"There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them." — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Chapter 30
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Maggie

I'd been staring at bread for the past hour. Well...toast, but technically, still bread.

Either way, it had gone untouched, just as everything else Jax had put out for me to eat. I didn't have the appetite.

"Mags," Jax sighed from beside me. "Honey, you have to eat."

My fingers pushed at the plate. "I'm not hungry."

In the corner of my eye, I saw him purse his lips. "You'll have to keep your strength up."

"I will," I murmured, placing my chin on top of my shut fist. "Just...not right now."

"Maggie," he started with a concerned tone. "I—"

"I'm fine, Jax. Get going for your shift, okay?" I nodded toward the door. "You know how the noon traffic is."

"Fine...but you have to eat at dinner. I don't care if I have to come home on my break and feed you myself."

His arm went over my shoulders to pull me closer. "Everything's going to be okay." Pressing a kiss to the side of my head, he squeezed my arm. "Trust me, Mags."

I nodded just to get him out of here. I needed the space just to wallow in my self-pity for a while. I couldn't do that with him and Tony constantly sprouting quotes of encouragement, and throwing different desserts and dinners my way.

Jax smiled with a squeeze to my shoulder. "I'll even make those egg rolls you love, and bring them home for you. I can get Tony to get us a bottle of—"

"Jax, listen." I sighed, palming my face. "That sounds great, it really does. But, for right now, I just need to think. Please give me that." I hated how cruel my tone came out to be, especially with Jax.

His hopeful expression fell, but he recovered quickly with a sample of a smile. "I understand..." he squeezed my hand, again. "Remember that I love you, alright?"

I nodded, tightly. "I hate you, too." We both glanced up just as Tony entered the kitchen.

Tony glanced between us, but by his lingering gaze with Jax, I knew he was getting the memo. "Hey, Maggie." His lips lifted into another encouraging smile as he grabbed the cereal box from the top of the refrigerator. "How are you doing, hun?"

I rubbed at my stomach for some relief to the weight inside. Their love was beginning to suffocate me.

I absolutely loved Tony. He made Jax the happiest I'd ever seen him, and he was so incredibly sweet and kind-hearted. Him and my brother were the perfect match. But, right now, I couldn't handle it.

"I'm fine," I said, but it came out squeaky. "I'm gonna go and catch a quick nap, though, before..." I tried to find something along the lines of an excuse, but there was none at all. I was off from Moarde's today, but was supposed to be at Luke's. "I'll just...I'll see you guys later, okay?"

Before either of them could attest, I was walking, well escaping, the room. Their concerned eyes burned my backside, but I paid them no mind.

My feet carried me toward the bed like a robot. I jumped right in, immediately pulling the blankets over my head.

I hadn't even remembered that I'd left my phone on the mattress until I saw the screen light up from under the blanket. I could take a guess of what it was, so I bypassed it, shutting my eyes.

Kimberly and Raven had called and texted in a nonstop cycle in the past two days. I wasn't sure how they knew the whole situation, but I guessed Jax told them. I had only gotten a short explanation out when I saw him, before he was pulling me into his arms.

Other than that, I hadn't answered their texts or calls other than once, and that was because they were threatening to skip their classes to fly down here. As sweet as it was, and as badly as I wanted them here, I didn't want them to get behind for my sake. I'd be fine on my own; I always had been.

As for Quinn and Xander, their calls and texts had been stalker level, at least to a certain point. Xander stopped all off a sudden, two days ago. Quinn did as well, only a couple of hours after his. I guessed they grew tired of fucking with me, and finally stopped. Either way, I didn't give a fuck.

I wanted nothing to do with either of them.

They were meant for each other. Both back-stabbers. Traitors. Liars. Selfish sons of bitches.

And, I fell for all of it.

They must have done it because they realized how naive I'd be to it. They'd been messing around since Christmas, and it was now late February. I hadn't caught on the entire time, and I never would have without Luke.

Luke.

He was probably cackling right now. Rolling around and all cheery and big-headed at the fact that he'd been right.

It had been two days since I heard from him. The last time he texted was moments after I found out what happened.

I didn't show up to work on the building, and I hadn't even called or texted to let him know why. Any moment now, I was waiting for the cops to be at my front door.

Even though we were under the title of friends, I knew that I owed a debt, and Luke knew that, too. He wouldn't change that after a couple months together. I didn't have it in me to care, though.

I didn't know which feeling was the heaviest. The pain of being betrayed or the shame for not being heartbroken.

I was hurt, beyond it actually. Two people that I held so close to me had betrayed me without a second thought to it. That stung like a bitch.

But, heartbroken?

No.

I knew that everyone thought I was. It was expected of me. I had dated the man for nearly a year, so of course I should feel like my heart was ripping in two. But it wasn't. He would have had to had possession of it in order to cause that.

Xander didn't have it, though. He never did. I cared for him deeply, and I thought of him with nothing but admiration for the majority of our time.

I didn't love him though, not in the slightest bit. It sounded cruel, but it was just how it was.

I played the role well, and for a minute, I even believed that if I could love, he'd probably be the barer of it. I wondered if he knew that. Had that been the reason he cheated? Was it my fault?

I shook the intruding thoughts away. They weren't meant to be there. I'd done nothing but remain faithful and devoted to him, despite the many opportunities not to. I could have fucked one of his best friends that constantly hit on me, all I wanted, but I hadn't. Because I was in a relationship. Xander was too, but he obviously hadn't been too devoted to me.

