Dedicated to the lovely @pacifics for the gorgeous cover on the side!
Quick reminder: The beginning of this chapter takes place two days after the diner incident, which is also the day after Luke's confrontation with Summer and Adam and Jamie's breakup.
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Chapter Twenty-Four
Jamie Vandeviere
When I get angry or excited, I get hungry, which is why by the time I finished talking to Jonathan, my stomach growled so loudly that I feared Luke had heard me with him standing so close. Thankfully, the hallway was abuzz with chatter and laughter and had drowned out the embarrassing sound completely.
I really, really need that chocolate. Or a cookie.
We joined the mob of students trying to squeeze their way inside the cafeteria. As Luke and I made our way to the line to get food, I was greeted by Summer’s shrill voice from our usual table. The monster was giggling over something one of the girls had told her and when she caught me glaring at her, she gave me the stink eye and smiled sarcastically.
I gently tugged at Luke’s sleeve when he looked like he was about to lunge for her, even though I was picturing wrapping my hands around her throat myself while she oh-so-delicately took a sip of her iced tea. Summer was turning me into a monster. Since when did I have such a violent mind?
This made me even more certain that there was no way I could sit at our usual table with Summer there and act as if nothing had happened. I didn’t trust myself to have that much self control. So I twirled around and asked Luke, who was paying for a peanut butter cookie that he had decided to get at the last minute, if he minded that I sat at another table today. He agreed without any hesitation.
“Umm… What’s going on?” Clara asked, her eyes wide with disbelief when Luke and I plopped down at her and Lucy’s table, the table I hadn’t sat at since the first week of school.
“We’re crashing,” Luke said with a small smile, winking at her as he took the seat across from mine, the one next to Lucy. Clara blushed all the way up to her ears.
“Not to sound rude or unwelcoming, but why?” Lucy inquired, her dark brows arching into an expression of curiosity.
“I can’t stomach nutcase over there,” I said, gesturing toward the demented blonde.
Clara bobbed a nod thoughtfully, as though she was saying, “’Nuff said.”
“Want me to fork her?” Lucy lowered her voice dramatically, and there was a snort of laughter from Luke. “I’d be more than happy to.”
“It’s fine. Let’s just enjoy our meal!” I said, attempting to sound chirpy. I didn’t tell them about what I had persuaded Jonathan to do. Not yet, because I didn’t want them to get their hopes up- Lucy’s hopes up, anyway- if it didn’t work the way I wanted it to.
“Yola, guys!”
I nearly choked on the piece of canned peach in my mouth when Bryce startled me by clapping me on the back before walking around to plant himself next to Luke. Sometimes I really think that Bryce forgets that I’m a girl and not one of his football buddies. I mean, I don’t ever see him slapping any other girl besides me on the back and I honestly don’t know whether I should feel privileged or offended.
“You guys get it? It’s a combination of Yo and Hola. I came up with it while I was in Spanish class last period.”
“Hate to break it to you, amigo, but I’ve heard it before,” Candace, approaching us with a pack of chips and a bottle of Minute Maid, chuckled. Bryce looked as if Candace had just broken the news to him that the Easter Bunny wasn’t real. The poor boy looked crushed and a little confused. “Mind if I join you guys?” she asked, a little shyly.
I had been so hung up on how irritated and furious I was with Summer that I had forgotten all about Candace’s argument with her yesterday outside her house. I was quite happy when Luke told me about it; not because Summer lost a friend, but because Candace was finally speaking up for herself. She’s a sweet person; she didn’t deserve to be treated so poorly by her “friend.”
“Not at all,” I smiled at her, pulling out the chair beside me so she could sit down.
The rest of the senior jocks, who had been engaged in a conversation of their own up until this point back at our old table, picked up their trays and began shuffling to our table when Roger spotted us. Much to my surprise, Adam was among the group, and he even threw me a little smile as he walked over.
The rest of the students stared and gaped as the jocks carried their trays all the way from across the cafeteria. Even Summer and her friends were staring blatantly in disbelief as half of “popular table” emptied. The only senior jock who remained was Paul, who looked pretty miserable sitting there when all of his friends were over here, and I could tell he wanted to switch seats, too, but couldn’t since he and Luke still hadn’t patched things up.
His and What’s ups were exchanged when the guys reached where we were. They began pulling chairs from other tables and what was once an almost secluded table was now packed and rowdy.
“I think,” Lucy inhaled deeply, surveying our now-crowded table in amazement, “We’re going to need a bigger table from now on.”
***
After school I spent the rest of the day at Clara’s house with Lucy, and when I got home I found my parents watching Pride and Prejudice on the couch, their eyes fixed intently upon the T.V. screen even though they had seen the movie for at least more than five times. Not the Keira Knightly version, but the 1995, Colin Firth version. My parents were pretty much obsessed with everything Jane Austen.
