Hanging by a Moment (From this Moment Book 1) (4 page)

I roll my eyes at her earning me a jab in the arm.
Ouch!

“Bite me!” I growl in response.

The rest of the conversation has us chatting about what we are going to do this coming weekend and before you knew it is time to get back to our dorm rooms.

My dreams are invaded by beautiful blue eyes.

Chapter Three

I decide to have my breakfast in the kitchen with Nan this morning. I could do without an early morning catch up session detailing the latest news about Luke from my friends. I don’t understand why it is so important for them to hook me up with him or anyone else. If they can just let me enjoy being single. It has been a while and even though I did go on a few dates – more like forced into going on a few dates by my eager friends – I do find it refreshing to be by myself. Two years with Ethan. So it has been a while since I was single and it is good. I’m real good.

But Luke – he does something to me. He makes me feel something I haven’t felt before. And it is confusing. And that is the real reason I decided to hide out in the kitchen. There is something about him... his presence does something to me. Even when he is being an arrogant prick, like he so kindly demonstrated yesterday.

“What’s troubling you, honey?” Nan’s friendly warm voice greets me as I push open the oak door, strolling into the kitchen. She has always been able to read me like some kind of open book.

I drag out a wooden chair and take a seat at the white granite counter top directly in front of her, watching as she stacks milk cartons neatly on top of the counter.

She frowns as her large warm brown eyes look me over as she places each carton carefully on a trolley.

Nan is like a mother hen here at MFU. Taking an instant liking to me the very first day we met. I walked into her kitchen needing a glass of water and almost collided right into her chubby form - both of us clearly not watching were we were going. I had a serious headache and needed water to swallow my pain killer and she took pity on me, inviting me to have my breakfast in her kitchen, away from the noise inside the cafeteria. She was easy to talk to and made me feel right at home.

“Nothing, just a bit tired.” I lie flashing a pageant smile at her, hoping I can fool her to stop with the questions.

She shakes her head as she keeps loading the trolley. She knows me well enough to let me be when I’m in this mood.

She shuffles over to the cabinet and takes out two white glass bowls, filling them with porridge. She moves towards me and smiles warmly. “Here you go. Eat up while I go feed the rest of the starving kids.” She places the two bowls of steaming creamy oats in front of me, tucking a few loose tendrils of her light brown hair behind her ears. “You have company this morning.” She winks her adorable brown eyes at me when she sees my raised eyebrow at the two bowls.

What?
Before I can ask her who is joining me, she walks out of the kitchen wheeling her trolley of milk cartons.

I wonder who I have the pleasure of eating with as I slide my bowl closer and dig in. In all the years I’ve been here I have always eaten alone in the kitchen except for when the girls joined me. I don’t have to wait long before my mystery company comes waltzing through the wooden door.

I hear the angels laughing down at me.

BIG MASSIVE TROUBLE!
My heart stops when our eyes meet. Just the person I have been avoiding. I glower at him then frown into my bowl of oats.

What the hell is he doing here?
Why would Nan invite this total stranger into her kitchen? She only allows her favourites and what could she have learnt about him in one day to put him in that list.
Go away!

“Good morning.” Luke greets me casually without a care in the world while I’m having a mental breakdown. What the hell is he so chirpy about?

After my outburst at him asking me if I was a lesbian I decided I don’t like him. And I will stay far away from him as possible. He is a dangerous combination of killer looks and arrogance wrapped up in one delectable package and I don’t need that package in my life. Return to sender, thank you. No more complications. I need to stay away from him. Far away. No make that very far away.
Totally impossible,
my subconscious reminds me.

I need to get him to leave. I sigh. “Breakfast for students is served in the cafeteria. Do I need to show you where that is?” I ask in my best bitch tone.
Ha! Now get lost!
I mentally high five myself.

I peek at him through my lashes. He shakes his head. “Nan invited me in here to eat. Or does she need your permission seeing you own this kitchen?” He scoffs, looking hard at me, waiting for my come back.

How am I supposed to not be affected by him when he looks at me like that? Did he just get more beautiful today? And that messed up black hair still damp from a recent shower. I wonder what it will feel like in my hands.
Get a grip!
I blink rapidly trying to shake that thought out of my head.

He pulls out the wooden chair next to me and sits down. He is a few inches away from me but close enough for me to feel the heat radiating off his body. A body that is looking so fucking hot dressed in a pair of faded blue denim jeans and a snug navy blue T-shirt that does little to hide the athletic body underneath it.

I am immediately nervous. I think I just forgot how to breathe.
Inhale through your nose and exhale through our mouth... now Emma, before you pass out. Breathe.

This time he is even closer to me. If I move just a tiny fraction more to my left, we will be touching. I wonder what his skin feels like... naked. Touching me. Shivers tingle down my spine. What is wrong with me?
Get a damn grip!
Luke affects me like no other man has before. But still, nothing excuses him from embarrassing me with his lesbian question.
Urgh!

I peek at him through my lashes and see that he is looking at me. I’m angry with him, I remind myself. He is no good for me. He asked if I was a lesbian.

“Fine! Shut up and don’t fucking look at me.” I say without thinking, shell shocked by my own stupid response that makes me want to knock my head down on the white granite counter... as hard as possible.
Stupid idiot!
A massive malfunction of the filter between brain and mouth. Of course I want him to continue looking at me with those beautiful blues of his. But damn, why does he get my panties in a knot?

He turns around to face the bowl of steaming oats in front of him. “Don’t worry, princess, I intend doing just that. No need spoiling my appetite this early in the day.” His tone is clipped and angry. And he begins eating his oats.

Argh!

By some miracle I manage to gobble up my oats as fast as I can without choking and practically run out of there putting as much distance between the two of us.

Financial Management is the first class of the day. And just when I stupidly thought my day could not get any worse, I am proven wrong.

