Bulletproof (43/52)
Title: Bulletproof
Author: blasthisass
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Summary: AU- when Luke is shot by Colonel Mayer, his condition quickly deteriorates. In order to save his life, Bob calls in a young, hotshot doctor from Texas, brilliant and already making a name for himself.
Disclaimers: All characters and such property of ATWT, CBS and anyone else who can legally take credit for them. If they were mine, I would take infinitely better care of them.
Title from the song by La Roux. There is dialogue from both the time in which the story takes place as well as the LuRe storyline.
A/N: This is unbeta'd, so any mistakes are mine.
Comments much appreciated . . . I love them like Reid loves Luke.
Previous parts: prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42
***
Casey wandered into Java, looking around sleepily until he found Luke in the corner, typing something on his laptop. He grinned in relief and made his way over, settling himself in the booth and grinning in response to Luke’s tired smile. “Dude, you are a lifesaver.”
Luke laughed. “I’m just surprised you’re asking me to proofread, not write the entire thing for you.”
“Oh, no, I wrote it last night. Well, this morning,” Casey responded, shuffling through his backpack and pulling out a hard copy of his essay. “Granted, I was just a little drunk when I did, so I’m somewhat scared to look at it before someone else tells me it’s either uncharacteristically brilliant or complete garbage.”
Luke raised an eyebrow as he shut his laptop and put it back in his messenger bag. He pulled out as a replacement a red pen, waggling his eyes evilly at Casey as he did so. The faux wicked intentions of the action, however, were ruined by the large yawn that overtook him at that particular moment.
Casey snorted and pushed his papers over. “Long night, Snyder?”
“Meh. Stayed up most of the night writing my history paper," Luke responded with a shrug, his voice growing absentminded as he prepared to bury himself in Casey’s essay.
Casey whistled. “And for the rest of the night?” he chuckled, smiling as he saw the edges of Luke's lips curl up slightly in response. “Ah . . . I see. Coffee, then?”
He started to get up and spotted Noah walking in, pulling his coat off and stepping behind the counter. Their eyes met for a moment before Noah’s surprised gaze passed to Luke. He looked like he’d given up hope of seeing the blonde anywhere outside of classes. Luke was now immersed in the world of his major and didn’t even look up or notice Noah come in. He simply nodded in response to Casey’s inquiry.
Casey pursed his lips and walked over to the counter, smiling at Noah in the way that people did to others they somewhat knew, but not intimately. “Heyo,” he started, leaning against the counter. “Didn’t know you worked here.”
“It’s recent,” Noah shrugged.
“Right . . . Well, then, Mr. Barista, two coffees.”
Noah nodded and made his way around behind the counter as he brewed the coffee and added various condiments that he knew Luke put into his coffee and that some prodding revealed that Casey did as well. He kept glancing over at Casey, who was watching Luke with an odd sort of expression on his face, and Luke, who was still immersed in Casey’s essay.
“He looks tired,” Noah asked vaguely, hoping to maybe get some information on Luke’s state since they’d broken things off.
“Luke?” Casey replied, almost to himself. “He says he’s been pulling longs nights. But hey, lack of sleep from getting laid is the best kind, so more power to him.”
Noah started, fumbling with the coffee he was working on and thanking ever deity he could think of that the cup hadn’t slipped from his hands and gone crashing to the floor. “What?” he stuttered out.
Casey glanced back at the commotion and suddenly seemed to realize whom he was talking to. He straightened up and reached quickly for the coffee. “You know what, never mind,” he deflected, flashing Noah an apologetic gaze and returning back to the table, his neck glowing a light pink. He pushed the coffee toward Luke and settled back in his chair, refusing to look over and see the expression he’d just put on Noah’s face.
“Luke-”
“This isn’t bad at all,” Luke muttered, glancing up and grinning at Casey before taking a long sip of coffee. “You’re very philosophical when you’re drunk,” he chuckled, leaning back in his seat to smirk at Casey.
