“Really—”
Mitchell leans down, gripping the window frame. “Let us say thank you, Lukas. For the car. You don’t know how much that meant to us. Please.”
There’s no way I can say no to such a sincere and heartfelt request. I nod, reaching for the door handle.
“Yeah, Mitchell. Okay. That sounds good.”
As we walk over to his house, an alarm bell rings in my mind, telling me this is a terrible idea, even as excitement bubbles up inside of me at the prospect of seeing my Lorena again.
Chapter Thirteen
Lorena
My hands tighten on the steering wheel when I spot Lukas’s car parked across the street. As I pull into my parking spot, I look over at it, telling myself it can’t possibly be him. Lots of people have sleek fancy black cars with tinted windows.
And yet my whole body throbs as I approach the house. Chirpy starts to bark on the other side of the door, his little voice high-pitched and happy. I open it and lean down, tickling him behind the ear.
From the living room, I can hear voices, my dad’s raised happily.
He's been doing better lately, seeming more upbeat like his old self. “Lori, you’re home.” He strides into the hallway. “We’ve got company.”
“Who?” I say, forcing the word past the tightness in my chest.
Surely it’s not—
“Hello, Lori.”
Lukas stands in the doorway, his classic smirk on his lips, his eyes feeling like they consume me.
“Lukas.”
It’s difficult to look him directly in the eye. But after a week of being apart, all the feelings come rushing back. If I stare too long, I’ll end up gaping at him in his suit, his clean-shaven jaw highlighting the devilish aspect of his smirk, his eyes bright and stark.
He’s got that same look in his eye, the one he gave me just before he kissed me. Before he leaned in and changed my life.
“Lori, come on.”
Mom walks up beside Lukas. She has a rare day off, wearing one of the dresses she likes, making me envy the way she handles her figure. We’re built similarly, but I’ve never felt like I could own my curves the way my mom does.
“I made sandwiches,” she says.
“Do you want to look at the car now, Lukas, or after?” Dad asks.
“The car?” I ask.
Dad nods. “That’s why Lukas was in the neighborhood. He wanted to make sure the car was running smoothly.”
“Do you want it back?”
Lukas shakes his head. “It’s yours. And it’s fine. As long as Lorena says it’s all working fine, that’s good with me.”
Surely that has to be an excuse. If he wanted to check on the car, all he had to do was text me. He has my number from when I called him before, to help with those douches in the laundromat. Or he could’ve asked Jamie to ask me.
No freaking way did he drive all this way for that.
I meet his eyes, and he nods shortly. It’s like we’ve just communicated silently across the room. I’m certain I’m not misreading him this time.
He drove out here to see me. The car thing is bull crap.
The four of us head into the living room. Dad sits in his armchair, and Lukas sits in the other one. I take my place next to mom as Chirpy leaps up and curls into a ball next to me.
Stroking the little dog is the only thing keeping me sane, stopping me from screaming. I focus on his soft fur and don’t let my mind stray to anything else. Otherwise, I’ll just stare and stare at Lukas, like the biggest weirdo in the universe.
“What were you saying before, Lukas?” Mom says as she picks up a sandwich.
“Oh, that’s right.” He pulls his gaze away from me with a visible effort, as though he finds it as difficult as I do. “I was just saying, Mitchell, it’s so good to see you doing better.”
Dad smiles and my heart warms. I love that he noticed, that he cares.
“I’m feeling it. Don’t get me wrong. I know there are ups and downs, but I’ve learned to enjoy the ups. On days like this, I feel like I could return to work.”
Mom reaches over, placing her hand on his arm. “Let’s not rush it. But I’m so proud of you.”
“That’s one of the reasons we’re so grateful for the car,” Dad goes on. “With me having to step down from work… We’ve got savings, a bit, but dipping into them feels wrong. I want to be able to provide.”
Dad laughs, shaking his head. “Sorry, everyone. Didn’t mean to overshare. I blame all those pills they’ve got me on.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Lukas says. “I understand the need well. A man feels useless if he isn’t providing for his family. But it’s not your fault. You’re ill, and you’re handling it better than most. Don’t beat yourself up.”