Forty-One

"You don't think one kiss will solve all of our problems, do you?" Maura said. "I mean, you've kissed a lot of girls, and none of them broke the spell."

She had come home from work that night to find Luke channel surfing on the living-room TV. He and Evelyn had stayed over the night before, though there was no sign of Evelyn now, and she was relieved to have the company. The house felt too big and empty otherwise with both her parents now gone. After excusing herself to shower and put on something that didn't smell like artificial butter, she proceeded to whip up a quick dinner of turkey sandwiches, potato chips, and canned soda.

"You're forgetting one important detail," Luke said, placing his empty plate on the coffee table and stretching out on the sofa. He yawned wide, his jaw cracking.

"What's that?" Maura said from the opposite chair, stifling a yawn of her own.

"You're the only one of those girls who's descended from royalty."

Maura stared at Luke. He had one arm raised and folded over his eyes so that only his mouth and the tip of his nose were visible. The hem of his t-shirt had ridden up, exposing the bare skin of his stomach. A trail of dark hair disappeared under the waistband of his jeans. Maura cleared her throat and closed her mouth, thankful he couldn't see her staring.

"Um, exactly how many girls have you kissed?" she asked.

"Too many," Luke replied. He lifted his arm slightly to peek at her. "Why?"

"No reason. Just wondering."

"Hmm," Luke said, covering his eyes again.

Maura picked up a potato chip from her plate and began breaking off pieces, working her way from the outside in one tiny fleck at a time. After a moment, she said, "Did you ever love any of them?"

"No," Luke answered without hesitation. "I made a vow. I had an obligation to serve the queen. Duty does not equal love."

Maura fell silent, contemplating his words. Duty does not equal love. Was he confirming that he felt nothing for those girls? Or was he, quite possibly, admitting to not loving his own mother? She didn't ask for clarification.

"How am I different from those girls? Aside from the obvious fact that Brendan is my father, I mean? When did I become more than just another conquest?"

Luke lowered his arm for good this time and stared at her. She forced herself not to look away. The corner of his mouth lifted. "Do you want the precise day and time?"

Maura laughed. "He has a sense of humor, after all."

He shrugged a shoulder. "I guess the human realm is rubbing off on me."

"Or maybe you just remember what it's like to be human."

A wistful expression came over Luke's face. "It's been a long time."

"You didn't answer my question," Maura said.

"Right. You want to know when I started to fall in love with you."

A rush of warmth flooded Maura's cheeks. She couldn't hide her smile. "Yes. When did you start to fall in love with me?"

Luke sat up and scrubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Well, I suppose it was the first time I saw you with Colin."

Maura laughed. "I never pegged you as the jealous type."

"It was the first time I was faced with wanting to share something—something real—with someone I knew I would only end up hurting in the end. I envied Colin that. All I could do was try to push you away, to get you to hate me."

"You made a very admirable attempt," Maura said. "It almost worked."

Luke grinned and shook his head, but then his expression turned serious again. "At first you were a way to defy my mother, of defying my responsibilities, a means to personal redemption. But when I realized who you were, that changed everything."

"Oh?"

"You gave me hope, Maura. I haven't felt hope in a long time."

Maura took a deep breath, not sure how to respond. "If a simple kiss is supposedly the answer to the prophecy, why isn't Siobhan doing everything in her power to keep us apart?"

"That's just it. We're basing this hypothetical solution on what a high school English teacher and your best friend said. My mother doesn't know how to break the spell any more than we do, Maura. She perceives you as a threat to the crown, and she's trying to get rid of you the only way she knows how."

"Maybe . . ."

"Maybe what?"

Maura rose from her chair and sat down again next to Luke. "Maybe we should, I don't know, test the theory."

Luke narrowed his eyes. He knew what she was proposing. "What happens if we're wrong?"

"Then Siobhan gets what she wants," Maura said. "The Otherworld will be safe for now, she'll still be queen, and Katherine and I can keep each other company in the labyrinth."

"You shouldn't joke," Luke said.

"Sorry," Maura replied, the teasing smile falling from her mouth. She recalled the catatonic state in which she'd discovered Katherine and didn't exactly want to succumb to the same fate if she could help it. But not knowing—not doing anything—was proving to be almost as bad. Indecision was making her antsy. If all else failed, at least her parents would finally be together again. There was consolation in that.

Maura looked down at the space between her and Luke and begin tracing the patterned fabric with the tip of her finger, too embarrassed to say the words to the question she really wanted to ask. Finally, she mustered the courage. "Don't you want to kiss me?"

Luke put his hand on top of hers, stilling her movements. She looked up, meeting his gaze. There was sadness and longing and loneliness in his eyes. "More than anything I've ever wanted in my entire life," he said.

Maura inched closer and reached out, tentatively placing her hand on his chest. She could feel the heat of his skin even through his shirt. The unsteady rhythm of his heart beat against her palm. "You're scared," she said.

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes."

She leaned in closer, lightly pressing her lips against his cheek. Her hand traveled down his chest to his thigh. "It's okay. So am I."

"Maura . . ." Luke whispered, his breath warm against his skin. All he had to do was turn his head.

He stood suddenly and took several steps away from her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I won't kiss you until we know for sure. It's too risky. I just . . . I can't do that to you."

Maura stood and collected their empty dinner plates. "Ah, well. It would have been a good way to go."

*****

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please vote, comment, and recommend Love You To Death to others. 

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top