AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She ignored him. “You’re tough. You can handle them,” she said.
“I don’t think I have much of a choice,” he said.
“We all have choices in life, Luke.”
He snorted but didn’t say anything else.
Overall, she’d say that went better than she thought.
31
Hero Complex Things
“I can’t believe you are just telling me now that you’ve got a boyfriend,” her mother said the next night on the phone.
“Geez, Mom. You make it sound like I’ve been keeping it from you for years. It’s been a few months.”
“You could have said something before now,” her mother argued.
“Not sure what the big deal is,” Heather said. “It was new and you never know how things are going to go.”
Which was a lie because it wasn’t all that new and if she counted back on how long she’d known Luke, it’d been almost two years.
Though they’d only been in communication since he moved back here in January, and even then, the past eight months weren’t like they talked daily or weekly. Not even monthly.
So yeah, deciding she was going to play this off as she started to date after her accident was the right thing to do.
Technically, that was the case anyway.
“I guess,” her mother said. “But since you are telling me, that means it’s serious, right?”
Her mother’s voice got quiet on the other end. “What’s wrong?”
“You didn’t answer me,” her mother said.
“Yes,” she said. “It’s serious for me.”
“Which means not for him so it might not last?”
She didn’t want to get annoyed over that statement. “It’s not that. I think there are just things in his head is all. Like Gavin and Noah.”
There was more silence. “What does he do for a living?”
It was funny her mother hadn’t asked his name yet. “He’s a state trooper, Mom. It’s Luke.”
“Oh. So this is one of those hero complex things.”
She wanted to grind her teeth. “No! You know I knew him before. I met him at Lily’s wedding. Then again at the Christmas party in December. He’d just recently moved back to the area and had been going through the academy. We weren’t dating or anything, but we’d run into each other. We’ve got that work connection. His best friend is Zane. I work on their property.”
This was sounding pretty good coming out of her mouth. She wanted to pat herself on the back.
“So, what is going on with you two then? If he’s like Gavin he must work a lot.”
“He does,” she said. “Which is why I said that I know it’s serious with me, but he’s still feeling some of what the boys do. I’m trying to prove to him I’m all in.”
“You shouldn’t have to force your way into someone’s life.”
“I’m not,” she said, almost growling. “I love him, but I haven’t told him. I’m telling you this so you understand. I want you to meet him. Not as the man that saved me, though I know you’re going to keep saying that. But as the man I love.”