Now came the anger. For the past three days, it'd been that way. They were full of tears, questions, then curses. I couldn't handle it for too long without forcing myself to sleep. I would take the nightmares over this.

My phone was still a buzzing mess right by my foot. I kicked at it until I heard it plop onto the floor. I was sure I had added a couple of new cracks to it, but oh well.

No longer caring, I shoved my head into the pillow until the hell of sleep called me.

***

My body stirred at the shake of my bed. It felt as if I were on top of a earthquake.

Attempting to coax myself back into slumber, I shifted onto my stomach, and squeezed my burning eyes shut, again.

I was nearly there until the shake occurred, again, this time with the sound of flesh against splintering wood to it.

With a curse, I jerked the blanket off of me, catching sight of the rattling pictures along the wall. It took my eyes a minute to adjust to the light; I had kept them on instead of using my nightlight.

Once I had it, I pulled myself up to the headboard. A moment of silence passed only for a second before another knock sounded out, this time harder than the last couple.

I groaned, scrubbing a hand down my face. Was being alone too much to ask?

Pulling my arms over my chest, I glared at the blanket as I waited for it to stop. Maybe they'd leave on their own.

The next knock debunked that wish. When my television started to rattle from the force, I finally jerked myself out of bed. I'd make them leave my own damn myself.

Storming over to my window, I paused right in front of it. I peeked through the curtains, squinting my eyes past the bushes to get a look at who could be trying to knock the fucking house down.

What, well...who, I saw, blew me away.

Luke was standing in front of the door, an impatient scowl on his face. With his arms crossed, he began to pace in his spot, murmuring curses to himself, and resembling a madman.

In his tantrum, he paused for a second, his eyes narrowing at the door before he kicked it. I jerked away on instinct, but the motion caught his eye.

Immediately, his raging gaze jerked over to mine, before I flew back from the curtains. Shit.

I racked my brain for a reason as to why he was here. The first thought was the most obvious: he came to chew me out for missing days at the shop.

I drawled out a tiresome sigh. I wasn't in the mood. If he wanted to get his revenge, then he could get it over with.

I stepped back to the curtains, pulling them apart by the tips of my fingers. The moment I leaned in though, my heart flew right out of my chest.

Dark blues were glaring right back into mine. His face was so close to the window, I could read every inch of frustration from here.

My heart was thumping a million miles per minute. "Shit," rushed away from me in a hiss. I placed a hand against my chest, sucking in the breath I had lost a second ago.

"Let me in," Luke demanded through the glass. It was muffled, but by the intention of his tone, I heard him just fine.

My hand continued to run comforting circles around my chest. I only let it fall to open the window. The wind came through the space, but it didn't come alone.

I stumbled back as Luke pushed his large frame through the window. For a moment, I thought he'd get stuck, but with extra effort, he was through.

My hand fell from my chest, instead going to my stomach. "What are you doing here?"

His attention was on the ground, right where my phone was. Then, it raised to me, his eyes narrowing. "Why didn't you answer any of my calls?"

"I was sleeping," I murmured the half-lie, letting my eyes fall.

His gaze lingered on the top of my head. "For seventy-two hours?"

My lips opened for an answer, but none came. It was none of his business.

Turning my back to him, I walked to my bed until I was sat on the edge, tucking my feet under me.

He was watching my every move, I could feel it. When I raised my eyes, his own went elsewhere.

Mine fell again, this time to the lining of my pajama pants. Here comes the storm. "Look...I know that I fucked up, okay? I'm sorry. I know that I should have come and did my days at the shop, or at least—"

"Hold the fuck on," he cut me off, his brows tightening with confusion. "You think I'm mad about you not showing up?"

I lifted my eyes away from my pajamas, and up to him. "You're not?"

"Fuck no, I'm not mad about that. I'm pissed about you..." His lips clamped shut, throat bobbing under his words. "Not being you."

A dry laugh slipped from me as I shook my head. "You don't even know me."

"I know enough," he argued with a firm tone. "And, so do you."

"Really now," I replied sarcastically.

"You're drawing back because of what happened," he acknowledged. "Well, fuck that. I'm not letting you do it."

My head tilted at him as I leaned back onto my palms. "You do realize that my boyfriend fucked my best friend, right? It's not exactly a one day healing type of thing."

His arms crossed over his chest before he flicked his head at me. "Look up for me, angel."

I did.

"Shit, Norris," he corrected, waving it off with a chuckle. "I meant down."

I did that too before sending a confused look to him.

"Still haven't seen it?"

I raised a brow. "Seen what?"

His lips lifted at me. "How I don't give two fucks if the son of a bitch fucked all of your friends."

I shot a glare at him. "Thanks for the enlightenment, Luke. Seriously." With a huff, I drew my knees to my chest. "I already feel humiliated enough. I don't need your help to worsen it."

"You know that I say the truth, and only the truth," he replied with a shrug. "And, the truth was that he did it. So fucking what? It wasn't your fault, and there was nothing you could have done to stop it."

"You don't know anything," I murmured, glaring ahead.

"People cheat on their own. No matter how you look at it, no matter if you wonder what would have happened if you hadn't left him alone with her, and all the other what ifs, it doesn't matter because he would have still cheated, eventually," he argued. "There's absolutely nothing that you do can do to stop someone from being a piece of shit."

