After a few moments, the door opens. Luke wears grey sweatpants and a black shirt, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Alaska?" He asks. "What are you doing here? It's three in the morning," his voice is deep and raspy. Jesus christ it's hot. Wait, what?
"I know," I say.
"What's wrong?"
I frown. Now that I think about it, it's stupid. I shouldn't have woken up Luke for this.
"I can't sleep," I say quietly. God, I'm so stupid.
Luke just stares at me.
"I'm sorry, I'll go. Sorry." I start to turn, when Luke grabs my hand and spins me back around.
"Is everything okay?" He asks, worry spreading over his face.
"Yes," I lie. "I'm fine, I--"
"Are you sure?" He asks, cutting me off.
I look down at his fingers that are still clasped around my hand and shake my head slowly.
He let's go of me and steps to the side. "Come on in," he says and I nod, stepping into his apartment.
Everything is perfectly neat, and in place. The walls are a cream colour, and the doors are all a light brown wood. There is a large flatscreen TV mounted on the wall in front of two navy blue couches. The place is impeccably neat.
Luke walks over to the kitchen and pulls out two coffee cups. He puts the kettle on as I sit down at the island bench. He still doesn't speak as he puts a tea bag in each cup, stirring them both with a spoon as he pours in the milk. He finishes and slides a cup towards me.
"No sugar?" I ask.
"Nope. Just milk and tea, it helps you relax." I've never heard of that before, but I drink it nonetheless.
"What are you afraid of?" Luke asks me.
"I've never been jumped like that before, and then you even said I wasn't completely safe..."
"Do you feel unsafe?" He asks and I shrug.
"Nothing will happen to you, Allie. I won't let anything happen, okay?" He asks, and I nod.
This is so odd, to be having tea with Luke, at three in the morning, in his apartment. Only hours ago, we were yelling at each other in a broken elevator, and here he is telling me he'll keep me safe.
"What is it that you do?" I ask him.
"I'm an accountant," he replies.
"No, I mean for those guys."
"I'm an accountant," he repeats, smirking at my confused expression.
"What are the numbers?" I say, and clamp my hand over my mouth as soon as the words leave my mouth.
"Numbers?"
"When I followed you..."
"Of course," he says, running a hand through his blonde hair. He actually looks quite different right now. It isn't in his usual quiff, it's just falling across his forhead and flicking to the side. Like Justin Bieber.
"Alaska, listen to me. You can't know anything about this, okay? Especially what I do. Do you understand?"
"But..."
"I can't tell you, and I won't. It's none of your business."
"It kind of is my business now! I mean, I was fucking jumped on my way home!"
"I'm sorry that happened to you," he says. "But if I tell you anything, you will be in even more trouble."
"I'm in trouble now?" I ask quietly, my voice a few octaves higher than normal, tears brimming my eyes.
"No, no, not..." Luke sighs, leaning his head in his hands. "God, this is all such a mess."
I nod in agreement, staring down at my tea.
"Alaska, Alaska, Alaska," he sighs, shaking his head. "What am I supposed to do with you now?"
"I'm sorry," I say, pushing my mug tea away from me. "I'll just go home."
"No, don't go." He looks up, blue eyes boring into my green ones. "Don't go. You can stay."
We stare into each other's eyes for another moment or two, his beautiful blue ones laced with worry.
"I don't love him," I say out of the blue.
"What?"
"I don't love Tyler." I repeat. "Hell, I'm not even sure if I like him anymore."
Luke just stares at me.
"He's not even a real photographer!" I go on. "He's just an intern!" A laugh escapes my lips. I start laughing even more and before I know it, I'm laughing histerically, tears streaming from my eyes.
Luke looks at me confusedly for a moment before cracking a large smile, dimples and everything. His smile turns into a small chuckle, which soon turns into loud laughter as well.
We must look like a pair of fools, honestly. Laughing histerically, at nothing, over tea, and three in the morning.
"He even treats it like a real job!" I say. "He doesn't even get paid!" I say, beginning to laugh even more, my sides beginning to hurt. God, why can't I be like this around Tyler?
I don't know how long Luke and I laugh together. It seems like an eternity; a long, blissful eternity.
Our laughter finally dies down a few minutes later and Luke looks up at me. "Why would you say you loved him then?" He asks.
"I wanted to upset you," I say, instantly biting my lip. The words seem to flow from my mouth before I could even comprehend what I was saying. There must be something in the tea.
Luke smiles, and then starts laughing again. I laugh, too. I don't think I've ever laughed this much in my life, especially over something so small.
I watch Luke as he laughs. His dimples curve into his cheeks and he throws his head back, his blue eyes squinting in the corners. It really is a lovely sight to see him laugh, and I wonder why he doesn't do it more often.
Our laughter dies down and I notice that I've drunk all my tea, Luke has too.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Luke asks, leaning toward me on his elbows.
"Okay."
"I don't really think you're pretentious. I actually think you're one of the nicest people I've ever met." Yep, there is definately something in this tea. He puts a hand over his mouth, probably realizing what he just said, and I giggle at his nervousness.
"Well, I think you're good on the inside," I say."Even if you're an asshole ninety percent of the time."
He giggles too. He fucking giggles. We sound like a bunch of high schoolers giggling over a dirty joke.
"Honestly, what did you put in this tea?" I ask him as he puts out cups in the dishwasher.
"My Mum used to make it for me when I was sad," he says.
"Is it authentic?" I ask.
"What do you mean?"
"Does your mum really make it?"
"Hell no, it's from Seven Eleven," he says, and we both burst into laughter again.
"I didn't know they sold tea at Seven Eleven," I say.
"I don't know. By the way we're acting, you'd think they put crack in it," he says, still smiling widely.
I press my cheek to the counter, my eyes still focused on Luke. All the hours I spent awake tonight are catching up to me, and I yawn. Luke raises to his full height, getting off his elbows. "Come on, you can sleep on the couch if it makes you feel safer than in your apartment."
"No, no, it's fine. I can go home."
Luke raises his eyebrows at me, "If you go, will you actually sleep?"
I know he's right, and so does he. I yawn again, and he smiles at me. He turns and walks into another room, returning with blankets and a pillow. He arranges them on the couch for me.
"This is a one time thing," he says. My heart sinks at his cold attitude returning, but when I notice the humour in his eyes I relax. I roll my eyes at him, sinking down into the couch.
"Good," I say. "I don't want any more of your convenient store tea."
Luke laughs again and bids me goodnight, walking back into his room.
I curl up on the couch, snuggling the pillow. It smells like Luke. I inhale the mix of cologne and spearmint, burying my face in the fabric.
I fall asleep instantly, feeling safer that I ever have before.