"Hey, sweetie," Mom said as I closed the front door quietly behind me. "Did you have fun at Clara’s?"
"Yeah. We took Bon Bon out for a walk then watched a movie," I answered. Bon Bon was Clara’s Labrador and was just the cutest thing ever. He had been in Clara’s family for about eight years and Clara adored him to pieces. “Mom, Dad? I have something to tell you. Should I wait until you're done with the movie?”
My parents were so engrossed in the movie that they didn't even notice how unease I sounded.
"You can tell us now, if you'd like. The movie's almost over," Dad said without removing his eyes off the screen.
I inhaled a deep breath. "I have a date tomorrow."
"Oh, that's great, sweetie!" Mom gushed. "Did you and Adam get back together?"
. "No.” Here comes the awkward part. “I'm going out with Luke."
Abruptly, Mom twisted her body around to face me and gaped, open-mouthed, before looking to my father. "Luke Archer?" she asked, not looking half as thrilled as she did when I told her about my going out with Adam months ago.
I bobbed a nod. Seriously, there weren't even that many Lukes in town. How many of them did she think I know? And if Mom was behaving like this, I didn't dare to look at the expression on my dad's face.
Last Saturday, after Mom and I got home from dealing with all that mess down at the cafe, she told my dad how Luke and the rest of the boys came by and helped us set the place back up. I still remember the bewildered look on my dad's face when he heard Luke's name. And that was just when he thought Luke and I were friends.
Now, upon hearing that I was going out on a date with Luke, Dad gawked at me like I'd just told him I was immigrating to South America. I gulped when I saw him pause the movie. Dad never pauses Jane Austen movies!
"You will come home for a while before you leave for your date tomorrow, right?" Dad sounded calm, and I took comfort in the fact that he, at least, didn't say no to my date.
"Yeah. I'll be home."
He nodded his head and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "I don't have any classes tomorrow afternoon so I'll be home, too."
In other words, don't even think about going on that date without me meeting Luke first.
"Okay."
Then Dad got back to watching his movie, whereas my mom pulled me into my bedroom and started questioning whether or not I was sure I was ready for another relationship so soon. I guess she didn't approve my dating another guy right after my breakup with Adam. And normally, I would probably agree with her, but because this was Luke we were talking about... I didn't want to wait.
I spent the rest of the night reassuring her that Adam was cool with me and Luke together and that we were still good friends. I'm not sure if she was convinced, since a frown still would come to her face whenever she mentioned Luke's name. Why she acted like that was quite baffling. I mean, she seemed to have liked Luke just fine when she met him at the cafe with the rest of the boys. And honestly, it was a little disappointing because I liked Luke a lot and I wanted my mom to like him, too.
When Mom and Dad get to know him, they'll grow to love him.
***
All day at school the next day, I couldn’t stop anticipating my date with Luke in the evening. I still had no idea where we were going but to be frank, he could have taken me to a junkyard and I wouldn’t have minded as long as it meant being alone with him. Yeah, I really ought to start having higher expectations. Luke had been driving me crazy all day, giving me secretive smiles in the classes that we shared and “accidentally” brushing his hands against my body in the hall or at lunch. I did everything in my power to hide the effect that he had on me, but I wouldn’t say I did a very good job since I would always catch him snickering or fighting back a smile at my reaction to his touch.
The news of Aimee and Luke’s falling out had spread all over school by Tuesday. Aimee hadn’t been sitting with us at lunch since yesterday and every time I bumped into her in the hallways, she would look right over me and act as if I were air. I didn’t blame her for ignoring me and I knew better than to try to talk to her, since nothing I say would make anything better. Maybe Luke was right; she just needed some time. My apology to her would have to wait until her anger subsided, though I had no idea when that was going to be.
Even though Adam had been really nice about the whole thing, having him and Luke sitting at the same table was still a little unsettling. Adam and Luke both made an effort to dissolve the awkwardness by making small talks to each other about the upcoming game, but there was something in their tones that made their conversation sound a bit strange and forced. The jocks didn’t comment on the awkwardness between Luke, Adam and me at lunch. I could tell they knew something was up, since they kept darting their eyes back and forth between us with their eyes full of wonder, but thankfully they didn’t ask or say anything.
I drove straight home after school since Luke wasn’t picking me up until five-thirty. He told me he had a couple of errands to run for his parents, who had called in to check on him last night all the way from Shanghai and told him they were coming home at the end of the week, much to Luke’s chagrin.
Dad was grading papers in the study room by the time I got home. He asked me what time Luke would be here, even though I had already told him twice the night before, and when I answered, he just gave a little “Hmm” in return.
