Play No More (Player Next Door sequel) ✓

13 | Back Up

Remember the lake scene in Player Next Door?  

This sleek poster from Samlubrooks has totally brought me back... so much so that I've also uploaded chapter in the first book with it ;)  

Chapter 13: Back Up

The first time I drove over Luke's laptop, it was a private affair. Just the two of us by a cabin near a lake.

This time... there were eyewitnesses.

"STOP!"

I was backing my car out of the driveway because my mama told me to.

Luke sprinted across the backyard, abandoning the mini funeral we had planned for Roger the dead cat. 

If it slipped my mind that my boyfriend was an athlete, this reminded me. His speed was absurd.

I tried to stop. I slammed on the breaks, but it was too late.

"AAAAAH!" I screamed, right as the tires of my car rolled over-

CRACK

**

Did I kill him? Did I kill Luke?

He had appeared in my rearview mirror a few seconds before.

"LUKE?!" I called out.

I stabbed my seatbelt fanatically until it swung off and caught one of my arms. I tried to jump out of the car, but the seatbelt clung to my left hand and I swung around the seat, trying to peel it off me. Arm burn.

There were eight pairs of eyes staring at me.

"That's his girlfriend?" Charlotte's ex-boyfriend asked, again.

Luke's sister, her ex-boyfriend and Nicole had all been on their way to dinner when the incident happened. They were now standing on the sidewalk with their mouths wide open. 

I hope their dinner reservation's flexible.

Austin and Chad were walking across the backyard, re-tracing Luke's path to reach us. There were a lot of weeds, but that didn't seem to slow them down.

Gloria and my mother were standing at the entrance of our house. Even Flora poked her head out of an upstairs window.

Wasn't she meant to be unconscious?

And Luke.

He was kneeling behind my car. The sight of him there caused major deja-vu.

Luke's been cute since the day his basketball rolled into our driveway and I saw him for the first time. He was probably cute before, but I can't confirm that. 

And then came the day we had our first real conversation... ten years later.  He had been kneeling on the ground behind my car, in the same way he was now.  

He had more tan, and his hair was a little shorter then  – but I liked it this way.  Forever 'cute.'

Luke didn't have to look up to know my reaction.

We've done this before.

I ran towards the accident and half-fell next to him, but he'd already extended an arm to keep me steady. The impact of my unstable body should've rocked him, but he was strong enough to remain completely unaffected.

Somehow, I was the one out of breath though he'd been running.

I looked at the damage I created and that's when déjà vu peaked to a whole new level of unreal.