He looked down. “The delay, what’s up with that? I mean, how could she be pregnant for months and not know?”
“I’m sure there’s an explanation,” I uttered.
And that explanation is that she’s lying.
“Trust me,” I continued. “She would never cheat on you. She’s devastated.”
He nodded. “I just need to go to college, you know? And I can’t afford to raise a kid, let alone one that’s not mine.”
I gripped his arm. “Seriously! Don’t even worry about it!” That’s the closest I could get to the truth, without telling the truth.
“I love her a lot, you know? I hate lookin’ like an asshole.” He looked about thoughtfully. “I’m a good guy, I’d like to think.”
“You’re an awesome guy,” I said faintly. “She’s lucky to have you.”
He bit his lip. “I guess I’ll tell my ma tonight.”
My. Heart. Stopped.
Gino waved at Luke. “Can I talk to you?”
Luke strolled over, his shoulders out, kind of aggressive. He planted a kiss on my head. “I’ll see you later, Beautiful.”
Then they walked away.
~ ~ ~
I felt physically ill when I didn’t see Lilly at lunch. “Oh my God,” I said in shock. “Where is she!”
“I haven’t seen her,” Anna said. “What’s wrong?”
I sat quickly and leaned toward her. “He’s telling his mom tonight. She didn’t even sleep with him since November, he broke up with her because he thought she was cheating.”
“What?”
“I know,” I said. “We need to find her. Like, now.”
Anna put her hands out. “Find her where? She sticks out like a sore thumb around here!” She was clearly freaking out. And I was right behind her.
I pulled her out of her chair. “Let’s go, we’ve gotta try.”
After a few steps, she darted back to her tray. She grabbed her burger, a handful of fries, and held a Snicker’s bar between her teeth.
How does she stay so thin?
We checked the nurse’s, the main office, the guidance office—everywhere—and she was nowhere to be seen. So we sat in a staircase to hide from the hall monitor, watching people walk to and from their lockers in the yellow hall. We figured she’d show up eventually, so it’d be a good idea to lay low nearby.
Anna pulled out her microbiology book and another Snicker’s bar. “What?” she asked when I looked at her weird.
“Doesn’t your head hurt? You’re always studying.”
She shrugged. “I’ve been reading since I was three, everything I can get my hands on. My head hurts when I’m not studying.”
I looked back in the hall for Lilly again. But instead of Lilly, I saw Luke.
And Gino.
To my relief, they seemed to be getting along. I was glad Lilly hadn’t wrecked their friendship with her not-so-little white lie.
It’s quite interesting watching guys when they don’t know you’re watching them. You know, stalking? You get to see them boast about stuff—you can tell by how they talk, inflate their chests and carry themselves—and you get to see their heads turn as a hot girl walks by. And you think,
Those dogs!
Oh, wait, that was Lilly. Never mind.
“Is that a braided bun?” Anna squinted to see. “How the heck long did that take?”
“I almost didn’t recognize her,” I breathed, getting to my feet.
Lilly slapped Luke over the head and Luke laughed. He grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder and marched her to her locker, with her pounding on him the entire time. Gino followed close behind. When Luke put her down, Gino grabbed her and pulled her into his chest.
I know she was trying her best to look pissed, but she was loving the attention. Seeing her wrapped in Gino’s arms again made me feel accomplished, warm and fuzzy all over.
“I guess that settles that,” Anna said, gnawing on her pencil eraser.
“Yeah,” I said cheerfully.
~ ~ ~
My phone vibrated at 6:30. I pushed my laptop aside and looked at my brother. “I need privacy.”
“Why? Is that your boyfriend?” Sullivan teased, tucking his brown hair behind his ears.
I smiled smugly. “At least he’s real.”
“Trust me, Megan’s real!” he briefed, all defensive.
I swept my hand at him a few times. He grabbed his Nintendo DS and walked out of my room.
“Hi, Lilly!”
“Hi,” she said, before screaming something at someone in the background. When she was back she said,
“Listen, I wanted to let you know I’m grounded for life, and that you can’t come over to play anymore.”
I shifted on my bed. “Grounded for what?”
