Saving You (Love Wanted in Texas #2)(35)
Author: Kelly Elliott

My eyes snapped over to Ari. “Really?” I asked.

She chuckled. “Really. I’ve also never seen such a glow on your face.”

My heart stopped. The practical joke. Oh Shit. Did Luke ever tell Jeff he was kidding?

“I’m not pregnant, Ari. I swear. It was a joke Luke wanted to play on Jeff and I went along with it. I swear to you that we always use protection when we have sex.” My hand went up to my mouth as I gasped. “Oh God. I just told you we have sex all the time.”

The corner of Ari’s mouth rose. “You didn’t say all the time.”

I moaned. “Um … well no it’s not like we’re having sex all the time.” I giggled nervously. “Just whenever we can make it happen and—” Oh God shut up, Libby. Stop talking.

I stopped walking and placed my hands on my knees as I bent over and inhaled a deep breath. “Where is the closest rock?”

Ari leaned over and looked up at me. “Libby, take a deep breath and stand back up, sweetheart.”

I did as she said. “Ari, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to say all that. It’s just. Well, to be honest with you, sometimes this just feels like a dream.” I wrapped my arms around myself as I thought about the last few weeks with Luke. The romantic picnics, the passionate lovemaking in the bed of his truck, the long walks along the river just talking. “I never thought in my wildest dreams love would be so, amazing!”

Ari chuckled. “It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Ari motioned for me to sit down on a rock next to her.

“To be in love with your best friend, and to share such—” I looked over at Luke’s mother and blushed.

She smiled and said, “Go on.”

“Well, to share such passionate moments with him where he just sweeps me off my feet. I don’t want it to ever end. Please tell me it never stops being this way.”

Ari pulled back and made a funny face. “My son sweeps you off your feet, huh?”

Smiling, I nodded my head. “All the time.”

“Really? He must have learned that from me!”

We both giggled as Ari took my hand. “It never ends, darling. Sure, that new love phase wears off, but the key is to keep it alive. Even after all these years when, Jeff walks up behind me and wraps his arms around me, my stomach just drops.”

I sighed as I listened to Ari talk about her and Jeff’s love. “And the smile. Oh lord, Jeff has this smile that I swear about drops me to my knees.”

“Yes! Luke does, too. I feel butterflies when he smiles at me like that. It’s like I’m his …”

“Everything.”

Ari and I both threw our heads back and laughed when we spoke at the same time.

When we finally stopped laughing, I took in a deep breath. “May I ask you something, Ari?”

Ari looked into my eyes with nothing but love. “Of course, Libby. I’m always here for you, sweetheart.”

I began chewing on my lower lip. “Did you ever feel scared? What I mean is, by your love for Jeff. Did it ever scare you? I love Luke so much it scares me. I keep wondering if the floor is going to fall out from underneath me or if he is going to change his mind and leave me. I’ve tried to push these stupid feelings away but the thought of losing him—I don’t think I could stand a day in this world without him.”

Ari looked away quickly and then slowly turned back to me. Her eyes were filled with tears. She wiped a tear away and squeezed my hand. “First off, Luke is one lucky son-of-a-bitch to have a woman like you love him.”

I felt the tears building in my eyes as Ari smiled at me. “Yes, Libby. I was scared to death and I still am. There are days that Jeff will be gone and I won’t see him and I feel like I will burst if I’m not in his arms soon. It doesn’t have to be sexual, Libby. It’s about sitting next to a fire while he holds you in his arms and talks about his day. When you walk into a room and he looks at you and his smile lights up like his whole day just got brighter. His unexpected touch ignites your body on fire and all you want is for him to kiss you like it’s your last kiss. The feeling of him making love to you and you’re so overcome with love that it brings you to tears.”

I felt my tears rolling down my face. “Yes,” I whispered.

“Love is a crazy emotion, Libby. Hang on, baby girl.” Ari chuckled. “Hang on for dear life!”

I SET THE last box down in Grace’s room and collapsed onto her bed. “Holy hell, Grace. Did you bring everything you own?”

Giggling she fell onto the bed next to me. “I thought about it, but decided not to.”

I smiled at my baby sister. “Are you happy, Sweet Pea?” Her smile faded but she quickly plastered on a fake one. “Of course I am, Luke. I’m glad we are here together. I hated UT with a passion. I think I’m really going to like A&M.”

Nodding my head I said, “I think you will. Plus, I can keep my eye on you.”

She reached over and slapped my arm. “I’m a big girl you know. The cherry was popped a few years back.” Grace jumped up and headed toward her closet.

I sat up and balled my fists. “You know, Grace, you can’t say shit like that to me. It makes me want to kill someone.”

She looked over her shoulder and winked. “You know what I think is funny?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “What?”

“That Alex moved most of her stuff in here, and Libby moved most of her stuff in Lauren’s room, yet they have no intention of ever staying in their rooms.” Grace used air quotes around the word rooms.

I smiled. “We’ll try to keep it down for you since my room is right next to yours.”

Grace’s mouth dropped open as she stared at me while I backed out of the room with a smile on my face. “I hate you, Luke Johnson. I hate that you just put that in my head!”

I turned and headed back downstairs to help Lauren with her stuff. I thought back to the night our parents all sat down and talked to us about our living arrangements.

WE ALL LOOKED at each other as our parents sat across from us. Gunner and Ellie were holding hands. Josh and Heather were sitting on the sofa with Heather snuggled into Josh’s side. My father and mother were sitting on the love seat. Dad’s arm was wrapped around my mother and they both oozed love.

Gunner spoke first. “Since Colt is going to be in the dorms because he’s playing football, we have decided to go ahead and just stick with the one house. Will, Luke, y’all will still have your rooms and the girls have decided to bunk up together.”