Chapter Twenty-Four
I found myself sitting on the edge of my bed the following morning, fully dressed but unable to leave.
What the hell is going to happen when you see him?
The idea of him waiting for me after class was too much. My muscles already wanted to go into fight or flight mode, and I wasn’t even actually looking into his soulless blue eyes yet.
V : Pick me up please.
LUKE : I was already on my way.
I let out a long breath, knowing I’d typically be annoyed at him for treating me like I couldn’t take care of myself, but in this instance, his arrogance was welcomed.
While my mother had told me to go all out with my wardrobe, I went understated instead and paired a black sweater with jeans and boots.
My mermaid necklace remained my only jewelry while my blonde hair hung in waves from the braids.
My cheek hadn’t bruised, it was just a little puffy and sore.
It was one less thing that I had to explain, and for that I was grateful.
Once downstairs, I scarfed down four chocolate chip pancakes under the watchful eye of my mother, though she seemed satisfied with my renewed appetite.
When Luke’s truck pulled up outside, I grabbed my bag and hurried towards the door, not particularly wanting my mom to have a second chance to speak with him.
“Vanessa—take these to Luke, will you?” She held out a foil wrapped paper plate full of pancakes. My gaze softened as I realized they were gratitude pancakes.
“Sure, thanks.” I squeezed my mom into a hug. It was probable that when my dad returned from his trip that evening, there would be further uncomfortable conversations about what happened with Zack, but I felt closer to my mom than I had in a long time.
Plate in hand, I walked carefully down the front porch steps and out to the truck. Luke hopped out to open my door like he was a southern gentleman or something.
“Good morning,” he greeted cheerfully, almost like his usual self—minus the manners.
“Morning,” I murmured. “These are for you,” I explained, placing the plate in his hand.
“You made me food?” he asked incredulously.
“No, I carried you food. My mom made it.”
“Sweet, I might actually eat it then,” he shared, his eyes shining before closing my door.
I only had time to glare at him. Once he started his truck, I shut off his stereo as soon as the beat dropped.
“Did you just touch my stereo? And cut off the new Lil Wayne album?” His tone was harsh, but his eyes were playful.
“Yes and yes. It’s too early for Lil Wayne,” I declared, finding a station more to my liking on his radio.
“You are a brave woman, Vanessa Roberts. I could have taken your hand off for that.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re so big and bad. I’m shaking in my literal boots,” I teased.
He raised an eyebrow at me and reached his hand over the center console. I thought for a brief moment he might try to hold my hand, but at the last moment, his fingers dug lightly into my side just below my ribs.
“Oh my god!” I squealed. “Do not tickle me.” I grabbed his wrist to fend him off.
“Sorry. You can’t just get off without any consequences,” he explained calmly, pinching my side one last time before turning his music back on.
“Rude,” I chided him. “And you should be watching the road anyway.”
He almost snorted. A snort didn’t quite suit his features. A semi-awkward silence filled the cab of the truck as we both struggled to find something to fill it that didn’t involve the previous afternoon. His hand was cleaned up, though it still looked a little gnarly. I cleared my throat nervously.
“Any idea what we’re going to walk into today?” I asked quietly. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye.
“Honestly? Probably nothing. No way he’s going to admit to people that I got the better of him, or that he…well, you were there. I was surprised when he didn’t make a thing out of giving me that black eye the other day. I’m still not sure why he didn’t run his mouth.”
“Zack gave you that black eye?”
“Oh. Yeah. I thought you knew that after yesterday, sorry. We, ah, kind of got into it in the locker room at the gym. His ass hat of a friend practically tackled me first, though.”
“Jesus, Luke. Why didn’t you say anything? Elbowed while playing basketball, really?”
“Would you have listened? Honestly?”
I gave a silent response, knowing I wouldn’t have.
“Wait. Yesterday…you called him…is he on steroids?”
I had blocked out a lot of the details from our altercation, but now there were some things that started to click in my mind.
Luke sighed. “I’m like ninety-nine percent sure. He’s not doing them very well , mind you, but yeah.”
“How do you do steroids well ? Stop. You don’t…”
“God, no. V, seriously? Come on. I don’t even get flu shots.
They freak me out. And I just mean…most guys who, like, enhance themselves, or whatever, are actively trying to get ripped.
In the gym every day, eating only lean proteins, etcetera.
