"Love is but the discovery of ourselves in another, and the delight in the recognition." – Alexander Smith

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Chapter 42
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Maggie

"I hate your room."

With an eye roll, I stood up from my crouching position. "You've told me already. Four times."

"This is the fifth, then," Luke chuckled, tugging at my curtains. Releasing them, he stepped over to the box he was supposed to be taping up. "You know, seeing how bad you are at decorating only gave me another reason to hate you. Remind me to mark it on the list, later."

I scoffed, shoving the last of my tops into the box. "You wouldn't believe how long mine is for you." I threw a pillowcase to him, to which he caught and threw down into the pile.

"I'll be back." Luke taped his box up, setting it atop the others before he turned to face me, again. "I'm gonna go and get another one of those cinnamon rolls."

"Leave Jax's food alone, Luke. You've eaten six, already." They were meant for the both of us, but the moment Luke tasted one, he kept going back for another and passing it off as 'getting more tape.'

Luke let a look of shock pass over his expression, letting it remain as he took a step closer. "Oh shit, Norris."

"What?"

"You actually passed the first grade," he chuckled, tapping my nose. "Look at you: nearly making it to ten. That's my girl."

"I'm not accepting insults from the idiot who used a child's paintbrush to paint a wall."

Luke rolled his eyes, marking me with a glare. His lips parted for a response, but instead, he launched the tape at my chest, and walked out to meet Jax for more baked goods.

Asshole.

Amused, I went back to the task at hand. Boxing.

Well, really just pretending to box. I'd been finished for a while now, but just kept up the excuse to admire the place I'd probably never see, again.

Jax had called me early this morning to tell me that he took Tony's offer, and by the end of this week, he would be gone from the apartment, too.

A sense of pride and relief overpowered the sadness, for sure. He was taking just one of the steps that he should have already taken. And, he would continue to do so, if I had anything to say about it. I was so, so proud of him.

The threat from last night had remained my own. I didn't know the sender, but I knew the intent behind it. I knew that nickname from anywhere, along with its horrid background.

I tried to call the number back, but it was a dead end. It was out of service, which meant that they either disabled the phone, or used a burner. I contemplated on giving it to Luke to see if he could get it uncovered, but I hadn't told him, yet. Why, I wasn't too sure.

Or, maybe I was and was just too chicken-shit to confront it.

That untrusting part of me was still doubtful of his motives, and was holding the more rational side, who recognized that we were in real danger, from just telling him.

I shook myself out of it. The conversation would come later. I needed to focus on the good for now.

I couldn't wait around any longer; it was time to leave.

Since I was only taking the important things from my bedroom, then throwing the rest away or donating them, I told Luke to call off the moving truck. It would just be a waste of money, since I only had a couple of boxes.

Just as I rounded the corner, I heard the mix of voices from the kitchen. Ones that I automatically paired to the most ignorant men in the world.

"She can't have dairy too much," Jax warned, I guessed, to Luke. "And, make sure that you have the cabinets stocked with coffee. She doesn't drink it, but she likes to act like she does to bring comfort. She doesn't eat any veggies other than onions and potatoes, so just save yourself the money, and only get those when you're out shopping."

I heard the sound of papers flipping. "Now. I've made a list of all of her allergies, reactions, and things of that nature. Her vitamins are in here, too. Her doctor, her current prescriptions, her—"

Oh, screw this.

I placed the boxes at my feet, stepping over them until I reached the kitchen. Either boys' eyes fell to me, startled by my entrance.

I looked to my brother first, narrowing my eyes at him. "What in the hell are you doing?"

He waved me off, shoving a bag into Luke's hands. Luke was not the least bit annoyed, as I expected him to be. Humor hung in his expression as he picked up a thick wad of paper that resembled more of a notebook than anything else.

When I peered closer, I saw the writing, Maggie, in the center of the front page.

"Is that..." I stepped closer to it. "Is that a bibliography about me?"

"God, no. It's just a couple things that I think are detrimental to anyone else who's exposed to the evil force of my baby sister," Jax snorted. "Get over yourself, Mags."

I snatched it from Luke's grasp, flipping to a random page. Some of the information in here was of things I didn't even know about my own self.

My eyes followed over the writing, reciting it over. "I like my popcorn with five pumps of butter. I can't pronounce 'quarter' right, I can't understand the concept of daylights saving time, okay, what?" I slammed the papers down, glaring over to my brother. "Jax, how do you even know all of this?"

He shot me an odd look. "You're my twin, you idiot."

"Hold the fuck on," Luke inserted, looking at me. "You can't pronounce 'quarter' right? Say it, again."

I slammed the notes against his chest, earning a chuckle in return. "I'm not saying quarter for two idiots."

"Oh, shit." At my glare, he bit at the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing. "You really can't say it."

Jax pointed at him. "I know! She says it like 'Cor-ar.'"

"Nah, man," Luke shook his head, the humor in his eyes growing at my scowl. "It's more like 'Cor-er."