He didn't stop his steps until he was in front of me. "And, why the fuck are you humiliated?" He cast a scowl down to me. "He's the one who embarrassed hisself. The bastard was blessed that you even looked his way, let alone dated him. All he did was set you free to find the fucker who'll treat you better, and who really deserves you."

I was listening until the last part. I shook my head, my chin bouncing along my knees as I spoke, "I don't deserve—"

Before I could finish, Luke thumped me in the forehead with his finger.

I rubbed at the spot with a hiss. "The fuck was that for?"

"For saying the most stupidest shit I've ever heard," he stated. "Don't say that you don't deserve something when you do. And, don't say it because of a fucking idiot who wasn't worth your pinky finger, got it?"

I glared up at him. "If I say no, will you thump me, again?"

"If you say no, I'm going to tackle you across this bed."

Despite the lack of seratonin in my body, my lips perked at his threat. "Tom Brady style?"

His mouth twitched. "Who else?"

A small chuckle fell from me before I shrugged. "Fine. I get it."

"Good." His head bobbed as he took a step back. "Get up."

My confusion grew. "Why?"

"Because," he said with a simple shrug. "We're going to go and make you feel better."

My eyes fell to the chipped paint on my toes. "And, how are we doing to do that, completely sane, non-controlling boy?"

"Get up and you'll see."

I nearly laughed at the thought. There was no way in hell I was leaving this house. He'd just have to go on his little mission alone.

"I'm comfortable where I am, thanks," I declined with a stale smile. "I'll see you next week, though."

I returned to the center of my mattress. Yanking the blanket back over me, I squeezed my eyes shut, again.

"The hell you will," he growled, steps thundering across the floor before I felt the blanket get ripped from my body.

I had to stop myself from thrashing around like a toddler. With a groan, I reached for the blanket again, but he jerked back before I could grasp it.

"Luke," I huffed. "Go home." I reached for the blanket, again, but to no avail.

"I'm comfortable where I am, Norris," he repeated after me, a sly grin building on his lips. "I've given you three days. Three whole days, but I'm done waiting. Now, get your ass up."

"Three days," I repeated with a scoff. "You're acting like it's an eternity or something."

"Of course it's not," he argued. "But, if you're not careful, three days can turn into a week, then a month, and so on. Fuck that. I'm not letting it happen."

"Wow." I rolled my eyes, shifting until my back was to him. "Ever thought about joining a drama class or two? You'd fit in perfectly."

A part of me considered threatening him with the cops, but I'd be setting myself up for failure with that one. Instead, I forced my eyes shut, and waited. He'd leave. They all did.

"Three."

I squeezed my eyes shut until red mixed with black. "Suck it."

"Two."

My eyes jerked open at the realization. He was counting down.

With Luke, that never meant something good.

"One."

Just as I turned around, my face was being pressed against a chest one second, then the next, I was upside down.

"Not again," I grumbled, building up the strength to fight him. It only came in small bundles, though.

My fist slammed into the middle of his back. "Put me down this instant, Luke."

He hauled me over his shoulder until I was comfortable. One arm tightened around the bend of my knees to stop me from escaping. "No can do, Norris. I tried being nice."

"That was your idea of nice?"

Despite my argument, he continued on until he turned, having me face my dresser. "Pick some clothes."

"No."

I couldn't see it for myself, but I knew an eye roll was waiting for me. "Fine. I can stay like this all day."

I slammed my palm into his hard back again, but the muscles nearly crumbled my hand. "You know that you're technically kidnapping me, right?"

"Not at all, angel," he responded. "I'm simply persevering. Take your time, though."

I glared at the dresser until my eyes burned. Several minutes passed, but his body never grew tired of carrying mine.

Finally, my frustration snipped away at what little patience I had.

"Can't you go and annoy some other girl?" I hissed at his backside. "You know, someone who actually wants you to bother them."

"None of them are my employee," he replied simply.

I rolled my eyes, shooting daggers into the dresser. If I wanted to get rid of him, I'd have to cooperate with his bullshit.

I made a reach for it, pulling out the first pieces I saw.

"Good girl," he coaxed.

I smacked his ass with my shirt as hard as I could, my glare only deepening. "Oh, suck a fish, bitch."

He chuckled, shaking his head at me. Once I had my clothes, he turned us, walking back to my bed.

His hand went to my back, lightly patting to catch my attention. "Was that so hard, Norris?"

I unhinged my jaw to say, "Luke, if you don't put me down in the next five seconds—"

"That all depends on you, and your next move, angel."

"I hope I've mentioned just how much I hate you."

My body bounced with his laugh. "Plenty of times, trust me." He stepped closer to my bed. "Now. Are you gonna be a good girl for me and get dressed?"

I tried to stretch out of his grasp to fall onto my bed, but he caught on quickly and tightened it.

With a huff, I mumbled, "I'll get dressed."

"I didn't catch that."

My anger skyrocketed before I smacked his backside. "Put me—"

"Okay, okay," he relented, craning his body and gently laying me on the mattress. "Don't—" Before he could finish, I thumped him in the center of his forehead.

His hiss earned my satisfaction. Scowling, I jerked the clothes into my grasp, pushed past him, and went to my bathroom.