“For getting pregnant.”
“But you’re not…”
“Well, Lukasz told our mom, and she thinks I am. Burke is not happy, something about having had aspirations for me.”
“Wait, Luke can have sex but you can’t?” I asked, confused.
“Yes, because Lukasz can’t get pregnant, and my mom wouldn’t shed a tear if he married you.”
I rolled my eyes. “So Luke didn’t tell you what happened on our lunch date with your dad…?”
“My dad told me. But didn’t you accidentally order fried maggots or something?”
Facepalm. “But I saw you make up with Gino,” I said, desperate to change the subject. “Why are you still pregnant? You told him you’re not, right?”
“No,” she mumbled. “I was afraid he’d dump me again.”
“Well what are you going to do?” I demanded. Then I remembered—“And what’s this I heard about you not sleeping with him since November?”
“Yeah, well, I’m not one for backseats, and our parents are always home.” She popped a bubble into the phone.
“And you still told him you’re pregnant? That puts you at like four months. He said he’s going to tell his mom!”
She heaved a sigh. “This is all my brother’s fault.”
“Luke and I are leaving for the Alps in two days, can you hang out?”
“Hello! I’m grounded.”
“Your mom won’t make an exception?”
“For five days? You’re not going to the moon, you’re coming right back!”
I groaned. “Well, tell your mom you’re not pregnant.”
“No, I have to go along with it until I can tell Gino. If I tell her, my brother will tell him and I’m not ready. I’m too scared.” She sucked her teeth. “Why couldn’t you stop me when I told you what I was going to do? This sucks.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to offend you by saying your idea is stupid.”
“You know I would’ve gotten over it.” Brief silence. “Well, my mom wants me off the phone. I’m an adult, can’t you tell?”
I chuckled. “Maybe if you call Gino, you can tell him before he tells his mom. I’d hate for him to get in trouble with his parents.”
Another pause. “Maybe,” she said doubtfully. “I’ll talk to you later.”
VII
Wednesday was spent getting caught up on homework, packing, and stressing about Thursday. Most of Thursday was spent counting seconds until Thursday night.
Every. Last. One.
The time had come. I wore a tight red spaghetti strap shirt, blue flare jeans, and high heel boots
My parents drove me to the airport an hour early. The plane was departing at nine o’ clock, and I was ecstatic—I was about to get a five-day taste of the rest of my life!
The terminal was nearly deserted. Outside the large airport windows, the sun was setting behind Denali, illuminating it with shades of pink, yellow, purple, and blue.
My father looked ill, and it was ridiculous.
“Dad,” I uttered as he gripped his stomach and fell onto a bench. “It’s just five days. I’ll be fine.”
“I might just miss you,” Sullivan said. He was dressed neatly, in a clean white shirt, blu
e jeans, and no coat because it was twenty above out and he thinks he’s cool.
I pulled him in for a hug. “I’ll miss you too!”
Mom smiled at the sight. Then she looked beyond me at Luke and his parents and waved. “Hi, Luke! Burke, Gwen!”
With one look at Luke, Dad gripped his stomach and moaned.
“Daaaad.” I shot him a look.
He raised his hand at me. “Don’t worry, I’m okay.”
I rolled my eyes.
They walked toward us; Luke carrying his luggage and Burke dragging his.
Our moms hugged, and Mrs. Jacobson ruffled my brother’s hair. “You’re growing into a very handsome young man!” she said cheerfully.
Sullivan shrugged. “Thanks.”
As expected, Burke’s mocha hair was a mess, his jawline was covered in stubble, and his friendly blue eyes twinkled. He wore black dress pants, a white shirt, a black tie, and an overcoat. A smile crossed his face. “Hello, young lady,” he said to me, in his heavy German accent.
“Hi, Burke!” I said enthusiastically.
He put his hand out for my father, and when Dad reached to shake, Burke pulled him to his feet. “Ah, and it is very nice to see you again, Paul,” Burke said, grinning.
“Likewise,” Dad said with a light smile, eyeing Luke.
Then no one said a thing.
