MR. PERFECTLY FINE ; LUKE HUGHES

33

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🍒 ꒱ what a sad, beautiful, tragic love affair
we had a beautiful magic love there.
TAYLOR SWIFT^

LORELEI

THE LOOK on the Lukes face was pure panic, a mix of chaos in his eyes that seemed to darken as he stared at me.

I, personally, never took my eyes off the girl who was practically drooling over my boyfriend. My hands formed fists at my sides, feeling every gaze at the table lingering on me, waiting for me snap.

"Are you fucking her?" Was I all I could conclude, watching her lips part as she glanced at Luke. "Huh, Luke?"

"What?" Luke choked, shaking his head rapidly as he stood, the chair squeaking painfully loud. "No, baby. Absolutely not."

My eyes narrowed, flicking to his teammates that sat around, shooting each other looks, almost as if they were communicating. I was so focused on trying to read them, I flat out ignored the boy tugging on me.

"Lorelei, let's go." Luke's tone shook, only multiplying my anxiety as my chest heaved. "Please, Lo. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

My head snapped to the side, finally meeting his eyes, a distraught hand running through his curls.

"Sorry?" I cocked a brow at him, ripping my arm from his grasp. "I didn't know we didn't tell each other stuff. What do you have to tell me, Luke?"

Luke swallowed, his eyes darting to the group then back to me as he shook his head. "I can't tell you here."

"Why?" I crossed my arms over my chest, putting my foot down. "What, are you gonna switch up the story when we're alone? Say it, Luke."

Luke just stared at me, dumbfounded. But I didn't miss the pleading look in his eye.

"Mark." I faced the group, Mark sitting on the far stool but in the center, his brows raising at the mention of his name. "I'm sure you know what this is about."

Mark ran his tongue along his teeth, his eyes flicking to Luke. For once, Mark didn't have a snarky comeback. It seemed as if, he was covering for Luke.

Jane huffed loudly, capturing my attention as she pursued her cherry red lips. "Luke won himself $150. Do you know how?"

"What?" I croaked, watching her light eyes drop down to the table.

Her painted fingernails held up the cash, her eyes menacingly staring at me as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "It's simple, really. $100 for getting you to fall in love with him and $50 for sleeping with you. I'm sorry, Lorelei. It was all a bet. It was fake."

My head became foggy as I soaked in her words that felt the equivalent to having bricks tied to your feet, thrown overboard as it was near impossible to stop yourself from drowning.

But I guess that's what I did to myself the first day I argued to stop hating Luke. I tied the bricks to my own feet, patiently waiting for the day I'd tip. And today, I hit the water.

"Lo." Luke's voice was drowned out, his hands meeting my arm as he desperately tried to get my attention. "Lo, please. That was before everything. That was before I got to spend time with you."