Page 42 of Reluctant Chemistry

Luka eyed the spinach and ricotta pasta, rich with tomato sauce and bubbling cheese, and made the split-second decision he’d told himself he would never make. “Thanks. Only if you’re having one.”

She smiled. “I am.”

Instead of moving to the dining table in the bay window across the family room, they remained at the island, CeCe to his left, and his hesitation stowed away for later. On a nearby sofa, her cat slept with a paw over its eyes.

See no evil.

And as they sipped their wine and spoke little, Luka feared this night was about to turn reckless.

21

A Little Reckless

Aided and abetted by the wine, CeCe’s filter clogged to the point where it failed to function as it should. Here she was, having dinner with Luka in her family home while her parents were out of town.

But did she care? Not at all.

She couldn’t help thinking of the last time they’d been together at his place—that final, perfect moment before he’d left for Clifton Falls. Luka had given her the sarong the night before, cotton-soft and swirling with shades of aqua, and as the rain washed summer’s dust from the roof in the dawn light, she’d never imagined for a second that their bubble would burst so quickly.

As the alcohol seeped through her veins, they talked without reluctance. There was no need to pretend anymore, to withhold details. Her suitcase of baggage had already been pried open, and its contents strewn across the school campus for all the world to see. CeCe Dobson: the girl who fell out with her best friend, who’d then died before she’d had the chance to stitch up the weeping wound.

CeCe Dobson: the dropout—the teacher’s little slut.

With their plates stacked in the dishwasher and words of praise for the meal on his lips, they moved to the veranda and sat in the oversized wicker chairs to finish their drinks.

However, as Luka leaned forward to kiss her gently on the forehead, his breath fresh from the dryness of the wine, she experienced no victorious buzz. There were no second chances on the table, that much she knew. And yet, she also knew that when he walked away, this would be a moment she’d later cling to as she moved through her life.

His gaze regretful, he pulled back. “I should go.”

“Are you okay to drive?”

“Yeah. I’ve only had a couple of glasses and plenty of food.” He stood and rested his elbows on the veranda railing, his sight on the lawn and surrounding gardens. “This is a beautiful place. Reminds me of home.”

CeCe loved the sound of his voice, that fusion of accents wrapped in a soft classical cadence. She wanted him to stay, to hold him while he slept, and when he turned in her arms, have him do the same in return. “Do you ever get homesick?”

“Sure, sometimes.” He glanced her way. “My folks run an equestrian center, so I miss the horses. Not that I live in the Rata River Valley these days. I’m in the city most of the time for work.”

“Do you ride?”

“Yes.” He turned to look at her. “You?”

“I dreamed of learning when I was younger, but horses and I don’t really gel. They scare me, and they know it.”

“Yeah, they get nervous when they sense someone’s uncomfortable around them. Much like us, I guess.”

She moved to his side and stood with her back to the lawn so she could look at him. “I sometimes feel uncomfortable around you, especially when we’re in class.”

“Yes, me too.”

“Do you ever let yourself remember?”

Luka nodded, then drained the last of his wine. “Of course. Despite what you may think of me, I’m not immune to what we had. I just don’t want to make our lives any more complicated.”

Sensing his growing detachment, CeCe led the way inside. “Thanks for the ride home. Guess I’ll have to take the Corolla to the beach for a while.”

His smile was tinged with regret. “It won’t have the same appeal.”

“No, I suppose not.” CeCe slipped her hands into the back pockets of her jeans to keep them still. She couldn’t reach out. Not now.

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