Nobody's Listening

T W E N T Y - S I X

"C'mon, wake up, babe, I gotta get you home," Luke whispered, shaking me lightly.

I sat up quickly. "Huh?" I slurred, rubbing sleep from my eyes. I glanced at the digital clock next to his bed to find that three hours had passed.

Luke was pulling on a pair of gray sweatpants, his defined chest still bare. "My parents are gonna be home soon, and I'd really rather they not know you were here," he muttered so softly, I almost didn't catch his words.

I sighed and got out of his bed, searching for my underwear under his bed. "So," I said, trying to make conversation, "what time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"I dunno, around five, I guess. I gotta pack a couple more things. That's why my parents are out; they had to go buy some things for the trip." He circled around the bed to come to a stop in front of me. "Here's your clothes," he said gruffly, handing me a bundle of the clothes I had so earnestly gotten out of only hours before.

I put them on quickly. "Okay, I'm ready to go." I paused in front of Luke, who was still shirtless. I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat play out a crazy rhythm. I smiled and looked up at him. "Is this how I make you feel?" I whispered.

He gave me his signature crooked grin. "Absolutely," he murmured, taking my face in his hands and pressing his lips to mine. We continued to kiss until I had to pull away, breathing hard.

I recoiled from the metal smell on his hands. "Oh, yuck, your hands smell like… coins or something."

Luke laughed, sniffing his hands. "Yeah, I was counting out my money. Ends up I have about two hundred bucks to waste on this trip, and I plan to waste it all." He held up a finger. "But first…." He opened his closet door and pulled out a turquoise guitar case. "I know I won't see you for Christmas, or our fourth month anniversary, so I want you to have this."

I took it from him gingerly and put it down on his bed to open it. I unclasped the little locks on the sides and gasped as it fell open. Inside was the same gorgeous black Gibson of Luke's that I learned on. "Holy fuck, Luke," I muttered, picking it up gently.

"I wanted you to have it. I got that new case just for you, babe." I looked up and Luke was smiling, his cerulean eyes sparkling with tears.

I placed the Gibson back in the case and gave Luke a peck on the corner of his mouth. "I love it," I said, unable to say any more than that.

He nodded and packed it back up for me. "C'mon, I really do have to get you home."



Luke let me off at my house with a sweet kiss. "I'll call you tomorrow night when I get to Missouri, okay? I love you."

I grabbed the guitar case up from the back seat. "I love you too, babe, have a great vacation." I hurried away, already shivering from the cold. With a bit of difficulty, I trudged up to the front door with the case in tow, opening the door one-handed.

As soon as I opened it, something the size of a hobbit jumped me, curly brown hair getting in my gaping mouth. Cyd squealed and pulled me further into the house. "TELL ME EVERYTHING!" she screamed, jumping up and down energetically.

I put a finger to my lips. "Will you hush? Where's my mom?"

"She's passed out on the couch. I put a blanket on her, and I don't think she'll be waking up any time soon, so don't worry, okay?" Cyd took my free hand and began pulling me up the stairs. "But Luke called me, told me to leave your shit that you left at the Cage at your house, and he hinted that something might have happened between you two?" She shoved me into my room and closed the door, locking it behind her. "Dirty deets. Now."

I sighed, setting down my new guitar before flopping down on my bed. "C'mon, Cyd, I'm tired," I whined.

"Why are you tired?" She gasped exageratedly. "Because you were busy doing things in bed other than sleep?"

"Oh, ha-ha," I replied, smacking her with a pillow.

"You're fucking blushing, so I demand dirty deets," she exclaimed, settling down next to me.

"Fine, Cyd." I took a deep breath. "I had sex with Luke."

Cyd squealed and attached herself to my middle. "You suckkkk, I would've never thought you and Luke would've done the deed before Mesh and I," she groaned, sadness and excitement vying for the main emotion on her face. She sat up and looked down at me. "Well? How was it?"

I gave her a non-committal grunt and went to go change into some pajamas, moving more gingerly with the pain between my legs. "It hurt a lot," I admitted as I pulled out a pair of pants and an old baggy school spirit shirt. I carefully took off my clothes and replaced them with the pajamas. "I guess it was okay, I dunno."

Cyd made a face. "Well, what was wrong with him?"

I shrugged and sat back down on my bed. "Nothing, I'm sure it was supposed to feel nice, but I really don't know why I didn't enjoy it more, you know?" I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "The whole time I was thinking… it just wasn't right. It wasn't wrong or anything, I guess I was just tired or something."

She gave me a skeptical look. "Uh-huh."

"Well, what do you think happened?"

Cyd pondered this and then let out a hiss of breath. She looked up, her green eyes boring into my brown ones, and said, "I think you still love James."