My frustration hit its peak. "Unless you both want a row of quarters so far up your ass, you start seeing Martha Washington leading a fucking battalion in your dreams, then I suggest the both of you shut the hell up."

"Ah," Jax grinned, nodding at Luke. "I hear it now. 'Cor-er.' I knew I was messing something up in there."

That's it.

I pointed at Luke, then the door. "Car. Now."

His lips parted to argue, but when my glare shifted at him, he went along with my demand. I heard him grumbling under his breath as he grabbed the remaining boxes from the couch.

I turned to face Jax, maintaining that same glare. "You need to quit entertaining him."

He threw his hands up in surrender. "Hey, don't blame me. Dude's funny."

"If you can't tell, him and I have a secret, not really secret, rivalry. And, in rivalries, there are sides. You don't pick anyone else's other than your twins."

"Can't I be neutral?" he returned with an overdramatized sigh. "I'm way too beautiful for war."

I rolled my eyes, my head falling with a chuckle. I never thought I'd miss his annoyingly overbearing confidence, but that was more than untrue.

I sighed, stepping forward until we were in each other's grasps. "Come here, you little shit."

Jax's laugh followed, his chest bouncing against mine before he relaxed, tightening his arms around my figure.

Dontcrydontcry—

He kissed the side of my head with a sigh. "I love you, Mags," he mumbled against me.

That 'don't cry' chant wasn't shit, anymore. The moment I heard that, I changed it.

You'reabitchyoureabitchyourea—

"Not a thing changes that," he added softly. "Not a thing ever will change that, you know that."

I was a bitch, but in the wrong fashion. The tears began to slowly slip at his words.

"I hate you," I mumbled against his chest, shutting my eyes. "I hate you so much. No matter what."

His hand went to the back of my head, pressing me to his chest. "You have to come at least once a week for dinner, for movie nights, for anything at all. Just come. No exceptions."

I nodded, leaning back. His green eyes searched mine for any doubt, but I wouldn't give it. He was going on with his life, just as he would possibly have to do without me in it.

His shaky gaze held mine. "And, my performance spring break week," he questioned, well really, stated. "You'll be there."

"I wouldn't miss it." I wiped my cheek with the back of my hand. "You know that."

I wouldn't, not by my own free will. But, I had no idea what could, or would happen during that time. I didn't know if instead of celebrating his beautiful performance in front of the town, he would be identifying my body at a hospital or not.

The very thought made my stomach roll with it's genuine possibility.

"Luke's gonna have the time of his life with you," Jax chuckled, sadly. "Don't drive him too crazy, okay?"

"Too late!" came from the outside.

I jerked a glare in the direction of Luke's voice. Jerk.

Jax laughed, turning me to face him, again. "Do me a favor, though. Don't kill him just yet. He promised to be my new recipe tester."

Of course he did. "I'll try to be good, I swear."

"Good." His smile broke, but he forced it still. With a heavy sigh, he repeated it, this time in a shakier voice, "Good." His red eyes were all I caught sight of before he was leaning in to leave a kiss to my forehead. "I know you will, Mags."

I couldn't take this for long. I needed to get out of here before I forced myself to find the reasons to stay.

"Jesus, Jax," I forced out past the strain in my throat. "We're only going to be twenty minutes apart."

"Twenty-three minutes, to be exact," he corrected, in all seriousness. "And, that's with light traffic."

"You looked it up, didn't you?"

He nodded, eagerly. "I checked the walking, biking, bus, and driving distances." He paused before adding, "Oh, and alternate routes."

"You're pathetic." Chuckling, I cupped the back of his head to pull him into one last embrace. "Come here."

Jax returned my hug with the same strength. By the time we pulled apart, our expressions matched one anothers. It was tempting to try to uplift his, routine even, but I knew I couldn't.

With a final smile of goodbye, I turned. Despite his burning gaze staring into my backside, I managed to make it out of the house without crumbling.

I looked at Luke, who was supposed to be inside of the car, but wasn't.

Instead, he was perched against the front of his car, ankles and arms crossed over the other. In his hand was the stack of papers Jax had given him, his brows drawn in tight on the other as he stared down at it.

Just as he went to flip the page, he caught me in the corner of his eye. Immediately, he ceased his reading, shutting the papers back into place.

I brought myself closer so that I could grab it. Luke stretched his arm out, fully dwindling the chance of me reaching it.

"What are you doing?" I scowled at him. "Were you actually reading that?"

Luke let his arm fall back to his side, but maintained a tight grip around it, anyway. "I wasn't reading it."

"Really?"

"Mhm," he confirmed, lifting himself from the car. "I was just bored." His tone contradicted his claim so badly, I was sure he even caught it. He cleared his throat, again, darting his eyes up to mine. "Ready?"

I cast a look of hatred over the papers, but I couldn't reach them. For now, anyway.  "Let's go."

Just as I went to open my door, Luke's tall stature folded mine up in the black shadows beneath us. The sight made my stomach whirl, but it started to do tricks when I got a whiff of his cologne as he pulled the passenger door open for me.

