Luke met me on the way to the lunch, grabbing my hand from behind. "Hey," he kissed me on my cheek, flashing me a bright white smile.
"Hey," I responded and pulled him along in the hall.
We strolled between tables through the cafeteria; I carried my brown paper bag of lunch. Today I had chosen to wear a romper with the boots my mother bought for me over the summer. Luke, of course, didn't approve of it when he picked me up but I thought I looked good and that was all that mattered, right?
Dodging conversations from outsiders, I made my way over to my group's usual spot, but was interrupted by someone calling my name. "Lily!" the girl's voice yelled.
I turned around, raising an eyebrow before spotting the source and walking over hand in hand with Luke. She was surrounded at her table by a few guys I recognized from the football team and a couple cheerleaders. "Hey Layne," I smiled. "What's up?"
"Guess what?" she said excitedly, tapping her manicured nails on the table.
"Hmm?"
"I got tickets to that concert festival downtown this weekend! I'm so pumped, they're doing a Labor Day celebration, it's gonna be awesome!" she screeched.
"You'll have fun," I laughed.
She looked confused, twirling her red hair around her finger, "I have an extra ticket for you, silly! I thought you would want to go!"
"Oh, umm..." I glanced at Luke out of the corner of my eye who was shaking his head.
"We had plans?" he murmured.
"Right," I looked back at her, "My parents-I mean...there's a family event that I have to be in town for...like a reunion...something like that..." I muttered awkwardly.
"Oh," she jutted out her bottom lip, upset.
"...but I'm sure Kate would like to go," I said with a shrug.
"Oh, yeah, Kate!" she nodded eagerly. "Wait, but aren't your parents divorced or something?"
"Yeah...it's complicated," I said, clearly just wanting to sit down and eat lunch! "You should ask Kate later, bye Layne," I grinned cheekily.
"Will do, see ya!"
"Yeah," I muttered before walking quickly away.
Luke squeezed my hand lightly, "She just doesn't stop, does she?"
"Nope," I rolled my eyes.
"Well thanks for that, I'm glad we still have some plans," he bumped my hip playfully.
"No problem pretty boy," I winked.
He laughed under his breath, leading us to our table. He sat and I plopped down in between my boyfriend and best friend. "Kate, Layne wants to talk to you later," I said.
She nodded, "Okiedokie."
Rummaging through my bag, I realized I didn't have a sandwich and probably left it on the counter. I sighed deeply. "Ugh."
"What's wrong, love?" Luke wrapped an arm around my waist, leaning his head over mine.
"I forgot my sandwich," I frowned.
He rolled his eyes, scootching his own sandwich in front of me, "I'm not hungry."
I smiled, "Thanks babe."
He shook his head with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, before jumping into a conversation with another guy, Ryan, who had been sitting with us lately. I assumed he had a thing for Kate because of how often he started up conversation with her, but kept quiet about it for the time being.
As they babbled on about sports and scores my eyes unconciously flitted around the room, before laying upon someone I realized I had been looking for the whole time.
Wes was in the opposite corner of the cafeteria, standing in the lunchline but facing me. He sported a grey thermal shirt-that clearly displayed what he had to offer underneath-with black jeans. Running his hand through his thick hair, he stared disgustedly at the lunch line food in front of him as if it was in edible. He turned his nose up, throwing the tray down and leaving the line. Before heading in the other direction, I caught his eye and he winked at me.
Next to me, Kate choked on her iced tea, "Holy shoot you saw that right, right there! He just totally winked at me!"
"Wes didn't wink at you," I retorted quickly and roughly, making me sound possessive.
Ryan narrowed his eyes in our direction as Kate rambled on, "Oh my God he so has the hots for you!"
"Shut up," I snapped at her. "I have a boyfriend," I emphasized.
She pulled at the hem of her skirt sheepishly, "He's hot though."
I elbowed her.
"Sorry Lily, it's true!" she threw her hands up in the air.
By this point, Luke had tightened his grip around my waist, eyeing Kate oddly. "Everything okay?" he whispered in my ear through my hair.
"Yeah," I gulped, fighting the urge to look around and see his spot at a table.
"I had a question to ask you, I guess now would be a good time?"
I looked around at him confused, "Yeah? About what?"
"Umm..." Luke scratched the side of his head, "My Dad came home last night and said he saw you hanging out...flirting with a guy named Will down near his work?" he blurted out. "Is that true or..."
Will...Will? What had I been doing last night with Will?
Then it hit me, "Oh, you mean Wes!" I rolled my eyes absentmindedly.
"What?" Luke looked me over as if I had grown another head. "You're telling me you were flirting out with Wes last night?"
I backtracked, "What!? No!" I said quickly. Kate nudged me once again. "I mean no and we weren't flirting."
"So you were out with him?" Luke looked thoroughly bewildered by my flitting thought trains.
"Yeah-no. We were out at the hard ware store getting supplies for our project," I sighed.
