Page 23 of Back To You

Eddie nods, looking away from me and back at the door to Drew’s room.

“We all see the way you look at her, Luke,” Eddie says. My whole body tenses. “You look at her like she hung the moon.”

I run a hand through my hair, and let out a dry chuckle.The moon. It shines through the darkness, always giving glimpses, only showing its full self after weeks of waiting. But that full moon makes all the glimpses, all the waiting, worth it. “No, man. She didn’t hang the moon,” I answer before I can stop myself. “Sheisthe moon.”

Chapter 10

Annie

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this tired in my life,” I say to Luke as we walk into our—no,his—apartment. “I can’t even imagine how Drew is feeling right now.”

Rosie greets us at the door like she always does, and I give her a few scratches on the head before I beeline to the couch.

From the moment we got the text that Drew was in labor, things did not slow down.

By the time we got to the hospital, Emmett told us she was already no more than an hour away from being ready to push—the crazy bitch didn’t even have time for an epidural and refused to tell the doctors that her pain was above a five.

After only a handful of pushes, Mia and I taking turns holding the hand Emmett wasn’t holding, little Lennon was here.

We went to wait with the boys while the doctors checked on Mom and the newest member of our family, and then we were all able to make our proper introductions to our niece a few hours later.

When my head hits the cushion on Luke’s couch, the exhaustion from the work week and the excitement of the past six hours hits me hard. Luke and I both have theday off tomorrow, and I don’t even have the energy to stress about not having work as a way to keep the two of us busy—and separate.

“Come take a shot with me,” I hear Luke say from the kitchen.

“It’s two in the morning, I’m not taking a shot with you,” I tell him from the couch. The energy of this man never seems to run out.

“Please? It’s not every night we become an aunt and uncle,” he replies.

Too tired to argue, I grumble, “Fine,” and get up from the couch, covering my mouth with the back of my hand as I let out a yawn. The only hard liquor I drink is gin; anything else reminds me of going around the trailer and picking up bottles of vodka, whiskey, tequila, and whatever my dad could get his hands on.

Gin was the only one he didn’t like.

It definitely isn’t ideal for a shot, but when I get to the counter, it’s what Luke pulled out from the cabinet above his fridge, along with two shot glasses.

He pours the gin for the two of us, and we each pick up one of the small glasses. He holds his up in front of me. “To Lennon, the seventh member of the Lenny’s crew.” Luke smiles at me, and I have to roll my eyes to avoid sinking into those baby blues.

I gave my heart to Luke all those years ago, and I never once asked for it back. The emptiness in my chest became a reminder of why I don’t let people all the way in, why I always keep loved ones at arm's length, why I’ll never let myself love anyone like I loved Luke.

So maybe it’s the exhaustion or the happiness I’m feeling for Drew, Emmett, and Lennon, but I can’t ignore the feeling in my chest, the one that feels like my heart is filling beyond its means.

I don’t have a heart. Not anymore.

But right now, it feels like I do.

And I can’t help but think there is no one else I’d rather celebrate this moment with.

“To Lennon,” I echo, holding up my shot glass to clink with Luke’s.

We both take the shot, the piney—almost medicinal—taste shoots a warmth through my body as I set the glass down.

Luke coughs into his fist, setting his glass next to mine. “I don’t know how you drink that shit.”

A laugh escapes me as he shakes his head, his blonde hair whipping across his face, looking like Rosie after she gets out of the bath. “Why do you have it if you don’t even like it?” I reach for the bottle, pulling it closer to me to inspect the label, and notice it’s the same one I buy, the same one I convinced Emmett to carry at Lenny’s.

“Because you like it,” he answers, and the heart I felt a moment ago skips a beat.

“This obsession with me is getting out of hand, Lukey-poo,” I tease, needing to gain the upper hand. I back away from the counter, closing the distance between me and the guest bedroom.

---