Embry shrugged. “Not sure. We had a bit of a blow up.”

Morgan eventually turned back to Embry with sympathy pouring from her eyes. Grabbing Embry’s hand, she walked away from the dance floor. “I think we should probably head out.”

Embry pulled against Morgan. “What? I just found you guys. Why would we leave?”

“Trust me, let’s just get out of here.”

Embry wasn’t buying it. She looked over Morgan’s shoulder and into the crowd, trying to find what her friend had seen. She scanned the sweaty, euphoric faces, their bodies swaying to the slow beat of Blackmill’s “Let it Be,” until she found him.

She wished she hadn’t. Embry couldn’t look away as she watched a girl grind against Luke. Her back was to his chest, her ass rubbing into his groin. His hands gripped her hips as he moved behind her, but his eyes were trained on Embry. His stare was unwavering and intense, a million emotions in his steely gaze. She saw every feeling she was experiencing mirrored in his eyes: desire, frustration, pain. She realized in that moment that no matter what they did, they were helpless—slaves to their feelings for each other.

The girl spun around to face Luke, clueless to the fact that his attention was elsewhere. She ran her hands up and down his chest, causing a pit to form in Embry’s stomach. Seeing someone else’s hands on him was more than she could take. The pain it was causing her was reflected in his eyes, but she saw something else as well … determination. As much as it killed him, he wouldn’t pretend anymore. He wouldn’t play games. It was all or nothing.

Tears streamed down Embry’s face as she realized, with complete certainty, that she was losing him. Even as the tears fell, she felt her anger brewing. How dare someone else put their hands on Luke? How dare he let her? They weren’t over. They weren’t finished. They were just getting started. Those thoughts tried to break through her drunken haze, but at the moment, she couldn’t process anything except another girl’s hands on Luke. All Embry could think of was removing those hands and giving him a piece of her mind.

Ripping off her mask, she started toward Luke and his dance partner, ready to unload all of the emotional turmoil that had been tearing her apart inside. She made it all of two feet before two large hands clamped down on her arms and pulled her back.

“Cool it, sweetheart,” Brett whispered. He wrapped his forearm across her collarbone, trapping her against him.

Morgan came up in front of her, blocking her view of Luke. “Whatever he’s doing, however much it’s hurting you, you cannot do this here. I know he has a mask on, but if you make a scene, someone is bound to notice. Neither of you can afford to take that risk.”

“I don’t care,” Embry snapped.

“I know you don’t, but when you’re sober, you will. You both will. You and Luke will figure things out, but this is not the time or the place to do it.”

Morgan was right. Embry couldn’t do anything other than hope that things between her and Luke weren’t beyond repair. A drunken fight at a club wouldn’t help anything. She let Morgan and Brett lead her out, but not before sparing a quick glance over her shoulder to see Luke’s pained eyes following her across the floor.

20

Embry slept fitfully, constantly waking up to check her phone to see if Luke had called. She wasn’t sure why she thought he would, but she couldn’t help hoping. After waking up with those hopes dashed, she was thankful to have a study date with Jeremy. He showed up at her apartment with a bag of greasy egg sandwiches and her favorite coffee. She was so happy for the distraction she could have kissed him.

When Jeremy left, Embry was finally alone with her thoughts. There was nothing left to keep her mind from wandering to where it really wanted to be … Luke. She’d slipped on his sweatshirt and made her way out to the balcony. Sitting on the mesh chair, she watched the rain fall, one drop chasing the next onto the pavement below. Pulling her knees to her chest, she snuggled into the sweatshirt, fighting the chill in the air as the wind licked at her cheeks and blew her hair in every direction. Overwhelmed by her thoughts, she played and replayed the events of the previous night in her head. She’d reached for her phone numerous times, desperate to connect with him somehow, but she didn’t know what to say. She eventually resorted to staring, unseeing, into the stormy sky, trying to make sense of her muddled feelings.

Somewhere between the raindrops, she realized the truth. Memories crashed into her like waves assaulting the shore—every touch, every interaction, every moment they’d shared—and she realized she’d been kidding herself. Her thoughts from the night before floated through her mind. They weren’t over. They weren’t finished. They were just getting started. She realized now how true that was. They’d never been friends. They’d never not been together. Every decision she’d made was because she wanted, no needed, to be close to him.