Ransacking my closet, I laid almost every piece of clothing that I owned on my bed as I searched for something cute and appropriate to wear. This would actually be a whole lot easier if Luke didn’t insist on being so secretive about where we were going. Do I dress casual? Or dressy? I wanted to impress him and show him know how far I’d come since the old Jamie Vandeviere that he met more than a month ago. I wanted to be able to stand next to him without having people wondering “What’s a guy like him doing with a girl like her?”
After trying on at least a dozen outfits, most of them Sienna’s, I decided on the white sleeveless top that my mom got me last summer and a black mini skirt. Casual, but not sweatshirt-casual, and it should be a safe choice for wherever we were going. Then seeing that I still had plenty of time left, I decided to take a quick shower to freshen up. Luke always smelled really nice, like he had just stepped fresh out from the shower… I wanted to smell good, too.
Fifteen minutes or so later, I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around my body, feeling clean and refreshed from the shower. I walked over to my bed and slipped into an old T-shirt and a pair of gym shorts so that I wouldn’t get the outfit that I had picked out earlier wet with my hair, and I was just about to reach for the blow-dryer when I heard muffled voices and low chuckles escaping from the living room.
Was Mom home? But she told me she had to close up the café today because Cheri had called in sick earlier this morning, and I remember how disappointed she was when she told me she wouldn’t get to meet Luke- well, as my date, anyway.
Stricken with curiosity, I strode to the door and stepped out of my room to see what was going on.
And I froze when I found Luke sitting on the couch with my dad in the living room, the two of them looking at ease and laughing over something in the newspaper.
It took me a ten long seconds to react to the scene unfolding before me.
“Luke?” I croaked in surprise. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t going to be here until…” Then I caught a glimpse of the clock sitting above the fireplace and frowned when I took in the time. Five thirty-five. How on earth was that possible? The last time that I checked the clock in my room it had only been four-thirty. I couldn’t have spent more an hour in the shower without knowing.
I groaned internally when I realized that my clock must have been low on battery. It wouldn’t be the first time that it ran slow. I cannot believe this happened today of all days…
“Hey, Jamie,” he greeted me with a grin that would have made most of the girls at Roseville High melt.
Abruptly, a very mortifying piece of information sank in: I was standing in front of Luke with water dripping from my hair to the front of my shirt, dressed only a step up from my pajamas. So much for wanting to impress him…
"Did the clock in your room stop working again?" Dad asked. Then eyeing the droplets of water rolling off my head, he said, “I called you when Luke arrived but I guess you didn't hear me in the shower. Go dry your hair, sweetheart. ”
I threw a look of uncertainty at Luke, and said, still haven’t fully recovered from my state of shock, “I’m so, so sorry. I’ll be right out.”
“No worries. Take your time,” he said gently.
I dashed straight to my room, dried my hair and got dressed the quickest I think I’d ever dressed. Checking in the mirror one last time to make sure I looked decent, I darted to the living room as fast as my feet allowed and found Luke and Dad in the exact same position that they had been in. Luke got to his feet when I came into view and my face heated when he raked his eyes over me from head to foot and back again. Self-consciously, I cleared my throat and clung to the strap of my purse. “I’m ready to go.”
Luke smiled at me and turned to my dad, who had also gotten up from the couch. I noticed that Luke had changed out of the white T-shirt that he wore to school this morning- something I had failed to pick up while I was on the verge of having a panic attack- and was handsomely dressed in a dark blue button down shirt and fitted black jeans that made him look like a movie star. “I will have her home before ten-thirty, Mr. Vandeviere.”
Ten-thirty? But my curfew was ten on school nights. I expected my dad to object, but much to my surprise, he just nodded and said, “Take care of my little girl. You kids have fun.”
Okay, seriously. What did Luke and my dad talk about while I was showering and getting dressed? Not that they were acting all buddy-buddy around each other or anything, but it really didn’t seem like they had just met for the very first time. And it was definitely weird that my dad didn’t grill Luke about our plans for the night. In fact, he looked pretty ready to let us leave, which honestly doesn’t make any sense seeing that the first time Adam came over to pick me up for our date- something that seems like another lifetime now- Dad flung questions at him like a machine gun.
I hugged my dad goodbye and took Luke’s hand, pulling him hurriedly out of my house before Dad could change his mind. I’d wasted fifteen minutes of our date because of my stupid clock already; I couldn’t afford to lose another second to be alone with Luke.
“I’m sorry about the wait,” I said the second Dad closed the door, whirling around to face Luke the as we walked to his car. He steadied me and laughed quietly when I almost stumbled over a stone on the sidewalk in my attempt to walk backwards. I normally wasn’t such a klutz but for some reason, my feet tend lose the ability to maintain balance whenever Luke was around.
“Like I said, Jamie, it’s fine,” he smiled. “Your dad’s really nice.”
“I’m surprised he let us go so easily,” I told him. “And I can’t believe he’s pushing my curfew to ten-thirty!”
