You!

Sealing the deal!

Hello everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read my content. I apologize if the updates have been a bit slow lately, as I have been busy catching up with my writing projects on Dreame. However, I am happy to announce that one of my novels has finally been completed, which means I will have more time to dedicate to this platform. So please, if you enjoy my work, don't forget to vote and leave comments on the chapters. Your feedback is greatly appreciated! ❤️

Luke's eyes were glued to the floor like he was trying to find a lost penny or something. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. His dad was always jetting off on business trips, and when he wasn't off gallivanting in far-off lands, he was busy chasing after women, looking for love and affection in all the wrong places. It was no wonder Luke was feeling neglected and lost in the world.

I mean, can you imagine growing up without a proper mother or father figure around? It's like trying to navigate through life with a broken compass. Luke basically had a revolving door of nannies coming in and out of his life, or so my mother told me.

I casually took a bite of my sandwich before blurting out, "Have you ever wondered where your mother is?"

Luke raised an eyebrow and paused for a moment, clearly caught off guard by my question. "No, well yes, but I never actually searched for her. She left me as a young boy, so I don't really give a shit where she is," he replied nonchalantly, taking a bite from his sandwich again.

"I'm sorry about your father," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I forced a smile, trying to brush off the comment. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago," I replied, hoping he wouldn't press the issue. The truth was, it may have been years since my father had passed away, but the pain was still fresh in my mind. The image of him struggling in the water, and the sound of his cries for help still echoed in my ears, haunting me every night.

"I know, but clearly it still haunts you, otherwise you would've learned how to swim by now," he spoke out. I could feel the annoyance bubbling up inside me.

without even thinking, I blurted out, "I'm going to learn how to surf, so soon I will know how to swim."

Luke burst out laughing at my sudden declaration. Sure, because learning how to surf automatically means I'll become a swimming pro, right?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," he replied, trying to stifle his amusement. "But do you know how long it takes for someone to learn how to surf? And you don't even know how to swim!"

I waved off his concerns with a confident smile. "Psh, details, details. I've watched enough surfing videos on YouTube to know what I'm doing. Plus, how hard can it be to stand on a board and ride a wave?"

"Leah, let's get one thing straight, surfing and watching YouTube videos are as different as night and day. And just in case you forgot, I feel the need to remind you that you don't know how to swim," he said, with a smirk on his face. "I mean, have you ever even been in the ocean, with a massive wave crashing down on top of you, dragging you down to the murky depths below? Trust me, it's not a fun experience."

Well of course not idiot!

"Let me teach you," he said with a confident smirk on his face.

I raised an eyebrow. "What? Surfing?"

"Yep, surfing. But first, you gotta learn how to swim," he replied.

"You know how to surf?" I asked, genuinely surprised by his declaration.

"Yeah, actually I do. What did you expect? My father was never here, so I learned how to swim at a young age," he explained nonchalantly.

Well of course he knows how to surf, pfft! It's Luke we're talking about.

"I don't know, I can join the surfing club," I said nervously. How do I know that this wasn't just a stunt he tried to pull again?

"If that is what you want, I can help you after school and at weekends, the club is only teaching on Wednesday," he said, "come on, let me make up for the other day," I looked at him in disbelief. Why would he all of a sudden help me? What's up with the sudden change of heart and friendliness?

I pondered this mysterious turn of events, my mind raced with questions. Was this guy for real? Or was he just trying to trick me
again? I mean, I've seen enough teen movies to know that this could be a classic case of the popular kid befriending the nerd only to pull a prank on them. But then again, maybe he was genuinely trying to make amends for what happened the other day.

I stared at him, my eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Okay, I think," I said with a forced smile, trying to keep my cool.

"Yeah?" he asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yeah, as long as you promise to never embarrass me again, or say that my mother is a gold digger," I said, my voice laced with doubt.

He chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Promise," he said with a smirk.

"Okay, so first thing tomorrow morning?" Luke said, sticking his hand out as if we were sealing a deal.

"Deal," I replied with a smile. Luke started to walk away towards his room, but then he did a dramatic 180 and faced me once more.

"Leah, you know, you really didn't have to go all out with the makeover. I mean, I liked you just the way you were," he said with a grin, causing a wave of embarrassment to wash over me as my cheeks flushed pink.