MR. PERFECTLY FINE ; LUKE HUGHES

26

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🍒 ꒱ even if my heart stops beating
you're the only thing i need.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD^

LORELEI

AN INSTANT smile flashed across my lips at the sound of my window being pushed opened, legs sliding over it as I recognized the tall frame.

"Luke." I cupped a hand over my mouth, glancing at my shut door. "You do know I have a front door right?"

Luke dusted himself off, shutting my window with a shrug. "Oh, I'm well aware. But isn't climbing through a window more romantic?"

I sat up against my headboard, tilting my head to the slide slightly. "Yeah, sure. Except I live on my own and we're not, like, forbidden to see each other."

"Just let me feel like i'm in a romcom." Luke argued, sliding up to sit beside me, slinging his arm behind me. "So, what are you up to?"

"Studying, Luke." I chuckled, glancing down at the spread out notepads. "Have you ever heard of it?"

Luke rolled his eyes, squeezing my shoulder gently. "Lorelei, hun, I'm passing every single one of my classes."

"Oh, yeah, I believe it." I hummed, rolling my bottom lip into my mouth as Luke contorted his face.

"So, does that mean you're busy?" Luke scratched his jaw, seemingly inpatient.

I furrowed my brows, taking in his body language. His leg was bouncing up and down, his free hand tugging on the strings of his hoodies as the other slid down my arm, grasping slowly.

"What's wrong?" I asked with a dry-throat.

"I really don't want to ask you this." Luke groaned, shaking his head. "Trust me, you were our...my last resort."

I shifted so my knees met the side of his thigh, my heart seemingly pounding as he kept me on edge. I couldn't picture the words that would leave his lips.

"Can you just spit it out?" I said with frustration, my eye line never leaving his sight. "Please?"

"Will you host a party?" Luke narrowed his eyes, almost as if he was scared of my response.

I couldn't help but laugh, there was no way he could be serious. Me? Hosting a party? On a notorious party campus? I don't think so.

"Pass." I pursued my lips, shaking my head at my boyfriend. "Why would you think I'd want to throw a party? Have you met me?"

"Oh, I have." Luke nodded, sucking his teeth. "And I tried to Dylan and Ethan that you wouldn't."

I brushed my hair from my face, going through the motions of throwing a party. We had frat houses on campus that practically lived and breathed partying, I lived on a corner, in a tiny ass house.

"I'm so confused." I stressed. "Can you give me a little more context?"

"Basically, Sigma Chi is on some sort of probation shit and can't host for two weeks." Luke explained roughly. Still providing me with no answers. "And Moldy is apart of Sigma, so, it's really one of the only houses we party at. It's like athlete central, you know?"

I exhaled deeply. "Sure, Luke."

"Look, It's Dylan's birthday and we really want to host for him but none of us can do it. If it comes back that we threw it, we can get in a shit load of trouble." Luke dove deeper. "So, please, Lorelei. You have a lovely home and I promise we'll keep it clean."

"And small?" I nibbled on my bottom lip. "I don't want, like, freshman here. Only the hockey team and, like, a plus one."

I could see the grin forming on his lips as I spoke.

"Wait, you're considering it?" Luke said with shock. "Like, you're actually considering it?"

"I wouldn't want to ruin Dylan's birthday." I shrugged, fighting a smile.

Before I knew it, Luke was lying flat on top of me, cradling me like a child filled with excitement. I huffed out a breath, hands on his shoulders.

"Okay, okay." I wheezed from the crushing weight on my chest.

Luke pulled up slightly, darting his eyes between mine. "Did I ever tell you that you're the best girlfriend ever?"

"Are you just saying that because I agreed to having your friends over?" I cocked a brow. "Don't get too excited, I still have to talk to Ellie."

"No need." Luke scrunched up his nose. "I saw her in passing today and brought it up. She was down but she said I had to ask you."

I pulled back, digging myself deeper into the comforters beneath me. Was I annoyed that he asked her first? Yes. Did it make me jealous? Yes. Was I stupid to feel both of those things? A million times yes.

Luke could sense my switch, taking his hand as he cupped my cheek. "Hey. What?"

"Nothing." I mumbled, using my fingertips to push him off of me as I turned to my side, facing away from him.

"Lorelei." Luke said more sternly, his hand coming to rest on my side, dragging slightly to pull me on my back. "Talk to me."

I hated the way I opened up to him. It was like I was laying on an operating table and he was my doctor, seeing every part of me that's hidden. He knew me so well.

"Why did you ask her first?" I mumbled, knowing how idiotic I sounded.

"What?" Luke pulled back like he didn't expect me to say anything close to that. "Wait, you're mad that I asked Ellie first?"

I groaned, shaking my head. "I knew it was stupid."

"Lorelei." Luke whined with a chuckle. "I swear I had every intention of asking you first, okay? I just happened to see her."

"Yeah." I hummed with a short nod.

Anytime a girl looked in Luke's direction, it felt like a knife being jabbing into me. And any time he spoke to one, or vise versa, the knife was being pulled out ten times harder.

"Please." Luke dragged his fingertips along my jaw. "You know I wouldn't do shit behind your back, Lorelei."

"No, I know." I glanced down at my hands crossed on my stomach. "I just...I don't know."

Luke brought his bottom lip between his teeth, narrowing his brown eyes at me. "Oh, Lo. The jealousy is practically seeping off of you right now."

"Oh, shut up." I shoved at his chest, my face growing a light shade of red. "You're so annoying."

Luke nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck, kissing softly as I could feel his grin. "You know it's only you, Lorelei. It's only you."

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