Kate joined the conversation, "Oh speaking of project Luke we should probably get to doing ours!"
He nodded, brushing her off. "Yeah okay," and turned to me again. "So you weren't flirting with him?"
"No!" I defended myself. "How could you think that?" I accused half heartedly. I knew why he could think that, believe that, unfortunately.
"Good, I'm sorry babe. I trust you; I don't trust him," he shook his head leaning down and placing a soft sweet kiss on my lips.
---
I sat down in English when Wes approached me; he insisted on working on our project after school because he wouldn't by available the rest of the week.
"Really?" Luke asked, his tone hinting at annoyance.
"Yes, really," Wes sneered back in a mocking tone.
"So tonight then, we're hanging out at yours? We can stain that wood," he suggested.
"Sure, whatever," I said, trying to sound uninterested and uninvolved because I was extremely aware that Luke was practically shooting daggers into Wes' head with his expression.
"See ya then," he winked openly, pissing Luke off once again.
"He's so badass it's so sexy," a girl behind me whispered and I resisted the urge to giggle aloud.
The bell rang as everyone took their seats. "Class today we will be..." with that, I dozed off in a happy, I light sleep.
---
My backpack was slung over one shoulder and Luke guided us through cars in the parking lot. Wes trailed behind us, the reason for Luke's clenched jaw. "You okay?" I whispered, squeezing his hand lightly.
He nodded, his gaze ahead still hard. I reached out and smoothed the crease in his forehead with my thumb. "I love you." he whispered.
"You too," I smiled slightly and stood on my tip toes so I pressed my lips to his.
"Get a room," Wes muttered, his footsteps on the sidewalk becoming louder.
"Already have," Luke shot back with a smirk.
My jaw dropped, "Luke!" I stomped away, appalled at his immature behavior.
I saw him roll his eyes and he caught up with me, snaking and arm around me, "I'm sorry," he said in my ear. "I'm really sorry," his breath fanned over my features.
I proceeded to walk to the car and climbed in the front seat. Luke drove the way to school, and I drove the way back. It was our compromise and Wes seemed confused by this but sat in the backseat nonetheless.
"So why exactly are you driving with us again," Luke muttered, glaring at Wes through the rear view mirror.
"We're working on our project tonight," I repeated for the hundredth time as I stuck the keys in the ignition.
He scoffed, "It's not due for months, why are you working on it?"
Wes smirked in the mirror, "She wants to hang out with me because I know how to have a good time."
My eyes widened as I pulled onto the main road, "Shut the hell up, Wes," I grumbled, turning around to shoot him a dirty look. He wasn't helping Luke's insecurity about this at all.
"Well then why aren't you driving yourself there?"
"A friend dropped me off at school today," Wes muttered.
That sounded sketchy, I thought.
I drove the fifteen minute way back to my house with a tense atmosphere between the three of us, slightly wondering if we would ever hang out a Wes' house to work on the project. A part of me wanted to.
Shut up, Lily. I told myself. He's a jerkish idiot, you don't want to go to his house.
He rolled his eyes again, leaning his head against the glass of the tinted window. When we pulled up Wes hopped out quickly, leaning against the car and looking up at my house.
I stayed in the car for a minute with Luke, "Alright?" I asked.
He nodded, jumping out of the passenger seat. I followed suit and directed them up the path to my front door. "Hi Luke," my mother smiled, opening the door before us. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
I laughed, "No hug for me, Mom?"
She laughed and greeted me as well. Wes raised an eyebrow, "What about me?"
My mom's laughing stopped and she blinked profusely as if trying to clear her head. "Hello Wes," she said but backed away and shut the door behind us.
I began to climb the stairs to my room; Luke went up with me, sliding his hand down my lower back helping me up the stairs but seeming provocative. I pivoted and slapped his hand away, "Luke," I scolded him. "My parents are in the house."
"And I'm right here," Wes reminded from behind us.
---
"So when should we have this done by," I muttered mostly to myself, lounging on the floor, leaning my back against the wall.
"Whenever you want," Wes mumbled back, bored with the lack of progress we'd made on our project. He was propped up in my desk chair while Luke was seated on my bed above me in a much too cautious position. "We haven't done anything," he mumbled, glancing at the clock that read that we'd been over an hour looking stupidly at the ceiling.
Luke looked stupidly at him, "So explain why you're still here, please. Humor me."
"Does your boyfriend always act like this?" Wes muttered although Luke was sitting right there. Luke le
"Just leave," Luke asked and demanded at the same time.
I looked up at Luke, pleading with my eyes for him to stop; he was sweet in intetion but was going too far. He reached over to my bedside table and grabbed an empty pack of gum.
"Do you have any gum?" he asked.
"Inside my purse," I pointed to it on the window sill.
He reached over, and the contents of my purse spilled out, "What the hell is this?" Luke asked bewildered when the packages of Fire and Ice spread out onto my duvet.
My face turned bright red, "Umm...condoms."
"And where and why the hell did you get these?" he looked at me confused.
