And then he starts to move, and my mind empties ofeverything except the pleasure taking over my body. I move with him, lifting my hips so my clit rubs against him with every thrust.
The orgasm crashes over me like a wave, and seconds later, I feel the shudder of Luke’s release. He collapses on top of me before rolling to the side, pulling me with him so we don’t lose the connection.
And as I lie next to him, sated and spent, I finally feel like I’ve come home.
We lie together for a while, enjoying the feel of each other. Luke finally, reluctantly, pulls out and takes care of the condom. When that’s done, he comes back to bed and takes me in his arms.
“It’s always been you, you know,” he murmurs in my ear.
“What?” I ask, wondering if I heard him properly.
“It’s always been you,” he repeats simply. “You’ve been under my skin since I gave you my sweatshirt in high school.”
I turn so I can see his face. His hazel eyes are sincere, but much as I’d like to believe he’s spent the past ten years pining for me, it just doesn’t make sense. “What about Sloane?”
He sighs. “Sloane and I broke up because she wanted to get married and I didn’t, and you know why I didn’t?”
I shake my head mutely.
“She wasn’t you. At the beginning, I thought it might work. I wanted it to work, but it just didn’t. I knew what love felt like, because I had it with you, and with Sloane, it never came close.”
I don’t answer him for a moment, because it still doesn’t make sense. Although technically I was the one who broke up with Luke, I only did it because I knew he wanted to move on. His decision to stay in Somerset formed school instead of joining me in Toronto had made that pretty clear.
“When we broke up,” I say slowly. “You knew I had another year of undergrad in Toronto, and I was hoping to stay for a Master’s. There was no way I could do a grad degree in computer science in Somerset. So when you decided to stay here for med school—without any discussion—I thought you were sending me a message. “
Luke closes his eyes for a moment before he replies. “I didn’t get into med school in Toronto, Melissa.”
“Yes, you did!” I answer reflexively, because my brain can hardly contemplate the alternative.
“No. I didn’t.”
Oh, no. No. That’s not possible. I’m sure he told me he got into med school in Toronto. He must have. Luke’s brilliant, capable, kind; exactly who you’d want as your doctor. Every med school in the country must have wanted him.
I cast my mind back to the phone call. Even though ten years have passed, Luke’s words are still etched in my memory.
“I’ve decided to stay in Somerset for med school, Melissa. It’s a smaller program, so I’ll be able to get to know everyone . . .”
I assumed Luke got into med school in Toronto, but he never actually told me he did. That’s why Sophie gave me a funny look when I said Luke didn’t even care enough to come to Toronto. She knew he didn’t get in.
He didn’t get in, and then I broke up with him.
I’m speechless for a moment, paralyzed by shock and shame and regret.
“Oh, Luke, I’m sorry,” I finally tell him. “So sorry. I really thought you got into Toronto. You must have thought I was so selfish, and heartless, and–”
“No,” he interrupts. “Never that, Milly. It wasn’t your fault. I knew what you thought, but I was too proud to tellyou I didn’t get in. I just . . . couldn’t tell you I’d failed, I guess.”
“You didn’t fail, Luke,” I protest. “Toronto made a mistake, that’s all. And I shouldn’t have assumed.”
He shrugs. “I came to my senses about a month later. I was going to explain, ask if you’d consider another few years of long distance.”
“Of course I’d have done long distance,” I exclaim. “If I’d known . . . I thought you wanted to break up.”
“I came to Toronto,” he says quietly. “And saw you with Troy. You were walking out of your apartment building, and he had his arm around you. You looked really happy together.”
“Oh, Luke.”
“I should have fought for you,” he says. “But when I saw you with Troy, I couldn’t think straight. I thought you’d already moved on, so I turned around and drove home.”