I stretched the time as well as I could. I stayed in the shower until the water went cold. I took at least ten minutes with each clothing piece, and each action after that. By the time I was finished, I had managed to torture my own self into boredom.

I opened the door to the bathroom, stepping out with an annoyed expression. Luke was waiting on the sofa, his feet crossed at the ends and his phone in hand.

Once he saw me, he placed it away. "Ready?"

"No."

"Great." He grinned. "Let's get going, then."

I replied with a scowl, my feet dragging painfully slow after him. His own matched mine, only edging my annoyance into slow aberration.

Once we were both in his car, Luke drove until we got to the stop sign before saying, "Name a place where you wanna go."

"Home."

His lips pulled into a scowl. "Anywhere else other than home, smartass."

"Mhm." I tapped my chin, feigning consideration. I let it fall along with my face. "The house."

Luke sighed, staring at me for a moment before he let his attention fall to the gear shift. He put the car in park, then leaned against the door, arms tucked over his chest.

I cocked a brow at him. "What are you doing?"

He pulled his phone out, casually swiping along the screen. "Waiting until you give me an answer. Take all the time you need."

Rolling my eyes, I glanced in the mirror in time to see a car pulling up behind us.

I jerked my gaze over to Luke. "You need to go."

His attention remained on his phone. "That's not an answer, angel."

I glanced up, again. The car was beginning to edge even closer to ours.

"Luke," I snapped.

His shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "If I can wait, they can, too."

I heard the car honk from behind us. Luke chuckled, rolling down his window to flip them off.

"Stop it." I smacked his hand down with a scowl. "You're going to get us shot, you idiot."

"Then, I guess you better start thinking, Norris," he mocked. "Go on."

I huffed, bouncing between the mirror and the windshield. I knew that Luke was literal when it came to well...anything, so I needed to feed into his bullshit until he got tired of serving it to me.

I racked my brain for an answer until I got it.

With an eye roll, I jerked my gaze over to him. "Vosers." It meant less people, so I'd take it.

His brow shot up, before he dropped his phone in the cup holder. "Anywhere else?"

I glared ahead. "No. Now go."

A hint of a grin hung across his lips as he shifted the car into a drive. "You sure?"

Other than the blood flow in my ears, I heard the continuous blare of the horn from behind us. "Yes, you fucking lunatic now—"

His lips went out into a pout, his fingers tapping at the wheel. "Well, I think you can talk a little more nicely than—" Before he could finish the statement, I slammed the heel of my hand down on his leg.

***

"Now," Luke started, stepping in front of me. "You get an hour. I'll meet you by the carts when the time's up."

My fingers messaged at at my temples, begging back the beginning of a headache. "What are you talking about, Luke?"

Without so much as a clue, he pulled out his wallet, then his card. When I didn't make a move, he reached for my hand with an exaggerated sigh, and placed the card inside.

"Get what you want," he told me. "Food, furniture, fucking nipple clamps for all I care. Have at it."

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. "No—fuck no." I attempted to give him the card back, but all he did was shoo my hand away with an eye roll.

"Remember," he reminded me, crossing his arms. "You get an hour. Pin is 2418. Have fun."

Without another word, he turned, and began to walk away.

"Wait," I called out. "I'm not—"

I saw him tap at his phone before he raised it in the air, flashing the hour alert on the screen. "Go ahead, Norris. Be a smartass, and don't get anything. We'll be here for another hour, then another and so on. I can do this all day—"

I huffed in frustration. "Okay, I get it, Captain America."

My mind was running a marathon, but there was no finish line with any reasoning attached to it. There never was when it involved Luke.

I sighed, tightening my hand around the card. "You seriously made your card pin the same as your phone pin? Ridiculous."

A cocky grin shone at me. "And, you remembered?"

"Whatever," I argued, dragging my feet across the concrete. "You do realize that I could literally go and buy a house right now, right?" I was bluffing, but the idea was tempting.

Luke chuckled, the blonde strands flying in all sorts of directions as he shook his head. "Go ahead and get me another one while you're at it. I'll see you in an hour." Without another word, he turned on his heel, and walked off.

I stared at his back until it disappeared from my view. Now, it was only me, the slab of concrete I was on, and the card in my hand.

Just as I had all day, I just fed into his bullshit, and stepped into the store. The coolness from the air conditioner swept past me, blowing back strands of my hair. Since I had it back, and a black hoodie that nearly reached my knees, I paid it no mind.

The store had everything from food, electronics, and electronics. Jax and I usually did our grocery shopping here, so the isles were like muscle memory. I let my legs lead me to the first one they thought of.

Turns out it was the candy and snacks isle. I glared past the skittles and the chips, letting my eyes fall back to the card.

Other than just wanting to be a smart ass and going against what he wanted, I didn't like the idea of anyone, let alone him spending money on me. I didn't like exchanging favors, or giving anyone ammunition against me. With Luke, buying a candy bar probably meant an extra year of my freedom. I wasn't having it.

Just as I started to leave the aisle, my phone vibrated in my back pocket. I pulled it out with a dreadful prediction. My guess was right.

Luke: Tell me why I don't see any charges on my card yet, angel.

I rolled my eyes, turning back around in the aisle while I typed, Did you see how annoying you are, too?

Luke: Nah, but what I did see was an extra hour in this nice little shop.

A mix of a groan and a sigh stroked my tongue. He said he had all day, so by extension, he meant that we did. The sooner I got this over with the better.

