“Let’s not do something reckless like becoming a CPA,” he said, chuckling. “But okay, yes, I had a bet going with Troy to bring a girlfriend home for Christmas. And I hadn’t told you about it yet. Which is a lie by omission,” he added quickly, seeing my expression darken. “I’m not making excuses.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” I asked, gaze boring into his. I needed to see the truth in his eyes.
“Because I wasn’t faking it anymore,” Luke said, unflinching. “You already felt like my girlfriend. At that point, I didn’t feel like I would be bringing home a fake girlfriend. I would be bringing home a real one.”
“You still could have told me.”
He nodded. “I know. And I’ll admit I was scared. I was worried you would react exactly like you did.” He held up his hands quickly. “Which is a perfectly appropriate response, for the record. I should have just told you from the very beginning.”
I took a deep breath. “And now you love me? Just like that?”
“Actually, no,” he answered, grinning. “Yes, I love you. No, it’s notjust like that. I had a crush on you back in high school, but you’re Nic’s sister. I couldn’t let myself think of you that way. Hell, I felt guilty for thinking of you like that at all.”
“No, you didn’t,” I said, eyeing him doubtfully.
“I took the bro code seriously back then. And to be fair, back in high school, your brother would have ripped my head off if I laid a finger on you.” Luke sighed. “I wasted so much time. Nic doesn’t even seem to have a problem with us dating now.”
“Really? You talked to him about it?”
Luke nodded and I gulped down my surprise. That meant his feelings were serious. He wasn’t just telling me things I wanted to hear, only to pull the rug out from under me after he won the bet.
Interesting.
“The conversation got derailed when we overheard Dixie talking trash,” he said. “I tried to confront her right then, but your brother stopped me.”
I bristled at that. “Hewhat?”
“Yeah, he said I would just piss Dixie off more and make things worse. I don’t know if he was right or not.” Luke shrugged and shot me a grin. “Ididconfront her right before I found you here at the theater. Right in front of everyone prepping for the play. Interrupted her terrible song and everything.”
I smiled a bit at that. “I wish I could have seen it.”
“I’m pretty sure all the students recorded it,” he replied with a laugh. “I have a feeling it’ll be making the rounds online. Luke Whitaker, professional broadcaster, yells at mayor’s mistress, which I absolutely called her out on.”
“Thank you for sticking up for me. Nic, on the other hand? He’s going to get a piece of my mind.”
Luke started pacing on the spot, coming closer and retreating, back and forth. “I know I don’t deserve you in the slightest after not being totally honest with you. Love and trust go hand in hand, and you can’t trust me if I keep secrets from you. I get that.”
He paused and rubbed his eyes like he was at the end of his rope. “If you say you don’t feel the same, I’ll leave right now, but please promise you’ll take that job with Ganymede. I’ll leave the city, quit my job, and disappear if it makes it easier, but you can’t give up your dream because of me. You are destined for big things and I hope you realize that.”
His words stunned me into silence. The only sound was the pounding of my galloping heart.
Luke nodded like he understood. Without another word, he exited stage left and I watched him go.
CHAPTER 37
LUKE
Christmas lunch at the Whitaker Ranch was a family tradition. Always lunch, never dinner. Mom insisted.
I was already seated at the table with my brothers, waiting away from the kitchen so Mom didn’t get mad for being in her way. Troy sat directly across from me, eyes downcast, looking at his wringing hands.
“You can’t do this to me,” he said. “Have mercy.”
“Mercy?” I laughed. “Just like you did for the last ten years? You took the most embarrassing moment of my life and turned it into a decade-long punchline. You’ll get no mercy from me.”
Chris grinned and dangled a set of new truck guys in front of him. “I’m just happy with my new work truck.”
Troy sucked his teeth in defeat. “Now that the shoe’s on the other foot, it’s way less funny.”