Dressed in khaki pants, a white tee shirt and his black leather jacket, Luke looked seriously hot. And nervous. “Hi, Mr. Morrison,” he said with a light wave, breaking the silence.
My dad’s smile had evaporated, and by now he was glaring. “Hi, Luke.”
“Paul,” Mom scorned, shooting him a look. She smiled at Luke’s mom, who seemed to know what was going through Dad’s paranoid head.
Mrs. Jacobson reached up and hugged Luke. “Behave yourself,” she hinted, her eyes gliding toward my father.
Luke grinned. “Do I ever not?”
Mrs. Jacobson pinched his cheek, turning it red. “Lucky for you I won’t answer that, Lukasz.”
Burke laughed and patted Luke on the back. “Leave the boy alone! He’s a… ah…” He struggled as usual to find the right word, spinning a finger toward the ceiling. “He’s a saint!” he said, with a snap of the fingers.
Luke pointed to Burke. “And he’s always right.”
“Well,” my father grumbled. “I hear you’re staying in Swiss Montana, at a ski resort there. I got my daughter her own room.”
“Awesome!” Luke said. “Now I won’t have to sleep outside.”
Burke chuckled. “They will be all right, Paul. No worries, yes?”
Dad nodded and looked at me. “I’ll be checking in often,” he assured me.
“Dad, I’ll be skiing.”
Dad’s eyes ballooned. “At night?”
“Paul,” Mom scorned again, eyes wide.
“Lukasz is a good boy. He’ll take care of her,” Mrs. Jacobson told Dad. Then she hugged me. I could feel her tears on my neck—tears I hadn’t even noticed. She kissed my cheek. “I’ll miss you, honey.”
She’s so motherly, I couldn’t resist but to squeeze her tight. I closed my eyes; her scent was relaxing, too.
When I next glanced at Mom, she looked almost hurt.
“Mrs. Jacobson?” I breathed, letting her go. “Take it easy on Lilly.”
She shook her head. “I’m always easy on Lilly. I think for once maybe I should be more strict.” Her hand touched my cheek. “You’re such a good friend.”
They announced over the loudspeaker that our flight would be boarding soon. My heart skipped a few beats, and I looked at Luke. He looked at me almost hungrily—I could tell he was trying to hide it.
“They’re boarding,” my father said in a desperate, quaking voice. He looked to my mom. “Mary, they’re boarding.”
Mom rolled her eyes and hugged Luke. “You have a safe trip, Luke. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call, day or night.”
Luke hugged her uncertainly, still looking at my dad. “No problem,” he said. “And thank you.”
Dad’s hand went to his chest. “They’re boarding,” he wheezed. “He’s taking my little girl away. They’re boarding…”
Mom glared at him. “Yes, Paul, they’re boarding. She’s not a little girl, she’s eighteen years old. Get a grip,” she growled.
Sullivan gave Luke a high-five and chuckled. “Don’t worry, Dad, Luke packed a blow-up doll! Didn’t you, Luke?”
Utter. Silence.
Luke turned white.
Mom gasped.
Burke looked like he was trying to figure out what a blow-up doll was.
Dad stooped over to catch his breath.
And Sullivan’s smile shrank.
“Is her name Megan?” I taunted.
Sullivan put his hands up in defeat.
Mom smacked him over the head. “Guess who’s cleaning his room all weekend, young man!”
Sullivan knitted his eyebrows. “Who?”
Luke snuck up beside me and took my hand, almost uncertainly. He smiled at my dad. “I’ll take good care of her, Mr. Morrison. I promise.”
Dad stood up and forced a smile. “I’m sure you will,” he grumbled.
After another of Mom’s glares, Dad said, “Thank you, Luke.”
“Have a fun trip, Luke.” Mom nudged her glasses down the bridge of her nose and looked at me over them. “That goes for you too, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
On the second announcement, Burke grabbed my duffel bags. “It is time to go, young lady.” He patted my dad on the shoulder. “My lecture is only one day. I will ah… look after her personally. She’ll be okay.”
Dad nodded. “I appreciate it, Burke. I will call you to check on her, then.”
