Fire Always Burns - By Krista Lakes Page 0,30

playing with fire, but I didn't care. The heat of the flames felt too good to stop.

Chapter 8

The fire could not be contained. Firefighters dug trenches only to have flames fly overhead, laughing as they danced into the trees. The water sprayed from their hoses, but the fire simply blazed higher. Mother Nature refused to cry, instead blowing hot wind across the arid landscape, feeding the fire.

The next two weeks were perfect. I lived on this wonderful high where everything seemed to be going my way. Andrew and I spent almost every day together, laughing, kissing, and daydreaming.

We started imagining what it would be like to go to school together, where we could be together without worrying about hurting our friends. My past felt so far behind me that it could never catch up. With Ray in the picture, Andrew's mom had almost stopped calling him at work to check up on him. She was full of a self confidence I had never seen, radiating happiness like a small sun.

With his mom finally behaving like an adult, I convinced Andrew to contact Colorado State University and tell them he would be starting in the fall. I even applied myself. I thought that Andrew and a new school might be enough to erase my past. I could try again and do it right this time. I thought things were finally going right, the future starting to look bright again.

▪▪▪

"How many screws do you have?" I asked looking at the boxes scattered across the counter. I hopped up on the edge of the counter, swinging my feet as I watched him work.

"I'm not one to kiss and tell, but I can tell you all about the nails, " Andrew grinned wickedly at me as he organized the boxes of screws and nails into piles.

"You are such a boy," I stuck my tongue out at him and he just smirked at me.

"You like it," he countered walking around to the front of the counter.

"Yes, yes I do," I said as he put his hands on either side of me on the counter. "How could I not?"

I felt a tingle of anticipation run through my body as his stomach pushed into my knees, his hands going to my hips. I leaned forward and closed my eyes, knowing he was mine. I felt our lips touch, electricity passing between us. Our tongues met, feeding the fire burning through my core. No one had ever made me feel this way with just a kiss.

"What are you two doing?"

I felt Andrew freeze, my own blood stopping cold. We broke apart like ice hitting the floor, each of us picking a random direction. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and drain out of me at the same time. Luke stood in the doorway, his green work apron hanging limply from his hand. His hazel eyes full of betrayal. I slid off the counter, avoiding his piercing gaze.

"I said, what are you two doing?" He glanced back and forth between Andrew and me, his hand tightening on the apron.

"Luke, it's not what it looks like-" Andrew started, but Luke cut him off.

"Not what it looks like? It looks like you and Holly were kissing. Like you two have something going on. You want to lie to me about that, Andrew?" Luke's voice was cold, his knuckles starting to turn white on his apron.

"Luke, we didn't mean for you to find out like this," I said softly.

"So at least you did mean for me to find out. That's nice. How long has this been going on?" Luke's eyes blazed a cold fire.

"Not long. It just kind of happened, and we couldn't stop it," Andrew said quietly.

"Couldn't stop it? Yeah right. You chose not to stop it. We promised to never do this. You both promised me, promised each other to not do this," Luke said, frustration dripping off each word. He paused for a moment, the anger emanating out of him in waves as he kept his voice even. "Do you know how much I have wanted to break that promise? How close I've come to doing what you two were just doing? But I stopped. I kept the promise."

"What do you mean?" my mouth blurted out before I could stop. Luke rounded on me, his eyes fierce.

"Doesn't matter. Holly, you aren't ready for this. Neither of you have any idea what you are doing," Luke's voice was soft and low. I had never seen him so angry.