'Luke,' I began, hoping that he would jump in and cut me off. 'I'm pretty sure it is.' He said, quietly, and then unlocked his car. His voice was dripping with sarcasm, the edges of his words sharp enough to cut. 'So that's all I am to you? The bad boy? The notorious one? The legend of Grayson High?' 'No one has ever been that straightforward with me.' My eyes widened as he took this in, his brow furrowed. The words were out of my mouth before I even had the change to register them my hands flew to my face. 'It really is I just.I guess I wasn't expecting it.'Īnd then the smirk returned to his face as he cast me a sideways glance. 'I-I shouldn't have kissed you, even if it was fake.'

'I'm sorry if I scared you,' he said finally. You never knew what might come out of his mouth. I kept this thought to myself, though, still focused on him and what he was going to say next. He had said that several times in the past few days, and I was finding it harder and harder to believe him.

He laughed then, a genuine laugh, and ran his thumb along the ridge of my palm. Because Luke Callaway had just expressed everything that I'd been trying to say, all in one breath.Īnd the only thing I could think to say was, I know that we hardly know each other and that I've already kissed you and that everything seems to be coming on so fast, and I know that you're scared, but I'm not. I know about all of the potential complications, about the risks, about the fact that the wedding is in Florida and we're here and it's a week long. That seemed like so long ago.īut I was torn from my thoughts when I felt Luke's hand tighten around my fingers, and I looked up at him, unsure of what to do or what to say. He took my hand, and I felt the same electricity that I did the other night, at Tanner's party. 'Victoria,' he said, and I paused, lifting my gaze to his. 'And I know that everything-you know, about the wedding and everything-it's kind of crazy, so I understand if you don't-' So it was just me and Luke, sitting in comfortable silence, until he finally broke it, his voice filling the air between us. The car was gone, which meant Dad was at work-which wasn't surprising, seeing as his office often called him in at nighttime, anyways. We idled in my driveway, Luke's headlights illuminating the pavement before me, reflecting off of the dark, empty windows of the house.

Eleven paper hearts