My father kissed my forehead and whispered, “I love you too, Libby. More than anything.”
I dropped my arms and turned to my mother. We both smiled as she held her arms open. The moment she pulled me to her, I started crying. “Mom, I’m so confused.”
She held me tighter as she whispered. “I know, baby girl. I know.” Daddy walked up and wrapped his arms around my mother and me.
The sound of a truck driving down the driveway caused me to take a step back and quickly wipe my tears away. I spun around and my heart dropped.
Luke.
I watched as Luke pulled up and parked behind my car. My mother placed her hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “Talk to him, Libby.” I slowly nodded my head in acknowledgment.
Luke got out of his truck and I forced myself to not show what I instantly felt.
Lust. Want. Desire. Need. Him.
“Hey there, Luke. You ready to head back to school?” my father asked from behind me. Luke smiled and my knees wobbled just a bit.
“Yes, sir. The faster I get back, the faster the year ends.” He walked up next to me and reached out to shake my father’s hand. One quick glimpse down toward me and my heart dropped to my stomach. It was pounding so hard I was sure Luke would hear it. I turned my head and watched his every move as he spoke to my father. My eyes moved down to his Wrangler jeans that fit him just right. He had on a tight black T-shirt that clung to his body and showed off his chiseled abs. My eyes wandered down further as I smiled when I saw his cowboy boots. I moved my eyes back up to him and noticed his Texas A&M baseball cap. I moaned internally.
“We’re going to head inside. Libby, don’t leave without saying good-bye, sweetheart.”
My mother’s voice pulled me out of my trance as I quickly checked to be sure I hadn’t been drooling. Luke had always had an effect on me. Since I could remember, I was captivated by his smile—his laugh—his incredible muscular body.
“Um … I won’t, Mom,” I said with a weak smile as I looked at her smiling at me. She took my father’s hand and they began to walk up to the house.
I watched them until they disappeared behind the front door. I was wishing I could follow them. Luke cleared his throat and I looked down to the ground. “What’s up, Luke?”
He took a few steps back and leaned against my car as he let out a chuckle, forcing me to look up at him. I let out a soft sigh as I waited for him to tell me what he was doing here.
“I wanted to make sure you didn’t need a ride back to A&M,” he said with a smirk.
I narrowed my eyes at him and stared into his beautiful green eyes. Some days you couldn’t tell if his eyes were green or gray. It was one of the things I loved about him. If he was angry, I swore they turned gray. Luke had always told me I was crazy. His eyes were green and always stayed green. “I’ve told you three times I was taking my car back, Luke.”
He lifted the corner of his mouth into a melt-my-panties-on-the-spot smile. “You did?” he asked with a slight chuckle.
I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded my head. “Yes. Yes, I did.”
His eyes moved up and down my body, causing my cheeks to flush. I looked away to get my wits about me. “Maybe I just wanted to come and talk to you, Lib.”
I licked my lips on impulse. “Talk to me about what?” A part of me was hoping he would finally just admit the feelings he had for me. If only he remembered telling me that he loved me.
Luke shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe I should follow you back. Make sure you get there okay.”
I lifted my chin and stood up taller. “I’m perfectly fine getting there on my own. I’m not a child.”
Luke’s eyes moved down my body slowly. I was wearing black skinny jeans, my favorite pair of cowboy boots, and a teal blouse that
made my eyes bluer than normal. When his eyes finally found mine, he whispered, “I know.”
Swallowing hard, I looked away as I cleared my throat. “I don’t need you to watch over me like I’m some little girl who can’t take care of herself.” I began to walk past him as he pushed off the hood of my car and followed me. Opening the driver’s side door, I spun back around and looked at him. I was ready to lay into him and tell him how dare he come here and try to pretend like everything is okay. I didn’t need him. I didn’t even want to look at him.
When I looked into his eyes, he smiled and I was rendered speechless. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Luke reached up and took a piece of my hair and pushed it behind my ear. “You’re eyes look beautiful with this color shirt on, Lib.”
I stood there like an idiot before I finally managed to say something. “Thank you.”
“Let me follow you back. Please, Lib. It will make me feel better and I’m sure your parents would feel better as well.”
I was Jell-O in his hands. I always had been. I’d never forget the time he talked me into jumping out of the second-story barn window because he was convinced I could land on to the hay pile. I missed it by five feet and ended up breaking my ankle. Then there was the time he talked me into putting the frog under Grace’s pillow. He said she loved the frog and would be so happy to know he was sleeping under her pillow safe and warm. Grace still brings it up to this day how she was in a dead sleep and slipped her hand under her pillow only to be woken up from touching something slimy. She flew up out of bed so fast that she tripped over her backpack and hit the corner of her eye on her desk. She walked around with a black eye for two weeks.