Casey rolled his eyes and was about to answer when his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and pulled out. His eyes lit up at the caller ID and he stood up, flashing Luke an apologetic smiled. “Sorry, man, I’ve got to take this,” he muttered, starting to walk of out the coffee shop.
“Say hi to Maddie for me!” Luke called after him, expression smug when Casey stopped in the doorway, blocking the entrance of two people, to wrinkle his nose at Luke.
Luke shook his head, leaning forward slightly in his chair and taking his pen in one hand and the handle of the coffee pot in the other. Noah hesitated, watching the blonde working for a moment as his hand, complete with dishrag, mechanically wiped the same spot over and over on the counter. Finally, as though reaching some sort of conclusion, he dropped the rag, adjusted his apron and made his way around the counter.
“Hey, Luke,” he muttered, gripping the back of Casey’s abandoned chair when he reached the table.
Luke glanced up, looking slightly surprised to see Noah there and even more so to see him in the shop’s uniform. “Hey.”
“Mind if I sit?” Noah inquired, feeling the need to be polite.
Luke shrugged and Noah took that as a yes, settling himself nervously in the seat and drumming his fingernails on the table. Luke finished reading Casey’s final paragraph and flipped the pages of the essay over so that the first was on top. It was then that he glanced up and was able to offer Noah his full attention. He didn’t say anything, however.
Noah cleared his throat. “So . . . how are things with you?”
Luke’s slight frown turning into a light smile and he drank a third of his coffee before replying. “Things are good. I’ve been busy.”
“Yeah, you look tired.”
“I am, a bit,” Luke chuckled. “I’ve just had stuff to do. Couple of late nights.”
“With school?”
“Yeah.”
“And,” Noah paused, squinting closely at Luke, “Other things?”
Luke almost choked on his coffee, coughing hard to clear his throat before he looked back up at Noah, who looked a little surprised at the reaction. Luke’s brow furrowed and he muttered, “I really don’t want to discuss this with you.”
Noah’s brow furrowed in mock sympathy. He couldn’t help it, but the veer of the conversation toward Luke and Reid was starting to get to him, despite the fact that he was the one steering the conversation in that direction. “Trouble in paradise?” he simpered sarcastically.
Luke rolled his eyes and leaned forward, his mouth set in a hard expression. “Honestly, Noah, I have no idea where I stand with you right now, but it is far from the relationship and even friendship setting, and I’m really, really not going to discuss my sexual life with anyone not in the vicinity of those.”
“So there is a sexual life to discuss,” Noah spat out, looking incredibly displeased.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Noah. You obviously had a reason to come over here and talk to me, so why don’t you just say what you want without beating about the bush and we can all just move on.”
Noah leaned back, squinting so hard that Luke almost couldn’t see the whites of his eyes. He looked like he was contemplating whether or not he should go where he was thinking of going, but bitterness seemed to win out and he finally said, “Are you sleeping with him?”
Luke snorted. “Like I just said, that is absolutely none of your business.”
Noah groaned, leaning forward. “I just . . . I’m worried about you, Luke.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “And why would that be, exactly?”
“I mean . . . just . . . what do you even know about him, Luke?” Noah inquired, looking both concerned and like he was on the verge of spilling some secret that would completely turn Luke around. “I mean, it’s a bit odd, isn’t it? I’ve never seen you out, so you, what, just spend all your time over at his place? I mean . . . how do you know he’s not just using you?”
“Using me?” Luke replied dubiously, choking back a laugh. “What the hell, Noah?”
“I don’t know. How do you know he’s not just looking for a piece of ass? Seriously, Luke, let’s be realistic here. He’s this brilliant neurosurgeon, a ‘genius’ not only by his own incredibly biased standards and you . . .” he paused as Luke’s eyes narrowed and his jaw stiffened. “I mean . . . you’re an alcoholic, a freshman in a small town college in the middle of nowhere with the most screwed up past I’ve ever seen and . . .”
“And what could he possibly see in me, right?” Luke finished, his voice coated with a thick layer of frost.
“Well, yeah.”
