For the Love of Ash (13 page)

"What's fucking ridiculous?" Lilly asked as she pulled open the passenger side door and jumped in.
 

"Nothing. You two have fun. Have her back by ten, Luke. It's a school night." Lindsay blew us both a kiss and then skipped up to the front door and inside the hollow house.

"What's vibrating in the seat?" Lilly sat up in her seat and moved around, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. I did too.

"Shit, that's my phone," I said as I reached between the seats. It fell pretty deep and as I struggled to get my hands between the crack, I knew that they were too big. "You have to do it. My hand's too big." I directed Lilly to my phone and soon enough, she fished it out with the tips of her fingernails.
 

"Who's Sunny?"

"A friend." I grabbed the phone from her hands before she could read the text. Luckily, it said Sunny instead of Maggie—not that they would know Maggie anyway. Lilly seemed to drop it as I spun the car around the circle and started to drive in the opposite direction of the house.
 

"So, where we headed first?" Lil asked, her phone lighting up her face as she texted away.

"The realtor has three places lined up today. The first is near Lindsay's apartment." I was excited for this one.
 

When we got to the first location, I was finally able to check the message from Maggie. My heart was beating faster and faster the entire short drive wondering what she texted me. Then I got confused since she didn't have my number. Shit.
 

Sunny
: Who is this? Luke?

Sunny
: Am I supposed to know what Tksh akdhj aid! means?
 

I actually laughed out loud.
 

"What?" Lilly looked at me strange, like I was growing a second head. I shook my head and rolled my eyes as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and shoved the phone in my pocket.

Apartment hunting round one was an utter failure. The places were all too big for me. I wasn't looking to have a three bedroom mansion, and I was afraid that was my own fault for hiring the family realtor. I thought my mom was screwing with me behind the scenes to keep me in the prison of her house a little longer. Or maybe it was her subtle way of telling me to settle down.

I sent a text to Lindsay to see who she used to find her place, because it was exactly what I was looking for. Lilly and I both got into my car, and I felt my phone vibrate again. It was killing me in a way I usually didn't get. I wasn't a technology buff, so being attached to my phone was a foreign feeling.

"Where do you want to eat?" I asked Lilly, since I promised her a meal for her undying and super supportive help.
 

"That burger place." She didn't look up from her phone.

"What burger place?"

"You know," she said, finally placing the phone on her lap. "The one that serves breakfast. With the big bar. My friends all go there. Plus, they have burgers. So good, and mom never lets us eat meat at home unless dad's there."

"Okay, Prime Time, right?"

"Yep."
 

And that was all I got from her. I was going to make it a priority to get her to talk to me during our dinner. I wanted to connect with her, and I was going to make it work.
 

I pulled into the parking lot, which was surprisingly busy for a Thursday night. I had been to this place before, especially in high school since it was just a few towns over.
 

To be honest, the guy I used to buy weed from made us meet here in the back lot by the dumpsters—classic spot, I know. But I was sixteen so what more could you expect. We were the stupid rich kids from the prep school, so the prices were jacked, and we were always shorted.
 

Jesus. I really hoped Lilly and Liam weren't into that shit. That thought literally made me freeze. Maybe I could ask her during dinner. I doubt she'd tell me. Fuck. I really wished these kids had a functioning parent, because I couldn't handle it.
 

"Lil." I tapped her shoulder to get her attention. She pulled her earbuds out, looked around, and smiled, realizing where we were.
 

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Let's go eat." I shoved my wallet into my back pocket and walked alongside Lilly into Prime Time. The first thing I saw was
her
. The main counter took up most of the right side of the one roomed restaurant, and she was behind it, talking to an older man, laughing like they were longtime friends.
 

My stomach actually swirled. I was fucking pathetic. I grabbed Lilly's hand and pulled her in the opposite direction. She glared up at me but let me tug her down the other aisle and into a two-person booth.

"What is going on?" she asked as she ducked her head, looking around the room like she was paranoid.

"I know the girl behind the bar."

"And…" She tilted her head to the side, her eyes wide with conspiracy.

"I don't want her to see me yet."

"Shit. You like her?" Lilly started to turn her head to look behind her, but I reached forward and stopped her. "She doesn't know me, moron." This time I let Lilly turn. When she faced me, she didn't say anything.

"Well?"

"She's way out of your league."

"How do you know?"

"She's an actual woman. And she looks sad. I don't think she's looking for a fun time in the sack."

"What makes you think I am?" I asked back, crouching down so Maggie wouldn't spot me. Before Lil could answer, the hostess came over and dropped two laminated menus on the white table between us.
 

"Can I get you two anything to drink?" she asked, faking a smile. The woman was older, maybe in her mid-forties, with short brown hair. The name-tag on her chest said Mary Ellen.
 

"I'll have a coffee, please."

"Can I have a vanilla milkshake and a coke?" Lil asked, which made me wrinkle my nose. She just shrugged.