I mustered through it by pulling on a wobbly smile as a thanks, and getting in. There wasn't too much of a hurry since granny was definitely asleep, but I didn't know if Luke's mother was, as well.

I'd been around him nearly every day for the past few months now, but had only met his mother once. It wasn't in normal circumstances, but I didn't let that alter anything. I wanted to meet her, again.

Luke barely brought her up, but when he did, she was the only part of his family that he didn't acknowledge with odium. He didn't awe over her either, but I figured it was because he didn't have enough to awe over.

He had mentioned that he usually tried to visit her at the hospital a couple of times a week. He didn't say or even hint, but I knew that he had been forced to miss some of their visits because of me.

I didn't want that. I wasn't going to let him alter his life more than he already had, because of me and my shit. So, I requested that we go today, together.

I wondered what she was like, though. If Luke was like her. If I'd be able to catch the resemblance between the two more than physically.

I held onto my curiosity as we drove on. The hospital wasn't too far from Jax and I's apartment, so we should be able to get there in no time.

Luke remained quiet from his side of the car. I didn't know if it were out of nerves, or what, but there was no need to have them.

"I'm excited to see your mother, again," I voiced to try and edge some of the silence out.

Luke nodded at my statement. "She will be you, too."

"She remembers me?"

"She does," he confirmed with a chuckle. "I didn't even have to tell her your name again for her to remember it. It took her at least a year to remember Kade and Levi's."

A smile grew on my face. I didn't think she would have remembered me too well in that state, but I guessed I was mistaken. It was comforting to know, though.

We settled back into silence. Once we reached the hospital, it had nearly driven me insane by its unnecessary presence.

I casted a glance to Luke, to catch him tugging on his bottom lip with his eyes on the ground as we walked.

My stomach turned, for some reason. I decided to head straight for it.

"Hey," I said softly, bumping into his side with my own. "You okay?"

Luke nodded, sinking either hand into his pockets. They remained there, while his expression shifted with something I couldn't place too well.

"Yeah," he answered, letting his eyes remain on the concrete. "I'm just tired."

The motion-sensor door shut after us once we were through. The elevator was a couple of feet away, but I made sure to slow my steps down to continue the conversation.

Luke reassured that I didn't have to help him with his building, but I refused the idea, obviously. I had messed it up, and it was my responsibility to make up for it, despite everything else. We did work on it early this morning, mostly rearranging and placing the furniture pieces, as well as him loading my things into his car for the rest of the evening, but I called bullshit on his statement, regardless.

I sighed, stopping my steps. I wasn't going to let him isolate or hide himself as he'd been forced to all of his life.

Fuck that. I was here now, and I wasn't going anywhere.

Luke paused, too, throwing a confused look at me. "What?"

"You wanna play the bullshit game, Luke?" Those were the same words he had said to me before I told him about Lowen. It was funny how the tables always turned so cleverly between us.

Luke met my eyes, a familiar line set across his lips. The hesitation seemed to blossom behind his eyes before it finally broke into something much bigger.

"I'm good. I just...feel a little weird, I guess," he reassured. "I've never done this, you know, let anyone around my life this much or my mom before. It's just weird to not be here..." He motioned around the hospital building. "Alone."

I didn't think he just meant the hospital, in general. And, I didn't think that he was feeling just a 'little weird' from finally not being alone in his life. Either way, there was a sense of both shock and gratitude in his tone.

"I get that," I said softly, staring down at our feet as we picked them up, again. "I just wanna say thank you for trusting me enough to show me, and I mean it." Honesty treaded through my blood, and right into my next words, "I really appreciate it, and I only want to see more of it, you, if that's okay."

I managed to get another glance in his direction. I nearly bumped into a passing nurse out of startlement once I found his eyes already on mine.

They fell the moment I caught up to them. I saw his tensed expression relax as he nodded.

"Thank you for you know..." his voice held a nervous, nearly fearful tint to it. "Letting me trust you." He pulled his hands out of his pocket, using one to rub at the nape of his neck as he released the same nervous chuckle from earlier. "If that makes any sense at all...because saying it out loud made me realize how much it doesn't, and how fucking stupid it sounds."

I giggled, bumping into his side, again. "It did sound a little jumbled, but I still get it, don't worry."

His demeanor seemed to relax altogether, his shoulders falling as he released a soft laugh that came out just as deep as the others. It was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world, if I were being honest. Like a blessing crafted from the sweetest melodies ever hummed into this world.

I was caught up in keeping the sound stored in my head, but I couldn't miss the next action. Whether it be from the sunken dimples, or just the sight in itself.

It started off as a twitch in the corners of his lips, then flourished into a small smile that he passed my way, one that I found myself returning with the same reassurance.

I did get it though, wholeheartedly. We were both untrusting people, solely because it was taken from the very first people we were supposed to trust most in this world. Neither of us expected for the feeling to return, nor did we care for it to.

We found it, though. At least I know I did.

I found a comfortable trust in him that I'd never managed to believe in before. I believed, and really hoped that he did me, too. I really did.

At the thought of trust, though, my mind reverted to my father's threat. I knew it couldn't have been him that directly sent it, so it was someone on the outside.

