Sinful Angel

Chapter 16: Luke

I woke up in the morning feeling better than I had in years. The fact that Madison had initiated and then encouraged last night's activities was a huge breakthrough whether she realized it or not. And I'd known it was probably taking advantage of the situation, to ask her after everything to look at places with me today, but I needed every little bit of help I could get.

I was just getting out of the shower and getting dressed when I heard my front door open. I'd given my brother, Tony, a key in case of emergencies when I'd moved into this apartment, but he'd taken to using it whenever it pleased him.

"You could at least knock before barging in!" I yelled down to Tony, who just laughed.

"Where's the fun in that? Now come down here and tell me about these shenanigans you've been getting into with Madison!"

I chuckled to myself, finished getting dressed and headed to my kitchen where I expected to see Tony rummaging through my fridge. I rounded the corner, and was surprised to see him sitting on a couch in the front room, one leg bouncing as he typed furiously on his phone. I sat in the chair near him, and a second later he clicked his phone off.

"Work stuff?"

He shrugged at my question. "Something like that. How are things going with your whole plan thing?"

"Really well, I think. Last night she initiated rather than me feeling like I've had to convince her that it's okay to do what she wants with me. She's going with me to look at new apartments today."

He raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have like, five months or something left on this lease?"

"Well yeah, but it's never too early to look right?"

Tony stared at me for a moment, and I kept my face as neutral as possible. His phone vibrated once, then twice, and then three times before he looked away. He opened his texts and read them, responding to me at the same time.

"I think you're trying to worm your way into Madison's brain to see how she feels about you moving into a new place but not your old place. It might not be too early to look at a new place, but don't you think it's a little premature at this point to test how she feels?"

Well shit. He was my brother and we'd always been close, but I was hoping my motives weren't going to be so easily read by him. I gave him a moment while he texted whoever was messaging him back, and then answered once he'd met my eyes again.

"I'm looking to move this along as fast as possible. I don't want to give her a chance to overthink everything, to ignore her feelings. I can tell she still loves me, but she needs a push in order for her to admit it to herself and give us another chance. I'm hoping this is what does it for her."

He shook his head just as his phone beeped again. "Just be careful. It could blow up, and I know that you love her still but just make sure she knows that too."

"Thanks, I will. Now, who is blowing up your phone?" His fingers typing out froze, and then resumed.

"No one really."

I dramatically gasped. "A woman? Is it a female whom you have placed your designs upon?"

"Jesus man, you sound a thousand years old," he said while laughing. "So fucking dramatic, always."

I laughed with him, catching the couch pillow he'd chucked at me. "But you didn't deny it," I teased.

"None of your business, huh?" He grinned at me and then walked to the front door. The smile tilted as he paused, and I wondered what exactly what was going on in his head right now. Before I could ask, he shook his head lightly and opened the door. "Be careful with Madison, okay Luke? I don't want to see either of you hurt like I saw you did two years ago."