Steal My Breath (Elixir 1)

With one last glance at me, he turns and exits my bedroom. The sound of the front door clicking shut signals that I’m alone and I allow the confusion and hurt to take over.

* * *

“I haven’t had time to start searching for info on Luke yet,” Avery says the next day when she calls me on my lunch break.

I relax back into my seat in the back corner of the café and rest my feet on the chair across from me. I’ve got an hour for my break today, and I’m a little concerned I might fall asleep. After Luke left last night, I hardly slept as thoughts of him ran through my mind. I’d been upset that he left so quickly, but the more I thought about it, the more it felt out of character with the way he arrived and with what he told me. After tossing and turning for hours, I finally fell asleep after making the decision to go see him tonight if I don’t hear from him today. I’m not the kind of girl who feels it necessary to wait for a man to come to her. I’d much rather take matters into my own hands.

“You don’t need to look for info on him. He came over last night and told me about himself.” I don’t elaborate because I’ve decided to keep what I know of Luke’s personal life to myself. It doesn’t feel right to share what he told me in confidence. As much as Avery is my girl and I tell her everything, I always keep things to myself if they’ve been shared in this manner.

“Well, spill!”

“I can’t tell you everything because he told me this stuff in confidence and you know what I’m like. But I will tell you that he’s married.”

“Holy. Shit. No.”

“Yes, he is.”

“What the actual fuck? Why did he kiss you the other night if he’s married? And how did we not know this about him?”

“Before you get carried away, he’s getting a divorce… Well, at least I think he is. They’re not together, so there is that.”

“You need to give me more here, Callie. None of this is making much sense.”

“I can’t. I need to talk to Luke first and make sure he’s okay for me to share more.”

“Ugh. You drive me crazy with your refusal to share stuff,” she mutters.

“Yeah, well you like it when it’s your private stuff I don’t share.”

“You are a pain in my ass, chick. Why did I have to find the one best friend who has the morals you do? Why couldn’t I have found a loose-lips bestie?”

“Stop your grumbling. You adore me.” I pick at the sandwich sitting in front of me. I only ordered it because I felt I should eat. I’m not really that hungry.

“So if Luke’s getting a divorce, did he kiss you again?”

I sigh. “We had sex, but—”

Before I can go on, she cuts me off. “Oh, my God, you finally broke that drought! And with Luke-fucking-Hardy.”

“Well, I may have broken the drought, but he left pretty damn fast afterwards. And I really think that the personal shit he’s got going on could get in the way of any more action between us.”

Personal shit?

More like a personal mess of epic proportions, Callie. Don’t go getting your hopes up that this is going to end in an easy happy-fucking-ever-after.

“I’m really going to have to find a computer and google the shit out of him.”

“Please don’t do that.” I’m almost begging. “It really is private stuff, and I’m pretty sure if Luke wanted everyone to know, he would have told us by now.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “You really like him, don’t you? Like, this isn’t just a casual shot at something here, is it? You want more with Luke.”

My tummy flutters as I think about what she said. “Yes, I really like him.”

“Okay, I won’t google him, but I want you to know this is going to be hard for me. I have to work with him tonight, and it’s going to take all my willpower not to say anything about all this. You better be ready to shower gifts or some shit on me for being a good best friend.”

A smile spreads across my face. Meeting Avery the first week after I moved to Brisbane three years ago was destined. She took me under her wing and made me feel like I hadn’t just made a bad decision by packing up and leaving my home in Melbourne. And she hasn’t let me down since. She’s always got my back. “I’ll be sure to stock up on Chupa Chups. They’ll fit in my budget.” They’re also her favourite lollipops.

“Has the café cut more hours from you?”