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Before I knehat I was doing, I’d thrown back the sheets and clion ed toout of the rooht next door

Luke sat up in bed as I opened the door and stepped into the rooht A worried expression crossed his face I didn’t speak as I closed the door andin next to hi the sheets up around ht as his hand reached out to caress the side of ainst the tears that pooled in the corners of ht?"

A sad s out his arratefully because he wasn’t asking ; it was like he understood hoas feeling, dee his warmth cover me in a cloak of safety and protectiveness His faainst hi my face in the crook of his neck His arhtly at his side as I closed es ofand the feel of his fingers as they ran through the back of my hair Just as sleep was about to take over, he spoke, "Baby, do you really think it was Sandy?" he asked quietly

I frowned and tilted my head back so that I could look at him I didn’t really kno to answer that question On the one hand, yes I thought it was her She was the only one that I could think of with a grudge againstat me, some part of me that doubted that she would take it that far Would she seriously be this unhinged just because she wanted my boyfriend? The police had seeo on either, which didn’t help with the certainty I felt earlier in the day Maybe it was finally time for me to adirl as jealous of the fact that I was dating soht about it, the more I started to doubt that it would be her But somehow it made it easier for er and fear It made it a little irl that was doing all of these things A silly, jealous schoolgirl was far less frightening than ad to hurtthat I was suddenly starting to doubt my instincts "Yeah"

Luke chewed on his lip, see his words carefully "But she wouldn’t though, surely," heto talk about it anyer for sleep so this day would be over with already "I was thinking earlier… what about that Zach guy?" Luke asked, raising one eyebrow

I snorted and chuckled at the absurdity of his suggestion "Zach?"

He nodded, his nose crinkling with distaste "Yeah, I don’t like that guy There’s sorinned and rolledwhat this was about "You’re just being jealous"

"No I’led up against hi my arain for a few seconds as he obviously pondered on that thought Finally, he sighed "Okay, I’m jealous," he admitted "I don’t like him I don’t like the way he’s just waltzed in here and carved out a place in your life I don’t like you spending ti honest and that I should appreciate that rather than scolding him for it "You don’t need to be jealous," I assured hi ro a lock ofjealous though, I was being serious I mean, how much do you even know about hi was fine before he showed up This all started after he arrived That can’t just be a coincidence," he countered His brown eyes bore intothe lu in"You told the police that you didn’t go to Zach’s place until four and that you were in the library before that Well, as he doing while you were there? He could have," he sed loudly, "poisoned Chester, and then came back to pick you up after He had time to do that," he explained "Did he know about your spare key?" he asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow

My ht, Zach had said that there was soht after school and that our tutoring would have to wait What was so i? And the key question… he did know about the key because I’d used it while I ith hi in my ears – how much did I know about Zach? The ansas not much He was an incredibly mysterious person; he was sometimes a little weird and evasive And yes, he did have the tiet intoit out, I was already dis it Zach wasn’t like that Sure he was a bit of a badass, but he was a good guy at heart, I was sure of it I wasn’t going to let Luke’s jealousy and bias judgement alter my opinion of someone

"Well, did he know about the key or not?" Luke repeated

I shrugged, not wanting to add fuel to the fire by confir that would suffice Apparently it did Luke nodded thoughtfully, his ar on ot all caught up trying to link Zach to souy "Look, it’s not Zach I know you don’t like hiuy He wouldn’t do that," I said confidently "You’re just assu out with rinned sheepishly "Maybe," he adh, until the police catch whoever is sending you this stuff, I don’t want you going anywhere on your own Make sure you always have et closer

He chuckled "I’rinned, bending forward and putting his forehead against mine His breath blew across my lips as he spoke, "Okay, yeah, maybe I am that bad But it’s only because I love you so much"

My heart melted at his words as the hair on the nape of er brushed across my cheek as his lips touched mine, so softly I could barely feel it The kiss was so soft and chaste, sweet and tender, yet held a passion that made et so what to say When I was alone with Luke like this, cuddled up in his arether When ere alone everything just seeht and perfect It was a sha more difficult When other people were around it just served as a re wasn’t, in fact, as perfect as it seeuided ainst his neck, and his body relaxed as he pulled the covers up around us

Just asleep was about to pull"Luke?"

"H I don’t knohat I would have done without you there," I ad easier for me He took over with Chester, and also was incredible with the police questions He really was ht

A soft kiss was planted on the top of my head "You don’t need to thank me, baby I’ll always be here when you need me Always"

I smiled at his words and drifted off into a drea to open my eyes I already knehere I was I was in Luke’s arms, his warm breath blew across the top of my head, and his heart beat steadily under ain At one point I was convinced that I’d wake up like this for the rest of my life, but after the Sandy indiscretion I wasn’t so sure I wanted to forgive and forget, I really did, but there was still a s it That s ivable, and that I didn’t need hih I did need hi that had happened recently, all of it, just served to prove that I needed hih it all without Luke I just had to take another chance on hi ht I silently prayed that Chester was doing okay I hadn’t been called by the vets, so I took that as a good sign After all, they do say that no news is good news I tried desperately not to think of Sandy, or so into my house and up to my bedroom I didn’t want to think about it at all because I could already feel the anger and fear gripping led closer to Luke while he slept, finally openingup at his handsome face What I saw madewould change that He looked so peaceful while he slept, his htly parted as he breathed heavily There was no denying it, I just loved being in Luke’s arms