Love In Between(32)

We were by a dark alley with only a dimmed light post to provide some lighting. Luke pushed me up against the brick and pinned my hands with his to the wall. “I don’t want to leave you alone, Lily.”

We stared into each other’s eyes before he leaned forward and forcefully pushed his lips against mine, forcing my lips to part. He kissed me as if he wanted to devour me. Our tongues were tangled as the alluring scent of him engulfed my senses. I felt helpless, and I couldn’t move because he was too strong. My heart was racing. Moments later, he broke our kiss and stared at me.

“I hope you don’t remember this tomorrow,” he whispered.

Luke let go of my hands and picked me up. He carried me to his Jeep, set me in the passenger seat, pulled the seatbelt over me, and buckled it. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

***

My eyes flew open, and I looked around my bedroom. Looking down, I noticed that I was still in my dress from last night. Over to the right, the clock read 8:00 a.m. I put my hand on my head as it felt like there was someone inside, pounding it with a sledgehammer. I felt sick, and I was still a little dizzy. I couldn’t remember how I got home or in my bed. Stumbling out of bed, I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror; my mascara was smeared underneath my red eyes. I started the bath and poured some bubbles under the stream of running water; then I climbed into the tub and laid myself back. The last thing I remembered about last night was Luke’s band performing. I ran my fingers across my lips; remembering the dream I had about him kissing me and how real it felt. I closed my eyes to try and soothe my pounding head, but it didn’t help. After a thirty minute soak, I got out of the bathtub and threw on a fuchsia cotton sundress. I ran a brush through my hair and piled it on top of my head in a messy bun; then I stumbled back into the bathroom for some Motrin. As I pulled out the bottle, I noticed it was empty. I sighed. As I made my way to the kitchen, I was startled by a knock on the door. I walked over, looked out the peephole, and saw Luke standing there with coffee in his hands, so I opened the door.

“Good morning, I’ve come with coffee, which I’m sure you need.” He smiled as he held up two cups.

“You don’t by any chance have some Motrin, do you?” I asked.

He handed me a coffee cup, reached inside the pocket of his shorts, then pulled out a bottle, shaking it in front of me.

“You may come in,” I said as I stepped out of the way.

I took the bottle from him and set it on the counter. As I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, I caught him staring at me.

“What? I know I look like a hot mess, but you don’t have to make it so obvious.”

He laughed. “You do look like a hot mess, but I like it. It’s very becoming on you.”

I sighed as I took three pills out of the bottle and shoved them in my mouth, chasing them down with water. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

“Only the ones I like.” He smiled.

“So, how did you know I was up?” I asked.

“I heard you run the bath water.”

“Oh, that’s nice; do you also hear it when I’m getting myself off?” An expression of shock overtook his face. “I’m joking, Luke.”

He shook his head and grinned at me. He was sexy in his long khaki shorts and tight red t-shirt. “I apologize for anything I may have done or said last night. The last thing I remember is watching you perform,” I said as I motioned for us to sit down on the couch.

“That’s the last thing you remember?”

“Yes, so please enlighten me on my activities so that I can decide whether or not to show my face at Bernie’s again.”

“Well, you told some girl to find a street corner and get paid for giving blow jobs, you told Gretchen and Giselle to f*ck off, and then you told me to do the same. After that, you said you were going to the bathroom, but instead, you went out the front door, and I had to chase after you.”

“Oh,” I gulped. “I’m sorry; it was the vodka. I’m sure Giselle and Gretchen told you how I get when I drink it.”

“Yes, they did. If you know how you get then why do you drink it?”

“It soothes me, and after the news I got yesterday, I needed it.”

“What news? Did it have anything to do with that nightmare you had?”

I took in a deep breath before I answered him. “I think it did. Giselle called after you dropped me off, told me that my mother had contacted her, and that she was looking for me. It upset me, and when I went to lay down for a while, it must have manifested into that nightmare.”

“Please tell me about your nightmare. I know you’d rather not, but I want to hear about it.”

I heard the sincerity in his voice, and that he truly wanted to hear about my dream, so I took in a deep breath and told him everything. Luke reached out, taking both my hands and interlaced our fingers. His touch made my heart flutter. “That’s horrible, Lily,” he said, then he pulled me into his chest. “You shouldn’t be having nightmares like that. I’m sorry.”

He leaned back against the arm of the couch, almost in a laying position, and I was snuggled against his chest. He let go of my hands and wrapped his arms around me as if he was keeping me safe. I could feel the rapid beating of his heart; a similar beat that matched mine. As he began stroking my hair, I tilted my head to see him smiling down at me, and the words suddenly flew out of my mouth before I could stop them, “Kiss me.”