Kiedi sighed loudly and plopped down on her bed. She could find nothing to wear to the party! She should have been smart enough to ask what type of party it was. She let out a scream of frustration and threw her pillow at the wall.
Kelly came stomping at her door. "Okay that's it! What the heck is going on in here?"
"Lukas invited me to a party, but I never asked what type of party it was so I have no clue what to wear!"
"Seriously?" a look of annoyance came over her face. "The next time you feel you're in this 'dire' situation how about you just come ask me!"
"Oh yeah..."
"Come with me," Kelly led her to her room and sat her down on the bed, then went to her closet. "When you don't know, just dress for both," she said as she pulled back with a dress that had Kiedi wondering how the hell she was going to pull it off.
"You can't be serious?" Kiedi said as Kelly twirled it for her to see.
"I've never worn it before and I think it would look perfect on you. It'd give you a chance to show off those nice curves of yours," Kelly smiled persuasively at her.
Kiedi thought about it for a minute and then nodded, "Fine."
"That was easy, you must really like Luke," Kiedi just blushed, "come on let's do your hair and make-up"
An hour later Kiedi stared at her reflection in the mirror; she twirled and watched the dark green halter top dress, which hugged her waist and flared out at her hips, twirl out around her. It reached her at the knees and could pass as formal or semi-formal which was good because Kiedi had no idea which this party was. Kelly had curled her hair and knowing that Kiedi was not a fan of make-up had given her light touches of mainly eyeliner and mascara to make her green eyes pop. Kelly had even loaned her dark coloured pumps and some small diamond studded earrings that lightened Kiedi's face; Overall Kiedi thought she looked pretty good, she just hoped that Luke would agree.
"You look amazing, and Luke is going to love you," Kelly said giving her a little squeeze. "Speak of the devil," she muttered when the doorbell went off. Kelly took her hand and they both went downstairs; Kiedi opened the door.
Luke had to remind himself to breathe; she looked so gorgeous that she took his breath away and drove his inner wolf crazy. He had barely kept his hands to himself so far but how the heck was he going to keep them off her tonight!
"You look.... Breathtaking" he stammered out, he felt like a pimpled schoolboy on his first date. Kiedi blushed; she was so adorable when she blushed.
"Goodnight Kelly," He said when he noticed that Kiedi wasn't the only one at the door.
"Night," Kelly said with a brief wave. Luke only heard her retreating footsteps as she went back up the stairs as he had already refocused his stare on Kiedi.
"Are you ready?" he asked
"Yeah I think so," Kiedi said and grabbed her purse, coat and spare house keys. Luke then, with his hand on the small of her bare back because he just couldn't fight the temptation of not touching her, ushered her to his van.
"Where are we?" Kiedi asked as they pulled into a dark parking lot.
"The pier," Luke answered as he shut off the engine and climbed out to come open her door for her. He hadn't given her much room to climb out when he opened the door so when she climbed out she was pressed against him; she looked up at him in a way that left him staggered at the awe of her beauty and she was going to be his all night.
The pier was dark and Kiedi could swear that she could hear a pin drop as they approached. "Are you sure we're in the right place?" Kiedi asked just before the whole place burst into light startling her.
"Happy birthday!!" the crowd shouted. Luke heard a gasp of shock in the back but chose to ignore it as he focused all his attention on the beauty by his side. Luke felt Kiedi tense and unconsciously linked their palms together; she looked up at him and blushed.
"You didn't tell me it was your birthday," Kiedi whispered (pity it was a wasted effort because half the people there could still hear her), "I didn't get to give you a present."
Luke kissed the back of her hand and looked into her eyes, "You're all the present I need," the room erupted in gasps of 'awe' and applause. Luke watched with secret delight as Kiedi flushed a deep scarlet.
"Dance with me?" Luke asked. He heard her heart start beating faster and wondered if it was due to fear of dancing in public or because she didn't want to dance with him, before he could ask Leo and the others approached.
