Luke:Hey, Doc. Sorry I missed you last night, but I fell asleep in my truck and didn’t wake up until morning.
My chest deflates, and I sag against my desk. Oh my god, my eyes sting. I blink frantically and then bite the inside of my cheek.
No. I will not cry over this man.
My phone pings again, and I stare at it through blurry eyes.
Luke:Good news tho. Got the itinerary for Colorado today.
Wait, what? Who the hell emailed that to him? It wasn’t me. But then I remember the evil gleam in Amanda’s eyes as she stared me down earlier. She’s done this. I wouldn’t be surprised if Luke exchanged numbers with her and they chatted regularly.
They probably plot and scheme against me.
Jesus.
There’s no way I am escaping him now. He’ll be on that plane with me to Colorado. I can’t even bring myself to be mad about it.
Luke:I already have a shit ton of things planned. Be ready.
My fingers move across the screen before I can even think too hard about it.
Me:Next time, text me that you’re safe.
Luke:Aw, worried about me, Doc?
I don’t answer because enough has already been said. I’ve shown him too much. It’s better to just hide away what little is left, for safety reasons.
When I finally arrive home, I am a mess of emotions. I hate emotions, they’re so inconvenient.
But I’m human, and emotions come with the territory. I wish I had just been born an extraterrestrial being or maybe a shark. Whatever has an easy life and no emotions, I want to be that.
But I’m not. I’m just me. And I know there’s only one thing that will help me feel in control.
One. Thing.
Luke’s on the front porch, a beer in his hand. He’s wearing oil-stained jeans, a grey shirt, and a grey beanie. He looks absolutely filthy, and I want nothing more than to smear that dirt right into his skin.
I stalk past him.
“Hey,” he says, following me inside. “You look extra grumpy today.”
If he only knew the absolute pain I’ve been in for the past twenty-four hours.
What I’ve suffered.
“On the bed. On your knees, facing the headboard. Hands behind your back.”
He eyes me, and I arch an eyebrow at him. Why isn’t he running to do as I ask? Why the hell does he have to push all the time?
“Is this my punishment, Doc?” Luke asks, tilting his head, looking intrigued.
I glance down at the bulge growing in his pants and meet his stare. “I think you already know what this is.”
Luke opens a beer and takes a long sip before setting it down on the counter.
“Can’t do that,” he says, and I swear I’m hearing things, because Lukedid notjust turn me down.
“Your sisters are on their way here.”