Your boy was eating like shit and is one of the laziest sons of bitches I’ve ever met. Sorry,” he added as an afterthought.
“He’s not my boy,” I replied solemnly.
“I’m sorry. I know. That was a stupid thing to say.”
“I’m really kind of an idiot, huh?” I thought back to picking up random bags at Rich’s, and Zack’s angry outbursts. I never even questioned any of it.
“V…you’re not an idiot. Your taste in men could use some work, because that guy was a dick long before he ever took anything. Don’t like, beat yourself up about it.”
“Yeah…I just left that part to him.”
Fox Falls College was coming into view, but I suddenly felt much less prepared.
He was quiet as we pulled into the parking lot, and he seemed to purposely maneuver the truck to the furthest possible point from the “incident.” I took a few deep breaths, trying to think about putting on a normal face.
“Do you have practice today?” Luke asked, lightening the mood.
“No. We have a break before our insane regionals schedule. Well, as much as three days is a break.”
“I have to help set up for intramurals this afternoon, but I can take you home first if that’s cool.”
“Oh, I’m sure Liv can give me a ride, or I can call my mom. I don’t want you to skip out on your stuff.”
“I’d feel better if I took you home. My job is mostly setting up the equipment, so I won’t be in trouble if I’m a few minutes late. The actual games don’t start until later.”
“If you’re sure, okay. I’ll meet you at two.
” Luke slid out of the driver’s side and came around to let me out.
The whole dynamic between us was weird now.
He wasn’t giving me nearly as much shit as usual.
Admittedly though, I wasn’t either. I sort of owed him…
and when he wasn’t being annoying, his jawline was distracting.
It was like walking around with a Ken doll.
Almost involuntarily, I looked around the lot for the familiar black Charger, and finally breathed when I didn’t see it. Still, I scooted in closer to Luke as we walked into the courtyard. It was a natural motion for him to rest his long arm around me protectively.
“Hey guys…” Liv greeted as we walked up. Luke abruptly stepped away from me and put some space between us.
“Hiya,” I responded, trying desperately to remember what I would say on any other day when I wasn’t waiting for my sociopathic ex-boyfriend to jump out from behind a trash can. Or ex-non-boyfriend.
Ridiculous .
“Buenos días,” Luke replied, ruffling Liv’s hair obnoxiously before continuing down the hall. “See you later, V,” he added as an afterthought.
“What the…why did he just touch my hair?” Liv asked, concerned. She frantically flipped her head over to fluff it back to its unnatural state.
“I cannot claim to know why Luke Miller does anything he does.” I meant that truthfully.
“Um, why was his arm around you? Don’t you two like hate each other? And where is Zack? And what the hell is going on? You know I’m just going to keep asking you questions until you start talking because I’m so confused right now. Why did he say he’d see you—”
“Liv! No more questions! I don’t even know the answers to any of them. Zack and I are no more. That’s all I’ve got for you.”
The two of us made our way into the building and towards our lockers, me trying to act natural, and Liv trying not to run into anyone else as she conducted the second coming of the Spanish Inquisition.
“Wait, what? Why? I’m sorry for the alliteration. I just feel like Alice in the rabbit hole or something. You know how I feel about that creepy movie. Giant caterpillar smoking a hooka. Gross.”
“Yes, Olivia, I’m aware.”
“Don’t call me O-liv-i-a! I’m not a four-syllable name person.”
“I want to understand you, honestly I do, but what does that even mean? My name has three syllables.”
“It’s completely different.”
“You’re insane.”
“And you’re deflecting! What happened?!” She was now digging her nails into my arm to slow my pace .
“He just…he’s an ass. There was a scene. That’s it.”
“A scene, like Steven Spielberg? Were there dinosaurs? What do you mean a scene, I need to knooooooow.”
“Just let it go for right now, okay?” I dropped the playful banter and shot her a serious look. My shield would not hold with the artillery Liv was shooting off.
Liv pursed her lips, but she backed off. “Do we loathe him?”
“Yes. We loathe him,” I agreed.
We gathered our things in near silence and started towards our first classes, though every few minutes, Liv would breathe in like she had another question to ask before thinking better of it.
Other than that, there was no indication that anyone knew anything of what had transpired in the parking lot.
There were no whispers or averted eyes; I didn’t have to yell at anyone for staring.
I still turned every corner that day with bated breath, not sure if I was about to meet his eyes across the hall.
It was possible that Zack hadn’t shown up to campus at all.