Luke shook his head. His heart was pounding and his stomach curled nervously around Noah’s words, but his brain refused to even acknowledge them. He sure as hell wasn’t gong to let Noah get to him like this. “Wow . . .” he murmured, shaking his head in amazement. “That’s . . . wow.”
“What?” Noah inquired, unable to tell if Luke was wowing because he saw the light in Noah’s words or not.
“Just . . . wow. Zero to jackass in . . .” Luke paused, checking his watch before looking hard at Noah, “Under five minutes. Must be a new record.”
“Luke-”
“Noah, what are you doing?” Luke demanded, his eyes blazing. He leaned in across the table, looking remarkably like a police officer ready to interrogate a prime suspect in a murder investigation.
Noah frowned in confusion at this Luke. This Luke he wasn’t quite sure how to deal with. “What do you mean? I’m looking out for you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Luke shook his head, wondering how it wasn’t completely obvious. “Noah, do you have any idea how much you hurt me when we were together? I think this is the first time since I woke up from my coma back in October that I have been far from hurt.”
“Luke, come on-”
“Noah,” Luke chuckled, standing up and swinging his bag over his shoulder. He wasn’t in the mood to stay and listen to Noah’s accusations any longer. He would apologize to Casey later. “Are you still married?”
“What?” Noah frowned, his brow furrowing.
“Is Ameera still in the picture?”
Noah leaned back silently, unable to think of anything to say that would turn the conversation around for him. Luke nodded at the confirmation. “Then you have even less of a right to say anything at all about Reid. And I am even less inclined to listen. And you know what, Noah, I bent over backwards to get you what you wanted and now you can’t even be happy for me? Just what the hell is wrong with you?”
Noah remained silent and Luke turned around to leave the café. He hoped Casey would be outside so that they might be able to move their studying some place where they wouldn’t be interrupted. He started as he almost crashed into his parents as they entered Java, conversing among themselves.
Holden started, glancing at Luke in surprise before breaking out into only that affectionate smile that only a father could present to his son, biological or not. “Well, well. He lives.”
Luke smiled, trying to figure out how long it had been since he’d seen his parents. He’d been spending most of his nights with Reid and the couple of times he’d gone home to grab a change of clothes, it seemed that he’d just barely missed Holden or Lily or even his grandma. “Of course.”
“I was doubtful,” Holden explained, smiling at Noah, who’d slunk back behind the counter and ordering coffee. “I mean, I’d come back to the farm and there’d be signs of your presence, but never an actual body.”
Luke raised an eyebrow, chuckling. “I hope you weren’t expecting to find a body.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first or last time, knowing this town,” Holden joked, accepting two steaming cups from Noah. He glanced curiously between the barista and his son. He hadn’t been hearing anything concerning them since Noah had married Ameera; it was as though the town itself was wary of gossiping in case notification reached the government. “So, where have you been for these past three weeks? Noah’s?” he inquired, lowering his voice significantly.
Luke snorted, causing Holden to start in slight surprise. The reaction wasn’t quite the one he’d been expecting. “No . . . we broke up,” Luke explained softly, hearing Noah disappearing into the back room behind him, as though he didn’t want to hear the rest of the conversation.
“Oh, Luke, I’m sorry,” Holden murmured, placing a hand on Luke’s shoulder.
Luke shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s fine. I’m over it.”
“When?”
“Errm,” Luke scratched his ear. “About three weeks ago, actually.”
Holden frowned, the timing seeming oddly curious. “So where have you been spending all your nights? I’m not trying to pry. I know you’re nineteen and probably dying to move out of the house but . . . I’m surprised you vanished during a time when you probably needed support.”
“Dad, I ended it. I’m totally fine. More than so,” Luke assured him, stomach curling suddenly, as though he weren’t quite sure what to tell his dad. Yeah, there was nothing to hide, but it had been three weeks and he just realized that no one knew. That he and Reid were just sort of . . . hiding themselves away in Reid’s apartment and never really going out. He clenched his jaw, desperately trying to keep Noah’s words from sounding incredibly true, as they were attempting.
