Page 59 of Love Me Not

“That serious, huh?Don’t tell me you met someone, fell in love, and are now going to elope to Vegas.”

Heat rushed to my face.His words were a bit too close to the mark, though I could never imagine whatever was happening between me and Lux going as far as marriage.

Plus, I’m pretty sure Lux would be appalled if I ever mentioned a Vegas wedding.She didn’t seem like the type to accept anything other than one of those super extravagant ballroom weddings that cost hundreds of thousands.

It was honestly more embarrassing how far my mind went with fantasies of Lux than his words.Even if anything were to happen between us, it would be nothing more than fucking, and she had made that abundantly clear.

But I still couldn’t stop myself from imagining us in an extravagant ballroom.Me wearing a puffed-out ball gown and veil, holding a pink bouquet while she waited for me at the end of the aisle.Her hair would be pushed back and out of her face, and she would be wearing a tight-fitting suit that showed off her?—

“Oh, wait!Did you actually?—”

“No!”I said hastily and turned forward, unable to look at him.“It’s not like that!”

“Are you sure?”he asked in a teasing tone.“It looks like maybe you did meet someone.You can be honest with me.Come on, Julie, tell me?—”

A knock on the window pulled our attention to the little girl waiting outside.Bella looked in with a questioning look.

I rolled down my window.

“This is my little brother, Bella,” I explained with a smile.”He’s going to join us for a meal.Lux is waiting at home for us.”

This had her face lighting up.

“She’s not working?”she asked and quickly climbed into the back of the car, strapping herself in.

“She took the day off,” I replied, though I wasn’t sure.

“My name’s Lucas,” my brother said, turning around and sticking his hand out for Bella, who took it immediately.“I like your bows.”

Today she had two braids, both ending with bright yellow bows that matched her yellow polo and white skirt.

Wait… Had Lux done those?My heart melted at the thought of Lux paying attention enough to be able to replicate the braids so perfectly.

“Thanks!”she said, and without missing a beat, turned to me and added, “Michael and Jordan kissed behind the cafeteria today!”

I let out an exaggerated gasp.“No!Wasn’t he with Danielle?”

“Yes!And when she found out, she was so upset!”Bella was already getting into it, her hands thrown up in the air, giving us an incredulous look that I could just make out through the rearview mirror.

“I’m living for this drama,” Lucas said as we pulled away.

“You don’t even know the half of it!”Bella gasped and went into the whole backstory, sharing every piece of gossip that was crammed inside her little brain with him.

We barely had a chance to get a word in the entire way home.

“I feel like the teacher should know about it,” Lucas told Bella as we walked in the house.”I mean, an underground candy gambling ring is a bit much.”

“It’s not just candy!”Bella wagged a finger.“It’s the class prize as well!They’re super hard to get, and Dexter always gets them, so he uses them for the gambling ring.”

“Should she even know what a gambling ring is?”Lucas whispered to me.

“She’s eight,” I said.“You’d be surprised with what they pick up from movies and TV shows.”

The smell of delicious food hit my senses.Bella ran into the house, gasping when she came across the dining table we couldn’t see just yet.

“Oh my gosh!A feast!”

She said it in such a way that had both Lucas and me laughing.

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