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“He always had an eye on you.” Lena nodded. “And it wasn’t the kind of eye like he was babysitting you. It was the kind of look that said he was thinking of you naked.”
I felt my cheeks flush. I had never thought of Luke looking at me like that, but now that she mentioned it, I couldn’t help but wonder. Was it possible that he had feelings for me all along? I thought they developed overnight, but maybe it really was a natural development. It wasn’t my dad.
“I just feel like the timing is suspect,” I said. “I move out. My dad demands I go home. I don’t. Enter Luke. I end up living with Luke. Don’t you think that’s suspicious?” I looked around the room at all of them, wanting them to tell me I wasn’t crazy.
Caroline’s eyes softened as she spoke. “I understand why you might feel that way, but I don’t think there’s anything suspicious about it. Luke cares about you and he wants to help you. That’s all there is to it.”
I nodded slowly, mulling over her words. Maybe she was right. Maybe Luke was just being a good friend. But then again, maybe there was more to it than that. “I don’t know,” I groaned. “I want to believe he’s loyal to me, but my dad, well, he’s not really the kind of man you go against. If he tells you to do something, you do it. There are few men who can stand up to him. Very few.”
“I’m willing to bet Luke is one of the few who would stand up to your father when you were involved,” Izzy said.
“I hate that I can’t trust him,” I said. “I have always trusted Luke. He’s always been in my corner, but now I just don’t know. My dad is very, very controlling. People do what he wants.”
“I get it. But you can’t let your dad’s actions poison your relationships with others,” Izzy said. “Luke has proven himself to be a loyal friend time and time again. You have to trust your instincts and your heart.”
Her words struck a chord with me. Izzy was right. I couldn’t let my father’s actions dictate my relationships with others. And deep down, I knew I could trust Luke. He had always been there for me, even when I didn’t realize it.
“I said some things I’m not proud of,” I murmured. “I’m not sure he wants to talk to me.”
Caroline smiled. “I can guarantee he wants to talk to you. Remember, I sleep with his boss. We talk. Leo and Luke talk.”
I laughed. “Good to know.”
The conversation swung back to the latest Hollywood gossip. I couldn’t stop thinking about Luke. He did call a couple of times, but he wasn’t going out of his way to talk to me. I knew he knew where I was. He wasn’t trying any of his sneaky tricks to see me. I was really afraid he was done with me. I let my dad get in my head. That might have been his plan all along. If he couldn’t get me back home by ordering it, he was going to manipulate it. That was far more believable than Luke spying for my dad.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Luke
The silence was deafening, and the absence of her presence was palpable. I had spent the last few days moping around the apartment, unable to shake off the feeling of emptiness that had settled in. Everywhere I looked, I was reminded of her. The photographs on the wall, the books on the shelf, the scent of her perfume that still lingered on the sheets. She had only packed her clothes and a few toiletries. It was like she was still here, but not. The little things were constant reminders she wasn’t here with me.
I tried to distract myself by watching TV or playing video games, but nothing seemed to hold my attention for more than a few minutes. I found myself staring out of the window, lost in my own thoughts.
I couldn’t help but think about the memories we had made together in this apartment in such a short time. Those weeks with her under the same roof had been the best of my life. The lazy Sunday mornings in bed, the cozy nights on the couch watching movies, the impromptu dance parties in the living room. The sex. I wasn’t going to lie; I really missed the sex and the cuddling.
Now, all of those memories seemed like a distant dream. The apartment that had once been filled with laughter and love now felt cold and empty. I knew I had to snap out of this funk, but it seemed impossible. I missed her so much, and the thought of never seeing her again was too much to bear.
As I sat there, lost in my thoughts, I couldn’t help but wonder if things would ever be the same again. Would I ever be able to fill the emptiness that had settled in after she left? I considered boxing up her things. I doubted she was coming back and it would be easier not to look at all the stuff. And I knew she would eventually find another apartment and she would want her things. It would be too weird to have her in the apartment packing. I would want to talk and she wouldn’t.
I looked at the time and groaned. It was the bachelor party that wasn’t really a bachelor party. Hunter and Sean had canceled at the last minute. The twins were sick. With Lena out of town, Sean needed all the help he could get. That left me to give our friend the proper sendoff into married life—lucky bastard. He got the woman he loved.
I sat at the bar, nursing a beer and feeling sorry for myself. The woman I was in love with was mad at me, and I didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t just mad. She left me. There was so much hurt and betrayal wrapped up in her departure, I didn’t know how to process all of it. I didn’t want to be with anyone who didn’t trust me. I had never given her a reason not to trust me. I couldn’t believe she thought I would ever spy on her for her father. That was asinine.
I felt like an asshole for being the downer at Leo’s bachelor party. I just found it difficult to celebrate his pending marriage when my own world was falling apart.
“You have to figure this out,” Leo said. “You’re killing the vibe. Why don’t you just talk to Emmy?”
I shook my head. “It’s not that simple, Leo. She won’t even answer my calls or texts.”
Leo leaned in closer to me. “Then show up at her doorstep. Make a grand gesture. Do something to prove to her that she can trust you.”
I sighed. “I don’t know what to do, man. I messed up, but I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You have to make it right,” Leo said firmly. “Otherwise, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
“She accused me of some serious bullshit,” I said. “I’m not happy with her right now either.”
Leo took a swig of his beer and leaned back on his stool, studying me closely. “You know what, man? You’re not the only one who’s been in this situation before. I’ve been there. And let me tell you, sometimes you have to swallow your pride and do whatever it takes to make things right. Even if you’re not the one who messed up.”
