Chapter 12 #2
Confused and excited by his words, I stared at him, desperate for more. "What about Soufflé?"
Luke laughed. "Olivia, her name is Solenne.
Cut the crap, you know how to say it. It's not Solange, Salmon, or whatever silliness you've been calling her. I’ll tell you what it was, though, it was a hint from the very beginning how much she got under your skin, and that meant I could use her to my advantage. "
"Huh?" I stepped back.
Luke lifted a hand. "Now remember you love me, so stay calm," he said.
"Luke, what are you talking about?"
"I was never going to marry Solenne. She's a friend ... and, well, she agreed to help me."
My chest burned as I began to understand. "What?"
"Actually, Solenne is the stepdaughter of my father's business colleague, the largest shareholder in Eye on Fashion. She moved here to take over, and when you pushed back against her, that gave me an idea."
I felt my face grow hotter as his words sank in, and anger rose fast and sharp, my fists clenching at my sides. "I'm not following. Actually, I’m jumping to a conclusion, but for your fucking sake, I’d better be wrong."
A smile covered Luke's face, like confessing he tricked me was some kind of joke. Rage burned through me, and when it reached my hand, I lifted it to slap the shit out of his face.
It was loud, and I hope it hurt.
Luke raised a hand to rub his cheek. "Are you mad?"
"Are you fucking kidding? Of course I am! You and that woman nearly drove me out of my mind. Do you know I haven't had a good night's sleep since you told me about the damn engagement? Shit, I've been a nun, no sex. Fuck, all the money I spent … wasted. Every waking hour I agonized over you and–"
I stopped when I realized this was exactly what Luke wanted.
"I've loved you forever. Yes, you confessed that you felt the same way once, but you were drunk.
How many drunk one-night stands have you had?
Probably dozens! I didn't want to join that list. I wanted you forever.
For years, I waited patiently for you to come to your senses.
You never came. I was nothing more than a cleanup boy.
After they had fun with you, you ordered me to take out the trash. Fuck that. I wanted all of you."
"And you couldn’t just confess your feelings like a normal human being?"
Luke reached for my arm and gently unfolded it from across my chest. "I nearly did, but my father had a plan, and it wasn't to torture you like you think. It was only to see if my waiting was in vain. What good was confessing my love for you and wrecking our friendship if you didn’t feel the same way?
I was shaking with anger. All along, it had been a game.
By all rights I should have felt relieved. The man I loved wasn’t going anywhere, but damn, it drove me crazy. Half of me wanted to call Hopeton and get out of there to cool off. But that would be running.
“I could kill you,” I said.
" Alright. Since you’re angry, I can marry Solenne, so all the time you spent worrying won’t be for nothing. Would that make you feel better?" Luke teased.
I glared at him. "I fucking dare you to even speak to that woman again."
Luke threw his head back, laughing so hard it looked like he could barely breathe, and I just stood there, seething.
"Liv, Solenne is a lesbian. Shit, during the plan, I kept fretting since she always talked about how beautiful you were. When she started telling me you were sexy, I was petrified that she might be my competition."
My mouth fell open, and eyes narrowed.
Not caring that I was fuming, Luke pulled me into his arms. I stayed stiff for a moment as I processed what he had put me through.
My pride was bruised, but there in his arms, I softened.
Who cared how he did it? Hell, he was probably right.
If he didn’t provoke me, how much longer would I have tortured us?
Without asking, Luke began steering me down the sidewalk with his arm around my shoulder.
Halfway down the block, I finally lifted mine and held his waist.
"You're going to spend the rest of your life paying for this, Luke Forrester." I lifted a finger and warned.
Carrying a pleased expression, he nodded. "A lifetime together doesn't sound like a punishment to me." He paused, then added, "So in the spring, we'll get married?"
"What?"
Luke abruptly lifted his arm off me. "Look, I'm not wasting another twenty-something years. I'm marrying someone in the spring of next year. If it's not you, there are plenty of women who–"
"Luke, let me be very clear: I'm this close to violence. Don't push me."
He wasn't moved by my words. "Yes or no?"
I shook my head, contemplated slapping him again, and then nodded. “Fine, I'll marry you. I already have the venue anyway."
"Huh?"
It dawned on me, for a millisecond, that I should probably confess the lengths I went to sabotage his and Soufflé's wedding, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment. "Forget it."
Luke smiled, and I grabbed his collar, tugged him down to me, and pressed my lips against his.
We took Luke's car home. The drive was a silent one. We took turns looking at one another, neither acknowledging what we were doing. He kept one hand on the wheel and the other locked around mine, like letting go would make me vanish. We arrived at the townhouse. I didn’t want the night to end.
"Let's go in and talk," he said, and immediately things felt right with the world.
Luke had been in my home many times before, but this moment was unlike all the others. This was different, carrying the weight of what we had finally admitted to each other.
Like ghosts treading the same steps, we walked to the backyard and sat on the expensive furniture.
Usually, Luke would sit in a chair. This time, he sat next to me on the couch.
There, amongst the ivy climbing the brick walls, we sat on waterproof cushions covering the wrought iron furniture.
Surrounded by low lights strung through the trees and the hum of the city, I found myself in the most romantic scene I’d ever experienced. It was perfect, even without planning.
"Why are you so quiet?" Luke asked.
The words made me wrinkle my nose. "This morning, I was tormented over your wedding, and now I'm the future bride. It's a lot to wrap my head around."
"You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" he asked.
"No, of course not," I practically screamed, then froze when I realized how desperate that might have sounded.
Luke carried a relieved expression. "Good, because I love you, and I honestly couldn’t stand the hell of being just friends when it’s obvious we're meant to be so much more."
Even though I still had the urge to slap him for his insane scheme, I knew he was right. I might not have ever taken the risk without him forcing my hand.
"I take back what I said." Luke pulled me against him.
"What did you say?"
He smiled, and I lowered my head to his shoulder.
"That you didn't understand the type of love I was looking for. Turns out, we’re just two of the best poker players out there."