She’d fooled herself into thinking that if she fought her feelings, held them back, they’d fade or go away. That if she pulled away before their kisses went too far, didn’t cross too many lines and ran from her feelings, they weren’t doing anything wrong. But everything they’d done had crossed lines, pushed boundaries. She suddenly realized with stunning clarity that Luke had known that all along.

He’d let her do it. He’d humored her. He knew from the start where they stood, how he felt. He’d never denied his feelings. But for whatever reason, he’d stepped back, let her believe what she needed to believe to be okay with spending time with him. He’d done it for her, and all it had brought him was pain. He had been waiting for her to admit her feelings, to realize that it didn’t matter what job he had but that they were supposed to be together. She shot out of her chair, worried that it might be too late.

Embry couldn’t move fast enough. She brushed her teeth, ran a brush through her hair, and stepped into her flats. She was out the door and on her way to Luke’s in a matter of minutes. She couldn’t bear the thought of him not knowing how she felt. She didn’t want to lose him. He’d worked his way into her heart in such a short time, she couldn’t imagine her life without him. But she couldn’t worry about that just yet. All she knew was that she had to tell him how she felt, how she really felt. No more running.

Embry pulled into Luke’s driveway. His car was parked out front and lights shone through the windows. He was home. She tore out of her car, running through the rain to reach his front door. She was frantic. The drive over had done nothing to help her anxiety. Her heart pounded in her chest as she pounded on his door. No answer. She rang the doorbell and knocked some more. Nothing. She fought back tears as she continued to slam her fist on the door, calling his name. He was home. He had to answer.

After what felt like an eternity, the porch light turned on, blinding her. When the spots cleared from her vision, she saw Luke in the doorway, shirtless. All thoughts left her brain, and her eyes traveled greedily over his smooth, muscled chest. She took in every inch of his carved torso down to the delicious v that disappeared beneath his jeans.

“Embry?”

Luke’s voice brought her back to reality. Rain was pouring down on her. She was soaking wet and freezing, shaking uncontrollably. Her hair was plastered to her head, her makeup surely streaming down her face, but she didn’t care.

“Hi,” she squeaked out.

“Hi yourself,” he responded.

She stared at him at a complete loss for words.

“You want me to believe you’re standing out in the rain, pounding on my door like a lunatic, just to say hi?” he asked.

“No.” Embry shook her head, steeling herself. “I came to say I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Her voice cracked, and tears clouded her vision. “I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to pretend anymore. I can’t. I’ve been fooling myself thinking we were just friends. We’ve never been just friends. I don’t care if you’re my professor. I don’t care about any of it. I don’t want to lose you, Luke. I can’t lose you. I … I …”

She stopped, trying to catch her breath. She stood in the cold, crying and rambling, while he silently stared at her. The rain splashing against the pavement and Embry’s short inhales were the only sounds as they stood, eyes locked on one another.

Luke’s cobalt gaze gave nothing away, and then slowly, so slowly, one side of his mouth turned up in a smile. “Are you finished?”

“Am I … am I finished?” she asked, bewildered.

“Yes,” he said calmly, giving no hint of his feelings. “Are you finished?”

“I-I guess so. Yes … I’m finished.”

“Good. That’s real good.” He reached out to push the wet hair from her forehead and stepped closer. Framing her face with his hands, he gently brushed his thumbs across her tear-stained cheeks.

Embry was at a loss. She had no idea which way was up. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but Luke’s hands were on her and that was all that mattered.

He stared down at her, his eyes filled with adoration. “I love you, Embry,” he whispered.

Her lips parted and her eyes widened. She gaped at him, completely astonished at the words that had come out of his mouth. Those three words had caused so much pain in her past. But hearing them from Luke, she felt no fear. Pressing up onto her toes, she grabbed his face and got as close to his eye level as she could. “I love you too.”

He bent his head slightly to capture her mouth in a soul-shredding kiss. Their chemistry had always been off the charts, but something about that kiss was different. Nothing stood between them anymore. No more walls, nothing to stop them. Luke dragged his fingers through Embry’s hair. Pulling back, he took in her appearance.