Either way, they were originated from him, and the message was meant, specifically, for me. And, somehow, he had gotten my number. Which meant that he'd probably gotten much more, too.

The thought was cold. Shudders latched onto my spine, and weren't planning to leave until I was nauseated.

My eyes jumped up to Luke. The words were beginning to build in the back of my throat, just waiting for use.

Just as quick as they came, though, were just as quick as they left. In their place, came the insecurities, and that same fear my father's wrath had instilled in me so long ago.

If I told him, if I showed him the messages, if I told him the history, the true history behind it...he would leave. He would realize that I wasn't worth the trouble, nor the risk of his own life, and abandon it, me. And, I couldn't blame him for it.

With a sigh, I shook my head at myself. As much as I trusted him, the fear won. I couldn't do it. Not right now.

I'd need to hold my façade, though. If I slipped up, I knew how far he'd dig to get to the truth.

"I am really sleepy, though," Luke commented, nearly making me jump from the intrusion on my thoughts. I felt him knock into my side with his. "No bullshit this time, either. We're going to sleep as soon as we get home." He jerked a humored glare over me. "And, I'm not taking any argument from that smart-ass mouth of yours, Norris, so don't start. You're not keeping me up with that weird shit you ask, either."

A small chuckle came from me, the sound barely audible through my clamorous mind. "Quit being dramatic. You know you love it."

I liked to fuck with him sometimes before he fell asleep, now. I'd give puns, riddles, or stupid humorless jokes that only I found funny, and things of that nature. Luke claimed to be annoyed, but I saw the traces of laughter every time that I did it.

Like now, he was forcing his lips shut in order to stop from smiling. Instead, he focused on walking, and soon, the silence was in place, again.

I was the first to break it by asking, "How long has your mother been here?"

I expected hesitation in him since I was sure he didn't talk about it often, but none came. "I found her when I was ten. I'm not sure about anything else before that, though."

I nodded along, moving my hands to my jean pockets. "How did your father find out about her?" I remembered that he mentioned that his mother was his only obligation to his father, and his abuse.

That same tension from earlier returned to his jaw, hardening it. Not for me, but for whatever memory came at him.

We both side-stepped a doctor before coming back to one another. Luke waited for me to enter the elevator first, then joined me. After clicking the floor level, he leaned back into the railing, stretching his arms behind him to reach it.

His eyes fell to the flooring. "He knew for years that she was sick," he responded. "He had her fired from her job, and blacklisted around town so that she wouldn't be able to get a job to afford her medical bills."

I shook my head, disgust ringing in my bones. I shouldn't even be surprised. I had nothing but hatred for that evil, spineless, son of a bitch.

Luke scrubbed a hand down his jaw. "When I turned ten, I started looking for her. It took a lot of it, but I managed to find her. By the time I did, though, the cancer had spread." He leveled out a long drawl of a sigh. "I knew she couldn't take care of me, but she was still my mom. So, when I got home, I threatened my dad, told him that I'd take a DNA test with her, then expose him and all of his bullshit to the world. The fucker knocked my ass out cold because of it." A dark chuckle came from him, afterwards. "But, he did it. He knew that I'd found my mom, and stood by my threat, so he only did it to keep me quiet. I took control of her bills after I got good in the cages, though."

I nodded slowly to process the information. "That's why you were in it? For the money?" There was no secret about the underground activities he had been involved in. Kimberly and Raven had told me how good the money was, though.

Luke nodded. "Kind of. I heard about it from a friend of a friend, and got involved with the shit from there. Once I saw how good the money was, I kept doing it, because I figured my dad was going to kick me out soon, and I knew that when he did, he wasn't going to give me shit."

My mind sorted the dots into their right places. It made sense. I remembered in high school, he would miss a lot of days, along with Kade and Levi, then would come back with light bruises and such. I had thought he'd gotten involved in that life just for the hell of it, but now I knew, that he had needed the money to survive.

I nibbled on my lip in concentration. "Did your dad ever find out?"

Luke snorted. "If he did, he never said anything. I think he figured I was involved with something, but he never realized how much I was making doing it, because if he did, he would have made me stop. Every spare moment of my time was spent earning from the fighting, racing, training others for their matches, or helping Kade and Levi jack cars and shit from my dad's friends, though. That was how I saved up for a lot of shit, and how I got to where I am, now. After a while, I had more than enough saved, but I only stayed to watch over those dumbasses of mine."

I laughed, softly. I knew exactly who he was talking about. "Really?"

"Mhm," he chuckled. "Those two brought trouble every opportunity they could. So, I stayed. It did make me a shit ton of extra money, but it was more about making sure that Kade and Levi were okay, too." Amusement shone in his eyes at the reminder. "I didn't want to risk Kade blacking out, and going too far in his fights and getting arrested, or Levi being the smart ass he is on the tracks and crashing and a whole lot of other shit, too. You wouldn't believe the amount of fuckers I had to fight just because of them and their big ass mouths, but they've probably doubled the shit for me, so we work out, somehow."

