Luka, Jake, and Apple left campus and ended up in a sandwich bar called Crisco's, where all three of them ordered the same house special sandwich, the same sandwich Luka and Jake ate before any big game.
The sandwich bread was spinach and oregano, filled with cream cheese with herbs, turkey, and salad, topped with dill dressing, but most important was the secret ingredient, making it a house special.
Jake moans out. "I swear to god, if my folks weren't making me work for them I'd be working here after graduation."
Luka snorted, but silently agreed, they were that good, which made him wonder how Apple liked her sandwich as she's been silent since they began eating.
"Was it good?" Luka asked Apple, noticing her sandwich was gone too.
Apple nodded her head, unable to keep hold of his intense gaze. "Y-Yeah, it was good." She shyly said.
"Good?" Jake says sarcastically. "I'm convinced they're the sole reason for our football success, right Luka?"
Luka could only roll his eyes at his friend. "Sure."
Apple giggles filled the table as Luka caught Jake looking at him from the corner of his eye, with a knowing grin.
"So, Brady." Jake looks to Apple. "What are your plans after graduation? Can't be worse than my situation."
As much as Luka wanted to know this question, he couldn't help but hate that Jake got to ask her first, after all, ever since Luka found out about Apple he had tried so hard to find out anything about her.
After a short pause, Apple hums and shifts on her seat, avoiding Jake and Luka's curious gaze as her face grimaces slightly.
"We are not so different. "She says quietly. "My father... he left his company to me."
Jake's brows rise in surprise as Luka silently listens to her continue to talk.
"He passed away not long ago..."
So that's why she's so hard to figure out, Luka thought, she is still clearly mourning the loss of her dad, and getting everything handed to her.
Luka had to wonder if that was why she was always alone, because of losing her dad, he could relate just a bit about how she must feel, Luka was never close to his dad so Luka thought his dad might as well be gone.
If Luke Ellis, his dad was gone, then his mom and sister would never have to deal with him ever again, but that thought was something for another day, Luka didn't like thinking of him that much, he had a way to sour his mood.
"Shit I'm sorry." Jake says sympathetically.
Luka could feel Apple's mood drifting, and for some reason, it made him find her hand under the table and grab hold of her hand, and intertwine his fingers with hers.
Apple immediately perked up, and was no longer frowning as she jumped in her seat at his touch, she lifted her head and looked in the direction of Luka, with a beautiful blush on her cheeks.
So beautiful, pictures of last night flooded his mind, Apple flustered underneath him, it was a picture-perfect moment, and one he would not forget any time soon.
"What kind of company did your dad own?" Luka asks.
Apple swallows hard as she gently squeezes his hand in hers. "Um... it's called Syker."
Luka froze, because he knew exactly what Syker was, and so did Jake and every single person in LA and the world, it was a multibillion-dollar company that focuses on rockets, electronics, and science, but most importantly Luka now knew who her father was, and why she was reluctant to talk about herself.
"No fucking way." Jake swore out, laughing. "You own Syker?"
"As of... yesterday, yes." She shyly says, smiling awkwardly.
Shit, is all Luka could think of because that would make Apple Brady a Billionaire, and although he knew that she was unique and smart and lived in a large house in the richest part of L.A, Luka had no idea she would be related to the late Robert Brady.
"W-Wait, I need to look this up, there's no way." Jake says, getting his phone out.
Luka ignores Jake as he looks at his phone. "Why didn't you mention anything?" Luka had to ask.
Apple's eyes averted from Lukas as she bit her lip nervously.
"OH, DUDE!" Jake shouts out laughing and slapping the table, startling Apple.
Jake shoves his phone in front of Luka's face. "Your girlfriend is telling the truth." He says. "That's fucking cool man!"
The article Jake found simply said, 'Syker's heir, genius daughter of the late multimillionaire and Syker founder, Robert Brady' And underneath was a photo of Apple, but she was with a man Luka definitely recognized as her father, who was standing next to another man Luka had seen before.
Tony Conners, the cofounder who Luka saw in the coffee shop where he met Apple, not two days ago.
"I-I'm not his girlfriend." Apple stutters out, whilst releasing her hand from his.
Jake snorted loudly, gaining the attention of those sitting behind him.
"Well your not just friends either."
Just like that, Luka felt like all eyes were on him, and they were, but it didn't matter how many people looked at him to say something, there simply wasn't anything to say.
Luka and Apple never spoke about what happened last night, spending a night together could've gone better and if the timing wasn't as tight as it was with training in the morning, he definitely would have brought the subject up.
Quite frankly, Luka had no idea what would happen, he doesn't want to be friends, but he has a career to prepare for in professional football, and there was no way he could train for a new season and keep a girlfriend.
Luka didn't even know what Apple was doing after graduation until now, which goes to show just how much he doesn't know about her, making him feel more confused than ever with the big question.
What the fuck was he doing and why couldn't he say anything? Apple's big blue eyes looked up to him for answers but he had none, not a single one.
All Luka did know was he didn't want to let her go, he wanted to see where this would go, whatever this was with her.
"I-"
"I-I need to use the restroom!" Apple interrupts Luka and stands up from her seat abruptly, before walking away and leaving behind a stunned and confused Luka and Jake.
Luka couldn't help but kick Jake under the table.
"Ouch!" He whines out. "What the fuck?"