I didn't respond this time, instead shoving the phone back into the pocket of my hoodie. As badly as I hated feeding into his shit, I'd at least get something out of it.

Fine. I thought, If he wanted me to spend money, then I would.

I went, and retrieved a shopping cart from the front of the store before returning to the candy and snack isle. I threw everything in that appeased me, then went to the second isle. The next hour was spent like this.

By the time I finished, the cart was trembling with items I couldn't even remember grabbing. I even had to carry some of them in my arms. When I made it to the self-checkout, I knew an hour had to have passed.

My eyes nearly bulged out at the total, but the smugness bypassed the guilt by a million. I simply did what was asked of me. Besides, it was Luke's fault for giving me the card.

I maintained my grip on the cart as I pushed it to the outside. The motion-sensor doors shut behind me before something out the corner of my eye caught my attention. Luke came into view a second later.

His eyes went to me before falling to the cart, a smirk coming to his lips. My own went to him, and one of his arms, which was stretched far behind his back. I tried to to get a better look at it, but he wasn't having it.

I rolled my eyes, and with a snarky smile, shoved the card and the receipt into his hands. "I hope I didn't spend too much." I definitely had, but I wanted to see his reaction just for kicks.

His humored eyes never lessened as he undid the crumbled receipt, scanning it over.

"Seriously?" A scoff fell from his lips before he rolled it back up, and tossed it into the cart. "Only a thousand? I expected better from you, Norris."

"You're..." My smirk fell into a gape. "You're not mad?"

His amusement only grew. "Why would I be?"

My feet dug into the concrete, a frustrated frown growing. "Because, I spent a thousand dollars, you idiot!"

"That shit's pocket change to me, Maggie. Buying this whole building wouldn't even make a dent in my bank account, trust me." His head tilted at my bags, a small chuckle following. "Is that a laptop I see?"

"No." I threw a hand over the bag with a scowl. "Maybe." I yanked the basket further away from him. "Look. It doesn't matter."

My revenge had failed horrendously.

"Mhm, you're right," he said, shrugging. "You wanna go somewhere else? You can double it, if you want."

My eyes widened at his serious expression. "Are you...no, okay? No." I ran a hand down my face. "I came out, and I did what you asked. Now, I'm going home."

Before he could attest to my statement, I was pushing past him. I didn't even bother to catch what he was hiding behind his back before I pushed the cart to his car.

The car alarm beeped as he unlocked it from his key. "Fine, fine, I'll take you home." He flicked his head at my cart. "I got it."

I wasn't going to argue about that since I hated putting bags in. I kept my glare intact while I got inside.

I watched him in the mirror. He placed something on top of the car, then tended to the bags. I felt my brows draw in closer over the passing seconds as I studied him over.

Why was he doing this?

He wasn't getting anything out of it other than my attitude, and a thousand dollar charge. I knew he claimed it was because we were technically boss and employee, and that he was trying to get me back to work. But...none of it added up.

What kind of boss did these things to their employee who owed them thousands of dollars, because of the property they destroyed? No one.

Yet, he had.

I found myself staring after him even longer then intended. The more I did, the more my throat tightened.

I jerked my gaze away once it became unbearable. I was simply confused, that was all.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him come to his side of the car. He was in a second later, and as badly as I wished for him to just start the car and take me home, he didn't.

Instead, he turned to focus his gaze on me, and studied me over. "Feel any better?"

I averted my eyes to the window. "No."

"Let me rephrase. Did it get your mind off of anything?"

My lips parted to offer a retort but none came...because it had worked. My body stilled in the seat at the realization. Shit, it did.

I hadn't thought about Xander or Quinn ever since we left. I was too focused on being annoyed by Luke's mission, and even though it didn't turn out as intended, I could admit that I did have fun shopping.

I let my face remain neutral, despite the relief growing inside of me. I had a good day.

Luke was watching me closely, a stupid grin on his stupid face.

I narrowed my eyes at him with a shake of my head. "Stop it."

It only grew. "Stop what, Norris?"

I bit back a smile. "You're making that...you know that stupid face you make."

His grin fell into a smirk. "You're delusional," he chuckled, starting the car up. "You're the one staring at me."

I was. "I am not."

"Uh huh. I think I saw hearts in your eyes, you know."

"Whatever." I wasn't feeding into his ego any longer. At his smile, somehow, someway, my insides were beginning to tickle the longer I saw it. "Anyway. What did you have behind your back earlier?"

His smirk vanished, and his entire face fell with it. "Nothing."

"Liar. I saw it."

He shook his head, that same hand remaining behind him. At my look of warning, his eyes widened. "No—"

I lurched forward, my hand going for it. "Give it—"

"Stop, damn it," he cursed me, his hand holding me back by my throat. I continued on, trying to grab at it. Finally, he drew out a groan, raising his hands in surrender. "Okay! Fine!"

"Smart boy." With a smirk, I leaned back into my seat. "I'm waiting."

His cheeks pinked as he murmured something under his breath. With a huff, he brought his hand to the front of him.

A dozen roses.

Well, half a dozen. He'd tore half of the roses from their stem, but the others remained the same. Inside, I saw chocolate kisses, skittles packets, and jolly ranchers littered inside.

Luke cleared his throat, running a hand along the back of his warm neck. "I didn't want it to look all lovey dovey and shit, so I tore off some of the flowers, but yeah...here." He tightened his lips together, placing it in my lap.

