Chapter 29

“What do you mean this isn’t the first time it’s ever happened?” Luke asked. He suddenly became less angry, but more worried. His furrowed eyebrows had gone up as he looked more gently at me.

My lip quivered slightly and I forced myself to blink the tears away. “Nothing,” I answered. I stepped away from the wall, turning back to the academy and walking towards it. Luke’s hand clasped my wrist. I felt myself stop as I felt his cold skin touched mine. All of a sudden, all I could concentrate on was Luke’s hand. His touch made me forget everything.

“It’s not nothing Avery. Can’t you see that I’m slowly falling in love with you and there’s nothing I can do about it? When I see you hurt, I start hurting myself. I may not feel your pain physically but I sure do feel it emotionally,” Luke said. I forced myself to turn around.

His hand was still clasped on my wrist, his fingers gripping onto it for dear life. Normally, I would pull away, but I liked how his skin made contact with mine. It left a warm feeling on me. I ignored the slight sting from his grip as I looked up at him. His eyes were glistening and I knew he was trying to hold his tears in. Worry was written across his face. His lips were parted slightly as he stared at me, taking in little breaths. His lips looked so vulnerable and I got the sudden urge to kiss them again, but I held myself back.

“A-Are you going to say anything?” Luke stuttered. I shook my head, shaking away my trance on his lips. I had concentrated on kissing him more than what he had just said. He had just openly admitted that he was slowly falling in love with me.

“I-I” I stumbled to find the right words. I didn’t know what to say. My mind was racing, all sorts of thoughts running around. I wanted to tell him that I think I was falling in love with him as well, but my lips were locked.

Luke’s hand dropped from my wrist, a sudden cold feeling hitting it. Suddenly my wrist was stinging from where he held it. I looked down at my wrist to see bright red fingermarks from where he held me. I hadn’t even noticed he was grabbing me that hard.

“It’s fine. You don’t need to say anything. I get it. You don’t like me back,” Luke said. He stared at me for a moment, taking in everything he saw. He chewed his lip as he took one last look at me and turned around. One foot in front of the other, he started walking away.

My breathing hitched in the back of my throat. “Luke,” I choked. My hands clenched into fists beside me. I stumbled a step forward.

“Luke!” He kept walking. He didn’t look back at me, but I knew he heard just from the way his pace quickened.

I started running after him. One foot landed in a puddle, soaking my converse, but I didn’t care. My feet trudged the ground until I saw he was only meters away. I stopped running, staring at his back. My breathing had quickened, and I knew it wasn’t from the small sprint I just had. My heart pace sped up and it was all from the sight of Luke.

I reached out my hand, resting it on Luke’s shoulder. I crumbled the thin fabric underneath my hand, making him stop walking. “I understand Avery. You don’t like me back-“ Luke started. I pulled his shoulder back, making him turn around to face me.

I didn’t even take a moment’s hesitation before slamming my lips onto his. This time instead of being gentle, I felt Luke’s lips kiss back more eagerly, more hungry. I gripped his shirt in my fist, pulling him closer to me. I couldn’t let him go. He meant too much to me now. Luke’s hand slid down my back, going past my waist, and kept getting lower and lower. I felt it resting on the back of my thigh as he lifted me up slightly. He pushed me back, almost making me tumble over, but his arm kept me up. He took another step forward until my back hit the wall behind him.

This time, Luke didn’t hesitate to push me up against the wall with the force he was using to kiss me. My other hand snaked around his neck, tugging his hair. I bought his head down, kissing his lips harder. There was no way I could stop kissing him now. His lips were addictive. I don’t think I could ever get enough of them. I wanted more. Luke pushed me up against the wall harder as his body pressed against mine. I licked his lips, wanting more. The feel of him like this, sent electricity running through me.

“You never-“ Luke took a deep breath, pulling his lips away from mine. “answered me.” I pulled his head down towards mine again, forcing my lips upon his. I needed him. I needed to kiss him. I couldn’t get myself away from him. He was my addiction.

“Avery-“ Luke breathed, pulling himself away for just enough time to say my name. His lips slammed back onto mine, this time not from me forcing him. His tongue licked my lips hungrily. I felt myself shiver.

I pulled away, my lips still lingering on his. My forehead rested on his forehead, as I kept tugging his hair. “I think I’ve already fallen for you Luke,” I said. My lips connected with his again. Luke pushed me harder against the wall. I gripped Luke’s shirt tighter as I felt Luke’s hand ride up and down my thigh. I knew it was wrong to be kissing like this in public, but I couldn’t tear my lips away long enough to stop.

“I’ve definitely fallen for you now,” Luke mumbled against my lips. I bit the inner of his lip, sucking it slightly. I heard Luke let out a little groan, as I felt him press harder against me. I let go of his lip, quickly reconnecting our lips though. “Avery-“ Luke breathed, pulling out of the kiss to say my name. “Please-“ He couldn’t pull away long enough to say a full sentence. “Be my girlfriend.”

I pulled away, quickly looking at him shocked. My eyes blinked a few times, but I only got long enough to take a few breaths before our lips once again were on each other. I kissed him hungrily, tugging his hair, wrapping my fingers in his curls.

“Yes,” I breathed against Luke’s lips. Luke’s grip around my body tightened and I felt his smile against my lips, forcing me to smile as well. I clenched the fistful of his shirt in my hand tighter as our kissing started to slow, both of us regaining our breath.

A thought quickly crossed my mind as I continued to kiss him. I got him distracted from the little argument we had just minutes before. But as quickly as the thought came, it went, just leaving me and Luke, in an alleyway, kissing