My laughter only increased. The girls had mentioned some of that to me, but it was entirely different hearing it from Luke himself. I thought it sweet that he had stayed that long just to protect his friends like that, though.

Once our laughter settled, I passed him a genuine smile. "I'm proud of you, you know."

Luke's brows jumped with his confusion as he looked down at me. "For what?"

"For getting that far on your own. You shouldn't have had to, especially that young, and I know that it couldn't have been easy." That was an understatement, but the first part was not. He had built himself up without his father's help this entire time, and it was truly impressive. "But you did it, anyway. I don't know if you've heard this before, but that's honestly amazing. And so are you."

Something latched onto his blues, making them heavier. A mix of a chuckle and a sigh passed his lips. "Thanks, Norris." His smile grew sheepish around the edges before he shrugged. "It wasn't all bad, though. I met Kade and Levi, because of it."

That made me think of something. "Did you three ever talk or anything before the cages?"

"Nah, not really. We ran in the same crowd, but never really talked or any shit like that. I had only talked a bit with Levi, and it was just because we were trying to cheat on tests together. The only interaction I had with Kade before then was us trying to fight freshmen year because he took the last orange juice in the cafeteria."

I laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Hell yeah. The fucker literally saw me reaching for it, skipped the line, walked up, and snatched the shit before I could. I called him a bitch, he called me one back, I put down my bag so that I could knock his ass out, he did the same, then the principal broke it up. That was all I thought would happen between us, but shit was I wrong."

My grin grew as I nodded in understanding. I had been the same way when I first met Kimberly. I still remembered how nervous she seemed to talk to Jax and I, but the girl had no idea I was right on the edge of passing out myself from nerves.

"My dad had tried to cut the treatment payments off when he kicked me out, but Kade and Levi started paying it, which obviously pissed him off since his whole thing is about control, and manipulation," he continued, chuckling at the floor. "His name is on everything for right now, though. That's the only tie I still have to the fucker."

My jaw rolled. I should have punched the motherfucker at the event. Knocked his ass out cold. Strangled him. All of it.

It would barely account for everything he put his son through. It was infuriating that he even held that power over Luke for so long, but the only thing that seemed to make way through the anger, was the fact that Luke said 'for right now.'

I wasn't entirely sure what it meant, or if it even meant anything at all, but something told me that it did. I hoped it did, more than anything. I hoped that Luke could finally detach himself from that bastard, entirely.

Before I could further the conversation, the elevator doors were opening.

We both stepped out, but not too far since his mother's room was only a few feet away. It was quiet and calm on this level, so it wasn't hard to reach the door.

Luke passed by me, knocking once on the door. No response came, but he opened it, anyway, stepping back to let me in first.

His antsy energy had definitely lessened, but I knew that some still remained. It washed over me as he stepped closer to my backside, shutting the door after us. Jesus. Now, I was getting nervous, too.

Instead of lingering on the feeling, I pushed through, rounding the corner to catch sight of his mother.

"Luke, is that you—" Her words ceased as soon as I came into her view.

A look of shock passed over her face, but it soon melted into happiness. Her sharp cheekbones lifted into a heart warming smile, one that brought forth my own.

"Maggie," she called to me with adoration, immediately opening her arms. I tried to hide my surprise, and instead focused on her welcome. "It's so nice to see you, again, honey."

"You too, Miss Palce." Her hold was light due to her frail body, but it still held the same amicability. "How have you been?"

"Same old, same old. And, you can call me Wendy," she waved it off with a small chuckle. "Sit anywhere you like, honey." She motioned toward the vacant chairs.

Luke stepped toward the chair that was big enough for two. He waited until I took seat, then joined me.

His big stature barely left any wiggle room, but I didn't mind as much as I thought I would have. Instead, I found myself having to fight back a smile.

"I was telling Luke just the other day that I couldn't wait to see his girlfriend, again," she awed, reaching over for my hand. "He already told me a couple things about you, but I wanted to see them for myself. You are just as beautiful as he mentioned."

My jaw nearly broke at...so many things. The first was his mother calling me his girlfriend. The second was the fact that Luke had talked to his mother about me. The third was that he called me beautiful to her.

Luke caught it, too. His fair cheeks darkened with a blush as he leaned forward, clearing his throat. "Mom—"

I shook my head, squeezing his mother's hand with a grin. I was going to play around with this a bit more. "Is that right?"

"Mhm," she nodded, brown eyes shining with love. "You're all my boy talks about—"

I thought Luke would burst into flames any minute, now. "That's not true—"

She lifted a brow at him, her mouth sinking into a frown. "Yes, it is. Remember the last time you were here? You were talking about how funny she is, how pretty her hair is, the—"

Luke shook his head, sending strands in all sorts of directions. A block of panic and embarrassment settled along his expression at his mother. "I didn't—"

I bumped into his knee with mine, barely managing to hold the laughter back. "Don't be rude, Luke." I turned to his mother with a grin, who matched my own. "Please, carry on."

The blush in his cheeks only worsened. "Oh, for fuck's sake," he grumbled under his breath, shaking his head.

