31 | "it's exactly like that"

"You're cheating," I pant, as I watch Luke shoot the ball into the net, once again making it. So far, we're eight to fourteen, and I don't mean to be a sore loser but the dude has got to be doing something.

With a slight shrug, he leans down to grab the ball before turning to me, "Nah, you're just not as good as you think you are."

Rolling my eyes, I swipe sweaty hair off of my forehead and near him; bending my knees to form a defense position, "That's not it."

"Really? Then what is it?" He throws the ball to me, it bounces off the cement and I grab it.

Straightening up, I tuck the ball against my hip, and quip back, "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you're a giant. Clearly you've  got me at a disadvantage."

"And clearly you're just being a sore loser," he rolls his eyes, "Can you just play the game, Annie?"

I huff, bounce the ball to him, and return to my previous stance in front of the hoop; mocking him. "Can you just play the game, Annie?" I frown, before whispering to myself, "I am playing."

The ball dribbles, and Luke raises an eyebrow at him, wordlessly asking if I'm ready. "Just go," I sigh, "You're gonna make it in anyway."

He nears me, effortlessly controlling the ball and I make a half effort to block his shot; lazily raising my arm. Luke pauses clutching the ball, "You know, the win is not as fun when there's no competition."

I blink at him and then I hold up both my hands. "Fine, whatever. Go again."

Luke smirks, and even with my attempt to jump up and knock the ball out of the way of the net, he shoots it and it goes through with ease. His mouth twists into a triumphant smile, that says 'take that' and he casually ambles around me to get the ball.

With his jacket blowing in the wind, his blonde hair beautifully tousled, and his shorts low on his hips he doesn't look a bit of seventeen. He looks older, maybe twenty. I don't know, but the fact that he looks like a fucking sexy sophomore in college annoys me.

"What are you gonna make me do if you win, anyway?" I mumble, carefully crossing my arms over my chest. There's still a dull aching in my shoulder, and I focus on ignoring it.

"Why?" He asks, tilting his head to the side while trying to hold back a grin, "Are you gonna be a brat about it?

The ball bounces at me and I grab it.

"No," I huff, "Well, I don't know -- maybe. Depending on whatever the hell it is that you're gonna make me do."

Deliberately ignoring me, he nears me and nods over my head towards my hoop before snatching the ball from my grip, "Hope you're not trying to lose on purpose."

"I'm not."

"Good, because there's two more shots and I win."

Sighing, I say, "Normal guys would actually let the girl score."

"I suppose you're right. But, for what I have in mind, I actually want to win." He shrugs, and I follow him over the court, "Plus, I'm not a normal guy."

I play defense, and Luke dribbles the ball; my eyes flickering to meet his soft blue gaze.

"Well, I don't really plan on loosing." And with that, I narrow my eyebrows with slight amusement, and lean forward slapping the ball from his grip.

Quickly, I dodge around him and turn back around facing him and the hoop; taming the ball by my side. Jumping up, I shoot it and it swiftly slides it; not hitting the rim or backboard.

The muscles in my shoulder protest at the sudden movement; tightening slightly and I wince. Grinning, I whisper, "She shoots, she scores."

I watch as Luke catches it as it drops through the net, and he throws it to me, "Ten to sixteen."

"First to twenty wins." I say, smiling; already more confident. I don't know what Luke has planned, but I don't care to find out.

"Then Annie, you're gonna have to try a little  harder than that."

I dribble the ball, crouching over slightly. In front of me, Luke does the same and gently tugs his lip ring into his mouth; capturing it beneath his teeth. The sight makes me blink distractedly and I frown. He's doing this on purpose, the asshole.

I exhale quietly, shaking my head and he grins. Rolling my eyes, I act as if I'm about to shoot the ball to the left of him, and as soon as he goes to block it, I cross the basketball to my right hand and move around him; faking him out.

It hits the backboard and rotates on the edge of the rim before going through the net. "What was that you were saying?" I tease, spinning around on the toes of my sneakers.

Luke ruffles his hair, "Quite a lot of commentary going on for someone who was just whining about me being a cheater a second ago."

