Read Online Luke's Crazy California Christmas by Cindy K. Green - Free Book Online Page A

crossed.
    “You didn’t do anything. That’s kind of the problem.”
    “That doesn’t even make sense.”
    “Andrea, you’ve been so focused on your music that I’ve hardly had a minute with you even with all the technology available to keep in touch. If we can’t do it for less than a week, how do you think we’ll be able to do it next year…or maybe even this year?”
    “What do you mean, this year?” Her watery eyes stared into mine.
    “Dad has suggested I move in with him. I have a better shot at a scholarship to UCLA if I do.”
    “But you keep saying you don’t even want to go to UCLA.”
    “I don’t. I mean, I don’t know.” I didn’t know? I knew I couldn’t do that to Mom. Not really. Why had I even brought it up?
    “Are you going to move in with him?”
    “Maybe. I don’t know.” I rubbed a hand through my damp hair. “It doesn’t seem as if I have a lot to go back to.” I said this under my breath, but with Andrea standing so close to me, she heard every word.
    She took a staggered step back as if I’d struck her. “I’m sorry I haven’t been available, but it’s been a stressful week. That’s why I’m here…well, I also have an audition at USC Thornton School of Music tomorrow.” She broke eye contact and looked down to her clasped hands.
    “So”—this time, I crossed my arms over my chest—“this visit wasn’t even about me, was it?” As I took a step nearer to her, all the negative emotions I’d been carrying for days came pouring to the surface. “I think you’re too busy to be in a relationship.” My closed hands gripped into fists. Why was I so mad? I should be trying to patch things up. This was only making things worse.
    She raised her chin. “And what if you do make the UCLA baseball team or any other competitive college team? Will you have time for me?”
    “I’ll make time. You’re that important to me.”
    “You say that now, but will you? It’s hard. Trust me.”
    “Yeah, it is hard.” I wiped my hands down my face.
    Why were we fighting like this? We’d never had a real fight before.
    “Why do you have to be this way? Why can’t it be easy like it’s been with…”
    “With whom? Charli? I thought she was like a sister?”
    “She is. I didn’t mean her exactly, but I don’t know if I can keep up with you like this forever. I mean, this is the career you are working toward. You say you came to see me, but you came for an audition. It was just convenient to hit two birds with one stone. I always feel like I’m in second place.”
    “I used language my father would understand. Otherwise, he would have never allowed me to come.”
    “Whatever, Andrea. Admit it, you were happy I left over vacation. It gave you the freedom to prepare for your concert without me in the way. It didn’t bother you one bit.”
    “That’s what you think?” Her lower lip quivered, but she didn’t drop her chin or look away. “Well, then maybe we should break up.”
    “Well, maybe we should.” No, I didn’t want to break up! What was I saying? “Is that what you want?”
    Tears zigzagged down her face, making a trail. Her lips pouted as if they held something back. She nodded her head, and then she dashed for the pool gate.
    I took a step to stop her, but then paused. What was the use? She wanted to break up. When one person in a relationship wants to break up, you break up. I should have known things would go this way by the way she’d been treating me all week. Maybe we just weren’t meant to be together after all.
    ~*~
    The ball whizzed toward me. I bent my knees and swung. Crack! Bat connected with ball and it hurtled toward the fence.
    “Good one, Luke.”
    Jake and a couple of the guys from last year’s baseball team had joined me at the batting cages—my stress releaser.
    Another ball pitched my direction just as my phone rang. I jumped back out of range and signaled to the next guy in line to take my place as the ball crashed into the back