gasps, her hand covering her heart. “Oh honey, what happened?”
“Mom!” Luke snaps. “That’s personal.” Turning to me, he blows out a frustrated breath. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s fine,” I say in her defense and take a deep breath in an attempt to maintain my composure. “She was in an accident on her way to visit me at college for the Winter Performances and Christmas Break. Drunk driver.” My voice cracks at the mention of the man who stole my mother from me. Who stole, possibly, the only person who will ever get to see the real me.
“I’m sorry,” Audrey says softly reaching over and covering my hand with hers.
“Wow, me too,” Luke says in agreement.
“Thanks.” My reply sounds robotic, as if I’ve given the same stock answer a million times before. And I have. The ache never truly goes away, it just gets lost in the shuffle of everyday life. It becomes a steady burn, that some days, is easier to handle than others.
Looking over at Mitch, his dark eyes are pained. His body tight and all of a sudden it looks like he is uncomfortable even breathing. “Mitch are you all right?” Audrey asks leaning over in her chair, her hand now resting on his upper arm.
“I’m fine,” He answers her, forcing a smile. Running a hand over his jaw, he groans. “Come on Luke, we’ve got a car to go get fixed,” Mitch says, pushing to his feet.
“Dessert?” Audrey asks, opening a small, blue Styrofoam container. “I just love these little brownie things,” she says popping one in her mouth before offering me one from the box.
“Mmmm,” Mitch groans grabbing the container before I can get one. His eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning, making me giggle at how quickly his mood changed. “I’ll tell ya,” He says, shoving them in his mouth two at a time. “That Charlie is one lucky bastard. He gets to live with this woman and all her bakery goodness.”
“Here,” Luke says opening another box. “Leah always gives me two orders since Mitch is a stingy dick with them.” Picking one up between his fingers, he holds it up to my lips. “Open up, this is gonna blow your mind.”
“I can feed myself,” I say. Luke’s eyes harden, but those lips. God, those lips that were on mine not even an hour ago, are quirked up in an ‘oh really’ smirk that I want to kiss off his damn face. Or maybe, smack off. The jury is still out on that one. Just as I reach for it, Luke pops it into his mouth and shrugs at me.
“Mmm, so good,” He groans around the bite of brownie, the delicious sound of his pleasure making my stomach flip. “Not how it works, Dollface.” Pushing to his feet, he closes the container. “Okay Mitch, let’s go get Ki’s car so we can fix it before it gets too late. We’ll take your truck so I can drive her car back. Key?” He asks holding out one hand.
“You’re gonna leave her hangin’ like that?” Mitch chuckles.
“Yep,” Luke replies, with a small grin.
“Dude, you’re a dick,” Mitch says, laughing outright now.
“Wait, what?” I ask. The only things I get are a shrug from Audrey and Mitch’s amusement as his eyes dart between Luke and me. Luke is completely calm, cool, and collected. His face giving absolutely nothing away. Yanking the keys from my pocket, I remove my car key and place it in his palm. Without another word, Luke disappears into the house leaving me a little confused and a lot pissed off.
“Hmm, that’s very interesting,” Mitch chuckles, following behind. “Nice to meet you, Ki.” He says before disappearing into the house as well.
Looking up at Audrey, I stand to my feet. “How about I give you a hand with cleaning up before I go home to tackle my own disaster?” I ask, gathering up the wrappers and bottles from where Luke and I were sitting.
“I’ll go get a garbage bag.” She nods before disappearing into the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Today has been one hell of a day and I have no idea how to
“Mom!” Luke snaps. “That’s personal.” Turning to me, he blows out a frustrated breath. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s fine,” I say in her defense and take a deep breath in an attempt to maintain my composure. “She was in an accident on her way to visit me at college for the Winter Performances and Christmas Break. Drunk driver.” My voice cracks at the mention of the man who stole my mother from me. Who stole, possibly, the only person who will ever get to see the real me.
“I’m sorry,” Audrey says softly reaching over and covering my hand with hers.
“Wow, me too,” Luke says in agreement.
“Thanks.” My reply sounds robotic, as if I’ve given the same stock answer a million times before. And I have. The ache never truly goes away, it just gets lost in the shuffle of everyday life. It becomes a steady burn, that some days, is easier to handle than others.
Looking over at Mitch, his dark eyes are pained. His body tight and all of a sudden it looks like he is uncomfortable even breathing. “Mitch are you all right?” Audrey asks leaning over in her chair, her hand now resting on his upper arm.
“I’m fine,” He answers her, forcing a smile. Running a hand over his jaw, he groans. “Come on Luke, we’ve got a car to go get fixed,” Mitch says, pushing to his feet.
“Dessert?” Audrey asks, opening a small, blue Styrofoam container. “I just love these little brownie things,” she says popping one in her mouth before offering me one from the box.
“Mmmm,” Mitch groans grabbing the container before I can get one. His eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning, making me giggle at how quickly his mood changed. “I’ll tell ya,” He says, shoving them in his mouth two at a time. “That Charlie is one lucky bastard. He gets to live with this woman and all her bakery goodness.”
“Here,” Luke says opening another box. “Leah always gives me two orders since Mitch is a stingy dick with them.” Picking one up between his fingers, he holds it up to my lips. “Open up, this is gonna blow your mind.”
“I can feed myself,” I say. Luke’s eyes harden, but those lips. God, those lips that were on mine not even an hour ago, are quirked up in an ‘oh really’ smirk that I want to kiss off his damn face. Or maybe, smack off. The jury is still out on that one. Just as I reach for it, Luke pops it into his mouth and shrugs at me.
“Mmm, so good,” He groans around the bite of brownie, the delicious sound of his pleasure making my stomach flip. “Not how it works, Dollface.” Pushing to his feet, he closes the container. “Okay Mitch, let’s go get Ki’s car so we can fix it before it gets too late. We’ll take your truck so I can drive her car back. Key?” He asks holding out one hand.
“You’re gonna leave her hangin’ like that?” Mitch chuckles.
“Yep,” Luke replies, with a small grin.
“Dude, you’re a dick,” Mitch says, laughing outright now.
“Wait, what?” I ask. The only things I get are a shrug from Audrey and Mitch’s amusement as his eyes dart between Luke and me. Luke is completely calm, cool, and collected. His face giving absolutely nothing away. Yanking the keys from my pocket, I remove my car key and place it in his palm. Without another word, Luke disappears into the house leaving me a little confused and a lot pissed off.
“Hmm, that’s very interesting,” Mitch chuckles, following behind. “Nice to meet you, Ki.” He says before disappearing into the house as well.
Looking up at Audrey, I stand to my feet. “How about I give you a hand with cleaning up before I go home to tackle my own disaster?” I ask, gathering up the wrappers and bottles from where Luke and I were sitting.
“I’ll go get a garbage bag.” She nods before disappearing into the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Today has been one hell of a day and I have no idea how to
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