Luke casually strolls in. Following him into the lecture room are a few giggling girls obviously trying to get his attention to which he is oblivious too. I smile to myself as I watch them trying, unsuccessfully, to get him to notice them.

Sluts!

Okay, now where did that come from? I do not care who holds his attention. My subconscious slaps me.
Of course you care
, she reminds me.

Thankfully, Luke ignores me. He chooses to sit away from me at the opposite end of the room with at least ten students between us. But every now and again, l feel those pretty blues on me, giving me goose bumps. I stick to my earlier resolution; I refuse to look at him.

Whew!
I need a medal. That was the hardest thing I ever had to do... keep my eyes to myself and not let them look at the God across the room. I am relieved however as the rest of the morning goes by without any further Luke related drama.

****

During lunch Jane fills Brit and I in on the hilarious on-again-off-again relationship of her roommate. Totally consumed in her funny rendition of her story, I barely notice Luke until Brad calls out to him to take the seat next to Jane, which places him directly opposite me.

PROBLEM BIG MASSIVE!
Right opposite me.
Shit!
I cannot even think straight when he is near me.

“Hey, Luke, are you going to join us this Saturday? It’s our movie weekend.” Brad asks as Luke settles down easily in front of me.

I look at Jane who is staring wide-eyed at me, just as confused as I am.

It was an age old tradition for us to have a movie night at least once a month with Brad, Jane, Travis, Brit, Ethan and I. When Ethan left, I decided to invite Thomas along. We have always kept our group small so why on earth is Brad considering inviting Luke.

I cannot control my body’s response as I feel a shiver of excitement as I wait to hear his answer. I look casually in his direction, making sure not to meet his eyes.

“Sure man. What’s the movie?” Luke answers, his voice as cool as a cucumber. He bends his head forward so he and Brad can see each other over Jane’s small frame.

“Chick flick... ladies’ choice this weekend.” Travis fills him in grinning from ear to ear.

And that is when it hits me. We made plans to go watch
Fifty Shades of Grey
this weekend. And worse there is no way out of this as tickets were bought a week ago. The movie has just been released and tickets were selling out fast.  So we made sure to purchase our tickets in advance. I smile as realisation dawns on me. He will never get tickets this late.

I happily remind Brad. “Brad, we’ve already bought tickets and I heard the next couple of shows have sold out.” I mentally chuckle to myself, whilst my subconscious is on her knees praying for a miracle.

And the damn bitch gets her prayers answered.

Brad winks at me. “Never fear when Brad’s near, honey. Thomas can’t make it. His parents are flying him home for his sister’s engagement this weekend.”

My subconscious is running around, screaming as if she just won the lottery.

Oh fuck!
Thomas and I were going together. Not as a couple. Thomas is as gay as they come so I’m pretty safe with him or rather he is safe with me. That means I will have to endure two hours of erotic sex... with cool hand Luke sitting right next to me.
And I totally DESPISE him,
I remind myself.
Really?

“Still joining us Em, or have I scared you off to your house on the hill?” Brad teases and I know I have been played by my best friends’ boyfriends. They are going to enjoy watching me squirm through this.

I shake my head as I speak. “Brad, it takes a little more that handcuffs and blindfolds to scare me off. And besides I’m still looking for revenge. Remember?”

Brit’s hand goes up to high-five me as we laugh.

“Luke, you can borrow my handcuffs seeing you’ll be sitting next to Miss I-hate-all-fucking-men and who knows what she’ll try. Sorry man, I can’t help you out there, I’m still a bit too young to die.” He raises his flat palms in front of his handsome laughing face.

“Then I better take my flogger along with me,” Luke yells across to him, clearly amused.

Urgh!
I feel my cheeks heat up from the blood that is pooling there. Now he is asking for it.

Raising my head, I look up into beautiful pools of twinkling blues staring at me. He so loves this. “To flog your fucking self,” I sneer at him.

I hear him murmur something under his breadth that sounded close to ‘bitch’ as I look away.

Just then Travis speaks up. “Hey Luke, better make sure your fingers don’t do any walking around in the dark.”

“Man you killing me here. You know I aim to please.” His voice smooth as silk and calm as if we are discussing the weather.

My eyes shoot up to Luke. He responds with the biggest smirk ever. And of course I just have to roll my eyes.

Brad who misses nothing screams in excitement. “Holy shit! Did she just roll her eyes at you man?” And the three guys burst into laughter.

My cheeks are probably the same shade as beets. I want to slaughter them all. Instead I try my best to ignore them before we have to leave for class.

Luke joins me for two more classes and I make sure to ignore him all the time even when I feel his eyes burning holes into me.

After school the boys have soccer practice which means we girls have some peace and quiet - and no Luke - for a while. We relax in our room, sitting cross legged on Brit’s bed sharing a slab of chocolate.

“Em, are you going to be okay going to the movies with Luke this Saturday?” Brit asks me with concern in her voice. Her slim fingers are tracing the flower design on her pink quilt.

I respond trying to keep my voice even.”Sure. Why the hell not?” Even though it’s obvious Luke and I might kill each other in the dark. Or I might try to kill him while he flogs me.

“Come on, Em. You two seem... um.” Stopping mid-sentence, she frowns looking worriedly at Jane for help but Jane just urges her to go on. “You know you and Luke seem to have... um.... eh. Please don’t kill me for saying this.”

“What?” I snap.

“Well there seems to be some kind of chemistry between you two and-”

I cut her off before she can finish. “What the fuck, Brit? You know I can’t stand that asshole.”

“Oh come on, Em. The kind of electrical sparks you two set off each other can light up the entire Northern Hemisphere,” Jane says as she rolls her almond shaped green eyes at me and stuffs another cube of chocolate into her mouth.