Chapter 58

** SCARLET**

“What are we making today?” I asked as I walked towards the meat shop at the supermarket. Luke was pushing the cart while we chose ingredients. The supermarket wasn’t that far from his apartment.
It’s amazing to see this side of him. I imagined him going to the groceries alone. A billionaire himself was supposed to have someone who shops for him.
“Do you come here often? Don’t you have an assistant or butler to do this for you?”
“Simple matters like this don’t always require an assistant, Scar. I used to live alone in an apartment during college.”
“Oh,” I nodded. “Then, what are you making?”
“Chicken marsala.”
Luke stopped in front of the fresh meat section. He picked up a whole chicken and asked the salesperson for assistance. I was really amazed at how he lived his normal life.
Luke Alejandro could shop alone at a meat shop. That was new to me. I couldn’t imagine his father would do these things for Mom.
When the butcher gave the chicken packed in a wrapper, he put it on the cart. “Now, I need mushrooms.”
“I’ll help you!”
He chuckled. “No need. Just stay by my side and watch.”
“Then why ask me to come with you?” I pursed my lips.
“Hmm, do you want to buy anything?” I rolled my eyes at him. “Oh, come on, don’t be upset. I took you here because it’s boring to stay in my penthouse alone.”
I looked away from him. “I’d rather stay in the car.”
“Really? You’d rather leave me here?” he teased.
“I’m just saying that—” I stopped in the middle of walking when I saw something in the snack section.
“What? What is it?” Luke looked in my direction.
I gasped. My eyes grew wide. “Is that what I think it is?”
“What?”
“There.” I ran over to the snack I saw. I grabbed the packaging and read the label. The purple glossy plastic packaging was shining brightly before my eyes.
“It’s the same dried squid I bought last summer in Indonesia!”
He narrowed his eyes. “You went to Indonesia?”
“Yes, in Bali. It’s where we spent our summer vacation last year. I can’t believe this is actually here!”
“Why didn’t you come to New York, then?” he asked suddenly. “You were able to go on vacation during the summer.”
I blinked. “No, I don’t usually leave the apartment. It’s just one time.” I grabbed three packs of dried squid. “Luke.” I turned around and looked up at him. “Please, buy me lots of this, please, please?” I twinkled my eyes.
He let out a chuckle. “All right, how many do you like?”
“Yes!” I lifted my arms in victory. “Many of them! I won’t ever get tired of eating it.”
Luke almost took everything on the rack.
“Yes. yes!” I jumped and got on his back. “Thank you, thank you!” I kissed him soundly on the cheek.
“Fine, just get down. You’ll hurt yourself.” He laughed.
I left another loud kiss on his cheek before I went down.
“I didn’t know you liked squid.”
“Oh, I love it.”
“I know a seafood restaurant in New York that serves squid. I’ll take you there when you come home.”
When I come home. Would we still do that when I decided to go to Scotland? “Uh… yeah. Take me there then.”
“Come, I still need to buy ingredients.” He began pushing the shopping cart again.
I watched Luke silently while he worked in the kitchen after shopping. How could this sexy man be so perfect? Luke was everything an ideal man had to be. He was gorgeous, brilliant, had a physique to die for, and could cook. He was the precise definition of perfection.
I licked my lips at the sight of him. He had a serious expression on his face; I loved how his biceps flexed while he was stirring the food.
“Stop watching me…”
“That apron fits you too well, Mister Chef,” I teased.
“… or I’ll fuck you in this kitchen.”
I gulped. He was serious. Okay, I’d stay quiet.
“Ten more minutes.” He put down the utensil and paced toward me.
“I like watching you,” I admitted.
“Just make sure I won’t melt.” He leaned over the table. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m going back to London next week.”
“Again? Why?”
“I promise I’ll be here on your graduation day. I’ll come back once I finish the business over there.”
“We are running out of time, Luke.” I looked up at him.
“I know. That’s why you have to say yes. Stay with me.” He brought my hands to his lips. “Stay with me like this.”
I didn’t answer. I pressed my lips into a thin line. There wouldn’t be enough time for us anymore because I’d decided to go to Scotland with Katherine. He was not afraid of his father, but I was scared of Thomas. I didn’t want his father to hate him. I didn’t want Thomas to hurt Mom because of me.
“I can’t decide right now, Luke.”
“I don’t think I can live in the same house with you as your stepbrother, Scarlet.”
“And I can’t live with you in the same house as your stepsister, Luke. But I don’t want to see you get hurt or Mom or me.”
“You are afraid that Dad might hurt Gene?”
“If he can hurt you, why was my mother an exception? You’re his blood, yet he can hurt you.”
“Dad loves Gene. He won’t do that to her.”
“How can you be so sure?”
I looked down at my lap. Luke turned away and went back to the food he was cooking. He turned off the stove, then he came back. He pulled out a chair and sat next to me. Luke held my face and brought his lips close to my mouth. He searched my eyes.
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” I murmured.
“I’ve noticed that you’re not very attentive today. You’re with me, but not with me. What’s going on inside your mind, hmm?” He cupped my face.
“It’s nothing, Luke.” I shook my head.
“I know when someone is lying to me, Scar. Something is bothering you. What is it?”
“Same old. Whenever I am here with you, I always think this is dangerous. Thomas is going to kill us if he finds out.”
“Dad won’t find out.”
“And what if he does? There are many possibilities.”
“I’ll make sure he won’t. We’re not talking about this again, please. I don’t want you to say no.”
“Luke, don’t you understand what is going on? We can’t be in any relationship for too long. Look at us right now. I can’t even call you my boyfriend. You don’t do relationships. I can’t tell the whole world about you. This is how we are, Luke.”
“I’m sorry if you feel that way.” He moved away. His jaw clenched.
“Luke, I’m afraid…”
“Do you think I’m not? But I’m choosing you over this fear. Do you want to know what I really feel about this?”
“What you really feel…” I whispered. I swallowed hard. My mouth felt dry.
He stood up, leaning his face closer to mine. Our noses almost touched. Our foreheads pressed together. His fingers traced my arm, moving up slowly to my shoulders, and traveling over the back of my head. I held his hand.
“And I believe you feel the same,” he whispered.
“I’m sure we don’t feel the same.”
I’ve loved you ever since I saw you. You’re my first love, Luke. I dream of you every single day. I’m only choosing the right way to save the family. To save you.
“Your father is going to hurt you. I don’t want to see you like that again.”
“I don’t care. I’ll protect you,” he promised.
“What about Mom?”
“Then I’ll protect her, too. You don’t have to worry about Gene.”
I looked into his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Luke.”
“I know what I am saying. Since the first time I kissed you, I've known it. I just didn’t believe in myself at that time. I don’t want to lose you just because my father married your mother. We don’t share the same blood.” He continued, “I don’t think I can live under the same roof while I crave you like this; I want you.”
I gave in. My eyes failed me. “Lucas…” I sobbed.
And I thought his eyes had failed him too. A single tear escaped his eye. “I love you, Scarlet.”