If seeing Luke so flustered was the result, I should have suggested this meeting sooner.

His mother's chuckles were small, but still there. "Goodness, I love seeing you two together, already. I want you to be the first, and the last girl I ever see with my boy."

Now, it was my turn to blush.

Past the heat, I risked a glance to Luke, but he remained silent. He didn't correct her, or tell her that I wasn't his girlfriend, as I expected him to.

And, I didn't, either. For some reason...I didn't.

Instead, I settled on a smile, and carried on with the conversation as it her words hadn't so easily drawn me into another mindset. One that was familiar, since it'd been the same exact one I'd found myself in ever since Luke started to make my heart skip.

His mother was genuinely the sweetest woman. Even though Luke liked to keep it hidden, I knew that it came from her. They were both quite stubborn, as well as sarcastic, too. It wasn't much of a shocker, though.

Despite knowing that she was here, and that Luke had found her, it was disheartening. It was obvious that she would have been an amazing mother to Luke, but the opportunity had been ripped from the both of them by a monster. It was so unfair.

Her and Luke obviously had some type of mutual interest with the other, but there wasn't an ordinary, mother and son connection there, either, I had noticed. Despite it, though, I could tell that he still recognized her as his mother, and tried to form at least some of a relationship with her because it it.

We stayed with his mother until sleep called her. Luke topped her resting figure off with a blanket, as well as cleaned the mess that was made. She offered Luke and I a lot of her snacks, but I could admit that I was more of the sucker for the graham crackers she kept sliding my way.

Luke and I settled into a comfortable silence on the walk to the car. I let my eyes remain on the concrete as we did, but as soon as Luke's car got in our view, his voice stopped me.

"Maggie."

I turned to get a full view of him.

Luke raised his glare from the ground. He focused a look of appreciation on me, his lips pressed together. He blew a sigh out, letting his lips tip into a small smile.

"Thank you for being the person I trust," he said so softly, I barely caught it.

I did, though. Inside and out.

I'd never let it go. Or, him. Or this, hopefully.

A pleasurable feeling rode up my skin, then wedged it's leftover energy right into my heart. It gave me an energy I had never had before.

I stepped closer until we were in each others spaces. I had planned on doing so myself, but, Luke had drawn me into him by my hand before I could.

Thick arms tightened around the middle of my back, pressing me into his figure. Soft locks of hair grazed the side of my neck as he leaned into me, and I did the same, burying myself into his embrace.

I wasn't even sure if there was a name for it. This. All I knew was that it was the best feeling I'd ever experienced.

"Thank you for being the person I trust," I repeated, my voice so small, I wondered if he even heard it. By his squeeze though, I knew he did.

We remained in the hug for so long, it nearly felt like a crime to end it.

We returned to our walk, though it barely felt like anything else other than floating. That was the reaction I'd found myself having more often than not when it came to Luke touching me.

"You're getting pretty good at this hugging thing," I teased. "Are you sure you're not practicing with anyone else?"

Luke laughed around a scoff, turning his keys in all sorts of directions. "And, risk you sawing my arms off? Fuck no." With a chuckle from both of our mouths, he added, "But, I have a pretty good teacher."

I pretended to gawk, mirroring a look of insult. "Good?"

"Mhm," he hummed around a humored smile.

"Oh, come on. Give me my credit."

"Fine, fine," he teased, gently hitting my shoulder with his. "Maybe great."

Once we were in front of the car, he pulled my door open for me. I thanked him with a smile, then got inside, immediately attaching my seatbelt before casting him a look.

"Careful, Luke." With a cocky grin, I offered a loosely done shrug. "I might think you like me or some shit."

I expected an eye roll, a curse, an insult, something of that nature. I was already prepared to return it.

Except none came.

Lukes' smile fell. His gaze followed up, drilling holes into the concrete below. He pressed his lips together, and shook his head once before stepping back, and shutting my door.

Well.

I blinked after him for a moment, even when he got inside, but nothing changed. His expression was glazed over with nothingness, only leaving behind a blank canvas of endless possibilities. Ones that I couldn't understand, nor find without his help.

***

"Quit trying to give my dog treats, Maggie."

Fang and I whipped our heads up. We looked to Luke, who was glaring at the both us.

I dropped another piece to him, my face written as a calm note. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh huh." He leaned against the counter to glower at me, his arms crossed over his exposed chest. "I know when he's using more treats than normal. He knows I'm not going to give them to him, so he goes to you, now." He rolled his eyes, turning once the microwave beeped. "Spoiled little fucker."

My eyes fell to Fang, whose heavy head was in my lap. His puppy eyes came out once he caught sight of my food. I couldn't tell him no.

I shot a glare to Luke while I stroked at Fang's coat. "He's not spoiled. He's just simply..." I paused, considering it over. "Highly knowledgeable of his worth." I glanced down to the dog, my lips turning into a smile. "Aren't you, honey?" His bark confirmed my argument, making me smirk at Luke's backside.

