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I push it back toward my knee.
“Third.” I let my shoulders slump. “I… I don’t really have girlfriends.” I glance at Luke, and at the same time, he glances at me, and I know I can admit this truth to him. “I don’t really have that manyfriendsat all.” His thumb rubs small circles over my jeans. “I work too much. I travel too much. I have work acquaintances who are friendly. I have specific people I tend to gravitate toward during happy hours or work dinners, but none of them are myfriends. We wouldn’t meet up for brunch on the weekend.”
Luke lifts his hand to grab mine.
He entwines our fingers and settles our hands back on my lap. “I’m your friend, Little Royal.”
Something thick drapes over my shoulders, and that spot between my eyes feels tight.
“And I’m great at gossiping,” Luke adds, squeezing my fingers.
I bite down on my lip.
“Thanks, Player,” I whisper.
“And if you want to complain about me, I’m okay listening to that too.”
His words should be silly, but they aren’t. Because I think he knows I’m telling the truth.
These past two weeks, when he was with Jackson, I was in that hotel room. Alone. Without a soul to confide in.
Luke pulls to a stop at the curb in front of a fancy building, puts the vehicle into park, then turns in his seat to face me.
“I’m sorry.” He squeezes my hand in his. “I’m really fucking sorry I didn’t just listen. If…” Luke glances past me to the building and shakes his head. “It was annoying having those two telling me their opinions every time I saw them, but I don’t know what I would’ve done if I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. And I feel like an even bigger piece of shit knowing you had to deal with it by yourself.”
“Luke,” I sigh.
“No.” He stops me. “I know we spent half the weekend talking about how we both wish we’d handled it differently, but let me apologize this one last time.”
I roll my lips together and nod once.
“I’m sorry, Natalie. You’re not alone anymore. I might be an idiot sometimes, but I’ll always be your friend. Okay?”
I nod once, needing to keep my composure.
The corner of Luke’s mouth pulls up. “Now you’re going to go in there, and you’re going to have a good time. And when I pick you up in a few hours, you’re going to climb into that seat with a whole set of new friends.”
I take a breath.
Then a second.
“Thank you,” I say quietly, wishing there was a better phrase for how much his words mean to me.
The other side of his mouth tips up. “That’s what friends are for.”This man.“Now hurry up and give me a kiss before Jackson taps on your window.”
Chapter 93
Luke
As I hoped,my words startle Natalie, snapping her out of her heavy thoughts.
Her eyes widen as she jerks her head around to look out the passenger window.
He’s not there—yet.
“Luke!” She breaks her hold of my hand and shoves at my chest.
“What?” I laugh.
