Read Ink & Flowers for Free Online Page B

voices in the kitchen, and it only took him a moment to figure out that they were talking about him. He kept his eyes shut.
    "So who is he?" It was a woman's voice that Luke didn't recognise.
    "He's just staying here." That was Cooper. His voice sounded strange. Cold somehow, and detached.
    "Right, so how much? Eight hundred?"
    He heard Cooper sigh and then say in a low voice, "Make it a thousand. I'll pay you back, you know that, right?"
    "Yeah, sure, man, it's no big deal. Hey, I still need some work done, you can pay me back with—"
    "I'm not doing it anymore, you know that."
    Luke's body stiffened. Not doing what anymore? Was Cooper into something illegal? God, he hoped not.
    "Yeah, I know. But we should get together, man. You know, go out."
    "Yeah, I'll think about it."
    "No, you won't. But you ..." There was another long pause. "Listen, dude, I know it's rough, what happened and everything, but how long are you gonna keep this up, you know? You can't just be all by yourself like this." Luke could hear the woman walking over behind the couch. He kept his eyes screwed shut. "I mean," she continued in a slightly quieter voice, "who is he, is he a boyfriend, or—"
    "I told you, he's just staying here," Cooper was still in the kitchen, his voice low as well.
    The woman sighed, and her voice retreated as she headed towards the door. Luke heard Cooper's footsteps following her. "Well, that's something at least. Tell me it's a step in the right direction. He looks young."
    "He is."
    "Look, I know you'd never—"
    "Do you?"
    "Yeah, man, I know you ..." The voices retreated as they went out into the hallway, shutting the door behind them. Luke glanced at the cheque on the counter. Cooper was borrowing money. Because he wasn't doing "work" anymore. He didn't know what to think, but a bit of worry was gnawing in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want to get involved in anything bad, even if Cooper "wasn't doing it anymore." The door opened, and he lay back down quickly, pretending to still be asleep.
    Cooper nudged Luke with his knee. "How's the couch?"
    "Fine," Luke mumbled.
    "You want coffee?"
    "Yes, please."
    "Yeah, what do you want in it?"
    "Um, just black's fine."
    Cooper wandered off, and Luke sat up blearily. The sun was streaming through the windows, and he felt strangely peaceful for a moment. He let himself breathe as his eyes adjusted. "Did you mean what you said last night?" he asked, wondering if perhaps Cooper had just been playing with him.
    "Hm?" Cooper turned from where he was making coffee, and Luke realised that he was dressed differently than he had been the last two days. The faded jeans and ripped tank top were gone, replaced with expensive looking jeans and an army green T-shirt that clung to his muscles so well it looked tailored to him. He was wearing jewelry too, a thick steel chain around his neck and a matching hoop earring. Black wristbands obscured some of the tattoos on his wrists and drew attention to his muscular forearms. "What are you looking at?"
    Luke forced himself to snap out of it. "Why are you dressed like that?"
    "Hm?" Cooper glanced at himself and then turned, shrugging, to finish the coffee. "I just thought you might prefer it."
    "Why do you care what I like?"
    Cooper grinned and set the mugs down on the coffee table, planting himself heavily on the couch next to Luke. "Because I said you don't have to fuck me if you don't want to. But I never said I wouldn't make you want to."
    Luke choked. So he'd just switched tactics, then. Then what was that about just being lonely last night? "You're barking up the wrong tree," he said firmly. "I'm not going to sleep with you, so if that's the only reason you're letting me stay here, I can leave." Dread immediately kicked up in his stomach at the thought, but he couldn't see any other choice. He couldn't go back to feeling like he had last night. He'd go live with his aunts, or he'd get a loan or ... something.
    "Relax," said Cooper. "You can stay,