kimberly, Xander, and Quinn would find out that I was a liar. Word would get out, or my father would make sure it did. They'd hate me for every single lie I'd told them over the past two years.

I'd lied from the moment I met Kimberly. As time went on, I found myself wanting to sit her and Raven down to tell them the truth. I wanted to blurt it out so many times, but that voice in the back of my head didn't let me. That scared little girl who thought we'd never trust anyone, again, wouldn't let me.

And, now here I was. A liar, and an absolutely horrendous excuse of a friend. I didn't deserve the two, and if they ever found out, they'd agree with that fact.

And, Luke...what would he think of me? I'd pretend not to care, but every time I thought of his reaction, I felt my stomach fall.

I wasn't sure if he knew of the lies I'd told Kimberly and Raven about my parents, but either way, I had technically deceived every single person in this town one way or another, including myself.

When we moved here, I promised to stick to myself. I promised to not give anyone a reason to want me, to want to understand me, to try and dig into my past. Up to age sixteen, I'd never had a friend other than Jax, and I was fine with that. Then, Granny sent Jax and I on a food run to a diner, I saw Kimberly, and all of that changed.

She was so kind, intelligent, and caring. She had given Raven and I bits and pieces of her past over the past two years, and it was so painful to hear.

Yet, she still remained so kind-hearted and fair in the cruel life she'd been born into. Raven was the same, still resilient and willing to relearn.

I envied them for it.

I wished that I could have lived up to the stigmatism that 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' or that 'you became stronger because of it.'

It wasn't true, because it hadn't. I hadn't.

I was a child. I shouldn't have had to be strong for anything like that. I didn't become strong, or brave, or any of that shit. I became detached from the little girl that believed unicorns were real, that loved cartoons and ice cream, that was innocent and happy.

She was a stranger to me, and I her. Because the moment she was stolen, I knew that there was no going back. There would be no light, no savior or enough encouraging quotes to bypass what had happened.

The only thing that I could do to have an ounce of a will to live, was become an entirely different person.

Selfish, conceited, alone, rude, stronger, a fake façade that covered me with a 'bitch' or 'moody' title. I was fine with being perceived that way. That was how I had survived this long. Because when that strength was ripped from me, I promised myself that I'd never ever let anyone take it from me, again.

And, I wouldn't.