“Okay . . . just a funny time to spread your wings,” Holden murmured, his brow furrowing. “So where have you been? Casey’s?”
No. I’ve been over at my boyfriend’s house. Reid’s house. Luke thought, but suddenly the words couldn’t come out. He heard a noise, almost like a chuckle, coming from behind him and he glanced back to see Noah leaning on the counter, observing their conversation with a satisfied smirk on his face. Luke swallowed as his senses suddenly flooded with self-belittlement and doubt and the words, “Yeah . . . Casey’s,” came out in a mumble before he could stop them. He almost hated himself for them.
Holden nodded, apparently not noticing the sudden change in Luke’s tone or the way his eyes suddenly flooded and dropped down to his clenched fist. Lily came back inside, hanging her phone up and taking her coffee from Holden. She smiled at her son and have him a quick embrace and a kiss on the forehead, muttering that she’d been missing him and demanding that he came over to the farm for dinner. Apologizing for being in such a rush, she took Holden by the hand and pulled him outside, murmuring something about Brad and Katie’s wedding.
Luke’s jaw was incredibly tight as he tried to control his emotions. He couldn’t decide between breaking down into the belief of all that Noah had said and running after his father and telling him everything. After all, what was stopping him? Nothing but a little bit of sudden doubt. The worst kind of all.
He jumped as his phone vibrated and he pulled it out, checking a brand new text message from Reid.
Hey, I just got home from work and, if you’re lucky, you might get here right as I’m about to shower.
He placed his almost full mug of coffee on the counter, avoiding the gaze of a smug looking Noah. “Was that Casey?” Noah asked sarcastically, the edges of his lips curled up as though he could see everything that was going on inside Luke’s head.
Luke frowned his eyes narrowed. “Fuck you, Noah,” he muttered, adjusting the weight of the backpack on his back and walking quickly out of Java.
Chapter 44-->
***
So . . . have a nice weekend. See you Tuesday! *scampers away*
Author: blasthisass
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Summary: AU- when Luke is shot by Colonel Mayer, his condition quickly deteriorates. In order to save his life, Bob calls in a young, hotshot doctor from Texas, brilliant and already making a name for himself.
Disclaimers: All characters and such property of ATWT, CBS and anyone else who can legally take credit for them. If they were mine, I would take infinitely better care of them.
Title from the song by La Roux. There is dialogue from both the time in which the story takes place as well as the LuRe storyline.
A/N: This is unbeta'd, so any mistakes are mine.
Comments much appreciated . . . I love them like Reid loves Luke.
Previous parts: prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42
***
Casey wandered into Java, looking around sleepily until he found Luke in the corner, typing something on his laptop. He grinned in relief and made his way over, settling himself in the booth and grinning in response to Luke’s tired smile. “Dude, you are a lifesaver.”
Luke laughed. “I’m just surprised you’re asking me to proofread, not write the entire thing for you.”
“Oh, no, I wrote it last night. Well, this morning,” Casey responded, shuffling through his backpack and pulling out a hard copy of his essay. “Granted, I was just a little drunk when I did, so I’m somewhat scared to look at it before someone else tells me it’s either uncharacteristically brilliant or complete garbage.”
Luke raised an eyebrow as he shut his laptop and put it back in his messenger bag. He pulled out as a replacement a red pen, waggling his eyes evilly at Casey as he did so. The faux wicked intentions of the action, however, were ruined by the large yawn that overtook him at that particular moment.
Casey snorted and pushed his papers over. “Long night, Snyder?”
“Meh. Stayed up most of the night writing my history paper," Luke responded with a shrug, his voice growing absentminded as he prepared to bury himself in Casey’s essay.
Casey whistled. “And for the rest of the night?” he chuckled, smiling as he saw the edges of Luke's lips curl up slightly in response. “Ah . . . I see. Coffee, then?”