"The fuck are you doing right now?" He scolds Jake. "Can't you tell you're making her uncomfortable with your big mouth?" He scowls out.
Jake rolls his eyes. "She's fine." He tells him, unbothered. "What's uncomfortable is how much she likes you and you won't even tell her you like her back."
Lukas's stomach flipped, and his mouth went dry. "This is none of your business."
Jake was Luka's best friend, but he felt like he was being out of line, especially in a crowded sandwich bar where Jake being loud caught their attention and made Apple uncomfortable, making the situation more awkward than it should be.
Luka knew he should've had this talk with her sooner, he was holding her hand in class, and whilst sitting down, he was doing all these things to feel close to her other than actually telling her how he felt about her.
He knew this was his fault, and now it was obvious how Apple felt, she was younger than Luka and had lost her virginity to him, and unintentionally Luka had treated her like every other girl after sex without even noticing it.
Luka leaned back in his seat and rubbed his face whilst groaning out. "Fuck."
Looking at Jake, Luka frowned. "I wouldn't be surprised if she hates me now, fuck- I'm an asshole."
Jake scoffed. "Well, this is salvageable, long as you didn't sleep with her." He told him.
There was a long pause because Luka was trying to come up with something to say, but whatever he did say, Jake would know, he probably already knows from how much Luka couldn't stop himself during class and wanting to sit next to her, even touch her so much.
"You slept with her, and didn't have 'the talk', oh bro... you are such a manwhore." Jake says, crushing Luka's soul.
"No- I- shut up." He stutters, scolding him. "I've never done this before, this is fucking new to me and I thought we have time, shit I was going to bring it up after the game but now...." Luka rants on. "I don't know what to do."
For the first time in his life, he didn't know how to speak to a girl, a girl he liked, because for the first time in a long time, Luka really liked someone, and that scared him, and Jake could sense it by the look on his face.
"Tell her you like her." Jake simply shrugs. "You can still have a girlfriend and be a pro footballer."
Luka closed his eyes and shook his head. "It sounds impossible." He sighs heavily out. "She's a CEO of a company, I just got scouted by a pro team." He says, grabbing his drink.
"So? Long-distance the fuck out of her until you marry her." Jake says.
Luka straight up choked on his cola, causing him to cough uncontrollably, all without realizing that Apple made it back to the table.
Luke felt like his throat was dying and his eyes were burning, yet it didn't stop him from glaring at Jake as he smugly smirks whilst sipping on his drink.
"A-Are you okay?" Apple asks, placing her pale hand on his arm.
Luka nodded his head and tried to clear his throat as the worst bit has passed and was no longer choking from Jake's words.
"Yep, sorry- I'm good." He tells her with a smile, before glaring at Jake.
Apple didn't look convinced but nodded her head anyways while timidly looking from Luka to Jake, wondering what she had missed.
Luka could kill Jake, and he most probably will before the game tonight, but for now, he wanted to enjoy what little time they had left before the game tonight.
Right on cue, Jake's phone rang, causing him to stand up. "Shit, I need to take this, I'll see you at the game tonight Apple?"
Apple blinks and nods her head. "Y-Yes! I'll be there." She says with a tight smile as Jake nods his head satisfied before looking at Luka.
"Catch you later dude." He says with a wink and a knowing smirk that made Luka glared angrily at him.
Jake leaves the sandwich bar and leaves Luka and Apple alone, and for the first time today, Luka felt like he could relax his muscles and stop being so tense, for reasons he didn't understand, but now alone with Apple, he felt more comfortable.
"Sorry about Jake." Luka says, earning a confused look from Apple. "I didn't tell but it seems he knows about us."
Apple paled if that seemed possible given her pale skin. "O-Oh."
Luka grimaced. "I wanted to talk this morning but I couldn't miss practice, shit- the timing wasn't the best but I'm sorry if you think I avoided that talk, I've just never liked..." Luka pauses, and swallows hard. "I've never done this before, I've never had to... figure it out."
Luka could only cringe because Jake was right, he sounded like he used women, and that wasn't it, girls he had been with had always done the talking for him, so for him to speak first was abnormal and alien to him.
"What I mean is, I like you and I've never had the 'whats next' talk, I wanted to catch you before class but..." Luka sighs tiredly. "Does any of my ranting make sense or am I just embarrassing myself?" He smiles out whilst stopping himself from cringing further.
The last thing Luka wanted to do was to make a fool of himself, but there was no way around it now, if this was happening and 'the talk' was now, then so be it, he wanted to brace this instead of hiding from his feelings, he wanted her to not misunderstand his feelings.
Apple was red in the face, his words had affected her, and even without speaking, Luka knew, so he smiled and leaned forward towards Apple and kissed her on her hand that was now covering her red cheeks.
Luka moved her hand from her face and then leaned in to kiss her on the lips, which she accepted before jumping lightly, and Luka couldn't help but smile into the kiss.
"I don't want to be just a friend." Luka tells her the truthfully. "What about you?" He asks, leaning his forehead on hers as he waits for her to gain her composure.
After a few seconds, Apple's eyes meet Lukas and to Luka, she looked like a small bunny standing in front of a giant Lion, he liked it, and if they weren't in a sandwich shop around people, he'd not miss the opportunity to show her how much he didn't want to be her friend.
"Same." She says quietly before licking her bottom lip as her eyes shyly stayed on his. "I don't want to be just friends... either."