Me, Love, & Secrets

Illusion

"Thanks for taking me home," I muttered. "Honestly, I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stepped in."

"What was up with him?" Lucas asked.

"He's just pissed I didn't explain to him why I'd broken up with him."

"...Why did you break up with him?"

"It's not something I want to talk about. It's almost like Marcus all over again. I broke up with one bad guy just to go out with his clone."

"Hey, college should get your mind off of things. Where do you plan on going?"

"Either Stanford or USC. They're both good schools. I'll be graduating in no time."

Lucas started the car, then reached across me to pull my seatbelt on. Roberto had never done anything like that for me. Either he wasn't concerned for my own safety or he knew I was capable of doing it on my own. It wasn't love either way. Lucas was doing more than he needed to right now. I didn't want to believe that he was still interested in me. At least not after what happened between the last time I was here.

"You're going to do great anyway." He flashed me a smile. "And when you graduate, I'll be there to congratulate you."

"Really?" I smiled to myself.

"Duh. It's not everyday I get to watch my friends graduate from college."

That stung and I don't know why. You'd think I'd be happy he didn't seem to like me anymore. He was my best friend's ex. Him liking me wouldn't do us any good. Maybe it's for the best. Or maybe he's doing that to find out if I secretly still have a crush on him.

"Now that you're officially back home, what do you plan on doing before college?" he asked once we were on the road again.

"Um, I don't really know," I said truthfully. "Probably just going to see my mom and try to look for an apartment. I don't think I can live with...them anymore."

"You can always stay with me. I wouldn't mind the extra company."

I didn't know if he was flirting or just being nice. Either way, I wasn't about to stay with him. Why would I? I have a home to go to. It's not like it's going to be hard to find a place.

"Thanks for the offer, but I couldn't possibly intrude--"

"You won't be intruding. Hey, just because Sam and I had a bad break up, it doesn't mean that I'm going to toss all her friends to the side. You want a safe place to stay, I'm here for you. Sam and Isabella only look out for each other. Natalia doesn't even pay you any mind anymore. Jade is always busy."

"But, you know how Samantha is. When she found out I might have had a crush on you...she freaked." I sighed. "I couldn't do that to her. Moving in with her ex-boyfriend, I mean."

"Look, you don't have to keep thinking about Sam. We're over. I'm just offering you a place to crash, while you look for a place to stay in college. Who else is going to do the same?"

Lucas was right, but this was still wrong. Samantha and I have been besties for as long as I can remember. If I were to suddenly move in with her ex-boyfriend, I don't know what she's going to do. Maybe she'll scream at me. Or maybe she'll stop being my friend. It's not like I actually want to move in with him. She did tell me she didn't care what I did last time. It's really my only option if I want to get away from my dad.

Then again, I could always move in with my grandparents. They love me enough to let me stay for a couple of months. My college fund would only pay for my tuition and anything I needed for school. Finding an apartment that didn't make a dent in my personal savings would be hard to find. I didn't want to stay with someone who I would be indebted to for the rest of my life. Even if he is a tall, dark, and handsome man.