31. Sienna
Chapter 31
Sienna
“You really didn’t have to do this, Juliet.” Mom grabs another box to slide into my father’s hands. I can’t believe we’re moving his stuff back into our apartment. They already have plans to move into a house outside of Wakefield.
Juliet shrugs, grabbing a box. Impossibly, she’s in a dark shirt, but I’m sure her tiny shorts offer some relief in the heat. “I had nothing better to do.”
A gleam of sunshine reflecting off metal temporarily blinds me until I make out the red car whizzing past.
A red Cadillac.
Juliet flips him off. Marcus hasn’t been arrested yet, but he will be.
For the first time, seeing him doesn’t make my stomach plummet to my feet. I’m not scared of him anymore. I won’t let him have that control over me. I’m the one who deserves justice now.
Inside, my parents tease and hug each other. Dad plants a kiss on her cheek before he follows me out the door, and it’s like they haven’t spent any time apart. They’re right back to where they were, before everything went wrong.
I’m still not totally convinced everything won’t go wrong again. But I’m holding onto hope that whatever the future holds for them, they can get through it together.
When it’s just the two of us, I hand Dad a box from his car. “I talked to Deb. She’s doing really well.”
Even though he didn’t love her the way he loves Mom, Dad still cares about Deb and he wouldn’t want to hurt her. Relief softens his features. “I’m happy to hear that. I’m sorry for the mess I’ve made of our lives, Sienna. Especially yours. I really am.”
“It’s okay. You can stop apologizing now.” I stack another box in his hands. “You and Mom seem really happy.”
He turns back to the house and grins when Mom steps out of the door. “I’m so grateful your mother was willing to give me a second chance. I’ve been wallowing over losing her for ten years, and I’ll be thankful every single morning for a second chance with both of you.”
As soon as he heads for the house, I scramble for my phone.
Ten years . Dad spent ten years pining after Mom, and she spent ten years trying to find the love she shared with him.
I don’t want to spend the next ten years pining after Luke.
My phone rings three times before a bright voice answers. “Sienna!” We haven’t been friends for long, but I already miss Violet so much. “How are you? How’s the move?”
“Not bad. Sweaty.”
“When is your last final? We should meet up before you leave for summer break.”
“Tomorrow. I’m heading back this afternoon and I was wondering if you could tell me Luke’s hockey schedule.”
“Practice is happening right now, actually. Do you want me to have him call you when it’s over?”
“Actually, could you just make sure he doesn’t leave until I can get there?”
“Um, yes!” She squeals like she’s already anticipating a grand, romantic gesture. “I’ll see you soon!”
Luke held back the truth for so long out of fear. With his past, he’s been terrified of hurting me. He knew confessing would do exactly that. He didn’t want to lose me the way he lost his dad and Chloe.
But I did the same thing. I held back the truth about what happened with Marcus. I didn’t tell him about the incident or all the threatening texts for weeks.
Fear has been holding us both back. That’s why I resisted him for so long. Afraid of what other people would say, what they would think if they found out about us. Afraid of what he would do to my heart if he got ahold of it.
But what I was most afraid of has already happened. Everyone knows about us; he already broke my heart.
Yet none of that compares to my fear of spending the rest of my life without him. Never getting to touch or hold him again. Never getting to hear his laugh or watch his eyes crinkle when he smiles. Never getting to hear the voice that sends a shiver down my spine.
My parents forgave each other for the hurt they caused. They overcame the fear that their relationship might end badly again and now they’re happier than they’ve ever been. I can’t let fear guide me anymore.
I race into the house and nearly run into Juliet. “Hey, Mom? Do you mind if Juliet and I head back to Diamond early?”
“No problem, sweetie!” Mom calls from her bedroom. “Drive safe!”
“Thank god,” Juliet mutters as she follows me out. “They were definitely about to screw.”
“Ew, don’t say shit like that about my parents.”
“Fine. They were about to make love.”
I punch her arm. Juliet slides into the passenger seat and fixes her messy ponytail. “Why are we heading back early?”
“Because I need your help with something.”
By the time we reach campus, it’s already dark. Between traffic and running out of gas and a pit stop so Juliet could pee, we delayed our time by over an hour. The building that houses the rink is dim, not a single light shining from inside, and the parking lot is vacant.
