Read Just a Little (5-8) for Free Online

smiled, grinned and blushed. He wasn’t guarded... not even in the slightest.
    He wasn’t running from this girl; he was comfortable with her.
    He was… happy .
    I pulled out my cell phone and held down the first speed dial button, letting the call ring Luke.
    Moments later he leaned forward and pulled the phone from his pocket. He checked the screen, ignored the call, and then pushed it aside.
    His voicemail clicked on.
    Luke, leave a message.
    “Hey,” I whispered after the beep. “I….”
    I caught a sob in my throat as I watched him reach across the table to take the woman’s hand. A simple smirk pulled on the corner of his scarred lip, and my heart fell to my stomach.
    “I’m sorry I called,” I turned my back to the window.
    I couldn’t look at him anymore. I couldn’t watch them together. I couldn’t understand what was going on, what I’d somehow missed.
    “I know you’re busy, and I didn’t expect you to answer. It’s okay. I just wanted to tell you that I don’t… I don’t want to do this anymore.” I swallowed hard and felt a tear slip down my cheek. “I get it; you need more from a relationship than what I can offer. Because I’m… just a kid ,” I said, but I finally found the nerve to say what I’d been meaning to say all along. “I don’t know how to trust you anymore, Luke. I don’t trust you. I love you, I do, but I just don’t trust you.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    Saturday, February 23
    It was a sleepless night.
    Try as I might, I couldn’t fall asleep. I tossed and turned for hours as I replayed the past few weeks over and over in my mind. Luke and I had many exchanges over the past few months. It felt like we’d been through hell and back in less than a year. So much had happened, and through it all, he’d never once indicated that I was the source of his unhappiness.
    Sure, I could frustrate the man without trying. And yes, I had a special way of bringing out his anger. But if Luke didn’t want to be with me, why would he have gone through the trouble of spilling his heart to Charlie? Why would he have risked so much, his life… for nothing?
    It didn’t add up.
    But I heard what I heard.
    And I saw what I saw.
    Kara showed up at the house first thing in the morning and demanded I come shopping with her. She went on and on about the need for a whole new wardrobe, but I had a feeling that her sudden need for retail therapy had more to do with me than her . Bless her heart; all she wanted was to help me get my mind off of Luke, but it was impossible. Just as we clocked our second hour at the outlet mall, I caught sight of Luke as he headed straight for us.
    “I think you drunk-dialed me last night,” he said, his lip curving into a goofy smile. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek as he cupped my elbow in his palm. “Can I steal you for a second?”
    I looked up from the clothing rack and watched as Kara glared at Luke.
    “Julie and I are having some girl time.”
    “I just need a minute,” he smiled at her in a way that no woman could say no to. Kara nodded and walked away, but I noticed she remained in earshot. Luke bent at the waist to catch my eye. “Julie?”
    “What?” I said, not daring to look at him.
    “Look at me,” he whispered, leaning over to steal my gaze. “What’s going on?”
    “Luke,” I dropped my head. “You’re kidding, right?”
    “No,” he lifted my chin, “I checked my calls last night to find a voicemail from you rambling on about a load of nonsense.”
    “Nonsense?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice low. “Luke, that wasn’t nonsense. That was me telling you how I feel, me trying to communicate with you while you ignored me.”
    “I wasn’t ignoring you.”
    “I can’t even dignify that with a response,” I said, remembering the way he’d pushed his phone aside at the sight of my call.
    “Julie,” he lowered his voice, “can we go somewhere and talk?”
    “I don’t want to talk, Luke,” I pulled my