AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He schooled his features. The last thing he needed was for her to believe that he had any prior knowledge of what he predicted she was about to say. It was best for her to get out everything first and then he could let the rest come to light later—or maybe not at all.
Allie let out a short laugh that sounded sharper than it should have. “I’ve had a crush on you since before I can remember. You must have known.”
Luke didn’t answer. Pippa had mentioned as much but it was still strange to hear the confession come directly from the source.
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I was always just your sister’s best friend. So it didn’t matter how many times I tagged along, you only ever saw me that way.”
“Well, to be fair I let you tag along because you were better company than Pippa. At least you knew how to make me laugh.”
A small smile returned to her lips at that compliment then it faded just as fast. “Why do you think I chose the same college as you? Why do you think I was there so often? I thought if we had just a little more time together that you would finally see me.” Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away. “Wow. That makes me sound like a creepy stalker. Ick.”
In spite of the tightness in his chest that intensified, he had to smile at her admission. And then once again his heart was in a vise, and he was finding it hard to breathe. He knew what came next in her story.
“I used to wish I had never introduced you to Shellie. But I know if I hadn’t then you wouldn’t have Molly and how could I ever wish that she wasn’t here?” She flushed, looking down at her hands. Allie opened and closed her fingers then sighed again. “After Shellie died, there was no chance of us ever getting together. No matter how many ways I looked at it, I could never see a way it would work out. I was the one who introduced you. How could you look at me and not remember her?” Allie’s voice cracked and she tore her gaze away from him. “And she was my friend. I missed her, too.”
As much as Luke wanted to reach out to her and tell her she didn’t have to be scared, he knew he couldn’t. There were no absolutes. There were no guarantees.
He’d learned that the hard way when Shellie died.
Still, he had to say something. That’s what he’d come here for, after all.
Luke took the remaining steps toward her and settled on the porch swing. He braced his legs with his hands on either side and pushed off the floor so the swing’s creaking sound filled the quiet evening air. “You know, I think you dodged a bullet.”
She shot him a sharp look.
“What I mean to say is that I think some part of me knew you had a crush on me in high school, but I was far too immature to have done anything about that.”
“I didn’t think so,” she murmured.
He chuckled. “If you only knew.” Luke peeked at her out of the corner of his eye. “You were too good for me then. Heck, you’re probably too good for me now.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “I get that.”
They swung for a few more minutes and he glanced toward her. “I don’t regret anything about my marriage.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“I loved Shellie. Molly is my whole world. But I’ve come to accept that my life has been irrevocably changed and I have to start on a new path.” This was when he had wanted to tell her he had feelings for her. To say them now seemed so trite. “Can I ask you something?”
She turned her face toward him, her chin resting on her shoulder.
“Why didn’t you ever get married? I’m sure you had plenty of opportunities.”
Allie blushed a deep red color and looked away. “Geez, Luke. Don’t you think that’s a little below the belt?”
“It’s an honest question.” And it was one he didn’t think she’d need to avoid.
She lifted her gaze to the sky, clearly doing her best to avoid looking directly at him. Then she sighed. “Because I never found anyone who could compare to you.”
Her words knocked the wind right out of his lungs. He’d been working so hard not to compare her to Shellie and here she was doing the opposite. Granted, it was a different kind of comparison, but it still grated against that part of him that knew he needed to keep his feelings for the two women he cared for separate. Moving forward, it would probably be best not to ever talk about Shellie with her.
Luke cleared his throat, looking down to find her hands at her sides as well. He inched his hand toward hers and their pinkies grazed against each other. She looked down at his hand then lifted her eyes to meet his.
Allie pulled her lower lip between her teeth again and her lashes fluttered as she let out a shuddering exhale. “Why did you come here, Luke? Was it just to ask me to bare my soul to you? Because if all you wanted was a confession, then you could have called and saved yourself the trip. I’d have spilled the beans over Zoom.”
“I wanted to tell you that… I wanted to say that I think I’m ready to date again.”