"Kiedi that dress is absolutely gorgeous!" Jasmine squealed from the confines of Cooger's arms.
Cooger agreed with her and told her that she looked great. Carl, not one for smiling and long talking, simply nodded in approval at her. Of course Kyle would have to be the one who would be the most dramatic in his compliment.
"You have to give me a dance Kie," he said stepping forward to pry her from Luke's grasp and twirl her around, eyeing her as if she were a piece of fine china. "Very nice," he commented staring at her ass.
Lukas was just about ready to go slap Kyle and take back his mate forcefully when his twin sidestepped in front of him and more tactfully removed Kiedi from Kyle's grasp.
"You look beautiful," Leo added as he gently placed Kiedi's hands back into Luke's.
Kiedi was already as red as a rose from all the compliments, something she wasn't use to, by the time she turned back to look at Luke. Kiedi smiled her gratitude at them and brought her gaze up to Luke. He was staring straight into her eyes; his eyes such a captivating clear blue that she felt her knees go wobbly beneath her.
The others started drifting away after that and Luke repeated his earlier question and listened as she had the same reaction as before. Leo the only one who remained at that point made an observation to them, his gaze focused intently on Luke as he said:
"The beach is rather empty; it would be perfect for a nice romantic walk... away from the crowd... and audience,"
Luke got the message and holding her hand led Kiedi down a stone step path to the beach. Kiedi not wanting to fall eventually took off her slippers and held them in her hand.
"Remind me to thank your brother for me one of these days,' Kiedi said when the light from the pier could no longer reach them and they were bathed in moonlight.
"What'd he do?"
"Just saved me from public humiliation," Luke let go of her hand then and walked down to where the waves hit the shore, little tendrils of water caressing his shoes.
"You think dancing with me is that bad?" Kiedi heard him say dryly.
"No, why would you say something like that?" she dropped her shoes and came over to touch his shoulder nervously.
"I saw how nervous and pale you got when I asked you to dance."
"That's because I can't dance," she whispered.
"Oh," he breathed. He felt so relieved he had thought it was because she hadn't wanted to be seen in public with him but it wasn't that; she didn't mind being here with him which meant that she liked him. A burst of joy swelled in his chest and he turned and caught her up in the air twirling her around a huge grin on his face; she let out a squeal of shock turned to delight that did strange things to his heart, and other parts of him.
"What's this for?" she asked when he stopped spinning her, a small smile teasing her lips.
"I just realized something that made me extremely happy," he lowered her gently, placing her on his feet and before she could step off holding her firmly by the waist and using his other hand to carry hers around his neck.
"Wh... what are you doing?" she asked just before he started moving around with her.
"We. Are. Dancing," he smiled. He wanted so badly to kiss her but he didn't want to rush things between them when they were going good so far. After a while she relaxed into his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, his was buried in her neck memorising her scent even though he couldn't forget it if he tried. For minutes they didn't speak the only sounds being the faint sound of music coming from the pier and the wave lapping at the sand.
"Kie," Luke said softly, breaking the silence that had wrapped itself around them like a soft blanket.
"Mhm?"
"This party was just for the benefit of close friends and family getting together, the real celebration will be tomorrow, I'd love if you could come?"
Kiedi smiled up at him, "I'd love to."
He placed a gentle kiss on her nose and his grin almost touched his ear.
"You're probably hungry, I should get you something to eat," Luke said to distract himself so that he would only kiss her nose.
Even though all he wanted to do was claim her lips and cool the burning fire within him, even though it was a mere flicker of a flame with her in his arms like this but he wanted the utter bliss that he had felt when they had kissed in the classroom.
Kiedi stepped back and looked at the pier, she didn't really want to go back up there because down there they were in their own cocoon but up there they would be surrounded by others. Luke saw the hesitation on her dark green eyes and amended.
"How about you wait here and I go get the food?" He offered. Kiedi didn't want to sound lazy but before she could object he turned with a smile and walked off.
