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Liv
IsaygoodbyetoSusan and close the laptop. Talking to her is helping. Everyone is meeting up at John’s for a barbeque soon. Luke is meeting us here later since he had a late meeting with Reilly Tech. The past few months he’s grown distant again, and the unease returned. But the way he made love to me last night gives me hope we can return to a sense of normal. I want nothing more than to put everything behind us and move forward.
I grin as I recall the way he worshipped me last night. My body tingles at the memory. I’m hopeful for a repeat tonight, though I doubt it will be hard to convince him.
I find John on the pool deck, manning the grill while Jordy, Vera, and Skye chat with him from the table nearby. Skye continues with her hopeless flirtations, but John is polite and firm with his refusal to date her, no matter how many times she asks. I open the sliding screen door and they greet me. Vera hands me a hard seltzer and Skye smiles, but she seems more reserved than usual.
Jordy hugs me, but he’s subdued, which is saying a lot for the quiet guy.Mark appears with a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Weird.
A hefty rumbling engine pulls up outside, signaling Jackson’s arrival. I open the front door to greet them and wait on the small porch. Brando and Dylan hop out of the cab of the truck. I haven’t seen Jackson in a few days. “Why have you been avoiding me?” I meet his eyes for half a second and they’re filled with sorrow. My smile fades.
“Sorry, just got busy.” He drops a kiss on top of my head as he passes and heads inside. I turn to Brando, whose smile is genuine, if a little sad.
“Who pissed in his cereal?” I ask, and Brando smirks.
“Don’t worry about it.” I step into his hug, and he squeezes me tight, lingering for a few more seconds.
Dylan scowls at me for the first time in ages, and I frown. After a brief hug, he holds the door open for me What the hell is wrong with everyone?
I plop next to Jackson on the couch, ready to cheer him up. He avoids my gaze again, so I smack him on the arm. “Hey grumpy pants. What’s wrong?”
He sighs. “Nothing.”
“Bad day at the office?” I smirk, but he only stares at the wall.
“Something like that.” He takes a swig of his beer, then walks to the backyard. I frown, watching him leave. I’ve never seen him like this.
“Is he ok Mark? I’m worried.”
Mark nods from the chair next to me. “He’ll be alright. Don’t worry about him.”
“What’s happening? Why is everyone acting weird?”
He sighs and looks to the side. He’s about to say something when I hear the distinct purr of an Aston Martin pull to the curb outside. I grin and bound to my feet, racing out the door. Garrett opens the passenger seat and smiles at me, but he’s cautious.
Something is wrong. Luke steps out of the driver’s side and shuts his door. When his blue eyes meet mine, my stomach drops.
“What happened?” The worst-case scenarios fly through my head.
Luke cups my face and kisses me. It’s frantic, almost panicked and my concern deepens. Garrett clears his throat and Luke pulls away. “Come inside. We need to talk.”
He takes my hand and I follow him, my nerves on edge. We need to talk—the four words that nobody ever likes to hear from their significant other. Am I missing something?
We walk into the house and everyone stops talking. The nervous energy sets my teeth on edge. Luke guides me over to the empty couch and I sit. He takes a seat on the coffee table facing me and grips my hands. Everyone disappears. “Luke? You’re scaring me.”
He looks at our joined hands and squeezes before he faces me. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “I love you so much, baby. I always will. You need to know that.”
He takes a deep breath as dread blooms like a flower in my stomach. “What happened to you was my fault. They were after me, so I can’t in good conscience keep being selfish. I have to let you go. Garrett and Dylan will still protect you. You’ll be safe with them. John will protect you too, like he always has. I hate it, but it’s the right thing to do.” He brings my hands to his lips as I stare at him with narrowed eyes. What the hell is he talking about?
“We’ve been over this, Luke. It’s not your fault.”
He shakes his head. “Being attached to me almost got you killed. That will never happen again.”
“I don’t understand…”
“Baby…” He swallows hard. “We can’t be together anymore. I’m so sorry. This is my fault. I never should have pursued you. It was selfish.”
He regrets being with me? My heart stops beating, and I struggle to breathe. I search his face for a hint of reality because this can’t be real.
