"You love Reese?" I gaped at Luke as he got the broom to sweep up the peas that spilled all over the floor when the bag broke.
"Yes," Luke answered immediately, then blushed. "I mean...well, yeah. But you can't tell her!"
I crossed my heart. "Since when?"
"I don't know," Luke admitted, dumping the dustpan into the trash. Luke glanced down the hallway where Reese slept in my room. A small smile came to play on his lips. "She kind of crept up on me."
"What are you gonna do?" I raised my eyebrows at him and took the broom and dustpan away from him.
Luke opened his mouth, then closed it. "What are you gonna do?"
"Me?" I gave him a weird look. We were just talking about him.
"You." Luke responded, leaning against the kitchen countertop.
"I don't know," I shrugged, opening the freezer in search of something else for Luke's bruised knuckles. I could feel his blue eyes watching me, waiting for a response. "There's nothing I really can do."
Luke groaned, rolling his eyes at me. "Lana, just get back together with him."
I stared at him blankly. It's not that easy!
But oh, how I wish it was. Life would be so much simpler if I could just go upstairs to Michael's and get him back. Or if I could just magically wish for some way to solve our whole dilemma about Michael moving away. Absolutely ridiculous.
From out of nowhere, a giggle bubbled up, escaping my lips. Luke stared at me like I just pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Or maybe a penguin. He'd like that better.
Just the thought of that made me laugh even harder. "Yeah, Luke, that'll happen," I said in between breaths. "I'll just get on my broomstick and fly to Hogwarts and learn a spell and make everything okay!" My laughter quickly faded and my tone grew sharper. "Because it's just that freaking easy!"
Luke's mouth screwed to the side and his brows pulled together, creasing his forehead. I was panting by the time I finished, blinking back tears. To my surprise, the look in his glassy blue eyes wasn't pitying. No, it was understanding.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I said shakily, grabbing a bag of frozen fruit and handing it to Luke.
"Because I know how you feel," he said quietly, taking the bag and holding it to his knuckles, wincing a little.
I stared at him in wonder. I could I have been so oblivious to what was happening to him? I frowned. Some friend I was.
"Hey, don't feel bad about me," Luke got up to wrap his arm around my shoulder, holding me to his side. "I kept it a secret."
Suddenly, my temper flared up. "Goddammit, Reese!" I glared down the hallway.
"What's wrong?" Luke cautiously raised his arm off of me.
"What's wrong?" I raised my eyebrows. "What's wrong is that that stupid goddamn idiot down the hall is in love with you, Luke, but she's too fucking scared to admit it, and now both of you might be missing out on something great!"
Again, to my surprise, Luke wasn't taken aback by my little outburst, only shocked, but about something else entirely.
"Reese is in love with me?" A goofy grin slowly spread across Luke's face. "Really?"
"Yes, really." I restrained myself from rolling my eyes. "Why else do you think she tried to stop that guy, even when she's drunk like that?"
"Because he was an asshole?" Luke still couldn't keep the stupid grin off his face.
