Part 20 (2/2)

I could see the confusion on my dad's face. Boyfriend? Friend? General guy?

”He came and got me. The Parkers saved us two cots with them.”

The whitening knuckles around the briefcase handle loosened as Dad reached out to shake Luke's hand. Just like with everyone else, Luke's manners and laid-back demeanor calmed my dad.

”It's nice to meet you, Luke. I look forward to meeting your parents later. But, do you think you could give me and Amy a moment?”

All the panic of the day washed over me again. I had no idea what my father wanted to say. I wasn't even sure we knew how to talk to one another any more. I mean, look how well ”h.e.l.lo” had gone. Yeah, not so great.

Luke gave my shoulder a squeeze before he walked away, scooping Tom up and tucking him under an arm as he went.

I tried to do that waiting thing Luke always does that makes me want to spill my guts, but I didn't have the knack. I wondered if he practiced it in the mirror. The perfect stance, tilt your head just the right way, quirk your eyebrow but not too much... Just when I was about to give up, my dad dropped his briefcase and hauled me into his arms, clasping me to him till I couldn't breathe.

He kept my hand trapped between his after he eased away, a vise grip as if he thought I'd flee. And, to be honest, I might have. I felt hot and itchy, like I was breaking out in hives from some type of allergic reaction to time with my dad.

He must have realized, or felt the same uncomfortableness, because he released my hand and dropped his head into both of his, shaking it slowly.

”Amy.” His voice came a little m.u.f.fled before he raised his gaze to me again. ”Dear G.o.d, Amy-girl. I came down the last hill and saw the bridge submerged. I thought I'd...” He collapsed onto the cot my sleeping bag covered, groping for my hand and pulling me down beside him. ”When I saw the bridge washed out and the water flooding up the hill... and there was no way out to the cottage... and the phone kept saying no lines available. I thought-I thought I'd lost you too. I thought you'd both left me.”

I looked at him, trying to meet his gaze but realizing he stared at me and through me at the same time. I thought of all those mornings he was gone before I got up and the nights when I'd first laid in bed waiting to hear his car drive up until I learned to sleep in an empty house.

My hand tingled under his. I didn't know whether to be happy or upset that it took scaring the snot out of him to maybe get him back.

Chapter 25.

In the far corner the generator kicked on. The low buzz of the lights was lost under my internal voice screaming that I was an idiot. I rolled on my side and scooted to the edge of my cot till Luke's face became clear in the dim light.

With his eyes closed and the hair flopping over his forehead, he looked almost as young as Tom, his perfectionist streak and stubbornness both hidden by the lash-framed lids closed in dreamland. That's when it finally dawned on me how lucky I was this perfectionist may just be perfect for me.

I hadn't realized how badly I'd messed things up until then. I'd seen all the mistakes and moments scattered as little puzzle pieces. But lying there, watching him sleep after he'd braved a flood to rescue me, I learned one of those lessons I'd wished my mom had been around to teach me.

There's a huge difference between your dream guy and the real deal. If you're a lot lucky and a little smart, maybe-just maybe-you'll find both.

Those dark lashes fluttered and Luke's eyes opened, adjusting his sleep-heavy gaze. He stared at me with that word-searching look, unsurprised to see me so close, to see me awake in the middle of the night.

He reached across the three-inch canyon between our cots and pushed my hair out of my face so he could see me too.

”My G.o.d,” he whispered. ”You're so beautiful.”

His hand slid down and cupped my cheek as he s.h.i.+fted quietly toward me.

”You really are,” he said, as if he knew I was arguing with him in my head about it, even if I hadn't said a word.

He rose up on his elbow until he seemed to hover just over me, his hand still cupping my cheek, his thumb rubbing softly against my skin.

Before I could start thinking, he shut my mind off completely. His lips brushed over mine once and then returned to kiss at my lips as if learning them, studying them.

I forgot we were in a gymnasium with half our town sprawled around us in the middle of a natural disaster. The fact that my father slept on the cot behind me, or Luke's entire family was just beyond him, was so unthinkable it never dawned on me to be appalled for falling into his kiss. He leaned away and slid his hand down my arm until he held my hand in his larger one. Pulling them toward him across the gap, he kissed my palm and wrapped it in his own before tucking both our hands under his head.

And fell back asleep.

”Luke?”

Seriously. Asleep.

”Luke?”

I totally don't get guys.

I'd cheated on my secret-kind-of-could-be-but-I'm-not-so-sure-anymore boyfriend.

Somehow in the middle of the night I must have reclaimed my hand because, when I shot up nothing tethered me. Nothing held me to Luke but a sweet memory that, for all my deluded mind knew, could have been a dream. It certainly felt like one.

I had to tell Chris. Not because confession was good for the soul blah, blah, blah. Because, let's be honest. I was over it-over him. I'd finally realized that through this entire thing, there was only one guy who saw me, who knew me, who would drive over a bridge about to collapse to rescue me. And it wasn't Chris.

Part of me-a big part-doubted he'd really care. Even now I struggled to see which Chris was real. But the reality was, it didn't matter. Because, the truth of the whole thing was, being with Luke had nothing to do with whether Chris was lying or not and everything to do with deciding what-who-I wanted.

And that was a no-brainer.

Okay, so it took me a while to get to the no-brainer part, but once I was there, I was so there. But, honor said I needed to say the words to Chris first so I could start fresh with Luke. I could start right with Luke.

On the far side of the gym, a bunch of smaller boys played a miniature game of dodge ball. Luke stood by, jumping in occasionally and watching his little brother. A shudder of self-realization rocked through me as I watched him. I'd known Luke less than two weeks, but if I spent senior year learning anyone, I wanted it to be him.

Grabbing my toiletry bag, I made my way to the girls' locker room and showered away the gym sc.u.m that seemed to float in the air. Heading back to stow my stuff and search for Chris, I slowed as I heard voices coming from one of the cla.s.srooms.

It wasn't the voices or the laughter that got my attention. It was the conversation.

”So, you didn't start seeing Rick until after you'd dumped Chris?”

I could have kept walking-I should have kept walking-but the voice that answered drew me up short.

”Yeah. Plus, he was getting weird. Like he didn't want to be around me all the time. He'd get distracted and stuff.”

”So, seriously, you aren't, you know, considering getting back together with him? I mean, like after last night and all?”

Cheryl's voice floated out all light and airy like those little white wispy things you blow off dandelions. Footsteps echoed behind me, but I didn't move away. I was too curious. Nosy. I was too nosy.

”No, don't be silly.” She laughed again and lowered her voice. But not enough. ”That was just s.e.x.”

<script>