My chest caved so hard, I shuddered at it. "Luke," fell from my lips in shock but not that alone. This was so...different.

I didn't care about the flowers being torn off, or even the ones that weren't. The idea of it made my heart tighten from constriction.

These were my favorite candies. He'd put effort in it before giving it to me. It was a really sweet gesture. And, that made me feel shit that made me nauseous.

"Not that I care if you like them or anything but..." he paused, his voice dipping into, "Do you like them?" He was studying me over, his eyes glazed with something intangible. I hadn't even noticed his leg bouncing until now, but it did confirm something.

He was nervous.

Jesus. Now I was, too.

My lips grew into a smile the longer I stared at the bouquet. "Yeah..." I cleared my throat, smiling. "I like it." I more than liked it, but I wasn't sure if my throat could build up the strength to get the words out. I had never liked flowers before, but now...hell, I guessed that changed. "Thank you."

His chest fell with relief, his eyes bouncing between me and the flowers. I caught them, my smile lifting.

For the first time in days, it was genuine.

His eyes jumped to my smile, and remained trained on my lips even as it fell. My own went to his, so pink and plump. They were right there for the taking, and the longer I stared, the more that thought pressed and pressed until it was more of a challenge than a thought.

Luke was the first to break eye contact, returning back to the road. I jerked back from the string that was beginning to trip us, my lips tightening to prevent them from spilling.

The ride home was so silent, I wished for relief. The radio, an insult, an argument, something. None came, though, so it was just me, him, and the tension packed space.

A breath of both relief and panic rushed out of me as he slowly pulled into my driveway. Relief that I had finally gotten what I wanted, but panic that that want had slowly shifted into something messier.

Luke helped me carry the bags inside, despite my argument. I had him place them anywhere they could fit, mainly the kitchen and the living room.

I placed the last bag on the counter, shifting my body until we were face to face. He was already watching me, his arms crossed over his chest.

I glanced down at my shifting feet, racking my brain for something, anything to say. "Thank you for today." I flicked my head at the bags. "I appreciate it."

He nodded back at me. "It wasn't problem." He lifted his hand to swipe at his mouth. "Before you try to kick me out, though, I'll go ahead and get going."

"Yeah." That single word tasted like poison for some reason. It was full of hypocrisy. Having to watch him leave was making my eyes burn. I didn't want that.

Luke looked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he shook his head, and turned on his heel to walk away.

My mouth opened before I could stop it, "Actually."

His body stilled in step, his head raising. He shifted on his feet until he was facing me, again.

I threw a thumb over my shoulder at the section of bags that were full of groceries. "I was just going to make cake pops, if you wanted to stay a bit longer. Jax won't get off work until midnight, and I..." I heaved in a sigh. "I don't have anyone else to help, and it's a busy job."

A flicker of shock widened his eyes. "Really?" Once he caught his surprise, he rolled it back to nod, clearing his throat to say, "I mean yeah...yeah, let's do it."

And, we did. The next half hour was spent baking the cake itself and the next was us waiting for it to cool down.

Luke did more than I thought he would. We switched positions until it was done, him putting up the items, and me baking the cake itself. I made sure to make an extra platter since Jax and Tony would definitely want some.

Currently, I was washing my hands under the stream of water. Luke was in the living room, scrolling through our tv for a movie.

"You hungry?" he called out. "I can order a pizza."

My stomach responded for me, giving a growl. I chuckled at it. "A large supreme, and cheesy bread. Don't forget the cheesy bread."

"Don't worry, I will."

I rolled my eyes, turning off the water. Once my hands were dry, I made my way to the living room. Luke was on the couch, his feet kicked up on the table without a care in the world.

I smacked his leg with a scowl. "Get those dirty fuckers off of my table, right now." I flicked my head to his feet, even though they remained still.

"Fuckers?" He raised a brow at me, his mouth in a half-smirk. "I think you've been around me too much, Norris."

I hadn't even thought about it before I slipped out. Whatever.

I smacked his leg, again. "Off. Now."

Once he complied, I walked past him, meanwhile constantly checking to make sure that he wouldn't trip me. I could see the idea was tempting to him, but he held back due to the consequences that would follow.

I took a seat to his side, and inhaled one of the first real breaths of relief that I'd had in a while. My mind felt more relaxed than I expected.

Music sounded out from the television, and I hinted the familiarity, immediately. I raised my head from the couch to double-check, and I was right.

I cocked my head to Luke with a smile. "Harry Potter?"

He rolled his lips together, his eyes trained on the television. "That's what's on the screen, isn't it?"

I kicked my feet on the couch, crossing them at the ends. "Why?"

"You love Harry Potter, right? So, why not?"

His hands gripped my ankles, tugging me down to him until he had my feet in his lap.

My eyes bounced from his lap, and back to his face with shock. He paid the action no mind at all, so I pretended to remain just as composed. "I'm starting to think I'm not the only one who loves it."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Take that thought, and shove it up your ass for me."

I chuckled, crossing my feet in his lap. "Sounds like a whole lot of denial to me."

"It's not denial," he argued. "I've watched the movies a couple of times, maybe read the books even fewer times, but that's it. Now, quit talking."

My smile built. "That's all, huh? Tell me your favorite one."

"I don't have a 'favorite' one."