My heart sinks. I missed him. I’m too late. “Shit.”
“What the hell? I set up your phone to record your disgustingly adorable reunion and he already left?” Juliet points to my phone that she hooked up to the dashboard.
“That was actually sweet of you. I guess you do have at least one romantic bone in your body.”
She sighs. “I can’t believe I’m involved in this.”
“Let’s just go to their house.” But the words have barely left my mouth when a giant hockey player in gray sweatpants opens the door and steps outside.
His smile makes my heart leap up to my throat.
Behind him, the door swings open again, and a girl with cropped brown hair peeks out. Violet beams and waves. “Sienna! Juliet!”
“I’ll go with Violet so you can make out with your man.” Juliet hits Record on my phone before she leaves.
I wait until my best friend has disappeared inside with Violet before I grab the gift, take a deep breath, and open the door.
Luke tracks every step I take toward him, keeping the gift behind my back. Eventually, he can’t stand still anymore and heads right for me, footsteps echoing across the pavement.
My heart thunders against my ribcage when he stops inches from me, his hand reaching to caress my cheek. At the first brush of skin on skin, my knees turn to jelly. I want to throw myself at him. I’ve missed him so much.
“You came back.” His voice is raw, splitting my heart in two.
“You’re still here.”
“Violet threatened me with genital mutilation if I left.” Despite his glassy eyes, a small smile pulls at his lips.
Heart in my throat, I reveal the camera from behind my back. “When you were still the man behind the mask, you told me you bought a disposable camera and called me a bad influence.” I can’t help the smile that plays on my lips at the memory. “So, since yours got ruined, I got you another one. For all the new photos we’ll take together.”
Luke takes the camera from me with a grin. “Thank you. This is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.”
“It was the best gift I’ve ever gotten too. Because you gave it to me.”
His hand threads into my hair, urging me closer. “Everything you do is better than I deserve.”
I shake my head. My turn to caress his cheek, to hold him. He leans into my touch, eyes fluttering shut like he’s been to war for a decade and he’s finally home. “That’s not true. You’re amazing, and you deserve someone who treats you that way.”
He shakes his head. “I ruined your life.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The sex tape?—”
“That wasn’t your fault. We were both there that night. We both wanted it. Marcus is the one who filmed us and posted that video. Illegally.”
Silence falls between us for a few beats. Luke examines the camera tenderly, like it’s made of the rarest diamond. “What made you change your mind?”
“I thought it was a weakness to keep forgiving people who hurt me.” I swallow, a lump forming in my throat. “But I realized it’s a strength. I realized my parents spent the past decade in love with each other but too afraid to take the leap. Too afraid to try again. I don’t want to spend that much of my life without you when we can be together now. We’ve both lied, we’ve both made mistakes, but what matters is that we learn from them. What matters is that we love each other, and nothing will ever change that. Like you said...we’re meant to be.”
He tucks the camera in his pocket and scoops me up until I’m happily in his arms again. “I really fucking missed you.”
“I missed you. I couldn’t think about anything else.”
Luke yanks my mouth to his. His tongue sweeps past my lips, and when he moans into my mouth, I melt.
I’ve missed him so fucking much. Not just in the past few days—though that was a constant ache—but I missed the friend he was to me for so many years. The masked man I confided in about my worst fears, biggest insecurities, darkest secrets. He’s been with me at my lowest, even if he was miles away, and he’s never wavered.
When he finally lets me break the kiss, I blurt, “I love you.”
“Thank fuck,” he murmurs against my lips. “I love you too.”
We kiss again, absolute bliss washing over me like a wave. I never want to be without him again. Just like my parents got their second chance, this is ours. And I’m not screwing it up this time.
Behind me, tires roar up the pavement. Headlights beam on us. Luke squints past me at the car that squeals to a stop.
Over my shoulder, I spot a group of guys in the dark interior of a red Cadillac.
My stomach drops.
No. No, no, no . It can’t be him. It can’t?—
When the doors swing open, Stephen steps out of the passenger side and Kade from the back. Marcus from behind the wheel.
Fuck .
Marcus followed me here after spotting me in Wakefield. And this time, he brought back up.