Enter Ellie.
“Hence the one-year contract?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I figured if nothing else, you could put up with me for a year, and vice versa. But that was when we were friends. Throwing sex and feelings into the mix will definitely complicate things, and that’s all I meant this morning when I said that. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, but like I’ve told you, I don’t know how to do relationships. People leave. People choose Jack, and not just women. I’ve had buddies who chose him. My own damn family chose him.” He shrugs. “Why would you be any different?”
“Because I love you, Luke,” I say, my voice full of all the passion I’ve had to push away for the last few weeks since I first realized I was falling for him. “I don’t give a shit about football. You’re my brother’s best friend, and you’ve helped me out, and I fell for the person you are long before I met him. I don’t care about your job or your money or your brother or your family or any of that stuff. I just care about you.”
He stares at me a long beat like he’s trying to gauge whether my words are the truth. “I care about you, too.”
“Lesson one for an adult relationship. You ready? You listening good?” I ask.
He chuckles and nods.
“Okay. Don’t push me away. Don’t bow out. Talk to me, and fight with me, and communicate with me. It’s the only way relationships work.” Not that I’m any expert, to be honest. Just look at Todd.
But Luke and I have the tools to make this work, and now that he’s let me into a small part of his history, I’m ready to get on with the honeymoon.
CHAPTER 6
We’re standing at the reception desk in the lobby a little before lunch time when we hear Kaylee’s voice from across the lobby.
“What are you doing?” she asks. She’s in her swimwear, sunglasses perched on her head. I’d feel sorry for her that she’s stuck with Carol, Tim, Jack, and Michelle for the next few days, but she betrayed us when she ran to Jack with what she heard, so I can’t muster up those feelings of sympathy.
“Checking out,” Luke says thickly. He signs the receipt and pushes it back toward the clerk, who hands him back a folder with our suite charges.
“Thank you for staying with us,” the clerk says, and Luke nods before we both turn to face Kaylee.
“Where are you going?” she asks.
“On our honeymoon,” Luke says, tossing an arm around my shoulders to draw me in closer, “and we can’t do that here in a place filled with traitors and people who want our relationship to fail.”
“But...but...” she sputters. “Luke, this is our family trip. You can’t just leave.”
“Watch me.”
Carol and Tim, also donning swim gear, saunter up behind Kaylee, and this is the exact reason we’re leaving. This place is too damn small to enjoy the time we have left on this island.
Carol’s brow is raised. “Where are you two off to?”
“They’re checking out,” Kaylee says, ever the little tattletale.
“We’re going to another hotel to enjoy what’s left of our trip. Just the two of us.” He leans over and presses a kiss to my temple.
Carol rolls her eyes. “Still keeping up the act, I see.”
“It’s not an act,” Luke says. Our eyes meet, and in this moment, I know he’s telling the truth. That’s how it started, and we’re certainly not in the position for a traditional marriage given how long we’ve known one another...but at this point, we’re both committed to giving it a real try. And that’s what makes it so much more than the act we each signed up for.
“Okay,” she says, her tone full of sarcasm. “So why leave this lovely place?”
“Do you really want the answer to that?” Luke asks. “Enjoy your day at the beach. Enjoy the rest of your trip. Enjoy your life. I don’t know if I can be a part of any of it anymore.”
A spear of sadness forms in me. As much as my mom drives me crazy, I still love her. I’d never just part ways with her. But watching the way Luke’s family treats him makes me see how families can become estranged. I try to think of it from their perspective, and I still can’t wrap my head around why they constantly degrade him while building up his brother. It’s not right, and maybe now that he has me, he can finally start to see that he deserves more.
Luke sighs as he turns away from his family, and together we walk away from them and toward the restaurant where we’re meeting my family for lunch before they check out to head home and we head to our new hotel to check in.
They don’t try to stop us. They don’t say anything else—not even in response to Luke’s words that he can’t be a part of their lives anymore.
That spear of sadness I felt before seems stronger. If I feel it, I can’t imagine what he’s feeling.
At least we didn’t run into Jack.
Yet.
“Are you okay?” I ask once we’re out of earshot.
He nods and presses his lips together. “Better than I’ve been in a long time, I think.” He leans over and kisses me. It’s soft and quick, just a nip of lip to lip, but it feels like so much more. It’s sealing our promise. It’s a thank you for holding his hand through that. And maybe, above all, it’s not for show. He kissed me because he wanted to, not because we’re faking for everyone. That one was just for us, just as all the kisses in our future will be.
I just wish we didn’t have the heavy cloud of what just happened with his family hanging over us.
Nicki and Josh are already seated and waiting for us when we slide into the chairs across from them. “There’s the newlyweds,” Nicki says, and I smile. “Did you two have a crazy kinky night?”
Josh wrinkles his nose. “Babe, gross. That’s my sister.”
“And it’s my best friend,” Nicki points out. “I need all the details.”
“You know it’s not real, right?” Josh whispers to her, loud enough for only Luke and me to hear as I wave over my parents when I spot them near the hostess stand at the front of the restaurant.
“Actually...” Luke says, and then he turns to me. His eyes twinkle despite what just happened, and I get the sense that a weight lifted when he said those words to his parents. He seems a little lighter despite the heaviness I still feel.
“Oh my God,” Nicki squeals.
“What?” Josh asks.
Luke kisses me again and then turns to my brother. “I’m in love with your sister.”
Josh’s eyes practically bug out of his head. “You...this is...wait. You are? For real?” He glances at Nicki. “See? I told you!”
Luke laughs. “I am. And I’m sorry. I know I promised you I wouldn’t take a shot at her.”
Josh looks between the two of us, and he seems to soften a little. “This seems like more than taking a shot.”
“It is,” Luke says softly as he grabs my hand in his.
My parents approach the table and we all stand for good morning hugs.
I still can’t quite get over the contrast from his family to mine.
Once we’re all seated again, Luke regards my parents. He seems suddenly nervous as he clears his throat. He glances around and sees that we’re alone in our little corner of the restaurant before he speaks. “Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, I just wanted to thank you both for being here, and I also wanted to let you know that last night I told your daughter about my real feelings for her. I’m in love with her, and we’re both thrilled to be giving this a real shot.”