“Worse.” He mock-shivers and drives forward once the gate is out of the way. “My mother is in here, and she’ll cause more psychological damage than any Nazi ever did.”
I sit back again and turn to him with a scowl. “Well, that’s untruthful and incredibly insensitive. Why are we here, Luke?”
“Because I need a few things from the house, then we can head out again and plan our anti-crime crime. Sonia would be so proud.”
“Is she nice?” Mom is still on the phone. Still listening in to this mess. “Luke, honey? Is she nice?”
“My mom?” Luke shakes his head and sets my nerves into overdrive. “She’s brutal, but she’s also kind, and never unfair. She’ll test Ally, but she won’t—”
“No.” Mom nervously clears her throat. “I meant Sonia. Is she nice?”
“Oh…” He finally turns serious as he pulls up in front of a house with blue shutters, and cuts the engine.
The houses that surround us are all the same. They each have different cars parked out front. Some have SUVs, some have sports cars. One has a skate ramp that looks like it’s claimed at least half a dozen broken bones over the years. The house we’re parked in front of has two cars parked out front. A truck, and a small Mazda with a sparkling steering wheel cover glinting in the sunlight.
“Yeah,” he continues after a thoughtful moment. “Sonia is really cool. She saved my dad’s life a long time ago, and continues to save many others, simply by existing. She’s a miracle, and really fuckin’ cool, too. She’s old, but she’s got a sailor’s mouth if you get her going.”
“Wow,” Mom breathes out. “Really?”
“Was that ‘wow,’ like, wow, or was it how Ally says it when she’s really telling me to go fuck myself?”
And just like that, Mom snorts, and the tension I’m sure I was the only one who felt dissipates.
“It was a real wow. I’m glad she was there for your dad, honey. And for everyone else she has helped. That’s really nice to hear. Alright, babies. I can tell you’ve arrived where you’re going, so I’ll hang up and let you do your thing. If you get caught in your anti-crime crime, call me from the police station. I might be able to flirt your way out of trouble.”
“Not with these cops, Mrs. Laramie. You try to flirt with the chief, and he’ll lock me up for life. He’s got a grudge against my family.”
“Perhaps because of all the crime you commit?”
“Nah, because my dad beat the chief’s brother up in a bar forever ago. They both wanted the same girl, they negotiated.” He looks to me and grins. “The other dude lost.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate.” Mom hesitates. “He… uh… the other guy was okay?”
“Oh sure. He was at my parents’ house last weekend. There are no hard feelings. Turns out, the other guy didn’t want my mom at all. It was a miscommunication.”
“Wow.” Mom turns silent for a moment, only to then say, “That wasn’t a genuine wow.”
“Got it.” Luke pushes his door open and slides out with a laugh. “Not impressed by the fight that never needed to happen. Hint taken.”
“Allyson?” Mom’s voice brings me back to her. “If Luke fights anyone for you, just step aside and let it happen. Don’t wade in, okay? Hotheads are dangerous.”
“Thank you, Mother. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Either from home, or from the police station. It’s like Wheel of Fortune!” she exclaims with far too much excitement. “I can’t wait to find out which it is.”
“I think you need help.”
I turn when Luke comes to my door and pulls it open. He offers a hand, and stares into my eyes with that smug grin he does that annoys me so much.
I refuse to admit that it annoys me because I find it ridiculously alluring.
“Goodbye, Mom. I love you.”
I hang up, and stare at his waiting hand with trepidation.
“We’ve come full circle.” He grins when I remain silent. “Don’t you see it?”
“See what?” I take his hand, since it’s right there and I can pretend I don’t have a choice.
Sliding out of the truck and dropping onto my heeled feet, I’m caught between Luke and his truck with nowhere to go.
“The first time we met.” He leans closer. Too close, so his breath feathers over my chin. “You were hanging up with your mom, and you told me you loved me.”
I roll my eyes. It’s my only defense as my belly does a flip. “I told my mom I loved her. You were being weird.”
“Well, that may be true.” His eyes sparkle when we’re this close. Golden flecks flash under the sunlight, despite the fact he’s looking down and blocking out the sun. “But you just did it again,” he continues. “You hung up, and you told her you loved her just as we came eye to eye.”
“You’re still being weird.” And I’m beginning to breathe heavier. Stop it!
“It’s a constant state of mind for me. It’ll grow on you, I promise. Come on.”
He pulls me away from the truck and slams the door shut when I’m clear, then refusing to release my hand, even when I, again, try to pull it away, he leads me from driveway, to grass, to a wooden porch that doesn’t creak as we step onto it.
I’m not sure why I expect the creak, except that I figure all wooden structures move and groan over time, but this one doesn’t, and the absence of sound catches my attention.
“I have heels on.” Why that’s important, I don’t know. “I’m still dressed for work.”
“We’ll grab a few things, then I’ll take you to your place to get changed.”
“You just want to see my living space.”
“Yes.” He flashes a wide grin and pushes the front door of this house open without knocking. “That is absolutely true. I wanna see your place so bad that I’m getting itchy just thinking about it.”
“Not weird at all.”
“And just so you know, I’m definitely gonna look inside your bedside drawers. Girls keep the coolest stuff in those, so I’m totally looking.”
“I don’t have bedside drawers.”
“You don’t– Oh, Mom!”
Luke swings me into a kitchen to find a man that looks a hell of a lot like Luke himself, only a couple decades older and with a whole smattering of fresh bruises on his jaw, and with him, two women who look to be polar opposites. One is short, with short, dark hair, and elf-like features: a slight slant to her bright green eyes, and sharp cheekbones. The other is tall, with long, blonde hair, long limbs, and a kind smile.
All three of them study us now, but the short woman, she telegraphs exactly who she is when her eyes snap to my hand clasped in Luke’s.
Protective momma at twelve o’clock.
“Hi, Luke.” The woman – the bear – moves away from the marble countertop she and her companions surround, and makes her way across the room in heels that are sexy enough I’m tempted to ask if I can borrow them.
But that would be weird and wildly inappropriate… right?