thirty-seven

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"Or are you just gonna keep standing there, watching me?" Luke raises his brows.

Oh, he's grumpy.

Good. My jaw sets defiantly. I've been grumpy for years.

"I want to talk to you about something, actually." I cross my arms over my chest.

"You want to talk to me?" Luke smirks but it fades quickly. "How the tables have turned, hm?"

I narrow my eyes at him, pursing my lips tightly together.

He can sass. He can joke. He can charm. But I will not let it get to me. Not this time.

After a few seconds, my silence works and Luke gives in.

"Alright." He pushes the door open wider so I can pass through. "Why don't we talk inside?"

"Thank you." I mutter curtly, leaving a wide birth between our bodies as I enter the shop. The smell of him alone is already too much.

Blinking hard to clear my mind, I take my place in front of the counter, pretending to scan the newspaper while Luke sits on the register stool.

"Mind if I keep going while we talk?" He nods towards the large stack of cardboard he's breaking down using a pocket knife.

I nod, "That's fine."

"Thanks." He chuckles to himself, shaking his head as he grabs another box. The knife makes a sharp, melodic sound as it tears through the cardboard.

Watching his hands making quick work of the task, I try to decide the best way to approach this.

I prefer to be blunt, but what was it Grams always told me? You catch more bees with honey?

"You know I really appreciate everything you've done to help Grams." I try my hand at sugar instead of spice. "I'm not sure what she would have done without you, after her fall."

Luke's head perks up at friendly approach, his brows raised in suspicion. "Like I said before: whatever June needs, I'm happy to help with."

"Mhm," I bite my bottom lip. "Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm here now," I meet his stare. "And yet you're always around. Grams seems to want you around."

Luke squints at me. "Is there a point you're trying to make, Dyl?"

"My point, Luke," I let go of the bite I'm almost taking out of my cheek, "Is why?"

Luke's hand halts over the cardboard, before he resumes his work, a sly smile on his lips. "I don't know." He glances up at me. "I'm likable."

"Depends who you ask. So why does she like you so much?" I lean my hands against the counter top. "I'm being serious, Luke. What don't I know?"

Again, he glances up and lets out a deep sigh. Closing his knife and tucking it into his pocket, he takes a break from his work and nervously fingers the hair sneaking out from under his cap.

"Okay. It's not a big deal, to be honest. When Laura got pregnant with Finn, she had... a hard time. My parents were fine with her having the baby," Luke sighs again. "So long as she didn't stay with Finn's dad. I mean, you probably can get the gist of that - he doesn't really show up. Not for Laura, and they assumed not for Finn, when he got here."

My brows crinkle. How could you not show up for Finn? I feel the frown becoming more pronounced on my face.

Nodding at my expression, Luke continues. "Well - you know Laura. Or you used to,"

I bite my tongue.

"Anyways, she said she was staying with the guy. My parents said they wouldn't support it, but I don't think Laura thought they were serious." He shrugs, as if all my questions have been answered.

"And they were?" I prompt, flipping my hand impatiently.

"Oh yeah." Luke rubs his face. "So they kicked her out. I guess Grams found her on a bench at the beach, crying. She offered her a place to stay, no questions asked, no judgement."

I cock my head to the side, all of this brand new information to me. "So Laura stayed?"

"Of course. She had no where else to go." Luke watches me closely, monitoring me for a reaction.

I nod. Okay. I could see Grams helping someone in Laura's situation. As for Luke...

"And I guess you were around to support Laura." Of course he would be.

"Yeah. Even more after Finn came. My parents were right, obviously. Finn's dad pretty much bailed as soon as Finn was born. Grams let her stay until she could get a place of her own. She'd let me stay to be around Finn."

I look down at the newspaper, scanning the words without reading them.

"So..." Luke continues matter-of-factly, "If June needed something done, I'd do it."

I nod, continuing my assault on my inner lip. It all makes sense. I peer up at him again, searching his face for any clues.

Why does it feel like he's hiding something, still? Like he bonded with Grams over something other than being a great brother and a better uncle?

"That's it?" I mutter, watching his eyes closely.

Luke nods, face serious but eyes guarded. "That's it."

"Why would she do that?" I mumble, more to myself than to Luke, confusion and guilt knitting my brows together.

I know why she would. But for Luke's family? Maybe the break-up she could overlook - I never told her that he cheated, or who he cheated with - but the accident? What he did to Casey?

Luke's voice breaks me from my thoughts.

"Maybe it felt good to take care of someone again."

A pain stabs through my heart. I stare at my fingers to hide the shameful blush in my cheeks. I never thought about it like that.

When Case died, I stayed away. I needed to. But where did that leave Gram?

I gulp, blinking back the prick in my eyes.

Alone. It left her alone.

In a low whisper, I admit defeat. "I never thought about it like that."

"Or maybe not, I don't know." Luke shrugs, a sympathetic half smile on his full lips. "You'd have to ask June."

"Yeah," I agree, adjusting my backpack on my shoulder. The guilt is almost overwhelming, making me sort of nauseous. "I will."

Tucking my hair behind my ear, I make my way to the door, my mind buzzing. As I push the glass open and the breeze tosses my hair over my shoulder, I give one last look to Luke.

"Thanks for being honest with me."

There's still something nagging at me, something making me doubt his transparency.

Expression impressively neutral, Luke simply nods.

"Sure, Dyl. Any time."

I head back to the center, wondering about his last promise.

Any time? The past tells me that's not true.

But what about this time?

Second chapter today, what what!
To make it up to you guys for the long wait before ❤️
What do we think - is Luke being 100% honest?
What do you think about what he said?

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