Page 101 of The Hookup
“Thanks.” He looked slightly sheepish. “Don’t you want any? I can’t eat alone.”
“I’ll rustle up something when I go home.”
“You’re not …” his eyes snapped shut momentarily, it was so brief, that had she not known his moods and his facial expressions as intimately as she did now, she might have missed it. He’d expected her to stay over. Probably something that Marie had told him, based on what normal couples did.
She didn’t say anything. Now would have been the perfect time to remind him of his rules, to throw that in his face, but she wasn’t that cruel.
He stirred the spoon around the soup, making the steam curl and rise. His brow knitted together and his lips were drawn into a straight line, as if he was thinking, and the thoughts weren’t easy ones. “I—” he looked up at her, his open mouth telling her he was struggling. “I’m sorry about…about whatIsaid to you the other day.”
“When you called me a pity fuck?” she asked, eager to see how he was going to explain himself.
“It’s not…” he croaked then shook his head as if it was painful to get the words out. It probably, literally was. Luke Hunter didn’t possess much tact. She could see that he wanted to apologize, but there was no point when he was like this.
“You should try not to talk,” she advised. She wanted to know, but there was no point in him being so vulnerable when telling her, because she wouldn’t be able to fight back, and she needed to fight back. She needed to let him know how much he had hurt her, and how itstillhurt, hearing him say what he had.
As much as she needed to have it out with him, she couldn’t do it now. It would be a one-sided fight, and she liked to fight fair.
“Don’t feel you have to do this because Marie put you up to it,” he said slowly.
“I would have offered to, regardless.”
“Do it because…” he winced, lifting his hand to his neck. “Because you want to, not because you feel sorry for me.”
“I’m not doing this because I pity you,” she told him. “I’m doing it because I care.”
A tiny muscle along his jawline tightened.
“You can explain all you want later, when you’re feeling better.” She slipped on her jacket. It seemed too soon to leave, but he was going to carry on trying to talk if she stayed, and things weren’t comfortable enough between them that they could sit in silence and just be together.
It was best if she left.
“You’re leaving?” His expression was one of disappointment.
“I’ve got a lot of work to get on with.”
“Do it here, I’ve got Wi-Fi.”
Everything about this set up was forced. She didn’t understand how he expected her to continue, to pretend they were in a cozy setup when they so obviously weren’t. “I’d rather go home. Is there anything else you need?”
He shook his head, looking weak and sorry for himself, and nothing like the Luke she knew.
Chapter 34
She was being squeezed in every direction. Everyone wanted a piece of her. Remington wanted updates. The client wanted the best deal. Her team always had questions, and then there was Luke.
“Who’skeeping you so busy?” Savannah asked.
“No-one.”
“Then why didn’t you ever call me back?” Kay swiped a hand over her forehead, feeling guilt wash all over her. “Sorry, Sav,” she said, clutching her cell phone tightly. “I know I’ve been pathetic.” Savannah had called a couple of times during the last few weeks, and each time, Kay had promised she’d call back in the evening but she’d either been busy dealing with the final stages of the Pembroke deal, or, since last week, she’d been going over to Luke’s.
“You’ve been impossible to get a hold off.”
“I’ve been drowning in work.”
“Work, work, work. It’s always work with you.”
“You know me,” Kay replied.