I scoffed. "Look, since your balls are so tied here, we'll say our favorites at the same time. On three. Ready?"

Luke threw his head back with a groan, a hand scrubbing down his face. "I'm not entertaining this."

I lifted a finger. "One."

"No."

"Two," I added another.

"Fuck you."

"Three."

"Deathly hallows," we both said at the exact same time.

My lips dangled into a grin at the shock on his face. "Which part?" I questioned. "Same time. Go."

"Part two," our voices blended together.

Both of our eyes widened at the other before I laughed. "Okay, you have taste. What's your second?"

With an eye roll, he threw an arm over the couch. "Goblet of Fire."

I tried my hardest to stop from bouncing with excitement. "Mine too. Whose your favorite character?"

"Easy. Sirius Black. Yours?"

I bit my lip to stop my grin from growing. "Neville Longbottom."

He gave a head nod, turning to look to me. "My second favorite. The Weasley Twins, too."

I nodded, eagerly. This was my first time talking about Harry Potter in ages, since no one else other than Kimberly cared about it. Raven and Jax fell asleep in the first twenty minutes of the first movie.

"Sirius and Repus are some of my favorites, too," I commented. "I can barely watch his death without losing my shit, even after all of these years."

Luke chuckled. "That's good to know, because we're about to sit here, and watch all eight movies."

"What?" I had to be careful of accidentally kicking his chest in as I sat up. "You do realize that it takes twenty hours to watch all eight, right?"

I hadn't realized until now that his hand had closed in around my ankle. It was still, but it was there, nonetheless.

He ran a big hand down his jaw, chuckling at me. "And, how do you know that, Norris?"

"I've done it plenty of times," I responded. "Well, by myself. I've never had anyone else to watch it with before."

"I've always watched it alone, too," he told me. "And, you're wrong. It's nineteen hours and thirty-nine minutes if you're quick enough to change movies."

I crossed my arms, biting back a smile. I don't know why I was enjoying this as much as I was. "So, you're going to stay with me for nineteen hours, and thirty-nine minutes?"

"I'm going to stay with you for about four. There's no way in hell you're making it past the first two in one night."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Nah," he corrected, biting back a chuckle. "It's just the plain truth." A hand swept through his strands as he shrugged. "Don't worry, though. I'll be back every night until we finish."

"What?" I leaned up from my spot. "Really?"

He bobbed his head in a nod. "Really."

I bit at my lip, my eyes falling to his hand. My insides flipped without any show of remorse as I attempted to gather my thoughts, and his actions to make a correlation.

It was all so strange, and conflicting. Why was he doing all of this?

Instead of elaborating on the question itself, I relished in the feeling that he was bringing. I felt light, and like I could finally breathe. Like I was drunk or some shit. It was all I could muster before the feeling overwhelmed me.

"Okay," I decided, sinking into my pillow. "Let's get to it then, pretty boy."

Luke's expression remained still as he started the first movie. I forced my eyes to the television, despite the squirming in my stomach. I wondered if he had the same questions I did, but by his cool demeanor, I knew it wasn't possible.

So, I kept my posture and remained as casual as ever. Even when we caught eyes when the other laughed. Or, when his hand began to stroke my ankles. Or, when he somehow looped my middle finger around his, and never let go.

When the food was here, we both sat back on the couch without another touch. It was strange. The spots that he'd touched felt cool to the touch without his hands there, now.

Luke wiped his mouth with a napkin, leaning forward to grab his fifth slice. "I have a technically question."

"A technically question?" I raised a brow, chewing on a slice of pepperoni. "What's that?"

"You remember the bare questions?" He threw an arm over the back of the couch. "This is pretty much the same, except I usually give it in a statement."

My frown deepened. "I need you to elaborate."

"Like when an accident happens. You know how people say 'it wasn't your fault' and 'there's nothing you could have done' and shit like that?"

I nodded, taking a bite of the pizza. I hadn't eaten all day, nor had I found the appetite until now.

Luke waved a hand through the air. "Okay...so say someone is taking pictures on a cliff or some shit—"

I shot him a look. "A cliff?"

"Yes, a cliff. Now, they're taking pictures and shit like that for the scenery. They want a better view so they start to back up, but they step on a loose couple of rocks, and fall. People say it's not their fault and shit because it wasn't, but technically, it was. If they wouldn't have been an idiot, taking pictures on top of a cliff, they would have never fell, despite the loose edge being there. It's still technically their fault. A lot of things are, but it's the whole moral standard bullshit that stops us from saying it to another person. Get it?"

I nodded slowly, absorbing what he was saying. It nearly sounded like bullshit, but I got it, nonetheless. It was basically a thought that people always had in the back of their head, that they knew was morally wrong, but still technically right.

"I have one for you," he said, swiping his hands along his napkin.

I threw the pizza crust back, nodding at him to continue on.

He leaned forward to grab his soda, then leaned back into the cushion. He flicked the bottle toward me. "That fucker, Xander. Did you love him?"

I froze mid-chew.

I shouldn't have been shocked; Luke always threw questions and statements at me that no one else ever had before. But, I never expected to hear this specific one.

That same feeling washed over me. The lies I told so easily were the last things I wanted to say to Luke.

To stop my face from giving myself away, I leaned forward to grab a slice of cheesy bread. My hair shielded me well enough. "I cared for him."

Even though the strands, I could feel Luke studying me over. "That's not an answer."

