Put Me Back Together(30)

Though I didn’t look, I could feel the row of people behind us leaning forward to hear my answer.

“Lucas and I are not on a date,” I said forcefully. “Remember, I told you, we’re nothing to each other. Well, not nothing. We’re friends. That’s it.” Em nodded at me her nod that said, I don’t believe a word of this.

“Weren’t you the one that told me he was the school Lothario?” I demanded.

“What’s your point?” she asked. “I saw the way he looked at you at The Limo. Every Lothario has his downfall. ”

“Well, let’s just say I’m not it,” I said and Em’s expression suddenly turned serious. “Lucas has a girl in every class, in every Res, in every club.” And apparently in every gym, too. “You really want me to go for a guy like that? You should be warning me away from him, not pushing me into his arms.”

I wasn’t really angry with her, it was my irritation with that whole Monica moment that was doing the talking, but Em took my words completely seriously.

“You’re right,” she said with a firm nod. “If he doesn’t want you, then screw him! In fact, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.”

Both Matt and I caught her before she flung herself out of her seat.

“No, no,” I said. “Lucas and I are friends. It’s okay. We don’t want to kill him right now.” I thought of how different my response might have been if I’d run into her an hour before and had to bite back a grin. “I’ll let you know if that changes, though.” I nudged her with my arm and she gave me a reluctant smile of agreement, but I could still see her frowning in Lucas’s direction.

The crowd cheered again as the yellow team—that was us, right?—got another basket. Going by the clock on the wall, it looked like the game was about to end. Matt had stopped listening to our conversation and was watching the court like the outcome would decide the rest of his life.

Sports were so weird.

Lucas stood again and caught my eye, gesturing toward the door. I got the impression he wanted to leave before the game ended and his old teammates could spot him, although it seemed like they’d be hearing about it either way. I could see Monica whispering to her friends at that very moment.

As I stood to follow him, Em said, “Be careful, Katie. You might want to be just friends, but you’d better make sure that’s what he wants, too. Lucas isn’t really the friends-with-girls type of guy, if you know what I mean.”

Did I ever.



I was still thinking about what Emily had said as Lucas drove me home, and when I looked up we were sitting in front of my apartment building. I hadn’t said a single word to him on the drive back. I wanted to ask him about Monica and whether he was dating her or had dated her or still wanted to date her, but it all seemed very un-friend-like, and I couldn’t get the words out. Even though I told him he didn’t have to, he insisted on walking me to my door.

“Where’s your Res, anyway?” I asked. “You never told me.”

“Why?” Lucas said. “Are you going to sneak into my room later tonight? I can tell you which window is mine and leave it open just a crack—”

“You’re sure of yourself, aren’t you?” I said, gracing him with a big eye roll as I unlocked the door to the building.

“Not all the time,” he said. I had to remind myself what a big night it had been for Lucas and that I should give him a break.

“Anyway, I live in Victoria Hall,” he said as we walked up the stairs. I noticed that his legs were so long he took the steps two at a time and sometimes three.

“I should have just met you there,” I said, feeling guilty. “The gym is barely a five-minute walk from here. Instead you had to drive all the way over here in your car just to get me.”

“Actually, it’s my roommate Danny’s car,” Lucas confessed. “He drives like a maniac. I think he dented the door slamming into a mailbox. He was drunk.”

“Sounds like a stand-up guy,” I muttered.

“But I would never have asked you to come meet me,” Lucas said as we reached my door. “I wanted to come pick you up.”

“Why’s that?” I said, feeling bold. I think a part of me was just sick of these little games we were playing. He had to learn that he couldn’t flirt with me mercilessly if he didn’t really want me. I had to draw a line.

“Don’t you know?” Lucas said.

This time my back was already against my apartment door and I had time to think, to see him coming. He stepped toward me gradually, inch by painful inch, and instead of pinning me there with his hands on either side of me, I felt them running down my arms to find my hands. The heat rose between us in a slow boil, and this time I didn’t tremble. This time I was able to meet his eyes and anticipate, and wish, and yearn.


It didn’t stop my heart from pounding though.

“Know w-what?” I stuttered as he pressed his forehead against mine, our breath mixing.

Even up close he was completely exquisite, perfect skin, dark and thick eyelashes, and those gorgeous eyes. I couldn’t stop staring into them—which was exactly the kind of thing friends did, right?

“Oh, Katie,” he said, bringing his hands up to my cheeks and holding them in his palms. I couldn’t believe how incredible it felt to have him hold my face in his hands. My eyes nearly rolled back in my head. “If I tell you now, I don’t think you’ll believe me. You’ll probably punch me in the stomach or something, and my body’s taken enough of a beating today.”