"She got them from me," Wes smirked.
I buried my face in my hands; he whipped his head back and forth between us. "Why the hell are you giving my girlfriend condoms!?"
"If you start to bore her like it seems," he smirked.
I threw a pillow at him, "Shut up, Wes!"
"Well whatever we can put them to good use, can't we, Lily?" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
I shut my eyes, "Please stop."
"You might need a smaller size," Wes commented.
"Can you shut up and leave please?"
"Fine by me," Wes said, exasperated. "Lily?"
"Yeah, I'll drive you home," I nodded and was about to get off the ground when he grabbed my hands and helped me up.
Luke jumped up immediately, shoving Wes' shoulders back, "Keep your hands off my girlfriend, asshole."
"Calm down, both of you, can you just pretend to get along?" I asked.
Neither of them said anything but as Wes stood there mockingly I said goodbye to Luke but told him to stay here because I'd be back in a few. "See ya, darling," he pulled me towards him, kissing my neck sensually.
"Luke," I muttered, pushing him away. Why was he acting this way in front of Wes? I thought.
I cut through the kitchen to get to the front door, "Where are you going with him?" my mother asked curiously.
"Driving him back home," I responded, exhaling deeply as if it was a task, but secretly I needed to step away from Luke for a couple minutes.
"Okay, be careful," she called as I exited the house, hinting at a double meaning.
I walked down the stairs with Wes, grabbing the keys to Luke's car and climbed in the driver's seat. Wes jumped in the passengers and muttered what sounded like a sorry.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," he shook his head.
"Okay...oh um...where do you live?" I asked, turning out of my neighborhood.
"Down the street two blocks," he muttered.
"What?!?" I looked at him like he was crazy. "You live walking distance and you can't even...what?"
He shrugged and pointed to his house. I pulled in the driveway and dropped him off but as I was about to pull away he yelled. "Oh wait!"
"What?" I said, lifting my foot off the gas and rolling down the window. "I have a model of it drawn out in my room, do you wanna see it?"
I nodded, "Can you bring it down?"
"Just come upstairs," he encouraged.
My mind was yelling at me No, No, No, NO
I nodded, "Yeah, I'd love to."
"Don't tell Luke about this," he said, making it feel all the more wrong.
I gulped loudly as I unclipped my seat belt, opening the door and he led me through the front door. His house smelled of fresh paint daubed on the plain pastel walls, boxes were scattered in corners, so I assumed they hadn't totally unpacked yet.
His room, however, was totally unpacked. It was painted a dark teal with posters of metal bands covering every wall. A stereo was on one shelf I opened it up, curious to see what he'd been listening to currently.
I almost burst out laughing when I saw the album, "Sinatra?"
"Don't hate on Frank," he said.
"I just didn't peg you for the type to listen to his works," I shrugged, pointing at all the hardcore posters and old vinyls.
"Yeah yeah," he laughed. "Well if you tell anyone, I'll have to kill you," he smirked.
"Hello!" a voice suddenly appeared at his door way. In the entrance stood a woman I inferred to be Wes' mother. Her green eyes looked just like his but her demeanor was entirely different. "Oh my God, are you her?" she whispered, her eyes widening.
"Her?" I asked.
"The one Wes has been talking about so much!" she laughed. "Oh my gosh and all the time,"
I looked at Wes who smiled. They were freaking me out. "I'm just kidding, hun," she laughed again. "What's your name?"
"Lily. Lily Allen," I held my hand out to reach her strong, firm grip.
"That's a cute name. My ex husband's sister was named Lily. She died," Ms. Hills said solemnly.
"Okay Mom," Wes said, leading her out of the room. "I think you've had a little too much to smoke this afternoon," he looked at me apologetically.
"Yeah," I said awkwardly under my breath.
"Oh do you want to stay for dinner Lyla?" she asked.
"Lily. Sorry I have to go," I said.
"Okay hun!" she said and pranced back down the hall.
"That was weird," I mumbled. Wes handed me the model and I examined it oddly, "This is really good."
"Yeah...um you should go," he said, surprising me.
My mind started to wonder why he would ask me to leave; I asked myself why I wanted to stay.
---
"Hey," I smiled as I threw the keys on the counter where Luke was having a conversation with my mom; she narrowed her eyes at me.
"What took you so long?" Luke inquired. My mom nodded curiously.
"Um, well he introduced me to his Mom and she asked if I wanted to stay for dinner but I declined politely.
"You went in to his house?" my mother asked in a a worried tone at the same time Luke said, "Why the hell did you go into his house?"
"Calm down," I said to the both of them, leaning over the counter to look at what was sizzling in the pan on the counter.
"Please don't do that again," Luke said.
"Mhmm," my mother agreed. "I don't like that boy."
"Who does?" Luke mumbled.
"Me," I said quickly under my breath and they both looked at me.
"What?"
"What?" I said.
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing," I lied.
I wouldn't repeat it again; I couldn't let it be true.