Authors: Toni Aleo
“Yeah, but where would I sleep? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want me anywhere but beside you, and since I can’t trust you, that ain’t happening.”
Lucas ran his finger up and down his knee wishing that it could happen.
“Maybe we could try.”
“Maybe I could use this money to buy me a time machine and travel back in time and prevent you from cheating on me,” she said, and he laughed.
“I don’t know, Lucas. It’s just all so scary. I don’t think I can do the hurt again,” she said, and Lucas wasn’t sure but he thought she was crying.
He held his breath as he waited for her answer. When she said “Yes,” it came out in a whoosh and the biggest grin replaced the worried line of his mouth.
“I miss you. So much.”
“But that doesn’t mean anything. Just because my body wants you and even though I miss you, I still know you’re a bad idea,” she insisted.
“Maybe I’m not.”
“Maybe you are.”
Lucas rolled his eyes and looked back down at the carpet. “Until you give me a fair chance, I don’t think it’s right of you to make that assumption,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I want us to be a family, Fallon.”
When Fallon didn’t say anything for a long time, Lucas wasn’t sure if she fell asleep or if she was thinking. She then said, “Let me think about it.”
“Good night baby,” Lucas said. He didn’t hang up the phone because he wanted her to do it first. It was childish, but they used to always do it. When she didn’t hang up either, Lucas smiled as he listened to her breathe. “Hang up,” he whispered.
“No, you hang up,” she whispered back.
Lucas started to laugh. He loved when they did this when he was on the road. They would fight about who hung up first, and finally they would hang up at the same time.
It felt so right doing it again and when he said, “Together?” she laughed. It had been so long but at that moment he felt like they were kids again, no worries in the world.
When Fallon stopped laughing, she said, “Okay, one, two, three…”
“Night,” they both said before hanging up. Lucas grinned down at the phone. They were going to work out, things were moving for them. He just hoped they were moving in the right direction.
To his perfect family.
Fallon couldn’t believe she was considering giving Lucas those two weeks.
As she drove to the Luther Arena, she couldn’t help but want to do it. Maybe he was right, she couldn’t assume he would do her wrong. He said he was a changed man, and she had seen it after their fight. He would have never called and apologized before, but he had now. But all Fallon could think was even if she was to give him those two weeks, if she couldn’t trust him, what good would it do? It would only confuse him, her, and Aiden. She would have to forgive him before she could commit to something like that, but how could she forgive him when every time she looked at him, she thought of that moment when she found him in bed with Allison.
It was a vicious cycle of pain and something had to be done, or Fallon would be living a life — aside from Aiden — that she really didn’t like. Until she fully got over Lucas she would never be able to give her heart away. Part of her knew she would never get over him, but if she wasn’t going to give him a chance then she needed to do it. It was getting old, this game she was playing. She needed to decide what was best for herself and Aiden. If that was Lucas, then damn it, she needed to try. She needed to listen to her heart.
“We got into it, and he then called later and apologized. He then proceeded to asked for two weeks for me to see that he was a changed man.”
“What if he doesn’t and he is this said ‘changed man’? You could live your happily ever after, but if you keep on the way you are going, you’re gonna be alone for the rest of your life, and then what?”
“Jeez, dramatic much?” Fallon asked as she pulled into a parking spot beside Lucas’ truck.
“This from the queen of the dramatics. I’m just saying give him a chance. I think he’s awesome.”
“Of course you do, it’s the Brooks’ charm. Why do you think everyone loves Aiden?” Fallon said as she got out of the car. Audrey came around and locked arms with Fallon, looking up at her with a smile.
“I think you should give him a chance,” she said.
Fallon rolled her eyes. She was so tired of talking about her and Lucas; it was an ongoing issue of craziness. Plus, Fallon had a very important question for Audrey.
“I think you should tell me why I went by your room last night and you were gone,” Fallon countered. Audrey narrowed her eyes and unlocked her arms, moving away from Fallon.
“Okay, I’m a little jealous here, Aiden,” Audrey said from beside them. Aiden gave Fallon once last smile before jumping towards Audrey. She took him in her arms, kissing him loudly on the cheek. They both had missed him, and he still wouldn’t be coming home until Tuesday. It hurt Fallon to even think that she had to endure two more nights without her favorite guy, but she had to do it.
