Luke & Nina Flashback

This Scene follows Luke and Nina. It takes place about a year before their short story begins.

Their story, Two Years & One Night is featured in the Love Always Wins, A Romance Charity Anthology In Support Of Ukraine.

All proceeds go to children’s hospitals in Ukraine.

Love Always Wins is available now on The Amazon Kindle Store

LUKE

Nina is the cutest drunk.

“I love you soooooo much!” Vibrant auburn strands of hair stick to my mouth as she whips her head about with the veracity of a metal-head in the heart of a mosh pit.

It’s like the world's most violent lap dance and I still can’t complain.

“I love you too, Little Red.”

The late summer night breeze carries an unexpected chill that sends Nina snuggling into my chest and I’ve never been so thankful for the fucking wind.

It’s Ryan’s birthday. My brother from another mother rarely kicks back and enjoys life. But tonight he’s making an exception, for once actually acting like a twenty-four year old with his whole life ahead of him.  The entire gang from our old town manor turned apartment complex –aka The Townsend House– is gathered on the back patio to celebrate the man of the hour.

But I don’t give a shit about any of that.

Because Nina Walsh is on my lap.

Her cinnamon candy scent saturating the air around me.

“No! I'm so serious right now, Luke.” She cups my face and leans in, close enough for me to smell her last shot of cherry vodka, but not close enough for me to taste it. “I fucking love you.”

“I know.” I smile slowly, give her thigh a gentle squeeze. “And I seriously fucking love you too.” 

“More than Jolly Ranchers?” Her midnight blue eyes narrow.

I scoff. “Way more.”

“How about Snickers?”

“Baby, I love you so much more than snickers.”

Nina purses her lips, tapping a crimson nail against the mouth that I want nothing more than to sink my teeth into. “How about Sour Patch Kids?”

“Nope,” my roommate Jamie calls from across the patio, blowing smoke through his nose as he talks shit. “Luke  doesn’t love anything as much as Sour Patch Kids.”

“False!” Nina shouts, leaning off my lap to toss an empty beer can at Jamie. “That's Skittles. He loves lots of people more than Sour Patch Kids.”

He snorts. “Like who?”

“Like you, asshole.”

That shuts Jamie up, real fast.

I chuckle. I don’t know why he even engages with her when she’s like this. My bestie hates the touchy feelies and Nina is an atomic bomb of emotion when she’s sober. Give her a decent buzz and you’re in for it.

“What about you, Neen,” Ryan calls, lining up another round of shots for us. “Do you love Luke more… than Halloween?”

Everyone laughs at the thought. Halloween is more than just a holiday to Nina. It’s a religion.

“So much more.”She drops her riot of red curls into the crook of my neck and sighs. “I love you so much more than Halloween.”

Some deep in my chest twists. A bittersweet kind of hope I know will fizzle when the alcohol fog clears. “I’m holding you to that in the morning.”

“You can take it to the bank, Luke Carson,” She runs her fingers through my hair. “I’ll always love you more than anything.”

Fuck me, this girl…

Her phone rings from the patio table. The name Cory flashing across the screen. 

Everything goes cold as she hops from my lap and picks it up, a sultry smile playing over her mouth as she puts the phone to her ear. “Corryyyy! I love you, come over and play with meee.”

Ryan and Luke look at me. Both wearing an expression that screams told you so.

“Okay, I’ll leave my door unlocked for you,” Nina giggles, she leans over to throw her shot back, and heads for the fire escape. “Happy birthday Ry! I’m gonna go get laid, night bitches!”

She was just on my lap.

Ryan hands me my shot. “Just tell her how you feel, man.”

“Why the fuck would you do that?” Jamie flicks his cigarette into the fire pit and leans over to take the remaining glass. “So she can turn you down? You’ve been friend-zoned. Just accept it and move on.”

I run my hand through my hair, just like she did a minute ago.

“Jesus, Jamie shut up.” Ryan groans, pretending he isn’t every bit as jaded as our friend.

She said she loved me more than anything. And now she’s going to fuck Cory. A walking fart of a person who doesn’t deserve to breathe her goddamn air let alone touch her.

I throw the cherry vodka shot back, and toss the glass back on the table. Fisting my hands to keep from chasing after her. Nina isn’t ready for us yet. She’s still too scared and I’m nothing if not a patient man.

I can wait… for now.

“Both of you chill.” I roll my shoulders as I lean back. “Ya, gotta trust the process.”

I know two things for certain.

Nina Walsh is mine even if she won’t admit it.

And one day, I’m gonna spank that ass raw for her little stunt tonight.