He started to get up and spotted Noah walking in, pulling his coat off and stepping behind the counter. Their eyes met for a moment before Noah’s surprised gaze passed to Luke. He looked like he’d given up hope of seeing the blonde anywhere outside of classes. Luke was now immersed in the world of his major and didn’t even look up or notice Noah come in. He simply nodded in response to Casey’s inquiry.
Casey pursed his lips and walked over to the counter, smiling at Noah in the way that people did to others they somewhat knew, but not intimately. “Heyo,” he started, leaning against the counter. “Didn’t know you worked here.”
“It’s recent,” Noah shrugged.
“Right . . . Well, then, Mr. Barista, two coffees.”
Noah nodded and made his way around behind the counter as he brewed the coffee and added various condiments that he knew Luke put into his coffee and that some prodding revealed that Casey did as well. He kept glancing over at Casey, who was watching Luke with an odd sort of expression on his face, and Luke, who was still immersed in Casey’s essay.
“He looks tired,” Noah asked vaguely, hoping to maybe get some information on Luke’s state since they’d broken things off.
“Luke?” Casey replied, almost to himself. “He says he’s been pulling longs nights. But hey, lack of sleep from getting laid is the best kind, so more power to him.”
Noah started, fumbling with the coffee he was working on and thanking ever deity he could think of that the cup hadn’t slipped from his hands and gone crashing to the floor. “What?” he stuttered out.
Casey glanced back at the commotion and suddenly seemed to realize whom he was talking to. He straightened up and reached quickly for the coffee. “You know what, never mind,” he deflected, flashing Noah an apologetic gaze and returning back to the table, his neck glowing a light pink. He pushed the coffee toward Luke and settled back in his chair, refusing to look over and see the expression he’d just put on Noah’s face.
“Luke-”
“This isn’t bad at all,” Luke muttered, glancing up and grinning at Casey before taking a long sip of coffee. “You’re very philosophical when you’re drunk,” he chuckled, leaning back in his seat to smirk at Casey.
Casey rolled his eyes and was about to answer when his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and pulled out. His eyes lit up at the caller ID and he stood up, flashing Luke an apologetic smiled. “Sorry, man, I’ve got to take this,” he muttered, starting to walk of out the coffee shop.
“Say hi to Maddie for me!” Luke called after him, expression smug when Casey stopped in the doorway, blocking the entrance of two people, to wrinkle his nose at Luke.
Luke shook his head, leaning forward slightly in his chair and taking his pen in one hand and the handle of the coffee pot in the other. Noah hesitated, watching the blonde working for a moment as his hand, complete with dishrag, mechanically wiped the same spot over and over on the counter. Finally, as though reaching some sort of conclusion, he dropped the rag, adjusted his apron and made his way around the counter.
“Hey, Luke,” he muttered, gripping the back of Casey’s abandoned chair when he reached the table.
Luke glanced up, looking slightly surprised to see Noah there and even more so to see him in the shop’s uniform. “Hey.”
“Mind if I sit?” Noah inquired, feeling the need to be polite.
Luke shrugged and Noah took that as a yes, settling himself nervously in the seat and drumming his fingernails on the table. Luke finished reading Casey’s final paragraph and flipped the pages of the essay over so that the first was on top. It was then that he glanced up and was able to offer Noah his full attention. He didn’t say anything, however.
Noah cleared his throat. “So . . . how are things with you?”
Luke’s slight frown turning into a light smile and he drank a third of his coffee before replying. “Things are good. I’ve been busy.”
“Yeah, you look tired.”
“I am, a bit,” Luke chuckled. “I’ve just had stuff to do. Couple of late nights.”
“With school?”
“Yeah.”
“And,” Noah paused, squinting closely at Luke, “Other things?”
Luke almost choked on his coffee, coughing hard to clear his throat before he looked back up at Noah, who looked a little surprised at the reaction. Luke’s brow furrowed and he muttered, “I really don’t want to discuss this with you.”
