WAIT… WHAT?
LUKE
The heavy studio doors slammed shut behind me, and I strode down the hallway, trying to shove the simmering anger back down.
“Luke!” Sarah’s voice echoed behind me, quick and breathless.
I stopped and turned as she hurried toward me, her face etched with determination. Josh was right behind her, juggling a precarious pile of pastries and looking completely unbothered.
Josh caught up and immediately stuffed a powdered donut into his mouth, oblivious to the tension. Sarah and I both paused to watch him, disbelief plastered across her face as he chewed loudly and shoved on the entire chocolate croissant in his mouth.
“What?” he said around a mouthful, powdered sugar dusting his chin. “I’m a professional athlete–I need glucose. Plus, I starved for 5 months.”
Sarah rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath before turning back to me, her expression shifting from exasperation to something more serious. “Luke, I need to tell you something before you find out another way.”
I frowned, the tension in my shoulders tightening again. “What is it?”
She hesitated, her hands wringing nervously in front of her. “I… may have said something to a reporter. About you.”
My brow furrowed deeper. “What kind of something?”
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WAIT WHAT?
Sarah sighed, her voice quict but steady. “I told them I had feelings for you. That I fell in love with you while we were out there.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut. I blinked, processing, but before I could say anything, she rushed to explain.
“It wasn’t like that,” she said quickly. “It was just… a stupid crush. They took it and blew it completely out of proportion.” She bit her lip, her eyes flicking away. “I just thought you should hear it from me first.”
My chest tightened, and I crossed my arms. “Why the hell would you even tell them that?”
Sarah looked down, her voice dropping. “I needed the money, Luke. When I got back, I lost my apartment–penalties, overdue bills, and student loan debt. Everything just piled up, and… I’m not an athlete. I don’t have endorsement deals or sponsorships. It’s been rough.” They wanted something juicy, and I panicked.” Sarah offered and shifted awkwardly.
“So you lied, right?” I had to be sure.
Sarah paused but nodded. “Of course.” She said, but her voice was shaky.
The weight of her confession settled between us. I opened my mouth to respond, but Josh beat me to it.
“Come stay with us for a bit,” he blurted out around another bite of pastries. Sarah’s head snapped up, her wide eyes darting between us. “Are you sure about that?”
Josh rolled his eyes, brushing crumbs off his shirt. “You saved our
Sarah If it helps you get back on your feet, we’ve got plenty of each other, so between the two of
us, there’s no shortage of space.”
“You’re serious?” she finally managed
Josh shrugged. “Yeah. It’s no big deal.”
Despite the tension, I snorted, shaking my head. “Real smooth, Josh.”
Sarah looked at me, her gaze questioning. I sighed, scratching the back of my neck again. “Yeah,” I muttered. “What he said. You can stay with Josh if you need to.”
For the first time since we’d stepped off the island, Sarah smiled–a real, genuine smile–and I felt some of the tension ease from my chest.
I shifted on my feet, rubbing the back of my neck as Sarah’s words hung in the air. Her confession still sat awkwardly between us, but I wasn’t about to let it derail everything.
“It’s going to have to be with Josh and Laura,” I said bluntly, cutting through the silence.
Sarah blinked, clearly taken aback. “With Josh?”
“Yeah.” I nodded toward my idiot best friend, who was now licking icing off his fingers. “We’ve been trying to decide which spare room to turn into the baby’s room anyway.”
The hallway went eerily quiet.
Sarah froze, her jaw dropping as she stared at me. “Baby’s room?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Josh threw his hands in the air, exasperated. “You’re late for the appointment, by the way. Don’t blame me if she kicks your ass for missing it.”
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“Damn it.” I glanced at my watch and muttered another curse under my breath. Turning to Sarah, I pointed at Josh. “Call him if you need anything.”
And with that, I was already halfway down the hallway, cursing under my breath.
“Wait!” Sarah called after me, but I didn’t slow down.
“Josh will explain!” I yelled over my shoulder, leaving them both standing there as I broke into a jog.
RAITEU
