Sequel to Player Next Door. Millie Ripley is in too deep. Her relationship with the Dawson brothers is creating waves, a mystery blackmailer is out to ruin her life and... she's still trying to make it through high school. What happened to being...
"Hey," I said, lifting her other hand and using that to lovingly swipe away her drooling one.
Her innocent eyes stared up at me, "Hi Lukey."
No. That's not a nickname we're keeping.
"You need to wake up now so we can go to school," I told her as if she was a little girl.
How hard is it to wake her up in the mornings?
"Ok," Millie waved me goodbye, "You can come back in time for my bakery launch."
"What?"
She already doesn't make sense when she's awake. Now that she's asleep...
I don't know how to handle this.
Millie before coffee is prehistoric. Like that cute little Ice Age squirrel. She's addicted to coffee like he's addicted to that nut.
Mrs Ripley came back from the kitchen, having listened in on our entire conversation.
"She gets like that sometimes," Mrs Ripley told me, "If you wake her up and she's still half asleep, she's incoherent."
So when my girlfriend sleeps, she enters Inception. Good to know.
"Minnie," I pressed my hand over her forehead, trying not to get distracted by staring at her peaceful face.
"Mouse," Minnie answered, curling her legs towards her chest.
I smiled at that. I don't think she remembers the first time we met. She was wearing a red shirt with white polka dots on it.
Her eyes were closed and from the way her chest slowly rose and fell, she didn't look like she was going to wake up any time soon.
My phone started to ring. I glanced at the caller ID and ignored it. The watermelon can wait.
When I didn't pick up, he rang again. He started to honk the car horn and we could hear the sound from across the street.
It probably woke up half the neighborhood, except for her. The one girl I wanted to wake up.
I sighed and looked around the living room. Mrs Ripley was still watching us, standing with two cups of coffee now. The third one was still by the door.
"Where's her school bag?" I asked.
Mrs Ripley pointed with her cup in hand towards the dining table. I got off my knees and grabbed Minnie's small navy backpack from under one of the chairs.
"You better have everything you need in this," I told my sleeping girlfriend.
"Maybe you can put coffee under her nose?" Mrs Ripley suggested, offering me one of the cups.
It was a good idea, but we didn't have time.
I took the cup from her and downed it myself. "Thanks."
I went over to Minnie and wrapped my arms under hers. She didn't seem to object to that. I kissed her before I took a firm hold and pulled her up. Her knees softly nudged my stomach while she was pulled into the air, complaining.
"Sleeping!" she informed me – as if I had no idea what she was doing. "Put me down!"
I swung her over one shoulder and had her backpack on my other. She was kicking now.
"Be grateful, Millie!" Mrs Ripley told her.
"You're in on this?!" Millie exclaimed, looking at the world upside down, "The blood is rushing to my head!"
There she is. My Millie all woken up.
I was already at the open front door. "Bye, Mrs Ripley. You should consider locking your front door."
If they don't fix that soon, I'm going to buy a padlock.
"My shoes!!" Millie screamed, "You're taking me to school without my shoes!"
We somehow got her shoes and then walked out across the street. I saw the watermelon sitting in my car with his phone next to his inflated head. From the way my phone kept ringing, I knew he was persistently calling me.
His expression turned to shock, I think. It's hard to tell his expressions lately. He looked surprised when he saw Millie draped over my shoulder.
"You carried Annika bridal style out of the forest!" Millie complained, upside down, "Why am I being carried like this?!"
Is that a little jealousy I'm hearing?
I smirked.
"This is the red-carpet treatment," I told her.
I struggled to open my car door with Millie wriggling around on my shoulder.
"Be careful! BE CAREFUL!" she screamed, making the situation more dangerous by moving.
"Millie," I told her, "Stop moving and I can be more careful."
Finally, I lowered her into the back seat, and she spread out across the whole row.
Jake turned from the front seat and greeted her, "Morning Millie."
What an eyesore.
"Hey Jake," she mumbled, yawning while she rubbed her eyes, "Hope you're feeling better today."
I softened at that and leaned forward to give her a kiss on the cheek. She looked so adorable as she scowled. But she kissed me back.
And it made everything worth it.
**
I watched Millie in the backseat of my car. I watched her put the right shoe on her left foot. I watched her yawn 100 times out the window.
Her lips curved into a 'c' shape as she whispered longingly, "Coffee."
I focused back on the road as I to school. I ignored the pull in the back of my mind to check her out again in the rear-view mirror. I should focus more on the road, but I was distracted.
I wanted to spend more time alone with Millie, outside of school, outside of our circle of friends. We needed time alone together. I wanted to spend all night with her, share more with her and I wanted time only for us.
Millie didn't know it yet but I had an idea for a date I wanted to take her on.
She had her math competition today, but after that, I would tell her.
In the meantime, the watermelon next to me killed the vibe.
A/N: Do you like Luke's POV? If you did, can you vote on this chapter so I know if you want to see more of Luke's side!
Any guesses on the date or what he wants to tell her? I want to get to that math competition next chapter. Imagine how Kaden is going to react.
Next chapter will be out on Thursday! I know this one was short but next one will be long x
Natalie IG: @NatalieInACorner
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