"Sure thing. Take your time with the menus. I'll be back with your drinks in a minute." Mary Ellen smiled at us and then walked back towards the kitchen. I followed her with my eyes and saw a quiet exchange between her and Maggie.
 

I remembered that I had a text on my phone that was unanswered. I had to be clever or else she was going to close me out. I scrolled through my texts and saw a jumbled message to Maggie. That must have happened when Linds scared the shit out of me.
 

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked Lilly.
 

"What?" She flinched back, her eyes wide yet skeptical. "No, I don't. Why?"
 

"Never mind then. I just wanted advice. I'll ask Lindsay."

"No! Please." She reached between us and grabbed my hand, pleading with me. "I've had boyfriends before. I know what I'm talking about. I want to help you."

"I don't know…you're only seventeen."

"Luke, come on!" she whined, digging her long nails into my forearm.
 

"Fine," I relented like I was going to the whole time. I pulled my arm back and rubbed the crescents from her attack. She clicked her phone to blackness and then placed it on the seat next to her. I was making some progress with her. Finally.
 

"Tell me all about her." Lilly rested her elbows on the counter and placed her head in her hands, staring straight at me. I noticed how much she looked like our mother but ignored it.
 

"I don't really know her, but I know she has a son or brother or something. He's in my gym class. She's taking education classes at Western. That's pretty much it. Oh, and I texted her by accident, and now she wants to know if I was speaking in code." I scrolled back to the text and showed Lilly the screen without giving her full access to my phone.
 

"How old is her son? Luke that's serious."

"I know. He's in fourth grade, so nine-ish, probably. I really like her, though."

"Well, you have two options since she's like ten feet away. I can go over and try to lay down some groundwork for you. Or you can text back something about your phone falling in the car, which explains why you haven't responded, and then we go from there."

"What do you think the surest way of getting her to go out with me is?"

"I'll be right back." She saluted me, nodded, and then stood up from the table. I knew this plan was going to tank, but Lilly was enjoying herself, so I let it go on. I could fix this with Sunny eventually. I'd figure it out.
 

I watched from the booth as Lil walked over to the counter and sat at the end bar stool. She turned and faced me and smiled, giving me a thumbs up. Within a minute, Maggie walked over to her, and they started talking.
 

I wished that I had ears over there to hear what Lil was saying to her. But watching was good too. Maggie's hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and an image of me pulling on it floated through my perverted brain.
 

She was beautiful, even in an apron and sneakers. Her black jeans were tight from what I could see at the edge of the bar, accentuating her round ass. She had no idea the effect she had on people, but she was so smooth and light. Just looking at her brightened days.
 

Just then, I caught Maggie's eyes. The greenness in them pierced me, even from the long distance. She had sniper eyes. She was telling me something, but I had no idea what. Lilly said something to her that made her laugh, and then before I knew it, they were both walking my way.
 

"I've gotta run to the bathroom," Lilly said, literally running in the opposite direction and leaving me sitting in the booth with Maggie standing before me.
 

"Hi," I offered, shrugging my shoulders.
 

"Using your sister to get me to date you…you must be pretty desperate."
 

"Not desperate. I just know what I want," I told her, being completely honest. She tucked her note pad into the front of her apron and sat down across from me.
 

"I'm not dating you." She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side.

"Why not?"

"I don't date anyone. Don't take it personally. Although you could afford to lose a bit of ego and still be good to go." I narrowed my eyes from across the table.

"I won't give up."

"And I won't change my mind." I liked seeing the hardness in her voice. She usually came across so timid, yet the little flickers of fire were what really drew me in.
 

"My sister's coming back. Pretend you'll date me. Please," I begged her. She didn't answer me. Lilly came back over, and Maggie got up from the seat and stood in front of us.
 

"Are you guys in love yet?" Lilly asked, clutching her clasped hands to her chest and batting her eyelashes at the two of us. I shook my head, laughing.
 

"Goodbye you two. I have to get back to work."

"Did you agree to a date?" Lilly asked before Maggie left. Maggie glanced at me before nodding at Lilly. "Holy shit. My plan worked. You owe me brother!" Lilly reached across the table and high-fived me.

"I
am
buying you dinner."

"Next week, too, then!"

Chapter Thirteen

Maggie

My high from everything that happened with Luke today had completely vanished when I saw the sleek black Corvette parked in the driveway. I grabbed Asher from Lisa's house and parked my car behind hers since she left no room for the both of us.
 

"Is that Grandma's car?" Ash asked as he grabbed his backpack from the floor of the car and hopped out.
 

"Yeah, she came for a little visit."

"I'm really tired."
 

"She'll only be here a little while. Best behavior, all right?" I grabbed his hand and kissed the top of his head. We walked to the front door together. Not surprisingly, Grandma had let herself in with a key I didn't even know she had. I faked a smile as I let Ash walk in front of me. I didn't want to bring attention to the negativity.