Fallon swallowed loudly as she took in his attire. He was dressed in his before-game gear, which consisted of a black hoodie that said ‘Assassins’ on the front and purple gym shorts. Even with white socks that came to his knees and black New Balances on his feet, Fallon thought he was hot. When her eyes met his, he gave her a knowing look and grinned appreciably as his eyes raked her body.
Fallon hoped he liked the black jeggings and purple lace dress set she had put together. Fallon had curled her hair for hours and was sure that it looked good with the purple suede handbag she had gotten to match her shoes. Fallon was a little nervous about the purple, she wasn’t sure if it was really her color, but Audrey had reassured her it was. With the purple suede Kate Spade bootie heels she had bought the day before, Fallon felt confident that Lucas would think she is hot.
When his eyes met hers again; she saw the desire building in his eyes, and she knew she had succeeded as a shy smile came over her glossed up mouth. He returned the smile as he moved back and forth on the balls of his feet. A nervous habit of his, but Fallon didn’t know what he had to be nervous about. He always looked good, all he had to do was wake up and he was gorgeous! Getting this hot took time and effort!
“Are y’all done making eyes at each other? We’re bored,” Audrey said from beside them. Fallon broke their intense gaze to look down at Audrey and Aiden, who were grinning up at them.
“AA, leave them alone, I want a brother.”
Audrey giggled before picking Aiden up as Fallon’s face turned bright red. Lucas chuckled as he grinned over at Audrey. “I need to talk to Fallon; can you go ahead in with Aiden?”
Fallon smiled as Audrey and Lucas laughed. She didn’t know what Lucas needed to talk to her about, but it made her nervous that he was nervous.
“Alright, mini Assassin, lead the way!” Audrey gushed before putting Aiden down. He took her hand and led the way into the back of the building. Fallon watched them walk hand in hand until they disappeared inside. When she looked over at Lucas, he had come closer to her, looking down at her with those dark gray, desired-filled eyes.
Fallon’s whole body tingled from the feel of his body so close to hers. Her hands shook as she looked up into his eyes. She had no clue what he was doing but she really didn’t care. She loved being this close to him. When he moved his arm, she looked down to watch him lock his pinky with hers. She looked up and smiled. Why did it feel so right to be with him like that and still not trust him?
“My mom is sitting with you guys,” he whispered as he got closer to her. His pinky squeezed hers as his left hand locked with hers.
Fallon nodded. “Okay.”
“I know she was harsh with you, so I just wanted to tell you.”
Fallon nodded again. “Okay.” Her words came out so breathy, so quietly that she wasn’t sure if he heard her, but when he smiled she knew he had.
“I also wanted to ask if you wanted to go to Disneyland,” Lucas asked with a shy smile.
Fallon giggled as she looked down at his lips. She could have sworn he was going to kiss her, but nope, he decided to ask about Disneyland. Gosh, he and Aiden were so much alike, always coming out of left field with things.
“Yeah,” he said with a cocky grin. “If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have your mouth pursed up like that, just waiting for me to kiss you.”
Fallon let out a breathy laugh. “I ain’t waiting for you to kiss me.”
“Sure you are,” he said before capturing her mouth with his. The kiss was sweet at first but it turned hot in no time. His hands left hers, cupping her cheeks in his hands as he continued to give her kiss after kiss. Fallon opened her mouth for him, wanting to deepen the kiss, but Lucas pulled back, looking deep into her eyes. She looked up at him questioningly, and he just smiled as he backed away.
“You can have more when you agree to those two weeks,” he said so confidently that Fallon wanted to scream.
“Oh, you ass,” she muttered as he reached for her hand, pulling her along with him.
“Agree to it, and we can go finish what we started in my truck,” he said with a grin. “The seats lay down,” he added with a wink.
Fallon’s body was on fire, and she was almost to the point of saying yes, but she really needed to think this through. She looked up at him, and shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I still need to think it through.”
Lucas smiled. “I figured that. Come on, Aiden is waiting on us.”
Fallon glanced down at their joined hands before looking up at him. She could do this every day if only she could get Allison and that moment out of her head.
After meeting up with Audrey, Aiden, and Molly, and wishing Lucas luck, they were all escorted to their seats. Fallon was surprised when Molly sat beside her instead of Aiden, but paid it no mind as she looked around the arena. It had been a long time since she had been in an actual rink. She had done the PR work upstairs but she hadn’t been near the ice in years. For some reason it felt like it used to, amazing. She used to love hockey, it wasn’t only that Lucas was playing but the thrill of it. Watching men beat the crap out of each other and skate with such skill did it for Fallon. It really was a hot sport.