The Journalist and Her Actor

Chapter 28

Have you ever felt silly for stumbling into a moment you clearly weren't supposed to see? Felt completely and utterly uncomfortable to the point that you are half tempted to bolt, or just duck your head into your shirt and pretend the world doesn't exist. 

"Uh... Hi," I stammered, flustered as I drank in the sight of Luke standing with a woman who had touched him so tenderly as they exited his trailer. 

Luke ran his fingers through his hair, as if mentally preparing himself for a heavy conversation. Like he owed me some kind of explanation which left me feeling a swirl of conflicting emotions. He didn't owe me anything, and yet the idea that he thought he did spoke volumes about what he thought about our non relationship. 

He looked at me, weighing his words carefully. "She's—"

"I'm his aunt," the woman blurted. Her eyes screaming lies, her posture screaming nerves. She was older but not by a lot. 

What was she to Luke? I stared at her, at Luke, processing. "Okay," I said, confused by how utterly awkward it all was. Wondering why she cared to lie. 

The woman looked down, her fingers tugging at the bottom of her flannel shirt, her scuffed up boots grinding into the asphalt. She's afraid, I realized. Me knowing the truth, terrified her. But I couldn't understand why. 

Luke's jaw tightened, body going rigid at the confession. "Aunt," he echoed. Seeming to swallow the word like poison. 

The woman offered me a shy smile and that smile made her look familiar. Tugging at a memory I couldn't place.

Had I written a piece on her? Was she another actress? 

I offered her a wave hello, trying to yank the conversation off the awkward train and onto the normal human platform of human interaction. "I'm Em."

She nodded, her smile brightening. "Yes, I've heard about you." Then she walked over and pulled me into a warm embrace, startling me. My eyes caught on Luke's for a moment, my own wide in surprise. 

The look on his face was worried. Open with deep rooted concern. 

The woman stepped back, drinking me in with open curiosity. "Luke has told me so much about you. Did you really drop pizza on him the first time you two met?" 

A surprised laugh fell out of me as Luke's eyes widened in embarrassment. How much did she know?

I nodded and looked back at Luke. "Yep. He scared me half to death when he greeted me after coming straight from the shower."

She walked over and smacked Luke's arm. "You never told me that!" she chastised. "No wonder she reacted that way! That's a terrible way to answer the door!"

He rubbed the back of his neck, fighting a smile at her reaction. "She broke in. I didn't realize she was there."

The woman took my hands in hers, posture relaxing, her brown eyes sparking with determination. "Please don't let his grumpy exterior scare you too much," she said. "He takes a while to warm up to people."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. But she didn't give me much of a chance as she continued, determined to plead Luke's case, whether Luke was on board with it or not. "He really does like—"

"Okay, thanks for visiting. Time to go." Luke suddenly began  to steer her away, but not before she shouted back over her shoulder. "It was very nice to meet you, Em! He's a great guy! Lot's of great qualities! Just give him a chance!"

Then the woman was gone, kissing Luke's cheek before slipping away as she told him to behave himself. Luke turned back to me, and the warmth that had filled his expression was gone, replaced with something guarded.