Noah’s brow furrowed in mock sympathy. He couldn’t help it, but the veer of the conversation toward Luke and Reid was starting to get to him, despite the fact that he was the one steering the conversation in that direction. “Trouble in paradise?” he simpered sarcastically.
Luke rolled his eyes and leaned forward, his mouth set in a hard expression. “Honestly, Noah, I have no idea where I stand with you right now, but it is far from the relationship and even friendship setting, and I’m really, really not going to discuss my sexual life with anyone not in the vicinity of those.”
“So there is a sexual life to discuss,” Noah spat out, looking incredibly displeased.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Noah. You obviously had a reason to come over here and talk to me, so why don’t you just say what you want without beating about the bush and we can all just move on.”
Noah leaned back, squinting so hard that Luke almost couldn’t see the whites of his eyes. He looked like he was contemplating whether or not he should go where he was thinking of going, but bitterness seemed to win out and he finally said, “Are you sleeping with him?”
Luke snorted. “Like I just said, that is absolutely none of your business.”
Noah groaned, leaning forward. “I just . . . I’m worried about you, Luke.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “And why would that be, exactly?”
“I mean . . . just . . . what do you even know about him, Luke?” Noah inquired, looking both concerned and like he was on the verge of spilling some secret that would completely turn Luke around. “I mean, it’s a bit odd, isn’t it? I’ve never seen you out, so you, what, just spend all your time over at his place? I mean . . . how do you know he’s not just using you?”
“Using me?” Luke replied dubiously, choking back a laugh. “What the hell, Noah?”
“I don’t know. How do you know he’s not just looking for a piece of ass? Seriously, Luke, let’s be realistic here. He’s this brilliant neurosurgeon, a ‘genius’ not only by his own incredibly biased standards and you . . .” he paused as Luke’s eyes narrowed and his jaw stiffened. “I mean . . . you’re an alcoholic, a freshman in a small town college in the middle of nowhere with the most screwed up past I’ve ever seen and . . .”
“And what could he possibly see in me, right?” Luke finished, his voice coated with a thick layer of frost.
“Well, yeah.”
Luke shook his head. His heart was pounding and his stomach curled nervously around Noah’s words, but his brain refused to even acknowledge them. He sure as hell wasn’t gong to let Noah get to him like this. “Wow . . .” he murmured, shaking his head in amazement. “That’s . . . wow.”
“What?” Noah inquired, unable to tell if Luke was wowing because he saw the light in Noah’s words or not.
“Just . . . wow. Zero to jackass in . . .” Luke paused, checking his watch before looking hard at Noah, “Under five minutes. Must be a new record.”
“Luke-”
“Noah, what are you doing?” Luke demanded, his eyes blazing. He leaned in across the table, looking remarkably like a police officer ready to interrogate a prime suspect in a murder investigation.
Noah frowned in confusion at this Luke. This Luke he wasn’t quite sure how to deal with. “What do you mean? I’m looking out for you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Luke shook his head, wondering how it wasn’t completely obvious. “Noah, do you have any idea how much you hurt me when we were together? I think this is the first time since I woke up from my coma back in October that I have been far from hurt.”
“Luke, come on-”
“Noah,” Luke chuckled, standing up and swinging his bag over his shoulder. He wasn’t in the mood to stay and listen to Noah’s accusations any longer. He would apologize to Casey later. “Are you still married?”
“What?” Noah frowned, his brow furrowing.
“Is Ameera still in the picture?”
Noah leaned back silently, unable to think of anything to say that would turn the conversation around for him. Luke nodded at the confirmation. “Then you have even less of a right to say anything at all about Reid. And I am even less inclined to listen. And you know what, Noah, I bent over backwards to get you what you wanted and now you can’t even be happy for me? Just what the hell is wrong with you?”
Noah remained silent and Luke turned around to leave the café. He hoped Casey would be outside so that they might be able to move their studying some place where they wouldn’t be interrupted. He started as he almost crashed into his parents as they entered Java, conversing among themselves.
Holden started, glancing at Luke in surprise before breaking out into only that affectionate smile that only a father could present to his son, biological or not. “Well, well. He lives.”
