Page 35 of The Shift Between Us (Covewood #2)

The argument goes on for a few minutes until the debate is temporarily settled, and everyone moves on.

Luke glances over at Davis, who is having a discussion with Nonni, appearing exhausted.

His nurse taps him on the shoulder, whispers something to him, and he gives her a nod.

Before he’s wheeled away, he peers over his shoulder at the two of us, directly at Luke, a sadness shining within his dark eyes as he’s pushed into another room.

I’ve been so wrapped up in my feelings that I forgot the reason why we agreed to fake date this weekend. I’m here to support Luke, not to make things harder for him. I’m here to help him get through this extremely difficult time, because I couldn’t begin to imagine how he must be feeling.

Once Davis is out of sight, Luke’s body loosens, and I take his hand into mine. “ Gremlins is a good one,” I add, a grin pulling on my lips, and Luke grins down at me.

“Oh, come on, that’s not a real Christmas movie,” Jerrica tosses over her shoulder before she disappears into the kitchen.

“Neither is Edward Scissorhands or Batman Returns, but they’re still considered Christmas movies,” I add, which earns me a few groans and eye rolls from everyone.

I have to bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling.

This leads us into more discussions about movies that are claimed to be Christmas movies but really aren’t.

We settle on watching The Santa Clause for the evening.

Everyone munches on their decorated sugar cookies and sips on hot chocolate as we all settle in the living room.

Snuggling next to Luke on the loveseat feels natural.

However, there’s nothing fake about how easily he drapes his arm around me, and a flutter deep down in my core has me wondering if we’re still pretending, or if things are actually shifting.

I don’t feel dishonest when I walk around and grab everyone’s dirty dishes to take into the kitchen, dropping a kiss onto the top of Luke’s head as I pass by, his fingers catching mine with a gentle squeeze before I walk away.

As I make my way through the dim house, Wren’s words from yesterday ring through my mind.

“Just have fun this weekend. Don’t overthink things.

Let whatever happens, happen. And then when you’re back home, you can go back to overanalyzing everything and weigh your options .

” I’m trying to tell myself that things will go back to normal once we’re home.

But here, now, in this home full of Christmas spirit, I’m finding myself wanting to give in to the holiday magic and let things between us blur a little more.

After the movie is over, everyone groggily retreats to their bedrooms. Luke and I take turns in the bathroom, and once we’re both under the covers, bodies turned in opposite directions, I remain wide awake.

I try counting sheep, but it doesn’t work. I pray because, let's be honest, sometimes my nighttime prayers help me drift off to sleep, but even that doesn't help. Luke adjusts his position next to me, his cold foot landing on mine, and he jerks it away quickly.

“Luke,” I whisper.

“What?” he whispers back.

“Are you awake?”

“No. I’m talking in my sleep.”

I reach my foot back until I can lightly kick him, and he chuckles, twisting around, and I do the same until we’re facing each other.

The moonlight is pouring in through the window, which might be part of the issue as to why we’re both awake.

Its light casts over Luke’s face, creating shadows that only enhance his sharp angles.

He’s a beautiful mess, his hair sticking up from where he was lying before, and his eyes slit lazily, like he’s moments away from falling asleep.

And I should let him. However, I want him to be awake with me.

“I can’t sleep,” I admit, breaking the silence.

“Me either. Want me to tell you a story?”

“Yes please,” I say, in desperate need of a distraction.

He grins and asks, “What kind of story do you want? ”

I think about it for a second before suggesting, “A Christmas one.”

He hums, brows furrowed together as he thinks of something. His eyes, much darker in the moonlit room, somehow lighten a bit as an idea hits him.

“Okay, I have a good one.”

I scoot an inch closer, smiling brightly at him, excited for his story.

“Once upon a time, there was this really awesome police officer who was going to visit his estranged wife for Christmas. She was stuck at work for a Christmas party, and of course, the party was taken over by terrorists. And?—”

Luke starts laughing as soon as my hand smacks his shoulder. “Luke, I meant an actual story, not the plot for Die Hard .”

“You didn’t even let me get to the best part. He fights the bad guys while barefoot, and there's a part where there is an epic explosion, and he says, ‘Yippee-ki-yay?—’”

“Luke!” I laugh, shoving him away and rolling onto my back.

“We could just watch the movie?” he suggests, and I ponder for a moment. I doubt that I’ll be falling asleep anytime soon, and he didn’t get to watch his favorite Christmas movie tonight. I shrug my shoulders. Why not?

“Alright, but only if we can watch The Grinch next.”

He grimaces at the mention of his least favorite Christmas movie. “The cartoon one or the Jim Carrey one?”

I suck in a breath of air and snap my head his way. “I’m shocked you even had to ask!”

“Okay, fine. But only because I like Jim Carrey.”

Not even ten minutes into the movie, I’m lost in my thoughts.

In my defense, I’ve seen this movie a lot.

Luke chuckles beside me, his attention focused on the television that sits across the room.

I like that he's always felt comfortable enough around me to be himself. I feel the same, allowing Luke to see every shade of me. He’s seen it all.

I guess that’s what fifteen years of friendship will do to two people.

We’ve shown each other all our imperfect shades.

I watch him, how the light from the television brightens his features, as he concentrates on the movie, and a lightness flutters in my stomach.

My heart is overwhelmed with a sense of tenderness like I’ve never felt before.

Something takes control of me. That can be the only excuse as to why I’m scooting closer to Luke, lifting his arm up so I can snuggle into the crook of his arm and torso.

He’s surprised at first, eyes wide as he looks at me, studying my face for a moment, until his arm slips around me. He places his warm hand onto my shoulder, pushing my body closer. He doesn’t return his gaze to the movie. He stares at me.

“Is this okay?” I ask.

I’ve spent so many years counting the seconds anytime we would touch, never wanting to push those boundaries between us. And yet, here I am, ready to push the boundaries a bit because my curiosity is overpowering me.

We may think that we fully control ourselves. However, I'm learning that a friend can easily reveal something about us that we had absolutely no knowledge about. That’s what all of this feels like, anyway. Fake dating each other has dug up feelings I never thought I would feel again.

“Yeah. You never have to ask to touch me, Liv.” His voice grows raspy.

I don’t know when I started thinking about kissing Luke, but suddenly, the thought is buzzing under my skin, a sizzle in my blood. What would it be like to unravel Luke like one of my apron strings?

I swallow, the sound loud between us, and place my head on his chest so I can quit staring at his lips.

My body jolts when his hand slides down my arm and settles onto my hip.

There is a tingle of awareness that shoots up from where his touch is, every nerve on my body turning into a live wire.

In fact, Luke is the only person to make me feel this way… ever .

I force myself to watch the rest of the movie, keeping my head firmly planted onto his chest. After a while, the tension begins to leave my body, and I melt into him.

Luke’s hand moves up to my shoulder and starts tracing tiny circles, sending zips and zings up and down my spine.

I’m not sure when, but eventually, we both drift off to sleep in each other’s arms.