He leaned forward like he was going to kiss my temple when I felt his tongue dip into the top fold of my ear.
I gasped.
His laugh sent tingles through my ear and the rest of my body. And then he did it again and again.
A few minutes later I settled back into the passenger seat. We decided to wait a few more minutes to cool down before driving to Mel’s house.
“I’d let you hold the doughnut box for cover,” I teased, but Luke said, “Mom’s tearing into those doughnuts the minute she sees them.”
“At least her appetite seems to be coming back,” I said.
We were both quiet for a moment, staring out through the windshield at my garage door.
“I guess I’m getting a little taste of what it’s been like for you, huh?” Luke said now, and I turned to look at him, confused. “Without your mom.”
“Oh,” I said. “It’s not the same ... She’s still here.”
“I don’t know. It sucks when someone is here but not present. And honestly, your dad hasn’t been much better.”
An unexpected protectiveness came over me. “I think they’re trying,” I said.
Luke nodded, but I knew that he knew the truth. Nothing was changing with my mother or my family. Despite the brief moments when we almost connected, my parents remained as distant from me as they always had, and neither of them seemed to think it was a problem.
I thought he might start the car then and take us to Mel’s, but he asked another question. “What do you guys do in the shed? You and Ro.”
I glanced at him, surprised. It was pretty much the last question I’d imagined he’d ask.
I shrugged. “Talk.”
“Just talk?” he repeated, and I frowned.
“What kind of question is that?”
“I don’t know. Ro said it’s like therapy or something, that he always feels better after he leaves.”
“I do, too,” I said. “It’s basically just finding a dark place with your best friend and telling them everything you can’t tell anyone else ...
“That, and spiders,” I added with a smile. “And earwigs. And house centipedes. Possibly vermin. Also cockroaches.”
“You’re not making it sound too enticing,” Luke said, finally starting the car.
I grinned into the night. “It has its perks.”
For the rest of the drive to the Cohen house, we talked about the lake shindig Ro was planning for his birthday next weekend. Or I did. Luke wasn’t doing much talking.
Finally I said, “Are you planning to get here on the Friday or Saturday?”
Luke was hyperfocused on the road.
“Luke?”
“I don’t think I’m coming,” he said, and my mouth dropped open. “I’ve driven down here almost every weekend since school started, and it’s taking its toll.”
“I know,” I said. “And I hate you driving so much every weekend. But this is Ro’s birthday.”
“He won’t care if I’m there or not.”
“Are you kidding me? Of course he’ll care.” I couldn’t believe he was saying this. The three of us had celebrated every single birthday together since Ro and I were seven.