We had stopped to get food, but had to take it home since the lobbies were closing down by the time we got to the restaurant. That was more than fine with me, though; I'd eat anything at this point.

I glanced back up, waiting for Luke to join me. I frowned in confusion once he passed right by me, on his way to only god knows where.

"Wait," I called out, gaining his attention. "Where are you going?"

Luke paused in his tracks, turning back around to face me. "Uh..." Confusion pulled at his face. "To eat?" His eyes bounced between Fang and I, before finally settling on me. "Where else?"

I motioned to the seat in front of me. "I thought you would eat with me."

"Why?"

Well. I scoffed, dropping my gaze. "Well, if you're gonna be an ass about it, you can keep it moving—"

"No, I mean like why?" he repeated, his expression genuinely...confused? "I'm really asking you."

I frowned, growing just as confused. "We live together," I said, slowly. "People who live together usually eat together. Jax and I did, every single night that we were able to."

Luke's lips fell, as did his eyes. They raised back up to me, a glint of surprise in them. "People actually do that?"

"Have dinner?"

"Yeah," he responded, tilting his water toward me. "You know, like together. People actually do that shit every night?"

I stared at him for a moment longer. Then, it clicked.

"You've never had dinner with your family, before," I realized. "Have you?"

"In public for the blogs, yeah, but my dad used to make me leave them all alone alone once the paparazzi left," he responded with a simple shrug. "It was all just for the pictures."

My fists tightened in my lap. "What about at home?"

Again, he shook his head. "Never. I wasn't allowed to have dinner with any of them."

"That's why Beatrice hurt you when..." Something cold pierced my heart with the sharpest of points the longer the realization reflected through me. "They never let you join them, did they? Ever?"

"No, I'd have to go outside to eat, no matter what. It was either that or no dinner." The carelessness of his shrug broke my heart. "It wasn't that bad, I guess."

I blinked, and did so at least ten more times. How easygoing he was about it all was what landed the final punch to my already bleeding heart.

Fighting back the anger that rose for his family was definitely a tiring task, though. It just wasn't fair. Shitty people deserved shitty lives, and theirs should be the shittiest of them all.

Fuck them. Fuck how they treated him. Fuck what they made him believe of himself.

I was here now, and I'd change that. I'd try to bring every single thing that he missed out on. I'd show him that he wasn't alone anymore, nor would he ever be again.

I pulled in a breath to try, and avoid cursing every single one of them. It wouldn't be enough to even barely graze the amount of hatred I carried for his family.

I hadn't even thought about it. We had had breakfast together, as well as lunches and things like that, but there was nothing like having dinner together. That time was meant reflecting, laughing, and reconnecting. Before, we usually went out then ate at the restaurant or in his car, but this was different.

My eyes raised to Luke, who remained just as conflicted. I rolled back my tensed shoulders, offering a small smile.

"Sit," I told him, nodding at the same chair from earlier. "We're gonna have dinner together."

"Oh." That single word had been turned around his skepticism. He blinked at me. "Are you sure?"

I nodded, immediately. "Of course I am." My gaze softened without my permission as I said, "What they did, I know how normal it might seem to you, but it wasn't, Luke. That, and a whole lot else they did was wrong. They only did it as a manipulation tactic to make you think you were less than but..." My eyes dipped as I considered the words. Once I had them, I smiled, softly. "You aren't. Your pinky finger alone is worth more than all of them combined. You're every single thing those shitbags could ever even dream of being, and you deserve anything you want, especially this."

His tough expression had lowered until it was a blank canvas. Painted on it were a number of things. His eyes were flooded with shock, but above all else, a crack of understanding, as well as bits of harkening. I could see my words posting over the ones his family had etched into his brain all those years, and by the slow paces of realization and light spirit regaining in his eyes, I knew that my own were winning, thankfully.

He cleared his throat, his gaze meeting mine. "I don't know how to..." He flicked his head at me, but I got the actual message from it.

"And that's entirely okay, I promise. It's nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about." My smile went warm as I reassured, "I'll show you the right way to do it, too. Sit."

Luke watched me for a moment, his gaze heavy. Surprise took over all else, showing how truly taken aback he was at my request. When he realized that I wasn't taking it back, he quickly followed suit to it.

Instead of the chair I chose, though, he sat down right next to me.

I bit back a chuckle, casting him a questioning glance. "I didn't say sit next to me, dingus."

He shrugged, placing his food down in front of him. "You didn't say where to sit, either, though."

I rolled my eyes, but it was labored. Having him so close made my skin tingle, I couldn't even deny it. The only good I found out of the feeling was that he couldn't feel it, thankfully.

I picked up the plastic knife, and began to cut into my burrito. Once the flavors hit my taste buds, I immediately went back in for another. I hadn't eaten since lunch.

Just as my fork poked into the plate, I felt someone's stare drilling into the side of my head.

I looked right into it; there was no point in sugarcoating it. "Why are you staring at me so hard?"

He blinked out of it, glancing down to his food. "What do we do now? What do we talk about, if we even talk at all? Do we drink or some shit first, or do we eat first, then talk? Or, do we do it all at the same time?"

