Page 43 of Back To You

I should really stop this because we need to finish our conversation from the night he and Eddie surprised us at the bowling alley, but my mind is blank. The only thought in my brain ishow long can I make this last?

Maybe this was always bound to happen.

Have I been running away from what was meant to be?

I could say I feel myself falling back in love with Luke, but that would be a lie.

I’ve never stopped loving him.

“Are you guys still out here?” I hear, and I don’t even register the voice until Luke’s lips freeze against mine, and I realize we are no longer alone.

“I told you to leave them alone!” Drew complains to Mia, slapping her in the arm.

“How was I supposed to know they were going to be making out—I meanup,” she corrects herself after another slap on the arm from Drew.

I let go of my death grip on Luke’s shirt, wiping a hand down the front to get out the wrinkles, and I look up to find him smiling at me with swollen lips.

“Looks like we were caught,” I whisper.

“Good. I’m done keeping my feelings for you a secret.”

My eyes roll. “As if you ever did,” is all I say, even though what Ishouldbe saying is wereallyneed to talk.

Mia and Drew come over, Eddie and Emmett with Lennon now strapped over his chest, right behind them.

“So, is this a thing?” Eddie asks, gesturing between the two of us.

“No,” I say, at the same time Luke says, “Almost.” I turn to him, confused, but he just winks at me.

“We have somethingsto discuss,” I explain to our friends, who I’m sure are only hearing the answer they want to hear, which isyes, this is a thing. I turn to Emmett, finding Lennon asleep in her carrier, kissing my finger and pressing it to the top of her little head. “I’m going home.”

“Me too,” Luke says, and we all laugh at the eagerness in his voice.

“You got three more hours until close,” Drew says, and we all laugh even more.

“Maybe I’m not cut out for this whole ‘boss’ thing,” he jokes.

“You’re just filling in. If you wereactuallythe boss, you could close whenever you wanted,” Emmett explains as his tattooed hands interlace lightly across the carrier on his chest.

“Soyou’regoing to close early for me?” Luke asks hopefully.

“No.”

Luke shrugs his shoulders. “Worth a try.” He turns to me, throwing an arm over my shoulder like it’s the most natural thing to do. “See you at home, Annie girl.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head before giving a salute to our friends and heading back inside Lenny’s.

The rest of us say our goodbyes, and I’m thankful, after such an eventful night, my best friends give me a reprieve from answering all their questions. I know it won’t last long, but I’ll have until at least a couple days to prepare.

“I’ll see you guys for Sunday Dinner,” Drew says as I pull her and Mia in for our group hug, and I can’t believe it’s already September.

“Yes. Our house at six,” Mia adds.

“Perf,” Drew and I answer at the same time, and then we all say goodbye for the night.

Only, for some reason, my night feels far from over.

***

I hear the front door of the apartment shut, and I glance at the clock on my bedside table to see it’s just past midnight.

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