“Well, that certainly explains a lot.” He chuckles softly. When I turn my head back to look at him, he’s giving me a smile that isn’t patronizing or judgmental, just warm and understanding. It eases some of the pain of my embarrassment.
“I wanted to tell you as soon as I realized it, but then I was freaking out because… Well, I was worried you’d react exactly like you did when I kissed you.” I run a hand through my hair. “Although, I wasn’t expecting you to be quite as mean about it as you were.” I eye him sidelong and see him flinch.
“Sorry,” he grumbles. “I know I have kind of a fiery temper.”
“And you’re incredibly petty,” I agree emphatically.
“And vindictive.” Luke nods.
“You can be a real fucking dick.”
Luke lets out a full-bodied laugh. “And I'm a fucking dick. I know. I overreacted, okay? I see that now. I’m a very emotive person, and sometimes, it can get me in trouble. But I didn’t realize what was happening. You can’t blame me for being cautious now that you know what I was concerned about.”
I sigh. “No, I don’t. If I wasn’t such a fucking coward, I could have been more straightforward.”
We’re quiet as the truth washes over us, and the tension eases to a comfortable silence. For the first time since last night, it feels like it did with us before all this happened. At the very least, I’m relieved it wasn’t entirely my fault things went the way they did, but it doesn’t fully heal the wound to my ego.
“You know, I thought I was imagining things,” Luke says after a while, his lips curling up in a faint smile at one end, and his eyes turn to me, holding me captive. “I kept getting these weird ideas like you were hitting on me, but I thought it was all in my head. I had to remind myself that I was the one crushing hard on a straight dude and just wanting to see you reciprocate.”
My breath catches in my throat, and a spark of hope suddenly reignites in my chest at his words.I was the one crushing hard…
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Luke continues with a sheepish grin. “Although it never ends well when that happens. I thought I was smarter than that at this age, but you made it incredibly easy to like you, which complicated things.”
I huff a laugh. “And you made it incredibly difficult to be around you when all I wanted to do was kiss you.”
Luke cocks his head to the side and gives me a soft smile, color creeping up his cheeks. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“I wish I was joking.”
Luke swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He shifts his legs beneath him and puts his hands in his lap, then takes a deep breath and sighs, closing his eyes before coming to some kind of decision in his mind. He moves over until he’s sitting on his knees directly in front of me, facing me intently. I’m curious about where this is going.
“I’m sorry I pushed you away,” he says, flashing that ridiculously charming smile. The butterflies in my stomach start flying at top speed. “And I’m sorry for everything afterward. But if you want to try again, I won’t push you away this time.”
My heart soars with the words, but I suddenly find that I can’t move, frozen to the spot as a wave of panic washes over me. I stare at Luke with wide eyes, searching his face for any sign that this might be a joke, like maybe he’s lying to me now. I couldn’t handle a repeat of last night, and even though we’ve cleared the air, I’m having difficulty trusting this is real.
“Ethan, I would really like to kiss you,” Luke says softly, as if he can sense my hesitation. His smile looks genuine. “If you’ll let me.”
I can feel myself nod, but I don’t seem conscious that I’m doing it. It’s like I’m sitting outside my body, watching everything that happens next, with no control over my movements.
Luke’s smile grows, and my breath rattles with a nervous inhale as he closes the distance between us. My eyes map every detail of his face as he draws nearer, from the subtle flush on his cheeks to the way his gaze falls to my mouth. He looks at me likea snack he can’t wait to taste, and he cups my cheek with one hand, his thumb brushing over my skin delicately.
He pulls me in closer, pressing his lips to mine, our eyes closing on reflex. Sparks move through the back of my head and down my spine like I’ve been hooked up to a live wire, and I have no control as I release a whole body shudder. The moment Luke lets out a quiet moan against my mouth, I know he’s feeling it, too.
Quickly, the kiss grows deeper as Luke claws his fingers through my hair, pulling my head back to get a better angle. I don’t fight him. My hands find their way to his hips, dragging him forward until he’s firmly between my legs, and I hold him there while fire burns down my throat and through my core.
If I thought our first kiss was amazing, this one could only be described as transcendent. Every place Luke’s hands touch my body leaves an imprint on my soul, scorched into my being without prejudice, claiming me like a cattle brand. Everything else falls away except the taste of Luke on my lips, and I can’t get enough of it. We’re here again, but it’s somehow better than before.
After what feels like an eternity, Luke eventually pulls away, though he keeps his hands on my shoulders, remaining in my grasp. He breathes heavily, staring into my eyes with a hazy glow, and curls his lips into that devilish half-smile.
“Wow.” He hums, shaking his head slightly. “You really aren’t straight.”
I burst out laughing, my whole body now light and airy. After a kiss like that, it’s hard not to understand why. Luke grins and laughs along with me, dropping his forehead against mine. He leans in again when we settle and kisses me more sweetly before standing up and offering me his hand, and I let him pull me up off the ground.
Luke smiles. “We should head back. Everyone’s worried about you.” He turns to start walking through the trees, still holding my hand.
I freeze, my blood running cold, and I pull us to a stop. “Oh, god.”
“What?”
