Chapter 34
Fate must be laughing at me.
Lucky’s apartment—a beautiful two-bedroom that hugs the long side of the building and boasts the most incredible morning light—happens to be in the same building that I was supposed to move into.
Ha-freaking-ha, Fate. I tip my hat to you.
In any case, his apartment is lovely. Three times the size of the corner studio I wanted and filled to the brim with all things Lucky.
Floor-to-ceiling curtains soften the exposed brick, guitars collected in one corner, a vertical vinyl player attached to the wall.
Everything he loves is on display, in the kitchen especially.
If I didn’t know better, I’d assume he was a chef.
Cast iron pots hang over a white tiled backsplash and a magnetic strip holds an impressive selection of knives.
You’re not beating those serial killer allegations here, Lucky.
Plates are stacked in the cupboard above the stove, bowls as well, glasses above the sink. Just like my parents’ house.
It’s like stepping inside his heart, warm and lively, and now I get to call it home.
“Are you sure you want my stuff mingling with yours?”
Lucky watches as I flip mugs over before storing them—because you only need to discover a bug inside your coffee once before you’re scarred for life.
“Mum does that too,” he says, a smile softening his features.
“You must miss it,” I say, closing the cupboard and mirroring his stance.
We face each other, two brackets surrounding the memory of our kiss.
“Being far from home is difficult, especially somewhere like this. I never knew it was possible to feel lonely in a city of four million people. Or in bed with my own boyfriend,” I add with a sting.
Smoke and leather fill my nose as Lucky sidles closer, the heat of him sending a shiver down my spine.
“Ex-boyfriend,” he corrects. “As he deserves, if he let you feel lonely for even a second.”
My gaze drops to his lips, and I remember how soft they were against my own, but I promised myself I wouldn’t do that again.
“I do miss it,” he says, and I swear he’s getting closer. “It wasn’t all great, in fact; most of it was pretty shit actually. Having a roof over my head and food to spare—it’s a relief, but it’s hard not to miss my family.”
It hints at a roughness belied by his open friendliness, easy grin, and cocksure attitude. Explains the steely resolve in his gaze, the hell-or-high-water persistence that seeps from his pores. It’s no wonder he made a success of himself.
“Would you ever go back?”
“No. The past is where it belongs,” he says, “for the most part.”
“But?”
Breath ghosts my cheek as he chuckles softly, making me aware of how close we are.
“No buts. I’m exactly where I want to be.”
It’s clear he means it, but there’s something underneath, a double meaning I don’t have the context to unravel yet.
“Me too,” I admit, believing it for the first time since I moved here.
His smile grows, and I can’t help but look at his lips again, wanting more than anything to cross the gap. When Lucky steps away to mess with something on his phone, I have to stamp down the urge to follow with my hands and lips.
If I can’t get a grip on this crush, I’ll be homeless again in no time.
Music fills the room, a gentle guitar strum I don’t recognize, and between one blink and another, Lucky is back, pulling me into his arms and leading me into a waltz.
“Of course you can dance.”
“I’d be happy to show you all my moves, love; you only need to ask.”
“Just don’t be mad if I step on your toes. I haven’t danced since my middle-school formal.”
“A few bruises don’t bother me,” he teases. “Feel free to mark me up however you’d like.”
I guess that answers my question about whether that kiss would make things awkward between us.
He spins me out and back again, catching me in his arms with ease.
“Is this what I have to look forward to as your roommate? Home-cooked meals and impromptu dances? My ex didn’t even like cuddling.”
“No offense, but there’s something wrong with him. How long were you together?”
“Ten years. He was my first love—or I thought he was, but now I’m not sure I know what love is. It was nice to come home to someone who knew me though. To be chosen.”
One song leads into another, slow and sultry. We’re chest to chest now, and I hide my smile in Lucky’s shoulder when he starts mimicking chords along my spine. Every brush of his fingers sends lightning through me.
“First loves are funny like that,” he says, his voice soft. It reminds me of sleepovers and shared secrets. “Most erode over time, like rock giving way to water. Others are immutable, no matter how long it’s been.”
The pain is clear in his voice.
“Do you forgive him?” I ask, pressing closer.
He takes a long breath, my cheek moving with the sigh he releases. “It took a while, but going triple platinum a few times helped.” He breaks into a smile when I playfully push at his chest.
Trust him to find a silver lining, even in the deepest of pain, the innate light within him piercing through any storm. It’s intoxicating.
“I’ve always thought Sterling was the smartest man I’ve met, but if he walked away from you and wasn’t destroyed with guilt, he’s the Devil himself.”
The warm umber of Lucky’s eyes is intense as we sway, and this time, it’s his gaze that drops, sending my heart skittering between my ribs.
“Has there been anyone since?” I ask.
His gaze holds on my lips as he licks his own, and he pulls me closer.
“Yes,” is all he says, and we must move in tandem because we’re kissing, and it’s all I remember and more.
Better actually because there’s nothing to dull the slide of his tongue against mine.
No way of missing the grip of his hand as he slides it into my hair, guiding my head back as he devours my mouth.
My lips tingle when we pull apart. “I thought you didn’t want to do this,” I whisper.
“I wanted to do it right,” he says, kissing me again. “You’re not a drunken one-night stand, love. We can take it as slow as you want—”
“No.” I slip my hands under his shirt, groaning internally as my fingertips slide over and between the groove of his ribs. He’s gorgeous. “I don’t want slow.” Clutching his shirt in my fist, I haul him back to me.
There are few opportunities in life where you can be certain of something, but in this, I am sure; Lucky came into my life for a reason, and I might not know where we’re heading, but I’m going to enjoy every second of the ride there.
* * *
Make Your Choice:
don’t stop there! gimme the good stuff* (go to 39)
no spice? no problem! (go to 41)
go back (go to 18)