I laugh, "Yeah well, a second ago, I didn't quite know what I wanted you to do if I won."

"And you do now?"

Nodding, I say, "Yep."

A slow smile stretches across his face and he raises his eyebrows, "Which is what exactly?"

"You'll see."

Luke laughs quietly to himself and saunters over to me, "You're gonna ask me to kiss you, aren't you?"

"Stop being so full of yourself, Luke. I wouldn't waste this kind of opportunity on something as petty as kissing you," I mutter, trying and failing to spin the ball on my index finger.

"Oh, I'm sure." Then with a simple rise of his eyebrow, he steps forward and directs me to continue playing.

Dribbling the ball, I motion for him to play defense, teasing, "You know, the win is not as fun when there's no competition."

He rolls his eyes at me.

I move towards him, again, and maybe it's because I'm so sure that I'm winning this game, that I don't think twice before lazily shooting the ball towards the basket. It barely reaches the rim, and Luke grabs it; smiling wickedly at me.

Damn it.

Walking over to me, he dribbles the ball, and we circle around each other, so that I'm now in front of the hoop. Shaking blonde hair from his face, Luke starts to near the basket. But then he stops, setting the ball down between his feet.

"What are you d-," I stop, watching as Luke tugs off his jacket, tossing it carelessly onto the ground. He leans down to pick up the ball, and then goes back to dribbling as if nothing is wrong.

I blink, "Can you like, I don't know, put your shirt back on?"

"I was never wearing a shirt," He admits, then he leaps up and shoots the ball over my head. It hits the backboard and before it can escape the rim, Luke dodges around me, jumps up and smacks it into the net; easily making that the most perfect rebound I've ever saw.

Shamefully, I let my eyes silently revel at the sight of his lithe body. He grabs the ball, turns and suddenly his eyes are burning into me.

"Alright, one more shot and I win," he whispers, shaking hair off of his forehead.

"If  you make it," I mutter, sighing. At this point, there is no competition and really, I'm just mentally preparing myself for whatever he's got planned for me to do.

"Who says I won't?"

"Who says you will?"

Luke laughs, and then without taking his eyes off of me, he shoots the ball. I turn and I watch, annoyed, as it slides through the net.

He slowly turns his eyes to me, and with a slow deliberate pace he swipes his tongue across his bottom lip and whispers, "Guess this mean, I  win." 

--

A while later, I'm sitting cross legged in Luke's bed, staring at him. The lights are off, and in the warm secluded atmosphere of his room, I feel safe.

Apparently, I had to wait until we got here for him to tell me what I had to do, and after eating dinner in the kitchen with my mom and Andrew, sitting through at least three episodes of The Big Bang Theory, and taking separate showers, I'm starting to becoming slightly impatient. I mean, it's been two hours -- I have every right to be.

"Alright, we're in your room, Luke. What is it that I have to do?" I whisper, fastening the remaining buttons of my night shirt.

Luke looks up at me through his eyelashes, and smiles slightly. His hair is wet, and he's wearing clean sweatpants, choosing to remain shirtless again and from where I am I can smell my strawberry shampoo radiating from him. I roll my eyes, amused; reminding myself to hide it.

"I want to know everything about you," he says, and then I feel his hand reaching out to tug my hair tie from my curls, "Everything."

"Seriously, Luke? You already know everything about me," I protest, with a huff. 

"Not quite," Reaching forward he gently tilts my chin up with his long fingers, "But before we start, I think you owe me this much." Blue eyes flick to my lips, and then without another word he leans forward and kisses me gently. "Man, your lips are so soft." He kisses me again, deepening it.

I can't help my moan as a strong feeling a wanting soars throughout me. Luke kisses me swiftly again on my lips, gently biting down on my lower lip, before moving his nose along my jaw, my neck, and my throat.

"God, Annie," he whispers, "I just wanna make this last."

Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back as he gently nips my throat, "Hm?"

"Don't mind, it'll all make sense in time," he mutters. "Come here," With a hand on my waist, he guides me into his lap, and I sit so that my legs are on either side of him.