Kiedi started skipping stones on the water and heard her phone go off in her purse, she took it out and read a text from Kelly saying that some friends called and invited her to a movie so she probably wouldn't be home when Kie got back. Kiedi smiled at how Kelly seemed to have just picked up back where her life in New York had ended. Kie on the other hand was glad that her life had changed from what it had been back in New York.
Unlike in New York she got along with people and those who knew her actually knew her by her name and not just as 'Kelly's sister'; she also had friends here, friends who seemed to like her for her, who knows why when she saw nothing extraordinary about herself, and who she could come to for help whenever the need aroused if it ever did; the most special of those friends being Luke, who for some unknown reason liked her and made her feel special in ways that no one had done before.
Kiedi looked at the time on her phone and realised that Luke was taking an unusually long time; she picked up her shoes and started walking back to see if there was a problem.
Luke climbed up the stone steps nimbly and made his way through the crowd to the food stand, saying thanks to all who wished him a happy birthday. He didn't know why his mother insisted on doing this silly party, it was just a waste of time. At least on good thing came out of it, he thought, as his mind drifted to how beautiful Kiedi looked tonight and the fact that she would be all his forever.
His mind was still centred on Kie as he piled food onto two separate plates so he hadn't heard or smelt someone sneaking up on him until he felt their soft hands gliding up his arm. Their touch sent a shiver through him; he couldn't tolerate anyone other than Kiedi touching his body like that anymore so when he spoke his voice had a hard edge to it.
"What do you want Alicea?" he asked still filling the plates, wanting now more than ever to go back to Kiedi on the beach.
"Ouch, what'd I do to you? Don't you think that's a bit of a harsh way to speak to your fiancé?"Alicea pouted next to him. Luke looked down at her and was amazed that he had once found that pout to be attractive yet now it just irritated him. Alicea was attractive and pretty, he wouldn't deny that, she just didn't appeal to him anymore.
"I didn't just talk to my fiancé like that," he said and pointedly stared at her, "I just talked to my ex-fiancé like that."
"Lukas Gold, how is it that you can treat me so coldly when you use to tell me how much you loved me," Alicea's voice got a bit shaky but Luke wasn't fooled; Alicea was always good at commanding her tears to flow whenever she wanted something from him.
He shook his head sadly at her and took up the filled plates saying as he walked off: "that was then, and this is now."
"I refuse to believe that's true," Alicea said, her voice sounding determined
"Believe what you want, it no longer concerns me."
"I know you still feel something for me Luke it's just that this girl has blinded you to what we had," Alicea pleaded.
Luke stopped at that and turned to face her, "Kiedi hasn't blinded me, she opened my eyes to see the real you and what we had is nothing compared to what Kiedi and I are building."
"You say that now but I'm sure Kiedi never made you feel like this," Alicea said before she rushed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his, knocking the food out of his hands.
Kiedi had taken her time and walked back up to the pier. As she stepped onto the wooden platform she spotted Luke instantly, as well as the skinny red head that was wrapped all around him with her mouth over his. Kiedi's vision blurred after that cause of the tears that instantly filled her eyes.
She knew that it was too good to be true. She turned on her heels and ran off from the pier, passing the parking lot and onto the dark and empty streets of New Orleans. Of course Luke and Alicea would be getting back together, they had two years of history and Kiedi was a nobody who just popped into town.
After awhile she stopped to catch her breath and put on her shoes. She had no idea where she was; she still wasn't familiar with New Orleans and even if she could have probably found her way in the light of day she didn't stand a chance now.
Oh great Kie, talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire, she thought as she stood and looked around her trying to recognize something that would trigger her memory.
"Hey baby, you lost?" a voice from behind her said.
This chapter was a big step for Luke and Kiedi's relationship and i hope you guys enjoyed it. i wonder who's that calling to Kiedi on a lonely street. yikes! please comment and let me know what you guys think.
Oh and don't forget to vote and share and help me get more readers ^_^