“Your dad’s a cool guy. After I told him where I plan on taking you-”
“Which is?” I inserted innocently.
He raised his eyebrow at me. “Nice try. I’m still not telling you.”
Darn it. What is with guys and surprises?
“Anyway,” he drawled. “I told him about my plan for the evening before he even asked, and he just said to have you home by ten-thirty.”
"Wow. Dad must like you a lot," I blinked at him. Before Luke showed up, I was under the impression that my dad wasn’t particularly fond of him. It was nice to know that that wasn't the case.
Luke smirked proudly, showing a set of pearly white teeth. "Of course he likes me. I played the role of perfect boyfriend to a tee."
"There you go again! Boldly assuming you're already my boyfriend," I teased, rolling my eyes.
Luke sighed, but a smile was still playing at the corner of his lips. "You're a hard girl to get with, Jamie Vandeviere."
I grinned at him.
By then we had already reached Luke's convertible. Luke, ever the gentleman, opened the door for me and watched me get in with a lively spark dancing in his eyes. I found myself bouncing in my seat with anticipation as Luke walked around the car to get to the driver's seat. Yes, I realize I was acting like a child on Christmas morning, ready to open her presents, but I couldn't help it. I'd been looking forward to this day for the past 48 hours.
"You know, tonight’s all I’ve been able to think about." The words came out before I could stop them. I didn’t want Luke to think I was one of those girls who spent their entire day doing basically nothing other than daydream about him.
“Good," he said, draping his arm over the back of my seat as he turned his head to me. "Tonight’s all I’ve been able to think about, too. Actually, you’re all I’ve been able to think about.”
My heart did a quick flip when he just stared at me without saying anything else and began to slowly lean in. His gaze flickered momentarily to my lips when his face was only inches away and I thought for sure he was going to kiss me, something he hadn't done since Saturday night, behind my mother's café. And just thinking about the kiss that we shared made me warm all over.
"Jamie?" he murmured.
"Hmm?" I gulped, finding it a little hard to form a coherent sentence with him so close. My breaths, still ragged, were coming out quicker and my pulse was throbbing erratically.
Instead of closing the distance between us, however, Luke pulled away. Disappointment hit me like a ton of bricks."Will you do something for me?"
"Sure," I mumbled feebly, still feeling dejected over what had happened. I mean what didn’t happen.
Luke popped open his compartment and grabbed a small piece of black fabric that was sitting on top of his CD cases, laying it on my lap.
A blindfold.
What. The. Heck.
"You're not serious, are you?" I asked, stunned, as I cautiously stared down at the blindfold like it would come alive any second from now.
"I told you I wanted where we're going to be a surprise. It's not going to be that long of a ride. Don't worry."
At the speed that Luke normally drove, I never assumed it would be a long ride to wherever we were going.
"This isn't the part where you turn out to be a psycho killer, and you take me to the woods, dismember me, and scatter my remains all over the forest, is it?"
Mouth agape, he gawked at me with an amused look on his face and asked, "What kind of movies did you say you enjoy watching again?" When I didn't answer, he smirked and said, "If I planned on killing you, do you think I would tell your father exactly where and what we were going and doing?"
"So you told him about blindfolding me, too?" I asked.
"I may have left that part out," he drawled, pursing his lips sheepishly.
I tilted my head and raised my eyebrow at him, hoping to convey "Ah-ha!" with my eyes.
"Oh, come on, Jamie! Don't you trust me?" he groaned, slinging an arm around my shoulder.
"At the moment? Not really."
He laughed at my response and took one of my hands in both of his, bringing it to his chin. "Please?"
I rarely see Luke looking this excited so I figured surprising me must have meant a great deal to him. Plus, with him unleashing the power of his persuasive eyes on me, how on earth could I say no?
"Fine," I sighed in defeat. He grinned, and I saw him clenching one of his fists in silent triumph before I put the blindfold over my eyes and let complete darkness take over.
"Can you see anything?" he asked, and I could feel him waving his hands in front of me as I adjusted the straps behind my head.
"I'm seeing black, black and black."
"Excellent," he said in satisfaction, placing a kiss on my forehead. "Thank you for cooperating. We'll get there soon, I promise."
The car emitted a soft purr before we zoomed down the street. I didn't doubt that Luke would keep his word.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, guys. I’m not going to bore with you why I haven’t been able to update… The most important thing is that I actually finished this chapter, right? : ) I understand you guys want me to update more frequently. Believe me, I want to do that too and while I really appreciate you wanting to read more of PP, please, please don’t leave or send me rude messages to pressure me into updating. They don’t really speed up my writing (they do quite the opposite, actually) and how long it takes me to update is not something I can control, unfortunately.
A quick shoutout to all of you guys who have been super understanding and supportive, even with my slow updates… I just want to say how much I appreciate and adore every single one of you! Thanks for all the love ( :
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