I grabbed at his wrist before I could think it over, the one with his bracket on it. Both of our eyes snapped down to the action before raising to the other, again.

"It's okay; you're fine." My gaze softened with reassurance as I squeezed down on his wrist. "Don't overthink it." I motioned to the both of us. "You do whatever you think is right. Eat. Talk. Laugh. Drink. You can do them all, or none at all. It's nothing to it."

His nervous eyes scanned over mine, carefully. "Okay," he said slowly, opening his container. "Okay, then...that doesn't sound so hard."

I smiled, nodding. I had expected a bit of confusion on his part, but to see him so nervous was genuinely adorable.

We continued to eat in silence, which was just as fine, too. I usually dreaded silence with other people, but they weren't him. In all honesty, I could find enjoyment in the simplest things with him that I'd hate with anyone else.

When I started to pour the container of sauce over my burrito, I finally heard the rumble of his voice from my side.

"I'm scared of kangaroos."

I whipped my head up, mouth slowly falling agape. "What?"

His blue eyes immediately went alert with panic. "Shit. Was I supposed to wait for another eating pause?"

"Eating pause?" I couldn't help it; the laughter burst right out out of me.

His panic worsened, accompanied by heaps of nerves that colored his cheeks red. "I'm being serious, Maggie," he hissed. "Am I doing this shit right?"

"No, no." I used the crumbled napkin to muffle my laugh, my elbows digging into the table. "Of course you're doing it right." I flicked my head at him. "Okay...what scares you about kangaroos?"

I wasn't even sure if he was aware how close he'd gotten to me, but he did so without shame. I didn't move back from it, either. His expression was as soft as butter, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips as he watched me laugh.

He let his head fall as he chuckled. "Those pouches. What the fuck gives them the right to have them? And, why are they so deep? It feels like they're planning behind my back, or something."

My knife cut into my food as I laughed. "Honestly, that is super questionable. Watching them fit their children in it is pretty crazy."

His expression tensed with seriousness. "Exactly." He shook his head, turning in his seat to open his cup of sauce. "Those fuckers could have a whole machete in their pouch, just waiting for the right opportunity to reach up in there, then boom. They just made a new slasher movie." He took a bite of his food, waving his fork in all sorts of directions. "And, don't get me started on their builds. How in the fuck does the universe make an on average six-foot being, with the body of a Dwayne Johnson variant, and not be trying to warn us that they're up to something?"

My laughter was one that couldn't be seized, even if I wanted it to. Tears leaked out the sides of my eyes, and by the time I managed to form a speech, Luke was laughing, too.

"Not that I didn't entirely enjoy listening to that," I mused. "But, why..." The giggles broke me up before I finally gained control, "How and why have you thought so much about this, Luke?"

The dimple in his cheek sunk in through his chuckle. "The real question is: why hasn't anyone else thought about this?"

"Oh, they definitely have," I giggled out. "They were probably just the sane person, and decided to keep it where it was: in their thoughts."

Luke shook his head, a smirk building across his lips as he knocked the cap off his water with a flick of the finger. "Whatever, Norris."

My head tilted around my fist until it got to him. The smile he'd acquired hadn't left, not in the slightest. I knew it never would.

Luke glanced down, causing me to follow suit. I was playing with the beads on the bracelet.

A small smile hung at his lips at it. He tied to cover it up, instead averting his eyes to his food. I wanted to follow up on what was making him smile so big, but at the sight of the beam on his beautiful face, I changed course.

I motioned to him. "Tell me something else."

Luke tilted his head down at his food, only raising it to cast me a look of surprise. "You sure?" The insecurity leaked through the usual facade of cool words, and it hurt to know why. He thought that he was annoying me.

With a skeptical smile, he let his eyes jump elsewhere. "I promise you it's cool if you don't want to listen, or if you want me to leave." His nervous chuckle made my heart tighten. "Just smack me or some shit if I'm getting on your nerves."

My lips dropped into a frown. He would definitely be aware if I didn't want him around or if I wanted to leave. But, I didn't. Nothing could tear me away from this conversation, or from listening to any more he wanted to have.

Under the table, I nudged him with my foot. "I'm not going anywhere." His eyes flickered up to me, and he attempted to hide behind a nonchalant expression, but in the transition, I saw the relief. "And, I wanna listen, I promise. Tell me more."

His sheepish smile earned my return, before his widened into an excited grin. He nearly resembled a child, so excited and happy that I was listening. If it weren't for that look alone, I'd be stuck on the sadness that I'd been the first one to do so.

In truth, I thought I could listen to him all night, no matter how crazy the conversation was, or how crazy it would probably turn. I would listen to it all at long as it came from him.

His smile stretched far at me. "Here's one: if humans didn't have any weapons or machines, just straight hands, and maybe even knives..." he started to say, seriousness taking up his expression. "Gorillas could take over the world and knock this bitch to the ground."
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I change my mind; the dinner scene at the end might have been my favorite to write.😂 I will have the next update soon!

Thank you guys for the support!💕