Chapter 15: "Sorry" Like the Angel Heaven Let Me Think Was You

"When do you think things are actually going to get serious between Nick and I?"

Claudia and I were going running at the park.

"Well, aren't you guys just hooking up?"

"Yeah, but I'm not hooking up with anyone else, and I don't think he is either."

"Hmm..." Claudia had been the queen of random hook ups, she loved hot guys. Until she met Andrew of course, the king of random hook ups ... they had tamed each other. It was kind of cute.

"Well, from my experience," and I knew she had plenty with this, "You're still not exclusive until he says something. So, in my opinion, get looking for another hottie."

We jogged about a block. "And another plus ... the more guys you have, the less you're going to think about Luke."

I guess I made a face or something.

"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to bring him up."

"No, it's fine. I'm getting over him. I have to."

"I hate to say this again, but I was really wondering..."

"What?"

"When are you actually going to talk to him? Or at least listen to what he has to say?"

"I don't know ... but not right now."

She nodded.

Then her phone started ringing.

"Call from ... Andrew."

"He's with Luke," she said, hanging up. "And he wants to meet up."

In response to my look, "I know you don't want to see him. But it's just for a minute, he wants to return my 'Friends' dvd."

I nodded, "Okay, but I still think I'm going to head home."

"No! You can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because, if you go home now, after I just told Andrew I was with you, then it will seem like Luke has the upper hand. He has control over the situation, and you're the one running every time he shows up."

"But he left like right after I came back downstairs last night..."

"Yeah, but still. You don't want him to think of you that way. Right?"

I nodded. "Right."

She was right after all.

"Where are we meeting them?"

"The park."

We were five blocks from the park.

We kept our steady running pace until we got there, and then stopped for our stretches and some water from the fountain.

I saw them first. We were facing each other, pulling each other's hands to further stretch in our pike stretches. I was pulling her hands.

And it was very obvious, when they approached, that Andrew had not told Luke I was there. His face practically froze up. We stood there, staring at each other while Claudia and Andrew swapped saliva, while at the same time passing the dvd. Luke had his hands in his pockets, and was staring at the ground, then left, then right. I stared at his belt.

He finally coughed, and looked at me like he was going to say something. I looked at his eyes only once. They looked hurt. Very hurt. Still beautiful, but hurt. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, and took his right hand out of his pocket to start a gesture or something, I couldn't tell what.