Chapter 34
JESSICA
“Let’s get out of here,” I tell Luke and grab his hand, a silent confirmation that I’m all in. I’m ready to do this in every way.
He smiles at me and kisses my knuckles before we collect my stuff and start walking toward his car. No surprise, the car is also in Europe.
“I’ve almost missed your car as much as you,” I tell him, and Luke leans me against the side of the passenger door before kissing me again.
Being apart from each other has left us both starved, and now I feel like we’re playing catch-up. Kissing, holding hands, and touching as much as possible.
“Yeah, this car definitely holds some special memories, but I don’t think it can give you the pleasure you need,” he tells me, biting down on my earlobe before opening my door.
I’m all hot and bothered for him, and he knows it as he winks at me with a sinful smile before shutting my door and slipping into the driver’s seat.
Even though we’ve only been apart for about ten days, it feels like forever. So much has happened, so I fill him in on my trip back home.
Having some downtime with my family is always wonderful, especially when I was feeling miserable. When Luke asks about the latest development with Sarah and Alexander, I tell him about their kiss.
“I fucking knew it! I told you he wanted in her pants.” Luke is so proud of himself, and I roll my eyes at him.
Guys.
He was all about Alexander being hot for Sarah, saying it was obvious that he wanted her, and his threats about turning her in to HR were pure bullshit.
“Yeah, but then she ran out of there, probably leaving him all confused.” Our conversation reminds me to call Sarah and ask about the latest developments.
Luke will probably want to be a part of the conversation as well, which makes my heart skip a beat.
He fits so well into my life, and I’ve missed having him by my side.
When we step out of the elevator into his suite, I’m met with a familiar face. James lights up when he sees us.
“Finally!” He calls and gets up from the couch.
“James?” I ask, confusion written all over my face. Luke’s watching our exchange with a smile on his face.
“Well, my full name is Sebastian James Bennet. Sorry about the whole misinformation, darling. I just had to meet the woman that my best friend is in love with.”
I feel my heart hammering at his words, but Sebastian just continues, oblivious to the bomb he just dropped on me.
I’m dazed to hear Sebastian say Luke is in love with me, and Luke not correcting his best friend. It makes me feel warm, happy, and hopeful.
“Sorry that I had to trick you a little, but my bestie here was being an idiot, so I figured I had to go meet you for myself.” I’m stunned into silence by James, or rather Sebastian, which is the name he actually uses.
“Nice to meet you, for real this time,” I tell him, and he grabs his hoodie from the couch.
“I’m sure you’ll have lots to catch up on, and I’d rather not be here to hear it all. I’ll sleep somewhere else tonight. See you!”
He’s off, leaving us alone.
No wonder he seemed familiar when I met him. I probably saw him at the gala, not knowing it was Sebastian.
Luke has also shown me some pictures, but I didn’t make the connection when I saw him in real life.
Even though I would love to get to know another important person in Luke’s life, I’m also grateful that we’ll have this evening for ourselves.
We have a lot to talk about.
We decide to order takeout as Robert has the day off, and we settle into the couch with Luke’s arms around me.
First, we catch up on the mundane things we’ve been doing over the time we’ve spent apart.
I tell him about my trip back home and seeing my parents and brother. The retail therapy with Sarah, and how she will probably be a little more sceptical whenever the time comes for Luke to meet her.
At this, he only chuckles and tells me that he wouldn’t expect anything less.
Luke tells me that he’s been living like a zombie. Eating, training, sleeping, and going to his meetings.
I laugh when he tells me about Sebastian’s adrenaline kicks and how he tried to get Luke to lighten up.
I’m glad that Luke has good people around him who take care of him when things get tough. Just like I have Sarah, he has Sebastian.
“I’ve been following the stuff you post on Star News’s social media, and I’m so proud of you, baby. You’re thriving here, and even though I’d love to let everyone know that you’re mine, I’ll respect your wish if you want to keep this private for now.”
My heart warms at his praise for my work and the fact that he’s been keeping up with me.
I bite my lip, excited to tell him about my conversation with Anne.
“Actually, you could have spared us both the heartache if you’d actually talked to me.” Luke looks confused, so I keep going.
“Well, I had already decided that I wanted to do this with you, in public as well, when I agreed to be your date to the gala. Even though I’ve been scared, I was ready,” I tell him, and he motions for me to go on.
“The Monday after the gala, I had a meeting with Anne, and I found out that she’s married to Harold, the former F1 driver and one of the men being honoured at the event. They met when she was just starting out as a reporter, and he was an aspiring driver.”
Their story reminds me of Luke and me, and the encouraging look in his eyes tells me he recognizes it, too.
“Long story short, although some criticized their relationship, there’s nothing that says a reporter can’t date a driver and vice versa, so even if someone were to judge or criticize, it wouldn’t really matter.”
I hadn’t realized how much the doubt was affecting me before I had the conversation with Anne.
Part of me was always a little scared that the other shoe was going to drop or that someone would eventually discover my relationship with Luke. Having the pressure lifted makes me feel hopeful about the future and what’s to come.
Now, all the doubts can be put to rest, and we can move forward.
“We’ve already concluded that I’ve been an idiot, but I’m glad you had that talk anyway,” he tells me.
“Yeah, and even if I think it was wrong to make that choice for me, I understand your reasons,” I tell him honestly. I’ve been hurt, angry, and sad about how things ended and all the questions he left me with.
I couldn’t make sense of his words that day.
Hearing his reasoning and selflessness makes me fall just a little bit more in love with the great man he is.