Burke nodded. “Anytime, Paul, anytime.” He kissed his wife. “See you in a few days, yes, Gwen?”
Mrs. Jacobson nodded and wiped her eyes. She waved as we stepped in line to go through screening.
Luke gripped my waist and glanced back at my parents. I was elated. Nothing could describe how I felt at that moment—free? Adventurous? Unable to believe it was happening?
Unwilling to ever return?
“Lukasz,” Burke lectured, slapping Luke’s arm. “Keep your hands to yourself until we are out of her father’s view, yes? We don’t want the man to have a heart attack.”
Luke let go of me, peeking back at my dad. “Sorry, Burke.”
“Your dad hates me,” Luke mumbled with a glance and a shy smile.
“No,” I said. “I think he’s mostly just paranoid.”
He squeezed my hand tighter, leaned into my ear and breathed, “About stuff that’s already happened?”
I chuckled. “Yeah!”
“I take it you still didn’t tell him we’re moving in together.”
“Not yet.”
“Can’t imagine what his reaction to that will be; this is just five days.” His eyes rolled down my body and he licked his lips. “You look amazing.”
I blushed. “Thanks. You, too.” As always.
Luke grinned and walked through the metal detector. I followed him.
Burke grabbed our carry-on bags and we checked our luggage.
“Adonia, are you okay?” Burke asked as we waited in line to board.
“Never been better,” I said, although I felt a bit nervous. It just sunk in that I’d be traveling halfway around the world, without speaking a word of anything but English.
As we boarded the plane, the flight attendant checking tickets also checked out my boyfriend. No surprise.
To my delight, our seats were in back of first class—and comfy black leather—three rows behind Burke’s. I got the window seat!
I sat in it anxiously and gazed at the mountain range outside the window.
Luke sat beside me and buckled his belt. “You look a bit antsy,” he noted.
I looked at him. “I just can’t believe I’m here!”
He grinned. “Well I’ve done this a lot.” Our ey
es brushed. “Travel, I mean. To me it’s just another trip, except with a beautiful girl.” He leaned back in his seat. “And a really cool stepdad.”
I breathed deeply. “So we’re going to Zurich?”
He nodded. “Then it’s about 120 miles to this place in Crans-Montana.” He leaned into my ear. “The hotel is awesome.”
I grew even more excited, if that’s even possible. “You’ve stayed there before?”
“Yup.”
I fell silent, and he looked at me. Then, as if he’d read my mind, he added,
“When I stayed at the resort, I stayed alone. Even the time my Dad went, he got me my own room in case he met a lady.”
“And he did?” I expected.
Luke pursed his lips. “Yeah.”
I laughed. “I can easily believe that.”
He took my hand just as the seatbelt light came on at the front of the plane. Everyone started buckling up. “It’s one of the few times we went skiing together, and he barely even skied.”
I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. After a thoughtful moment, he wrapped an arm around my neck. “It’s okay. Now I get to go with you, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather go with.”
I rested my head on his shoulder. He smelled seriously freakin’ delicious.
“Did you ever go with friends?”
“Sure,” he breathed, resting his head against mine. “I usually stayed with their grandparents when I did. It felt nice to have a real family for a while.”
The flight attendant gave instructions on use of the oxygen masks, and before long we were taking off. My breath stopped as the plane glided along the runway. I felt a rush of emotion, namely excitement and fear. Excitement because I was leaving with him; fear because we might crash to our deaths.
That would ruin my vacation.
“Care for a drink?” a thin, blonde flight attendant asked a few minutes later. She stopped her beverage cart by our row and eyed Luke’s… everything.
“Coffee?” Luke breathed.
“Sure!” She handed him a cup and looked to me. “How about you?”
“Hot chocolate, please.”
She fixed my drink in silence and gave it to me. Her eyes rolled down Luke’s arms one more time and she headed to the next row.
“She was checking you out,” I whispered, looking for a reaction. You would think he’d notice, but he doesn’t really act like he does, even when the girls swoon in the hall. Maybe he just acts like he doesn’t when I’m around? Or maybe he doesn’t know he’s hot.
Book of Luke (Book 2) Page 5