Damage

Chapter 40

All of a sudden, the phone in his room rings and I'm jolted back to reality. I scramble out of bed and pick it up quickly, almost by reflex. But as soon I put it to my ear, I mentally curse myself. Would Luke want me answering his phone?

Shit.

"Hello?"

Shit, shit, shit.

"Hello?"

Hang up, hang up, hang - 

"Is this Mia Harris?"

What?

"Hi, um...hi, yes, this is Mia?" I say, unconsciously raising my voice at the end like it's a question and I don't even know my own damn name.

There's a chuckle on the other end of the line. "Hello, Miss Harris. This is Allen, from downstairs. There's a food delivery here for you. I'd just like you to know that someone will be up with it momentarily."

Food delivery? I didn't...and then I practically roll my eyes.

"This is from Luke isn't it?"

Another chuckle. "Yes, Mr. Hemmings ordered it."

I sigh. "Of course. Thank you Allen."

I hang up the phone. Of course Luke would just go ahead and buy food for me because he knew I wouldn't want to use his credit card. One one hand, it's a sweet gesture. But on the other, I really really hate feeling indebted to him...or anyone.

Someone from the hotel rings the doorbell shortly after, carrying more than three paper bags, heavy-laden with boxes and containers of food.

Trying to push away how excruciatingly uncomfortable I feel about this, I direct him to the kitchen and show him the way out.

The food smells delicious but the bags are glaring me down from the granite countertop. Who in the world eats this much food?

I open the largest one and see Hemmings Co. stationary inside.

Wasn't sure which pasta was your favorite so I got a few different ones. See you soon. - L.

I bite my lip, smiling, and shake my head. Pulling out the various plastic containers, I see spaghetti alio e olio, pasta all' amatriciana, pasta with tuna and capers, meat sauce, alfredo, and more.

In the fourth, smallest bag is a little carton with arancini rice balls. Scrawled in Luke's angular handwriting he's written, "My favorites."

I take stock of all the food on the table and mostly hate him for being so...hedonistic and wasteful. But a tiny tiny tiny shard of me loves feeling spoiled. Even though 99% of my constitution feels mortified and frustrated.

I almost don't want to eat the food but I know that if I don't, I'll have to try and resist the urge to snoop around and look behind the closed door I noticed the last time I was here.

The door at the end of the hall. I still don't know if it's even locked or not. I barely got close enough to it to just graze my hand against the door knob. But as the only door in Luke's place that stays closed at all times, my mother's curiosity that she passed down is urging me to take a peek inside.

But I know I shouldn't. Luke has plenty of secrets, I'm sure, but so do I. I should respect what he keeps closed off.

As far as I know, the world outside of this room has stood still, leaving Luke and I to spend lazy Saturdays kissing and tangled up in each other. Giving in to what we both know we shouldn't even entertain.

It's all going a little too fast but it's like a merry-go-round you never want to get off.

We spin and spin and spin around each other, a jumble of skin and bone and secrets and stolen kisses and reheated pasta and tasting the universe in Luke's mouth right after his lips on my neck have taken me to planets I'd never even known existed.

I am here and he is somewhere. And in between, I wait. 

***

OK so it's been A WHILE. I know this is a little shorter than you're used to, but shorter chapters means more frequent updates. I love writing Damage but 3,000+ words once every week is tough. Especially when you're a senior and trying to get into college lol 

So! I feel like 1,000+ word chapters like this one, but twice/thrice/maybe even more (OMG?!) a week works WAY better. This way you'll get frequent doses instead of waiting a long time for long chapters. You'll be happy to know - I'm be updating very soon! As in, as soon as I post this chapter, I'm writing the next chapter. Writer's block really sucked and it hit me hard. But ya girl is back and ready to do some really cool stuff with this story.

So stick around, the next chapter will be up TOMORROW, around the same time. 

- Dani <3

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