The Game Changer The Final Score - By L.M. Trio Page 0,60

no idea.” I shrug. “I’ve learned not to ask. This happens quite frequently. Freshman year I spent a lot of nights on the community couch. That’s why I was so glad when we moved here and I had my own room.” I laugh.

“I don’t blame you,” he says, laughing. “Mikey said she’s got a bit of a wild side.”

“I don’t doubt it for a second.”

I can see his mind working and a scowl is forming on his face, his jaw tightens and begins to pulsate. “Now that I’m thinking of it, I don’t like the idea of her bringing strange guys back to your apartment; it’s not safe. What if it’s some psycho? No offense, but I’m sure Mya doesn’t attract the most normal guys.”

“Oh, normal guys. You mean, like you?” I tease, trying to distract him from worrying.

He laughs at my sarcasm. “Wow, did you just crack a joke, making fun of me?”

“I’m kidding,” I say, laughing as he tickles me.

“You’ve got a point. I just spent the last couple of years with a bunch of lunatics. How do you know I’m not some nut now? After all, you’ve only been around me for less than a week,” he teases playfully, squeezing my waist.

“You were always a nut,” I say, laughing and pushing him away, but he pulls me back in, once again wrapping his arms around me.

“I love to see you laugh. I love being around you… you make me happy.” He kisses the top of my head.

I feel the same way, but I’m still afraid to say it out loud. I wrap my arms tightly around him and bury my head against his chest, hoping he knows how I feel.

“JJ, all joking aside, I’m serious about the strange guy thing. I don’t like the idea of you being here with some guy you don’t know in your apartment. It worries me,” he says with genuine concern.

“I always lock my bedroom door when she has some stray guy stay over.” I shrug, trying to make light of the situation.

“What if you have to go to the bathroom?” he quizzes.

“I never thought about it. I don’t usually get up to use the bathroom during the night.”

“Agh… Now I hate leaving you. I’m going to be worrying about this. Do you want me to stay… on the couch?”

“Didn’t you tell me earlier that you had to be at the airport at four in the morning?” I laugh.

“Yeah, and I still don’t have my shit together, yet.” He chuckles. “Hey, why don’t you come to my house?” Then he catches himself. “Wait, I swear it’s not a ploy to get you into bed. You can have my room and I’ll take Mikey’s.”

I shake my head at him and laugh. “Luke, it’s fine. We’ve never had a problem. My door is locked and I have my cell phone with me. Don’t worry. Besides, you’re leaving too early, it will be too much,” I try to reassure him, although I’m tempted, knowing there will be no way we’d sleep in separate rooms. “You better go, it’s getting late and you’ve got to be up early.”

It’s clear that neither of us is ready for the evening to end, but then again, neither one of us takes the initiative to pick up where we left off before the interruption. Knowing Luke as I do—or did—his mind is now focused on the stranger in Mya’s bed. He’s conflicted on whether or not to leave… and this has nothing to do with getting me in bed, it’s all about being in protective mode now. I finally persuade him to go and he gives me one last distracted kiss before leaving. He no sooner gets home, when my phone rings.

“Hey, are you up?” he asks.

“I am now,” I reply sleepily.

“Sorry… I just wanted to check on you and tell you once again that I had a great time tonight. I’ll miss you,” he adds quietly.

“Me, too.”

***

(Luke)

After that evening, we call each other every night while I’m away. Most nights, we talk for an hour or more. The time apart strengthens our relationship. In order to move forward we have to discuss the past. We talk everything out, especially what went wrong. I never knew that all of the time I was gone she thought I slept with Alexa before I went away. Thinking back, Mikey and I never actually discussed that night. It was a night I wanted to forget. If I knew that Mikey suspected the same