The Bet || l.h.

- 21 -

//trigger warning: talk of abuse + murder//

"So where are you taking me?" I ask as I swing our joined hands back and forth between us.

Luke flashes me a quick smile. "That's a surprise, Em."

He leans in close, his lips ghosting over my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. "Although I can promise you that it won't disappoint," he adds in a low voice.

"It looks like it's going to storm." I frown as I look up at the sky.

"Good thing we're staying inside, then." Luke tugs me into a nearby doorway, shaking the few drops that had fallen on his jacket.

My eyes are drawn to the damp strands of his hair, aching to run my fingers through them. I look away before he can notice, blushing.

"Where are we?" I ask as I look around.

Luke's grin is lopsided as he pulls us into line behind an old man. "Have you ever been roller skating?"

My eyes widen. "You mean, are you ready to look like an idiot flailing around wildly?"

He laughs, shaking his head at me. "Come on, it won't be that bad. It's better than ice skating. I'm terrible at ice skating."

"Oh really?" I cross my arms over my chest. "I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it," he says, stepping up in line. "I went skating with my brothers once. They dragged me into the middle of the rink, away from the walls I was clinging to. Long story short, I slammed into a wall. It wasn't quite as impressive as I would have liked."

I snicker, imagining Luke running into the wall of an ice rink. "Watch out, they have walls here too," I taunt.

He rolls his eyes, jabbing me playfully in the ribs with his elbow. "Alright, smartass, let's see whether you can do any better."

"I'm a fast learner," I say with a smile.

Luke opens his mouth to throw something back at me, but it's our turn in line. The girl behind the counter clears her throat in annoyance.

"Two, please," Luke says with a charming smile. He tells her our shoe sizes and she sets off to retrieve them from the racks stacked behind her.

The girl sets down the two pairs. "That'll be $18.97," she says in a bored tone.

I start to reach for my wallet to chip in, but Luke sets a hand on my arm. "No, no. I'm paying."

"At least let me help," I protest.

He flashes me a smile as he slides the girl a twenty. "No way. My idea, my treat. You just get to sit back tonight and look beautiful."

My cheeks heat up, only causing his smile to grow even wider.

"Alright, come on." Luke grabs our shoes, looping his arm through mine. "Let's see if we run into those stupid walls."

*

"Luke, I can't do this!"

I've been stuck in the same place for the last ten minutes, flinging my arms out like wings, but it's no use.

He laughs as he smoothly glides over to my corner. "That's not how you skate. You need to use your legs more."

I stop moving, sticking my lower lip out in a pout. "I can't."

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth as he slides closer to me. His hands find mine as he slowly starts skating backwards, dragging me after him.