The Moment of Letting Go - J. A. Redmerski Page 0,41

type. But this Kendra girl—I’m convinced that something at least used to go on between the two of them, and I may not be Luke’s girlfriend, but it doesn’t make me any less anxious, or feel any less out of place.

I stand up and set my plate in my chair.

“Mind if I use the restroom?” I ask, looking down at Luke.

He gets up immediately, setting his plate in his chair like mine, and he takes my hand.

“Yeah, let me take you inside and show you where it’s at.”

We leave Kendra on the patio and I feel like I can’t get away from her fast enough. Luke’s hand tightens around mine as he leads me up the lanai and into the dimly lit house.

“I’m sorry about Kendra,” he says as we make our way through the kitchen and into the hall. “She’s harmless though, I promise. Just ignore her if she starts talking too much. That’s what I always do.”

Did you two used to have a thing? I want to ask, but feel like it’s not really any of my business.

“It’s all right,” I say, and we stop outside an open door. I hear the toilet running faintly inside. “I do want to get back to my hotel before it gets too late though, if you don’t mind.”

Luke’s face falls and his shoulders rise up and down with a sigh. I step up and place the palm of my hand on his hard chest and gaze into his eyes. He looks down at my hand and is just as surprised that it’s there as I am.

“I’m having a great time,” I try to reassure him. I let my hand slide away. “I’m just really tired after surfing and swimming. Honestly, I haven’t had this much excitement in one day in a long time.”

A grin passes over his lips. “I find that hard to believe with that crazy job of yours.”

I smile and press my back against the wall, trying to put some space between us. The smell of some kind of air freshener from the bathroom rises up into my nose briefly. I don’t like it. I’d rather be smelling Luke.

“Work excitement and vacation excitement are two entirely different things,” I say.

He squeezes his lips in thought, nodding in agreement. “Well, I’m glad you’re having a good time,” he says.

It gets quiet then and a moment lingers between us as we just stand there in the hallway, together and alone. It feels more like we’re quietly feeling out the other, wanting to try the one thing we’re both afraid it’s too soon for. We both know it. We can both see it in the other’s eyes—I want him to kiss me and he wants to oblige, but neither of us is willing to go that far yet. But the attraction is undeniable. Yes, I want him to kiss me. My skin tingles beneath the surface with his closeness and I can’t stand it. I mean I can. I quite like it. But I can’t believe the effect Luke is having on me so soon. He’s like a magnet and I can’t pull away from the attraction fast enough.

I look at the bathroom door, stirring the silence, and say, “Well, I need to … go in.”

He nods, his eyes softening as he steps away.

“I’ll be outside waiting for you,” he says. “And remember what I said about Kendra, all right?”

“All right.” I smile and slip inside the restroom. The second the door closes behind me, I let out my breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

Luke

Kendra is on my ass the second I walk back outside and sit down with my food, as I knew she’d be.

“What are you doing, Luke?”

“Leave it alone, Ken-doll—”

“Don’t call me that,” she snaps. “Seriously, what’s going on with you?”

“Jesus, Kendra, leave the guy alone,” Seth says as he walks by with a hot brunette latched to his side. “I’ll see yah later, man. I’m heading back to the house.” He squeezes the girl’s waist and pulls her closer, his way of telling me she’s going back with him.

I wave him on and swallow down a bite of burger. “All right. I’ll see yah later—hey, leave the pizza in the fridge alone!”

He nods and slips around the side of the house.

Kendra hasn’t taken her hardened gaze off me long enough to blink. Finally I look right at her, because she’s starting to piss me off, and I say, “You really need to back off. I’m not joking,