Page 21 of Back To You

For the past seven years, Luke has never once talked about his dating life or if he has been seeing anyone. Not with me at least. I know he’s had flings because one of our friends would always mention it.

He can do whatever he wants, I don’t care.

I do whatever the hell I want.

But the prickly feeling on my skin only worsens when I think of Luke spending his time with another girl.

And that only proves that Luke and I shouldnotbe in the same space, alone, for extended periods of time. It brings up too many emotions, ones I have been able to bury for years. It’s only been a week, but when he leaves me notes on the counter that say “I hope you have a good day” or “Thanks for making dinner again”, I can’t pretend that I don’t wish things were different.

“I have one more week of training her, but she should be good to go by next week,” Luke explains. “But don’t worry, she’ll never replace you.” He’s trying to get a rise out of me, and it’s working.

One month is already way too long to be spending here—especially because it ismuchharder to ignore my feelings about Luke if our paths are going to start crossing much more with him having fewer shifts with the three new bartenders.

An idea pops into my head, when I remember that Luke is supposed to be leaving Lenny’s at the end of August. I know he has his plans of moving back home—back to our hometown—to start work with his dad.

I have my own opinions about that son of a bitch, but it’s not my place anymore.

Regardless, Luke plans to move, so maybe I could take over his lease here when he does.

It’s a win-win for both of us.

Kind of.

That sliver of disappointment is back when I think about what happens after this month of living together, but it’s a stupid feeling to have. I don’t even want to be here in the first place.

Right?

“So,” I start, ready to broach the subject. “I just got off the phone with my apartment complex.” I watch as Luke’s playful expression takes a more serious one.

With someone as happy-go-lucky as him,seriousnessalways looks so foreign on him. “The manager wanted to know if I was going to be renewing my lease in September.”

“Okay,” Luke says warily, stretching out the word.

“But, I’m not sure if I want to.”

He rolls his lips together as he keeps his eyes on me. I can’t quite decipher what I see in his eyes—hope?—before he gives me a curt nod, urging me to continue.

“I was thinking, since I’m already staying here,” I start, but, before I can say more, both of our phones go off.

We both check the message, and then look back up at each other.

“The baby’s coming,” we say at the same time, and then we’re running out the door.

Chapter 9

Luke

We’re speeding to the hospital, and I don’t even have time to wonder what Annie was about to say to me back at our—no,my—apartment. She’s next to me in the passenger seat, on the phone with Mia.

Part of Drew’s birth plan was to have both Annie and Mia in the delivery room with her and Emmett, and the message from Emmett in the group chat said Drew was going to be ready to push within the hour.

Leave it to Drew to wait until the last possible second to tell her husband, “Hey, these contractions are coming in fast and are really starting to hurt. Maybe we should go to the hospital.”

I think that’s why Drew and Annie get along so well—both always putting on a strong front, both hating to ask for help.

At least Drew learned after everything she and Emmett went through—Annie, not so much.

“Are you guys there?” Annie asks Mia over the phone, but I can’t hear the response. We’re stopped at a red light, no more than two minutes away.

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