"You're beautiful," he mumbles.

I swallow, "Yeah?"

"Yeah, and you smell great," Luke's hands reach down to take hold of mine, and he guides them up between us; pressing my palms flat against his bare torso.

I pause, my entire body blazing at the contact. It's too much and I make to move them.

"No, Annie," he whispers against my mouth, "It's okay."

Taking a deep breath, I coax away my fear and nod. Luke's skin is smooth and warm underneath my hands and I spread my fingers, slowly moving them up towards his collarbone; feeling him beneath me.

"Are you okay?" He whispers.

I smile shyly, then with a nod, I fit his mouth to mine. Careful at first, and then all at once it's suddenly too deep and deliberate that I can't seem to think of anything but the movement of his lips and tongue and the feeling of his broad shoulders under my hands.

All too soon, I'm cut off by a ... buzzing? Furrowing my eyebrows in bemusement, I laugh quietly and look around his room, "What is that?"

"Ignore it," Luke whispers, with a slight frown. His hand moves to rest underneath my shirt, and just as he goes to move it upwards, the buzzing starts up again.

"For fucks sake," he curses. Reaching up, Luke removes my hands from his neck, kissing my knuckles and then he shifts, and gently pushes me back; moving around me. I watch as he walks over to his dresser, tugging open the top drawer and grabbing his phone out.

He looks down at the screen, and even though I'm hoping that he doesn't, he slides his thumb across the glass and answers it, "Yeah?"

Seriously, Luke? Sitting up, I  and roll my eyes, listening on. But, it's no use, because as always he's sticking to mumbling his one syllable words.

I'm suddenly surrounded by a bunch of "when"'s, and "yeah"'s and "damn"'s, and annoyed, I drop my chin in the palm of my hands; mentally screaming for him to hang the hell up.

He glances at me, his blue eyes impassive and I stare at him, mouthing, "Hurry up!"

Luke looks away, "How do you know that? Okay, I'm not dumb Calum, I know  that. But like, where exactly are you getting this information from?"

Calum? Why is he talking to Calum, right now?! I frown, does this kid not have a life or something?

"Fine, be there in a few." Luke hangs up the phone, sets it on his dresser and then stares down at his floor for a second before looking over at me.

I roll my eyes, and sift a hand through my hair, "No need for a explanation. I get it."

Kicking my feet over the edge of his bed, I comb my damp hair over my shoulder and stand before starting for the door. Behind me, Luke groans and he stalks over to me. His arm snakes around my waist, and he drags me back.

"It's not like that." He whispers in my ear.

I pull away, turning to look at him, "Aren't you leaving?"

He stares at me, anxious, and then he briefly closes his eyes before nodding, "I don't want to, I really don't, I just want to be here right now, with you. But," he stops.

"But you have to." I finish for him, shaking my head.

"Yeah."

"Then unfortunately, it's exactly  like that, Luke."

I turn around, but he presses his foot against the door, to keep it from opening, "Annie, wait. Let me ju-"

"Wait for what?" I laugh, slowly. "Not to be a bitch Luke, but I'm kind of sick and tired of you fucking wasting my time."

He glares down at me, his blue eyes dark and unreadable, "I'm wasting your time?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what I said."

For a second he's quiet, having some sort of debate in his head and then he frowns, angrily whispering,  "The only persons time who's being wasted is mine. You're the one flaunting around leading everyone on and like an idiot, here I a-", Luke stops.

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

I stare at him, taking in his words and then with a pounding heart and flushed cheeks, I swallow hard and nod, "You're right, you don't. Move."

---

AN -

This wasn't the best chapter, I'll probably go back and change a ton of stuff tomorrow but yeah please vote and comment and stuff. Don't be a silent reader !!

& for everyone who wants to know if I have a Kik .. lol no. I did, but not anymore.  So if ya want to talk, just like Skype IM me or something. It's the same name as my Wattpad, I'll just make a group conversation and post the link in my bio and we can all text in a group chat.

btw listen to

take me home - jess glynne

and lush life - zara larsson

and drive - gemineyes 

Love you all,

x