"It is," I mumbled, pretending to be stuck on the bread.

"Not to the question I asked."

I remained quiet as I leaned back. He said that he knew when I was lying, and I believed it, entirely. The way he was looking at me, right now, I felt just as exposed as I had that night in the hotel.

He remained silent for a moment before saying, "It's cool. I don't believe in any of that shit, either."

I crossed eyes with him. "Really?"

He nodded, unscrewing the top of his bottle. "Mhm, I don't even think I can love or do all of that mushy, sweet shit, honestly." A shrug came from him. "It's cool, though. I've accepted it. Can't miss something I've never had in the first place." Afterwards, he took a sip from the drink so casually. As if he hadn't just said one of the most tragic things I'd ever heard.

It nearly tore me in two listening to it for some reason. He said that he'd already accepted it, that he couldn't love or he loved, and that he didn't believe in it. I held the same claim to the idea, but for some reason, hearing it from him made my heart clench even tighter than it ever had. 

I had Jax, Kimberly, Raven, and my grandmother. They all cared for me so deeply, and through everything, I still had them. Despite the apprehension of love being ripped and torn away from me the way it was, I still had that sense that if I could love, they'd have it.

But, Luke didn't. He'd given up completely on the idea since he didn't have a Jax or a loving grandmother. It was heart-sinking to think about.

I didn't realize he was watching me until I looked up. He was studying me over for a reaction, but I couldn't create one quick enough to give.

His chest shook with a sigh as he placed the soda bottle in between his legs. "Listen..." he started, finger tracing into his bottle top. "The only two fuckers that I trust in this world are hundreds of miles away. So are yours. And, we're the only ones left."

My head moved in a mechanic nod. "True. You're..." I pulled in a breath to try and finish but nothing came.

"You're..." His voice dipped into quietness, something that was more than strange for Luke considering it was him. "You're the only person that I actually trust, other than Kade and Levi. But I think you've seen and heard more of my life, me, than anyone else. I don't have anyone else that I trust or talk to like this. Someone whose..." He paused to clear his throat. "Someone that's like that, you know...for me, to me."

The breath in my throat caught at his confession. I stared at the side of his face, so beautiful and flawless, yet so full of solicitude. My own disputed it, since I was feeling everything but that.

Despite my friends, and Jax being the ones I trusted and confided in, I realized that Luke was one of them, as well. But, not only that. I was starting to trust him more than any other person I ever had before.

I never expected it, and if someone would have told me a year ago that I'd enjoy it, I would have been flabbergasted. But, here we were.

I found it so easy to talk to him, that sometimes I forgot I was even doing so. The words slipped out like an endless flow, no lies and no hiding anything.

I hadn't thought about it too long until now, but being around him was even better. If it weren't for his ego, I would have admitted it a long time ago. That I actually enjoyed being around, with, and by him.

"You're one of the only people I trust, too. And, I don't do that too often, or with too many people, either. It's different with you, though," I admitted, quietly. "So...friends, or best friends that annoy each other, I guess?" I looked up to him to catch a reaction.

It was what I excepted. Shocked. His brows drew in close together as he looked to me. Something was hidden behind those dark eyes, but it was only for him to know.

His adam's apple jumped as he nodded. "Best friends that annoy each other, then." He looked at me to confirm, and I offered a small smile to do so, then, "Isn't that the same as frenemies, though?"

He caught on, giving a grin. "I gave your impulsive ass the pin to my card, so nah, Norris, I don't think we're 'frenemies' anymore."

"True." I shrugged with a chuckle, feeling my limbs relax, again. "Whatever purchase that follows is your fault, and your fault alone. Whether it be five dollars or a couple thousand."

Luke rolled his eyes, his mouth twitching as he stood up to discard of the food. I heard him shuffling around, then the sink came on. I accepted the distraction to allow my mind time to breathe.

Okay. We both had a mutual understanding that we trusted one another in ways that we didn't trust anyone else. I didn't know whether to be relieved or scared shitless.

I couldn't think on it, right now. I'd get a headache if I did.

Luke came back a minute later, his tough expression now cut down. I pulled my phone out of my pocket as he sat, and just as before, he picked my feet up off of the couch, and placed them back into his lap.

Jax had called me at his lunch break to make sure that I ate. I did, but left out the fact that Luke was the one to make sure of it.

A shiver ran through me as Luke's fingers traced a pattern around the skin of my ankle. Just that simple notion had my mind racing, but I edged by it, instead training my full attention to my phone.

"It's nearly midnight," I told him. "If you're tired, you don't have to stay." I was simply being polite, but in all honesty, I didn't want him to leave.

Luke flicked his head at me. "You getting tired?"

"Not at all."

He leaned forward, his hard stomach pressing into my ankle. I could feel the line of his abs against the skin as he did so. I had to swallow back a breath to stop from wasting it.

He came back with the remote, already headed to the next movie. "Let's go, then."

I smiled, pulling a blanket down from the top of the couch. I draped it over me, and half way over his lap, as well. "Let's do it." He chuckled at my excitement, his hand rising a bit higher from my ankle.

It remained there, stroking in a comforting motion. I wasn't sure if it were that, the calming atmosphere, or the food coma that knocked me out first.

Either way, I was drifting off. All I remembered was hearing the characters yell at one another on the screen, and Luke chuckling before my vision went black.