Straight To You

sixteen

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I successfully manage to avoid both Lucas and Jack for the better half of the day, which is a lot harder than it sounds. In order to avoid Lucas during second period, I sat in the back of the class. I ate lunch in the library. I practically ran through the halls so as not to be spotted by either of the two, ducking every time Lucas or Jack came into my line of sight.

It isn't until the end of the day that I (unfortunately) get caught.

I'm in the parking lot heading for my car when I hear a voice calling my name. "Morgan! Wait up!"

I turn around to find no other than Lucas flagging me down, making me feel nervous with just one look. He looks as adorable as always, his blond hair styled to perfection, the sun shining down on his silver lip ring and making it shine brightly.

"Hey," Lucas says a little breathlessly once he catches up to me. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"What?" I question, trying to sound and appear shocked, which is hard considering I'm an actress by no means. "No. What makes you think that?"

Lucas studies me so closely I feel like he's trying to memorize me. His blue eyes scan over my features before meeting mine unblinkingly, looking for some unspoken answer to his question that he'll never find in my words. Finally, he says, "I just thought maybe the kiss freaked you out." I can tell by Lucas's expression and tone that his statement has him nervous, and I instantly feel the need to reassure him.

"No!" I exclaim too quickly before he can say anything more. "It totally didn't freak me out. I mean, I kissed you, right? I was just super drunk. I don't know what I was thinking. Well, I mean, obviously I wasn't thinking, but um . . . sorry?" I'm rambling, and I sound like a total idiot. Good Lord, why did you even bother giving me a mouth?

"I'm just gonna say it," Lucas mumbles, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. He looks adorably shy as he opens his mouth to speak, and I nervously anticipate what he's about to say.

At that moment, though, my gaze wanders past Lucas's shoulder, zeroing in on Jack standing across the parking lot. I find that he's watching me and Lucas very closely, his expression hard and angry. Our gazes lock for the slightest of moments, capturing my attention and making me forget how to breathe. I force myself to look away, unable to stand the heat of Jack's stare.

"I really like you, Morgan," Lucas continues, grabbing my attention again. "I know that everything between us happened kind of fast and that maybe what happened Friday night shouldn't have, but . . . I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out sometime?"

I'm a little stunned by Lucas's words, I'm not going to lie. I take them in for a moment, digesting everything I just heard and then taking time to analyze it. If I'm hearing correctly, Lucas just admitted that he likes me. I'm not sure why, but I find this surprising. I blink, forcing my gaze up to Lucas's blue eyes. "You . . . you like me?" I repeat, needing clarification that Lucas Crawford really just said those words to me.

"I do," Lucas confirms, his lips twisting upward in a slow grin. "And I was hoping that maybe you felt the same way?"

I find that my gaze unintentionally drifts over to Jack once again, finding that he looks even angrier than before. If I'm being honest right now, I'd be lying if I said I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. As time has gone on, more memories of Friday night have surfaced. Now that I'm not intoxicated out of my mind, I can remember the details. I find myself thinking about how Jack stopped me from kissing Lucas, somehow knowing that I would end up regretting that decision. Jack taking time out of his night to drive me home when I couldn't handle myself. Jack taking me in for the night because I was too afraid to let my dad see me drunk. Jack holding my hair back for me as I puke my guts into his toilet at one in the morning. Jack hugging me because I couldn't stop crying throughout the entire night I spent with him. Jack listening to my sob story that I trusted him enough to tell. Jack helping to make me feel like I wasn't a complete loner for the first time in my life.