Luke smiled, trying to figure out how long it had been since he’d seen his parents. He’d been spending most of his nights with Reid and the couple of times he’d gone home to grab a change of clothes, it seemed that he’d just barely missed Holden or Lily or even his grandma. “Of course.”
“I was doubtful,” Holden explained, smiling at Noah, who’d slunk back behind the counter and ordering coffee. “I mean, I’d come back to the farm and there’d be signs of your presence, but never an actual body.”
Luke raised an eyebrow, chuckling. “I hope you weren’t expecting to find a body.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t be the first or last time, knowing this town,” Holden joked, accepting two steaming cups from Noah. He glanced curiously between the barista and his son. He hadn’t been hearing anything concerning them since Noah had married Ameera; it was as though the town itself was wary of gossiping in case notification reached the government. “So, where have you been for these past three weeks? Noah’s?” he inquired, lowering his voice significantly.
Luke snorted, causing Holden to start in slight surprise. The reaction wasn’t quite the one he’d been expecting. “No . . . we broke up,” Luke explained softly, hearing Noah disappearing into the back room behind him, as though he didn’t want to hear the rest of the conversation.
“Oh, Luke, I’m sorry,” Holden murmured, placing a hand on Luke’s shoulder.
Luke shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s fine. I’m over it.”
“When?”
“Errm,” Luke scratched his ear. “About three weeks ago, actually.”
Holden frowned, the timing seeming oddly curious. “So where have you been spending all your nights? I’m not trying to pry. I know you’re nineteen and probably dying to move out of the house but . . . I’m surprised you vanished during a time when you probably needed support.”
“Dad, I ended it. I’m totally fine. More than so,” Luke assured him, stomach curling suddenly, as though he weren’t quite sure what to tell his dad. Yeah, there was nothing to hide, but it had been three weeks and he just realized that no one knew. That he and Reid were just sort of . . . hiding themselves away in Reid’s apartment and never really going out. He clenched his jaw, desperately trying to keep Noah’s words from sounding incredibly true, as they were attempting.
“Okay . . . just a funny time to spread your wings,” Holden murmured, his brow furrowing. “So where have you been? Casey’s?”
No. I’ve been over at my boyfriend’s house. Reid’s house. Luke thought, but suddenly the words couldn’t come out. He heard a noise, almost like a chuckle, coming from behind him and he glanced back to see Noah leaning on the counter, observing their conversation with a satisfied smirk on his face. Luke swallowed as his senses suddenly flooded with self-belittlement and doubt and the words, “Yeah . . . Casey’s,” came out in a mumble before he could stop them. He almost hated himself for them.
Holden nodded, apparently not noticing the sudden change in Luke’s tone or the way his eyes suddenly flooded and dropped down to his clenched fist. Lily came back inside, hanging her phone up and taking her coffee from Holden. She smiled at her son and have him a quick embrace and a kiss on the forehead, muttering that she’d been missing him and demanding that he came over to the farm for dinner. Apologizing for being in such a rush, she took Holden by the hand and pulled him outside, murmuring something about Brad and Katie’s wedding.
Luke’s jaw was incredibly tight as he tried to control his emotions. He couldn’t decide between breaking down into the belief of all that Noah had said and running after his father and telling him everything. After all, what was stopping him? Nothing but a little bit of sudden doubt. The worst kind of all.
He jumped as his phone vibrated and he pulled it out, checking a brand new text message from Reid.
Hey, I just got home from work and, if you’re lucky, you might get here right as I’m about to shower.
He placed his almost full mug of coffee on the counter, avoiding the gaze of a smug looking Noah. “Was that Casey?” Noah asked sarcastically, the edges of his lips curled up as though he could see everything that was going on inside Luke’s head.
Luke frowned his eyes narrowed. “Fuck you, Noah,” he muttered, adjusting the weight of the backpack on his back and walking quickly out of Java.
Chapter 44-->
***
So . . . have a nice weekend. See you Tuesday! *scampers away*