english ✱ muke

十

"i didn't realize you were being serious," i chuckle nervously.

"i don't play around baby," luke smirks. like the good driver he is, he focuses on the road in front of him.

my heart beats faster as luke told me he was going to prove to me that he has abs. i feel anxious. the sooner we get to his place, the sooner he'll start 'proving his point'. instead of feeling giddy, i feel like i'm about to piss myself. like everything is about to go wrong, really quick.

what if luke insists on me stripping down too? he'll notice my disgusting flabs and never talk to me again. and even then, what am i suppose to do when i see luke's apparent six-pac? stand there and admire them like a fool?

i try to shake off those thoughts and turn to stare at luke's beautiful face. the sun makes him squint as it's shining directly into his sky blue eyes. even then, he looks adorable.

"i can feel you staring at me," luke says nonchalantly, his eyes never leaving the road before him. "is there a reason why?"

"just admiring your beauty," i shrug, even though i know he can't see me.

i watch as luke's cheeks flush a crimson red. "i would be staring at you too but i don't want to crash the car."

i laugh and suddenly all my nerves wash away. i'm not too sure why i ever was worked up. luke would never judge me so harshly, if anything he'd be the one tripping over his words and blushing like a school girl.

"would you mind running inside starbucks to grab me a drink? the line at the drive-thru is so long." luke frowns as he pulls into the parking lot.

"yeah, sure. what drink do you want?" i ask, unbuckling my seatbelt.

"caramel frappe please. extra caramel drizzled on top," luke asks sweetly, batting his dark blond lashes.

"of course," i grin.

"thanks baby," luke smiles warmly. he tries to shove a ten dollar bill into my hand but i refuse to accept it.

"my treat," i insist as i exit the car.

luke parks directly in front of the starbucks so i have easy access to the doors. as i enter the store, i see luke reversing into the parking lot to find a place to wait because he's technically not allowed to be parking in the place he dropped me off.

it's unusually empty inside. there's not even a line. i quickly go to the barista and order luke his drink in the largest size possible. the girl working there gives me a receipt and makes me wait for luke's drink.

i can't help but stare at a young woman crying by herself at a table. black mascara runs down her cheeks as she sobs miserably. i still have to wait for my drink to be made so i guess i'll try to console her and be a good person.

"um... are you okay?" i ask awkwardly. i usually don't go up to strangers and strike a conversation.

the woman looks up at me with bleary eyes. "it's my husband."

"what?" i ask, confused.

"it's my husband harry," the grey eyed woman spoke.

"what about him?" i ask, more confused then ever.

"he's furious. he and i were driving around and my phone buzzed. it was a text from my high school lover. you see, my husband is a jealous man. he lost his shit. he forced me to leave the car and i walked my way here. i've been texting him and telling him to pick me up from here but he's not answering." she explains.

"that's such a dick move," i shake my head.

"you don't understand. harry has an alcohol problem. he's probably off at the bar drinking his life away, it wouldn't be the first time this has happened." she ruffles her straight blonde hair.

"it's only the afternoon," i frown.

"he texted me back a little while ago, telling me that he's coming to pick me up but i don't know what state he's in. i don't want him killing himself from drunk driving." the woman says, her grey eyes filling with tears again.

"hey, it's okay.." i pause, silently asking for her name.

"tessa," she sniffed. "my name is tessa."

"it's okay tessa," i finish. "look, i have my friend outside and he'll give you a ride home. tell your husband to just hold on and quit the driving."

tessa's face lights up with happiness and she jumps up. "thank you so much!"

"it's really no problem," i shrug, going to the counter to grab the drink i originally came inside to buy.

tessa follows me out the door and we wait outside. i scan the parking lot for luke's car and i soon see it, driving to the front to pick us up.

"oh fuck!" tessa suddenly curses.

"what?" i ask, briefly taking my eyes off luke to look at her.

"harry!" she says, her eyes wide with fear.

"what about him?" i ask for the second time this conversation.

"he's here." tessa gasps. "and i think he's wasted."

i look and immediately, i know who she's talking about. a man with wild brown hair and emerald green eyes sits inside a truck, driving terribly. the truck rams into a row of cars parking and dents a whole lot of them. i wince, feeling bad for the owners who have yet to notice the damage.

harry, the man driving the truck, catches sight of tessa. he smiles widely and steps on the gas, speeding to where she is.

i know for a fact that if tessa and i don't move, we'll get run over. at the speed harry's driving, it'll be impossible for him to brake the car before it hits us. i scream but i'm frozen in my spot. my eyes shut and i pray to the lord that i don't die.

i hear a screeching of tires and a loud crash. i stand there, half expecting to be dead. i don't feel any pain though. i carefully open one eye but i regret it immediately.

"luke!" i scream hoarsely, looking at the ruins of his car under harry's truck.

through all the chaos, i forgot that luke was coming to pick me up from the doors to save me from walking. with the small car he's driving, he couldn't have possibly seen harry's truck. as a result, the two vehicles collided.

smoke is in the air and i'm praying it's coming from elsewhere. i blindly pull out my phone to call the police, not sure of what else to do. i didn't realize i was screaming at the top of my lungs until my throat started to burn.

it's only when i see the flashing red and blue lights of the police and ambulance coming when i finally calm down the slightest.

but even then, i'm terrified.