His eyes moved up and down my body, causing my cheeks to flush. I looked away to get my wits about me. “Maybe I just wanted to come and talk to you, Lib.”
I licked my lips on impulse. “Talk to me about what?” A part of me was hoping he would finally just admit the feelings he had for me. If only he remembered telling me that he loved me.
Luke shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe I should follow you back. Make sure you get there okay.”
I lifted my chin and stood up taller. “I’m perfectly fine getting there on my own. I’m not a child.”
Luke’s eyes moved down my body slowly. I was wearing black skinny jeans, my favorite pair of cowboy boots, and a teal blouse that made my eyes bluer than normal. When his eyes finally found mine, he whispered, “I know.”
Swallowing hard, I looked away as I cleared my throat. “I don’t need you to watch over me like I’m some little girl who can’t take care of herself.” I began to walk past him as he pushed off the hood of my car and followed me. Opening the driver’s side door, I spun back around and looked at him. I was ready to lay into him and tell him how dare he come here and try to pretend like everything is okay. I didn’t need him. I didn’t even want to look at him.
When I looked into his eyes, he smiled and I was rendered speechless. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Luke reached up and took a piece of my hair and pushed it behind my ear. “You’re eyes look beautiful with this color shirt on, Lib.”
I stood there like an idiot before I finally managed to say something. “Thank you.”
“Let me follow you back. Please, Lib. It will make me feel better and I’m sure your parents would feel better as well.”
I was Jell-O in his hands. I always had been. I’d never forget the time he talked me into jumping out of the second-story barn window because he was convinced I could land on to the hay pile. I missed it by five feet and ended up breaking my ankle. Then there was the time he talked me into putting the frog under Grace’s pillow. He said she loved the frog and would be so happy to know he was sleeping under her pillow safe and warm. Grace still brings it up to this day how she was in a dead sleep and slipped her hand under her pillow only to be woken up from touching something slimy. She flew up out of bed so fast that she tripped over her backpack and hit the corner of her eye on her desk. She walked around with a black eye for two weeks.
I pulled in a deep breath through my nostrils. Big mistake. His cologne filled my senses. I shook my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts. Luke Johnson was not going to have that kind of control over me anymore.
“Libby, honey. Are y’all ready to take off?” my mother called from the front porch. I opened my mouth and forced the words out.
“Yes. I’m ready to head out.”
Luke winked and turned to my parents as he flashed them that stupid smile of his.
“I was just telling Lib I should probably follow her. Just to be safe. I’d hate to think what would happen if she got a flat tire or something.” Oh. My. God. I wanted to punch him in the stomach.
“I think that’s a great idea,” my father said as he walked to us. I did a double-take as I looked at my father, then my mother.
“What? No. I don’t need a babysitter, I’ll be perfectly …”
My father walked up and slapped Luke on the back. “Nonsense, Libby. Luke is right. You’re both going the same way; I either want you to follow him, or he follows you.”
I quickly came up with a plan. I’d follow Luke and go so slow he would eventually pull away and we’d lose each other. I was about to agree when Luke glanced back at me. “I’ll follow Libby, Josh. I wouldn’t want to lose sight of her if I pulled away.”
Bastard. I pushed past him causing him to stumble. He let out a chuckle, which pissed me off even more. I walked up to my mother and hugged her. “I love you so much, Mom.”
Giving me a gentle smile, my mother whispered, “I love you too, Libby.”
Smiling weakly, I turned to my father. “I really don’t need him to follow me, you know.”
My father smiled and pulled me into his arms. “I want my baby girl to be protected always.”
I pulled away from him and glanced back at Luke. “Some things you can’t always protect me from, Daddy.” Luke’s smile faded a bit. Looking back at my father, I kissed him on the cheek. “Love you both. So very much.”
Slowly I made my way to the driver’s side of my door. Climbing in, I started the car and waved good-bye to my parents as I pulled out and headed down the driveway.
Operation Lose Luke was in full force.
I HIT THE gas and gunned it through the yellow light. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Why the hell is she driving so damn fast?”
We were halfway to A&M and Libby had been doing everything in her power to shake me. When we came to a stoplight, I pulled up next her. I put my passenger side window down and honked the horn. She ignored me of course. I honked again, this time I held it down longer. She finally turned and looked at me as she put her window down.
“What in the hell, Libby? Stop being a baby.”
Her lips curled up and I was almost positive I saw a vein in her neck become engorged. “Fuck you, Luke.”
My mouth dropped open as she looked back toward the road and rolled up her window. The light must have turned green because she punched it and took off. I quickly took off after her and watched as she attempted to change lanes enough times to lose me. At the next light, I put my truck in park and jumped out. I walked up to her car and banged on the window, causing her to jump. She rolled down the window and looked at me with a shocked expression.
“What in the hell are you doing? Get back in the truck, Luke!”
“Pull over at the Shell station ahead on the right,” I said as I turned and walked back to my truck. I was so angry my hands were shaking as I placed them back on my steering wheel. The light changed and Libby punched it again, causing her tires to squeal as she took off. She put her right signal on and pulled into the gas station and parked in an empty spot to the side of the store. I pulled up next to her and we got out at the same time. I didn’t even bother to shut my door. I walked around the back of my truck and Libby met me halfway.
“What in the fuck do you think you’re doing driving like that? Are you trying to get hurt?” I asked as she balled her fists up.
“How dare you! How dare you come to my house and try to play like my knight in shining armor. You’re far from it, asshole.”