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Luke chuckled, turning his gaze on me. “I knew you’d be hungry.”
“I didn’t even realize I was hungry,” I said. “Thank you for coming to check in on me.”
“I was worried about my partner,” he said. “Total selfish move on my part.” He flashed a bright smile my way.
My lips morphed into a small grin. I couldn’t believe I was able to manage a smile after the day I’d had.
Moving into the kitchen which was just a few feet away, I opened the fridge and grabbed our drinks.
I sat down beside him on the couch and glanced at the pizza. The slices were loaded with toppings and covered in a thick layer of cheese.
My stomach grumbled again.
“Have a bite,” Luke said with a chuckle.
I picked up a slice gratefully and bit into the still warm pizza. “Mmm,” I moaned as my mouth filled with cheese, peppers, and pepperoni. “This is so good,” I said through a mouthful.
Luke grinned and picked up a slice.
For a while, we were both quiet as we ate the pizza.
“I’m glad you’re eating,” he said in a grim tone after a while.
I took a deep swig of my coke. “Starvation doesn’t solve any problems,” I said in an equally grave tone. “I’m going to eat now and face them tomorrow again. Girls like me don’t have the luxury to hide. I’ve got to attend the revision classes as well as go to work.”
“Does your stepfather treat you the same way?” he asked.
“Nope. It’s just Noah.” I wanted to add Corey and Caleb’s names too but at least they’d taken care of me last night. There was at least a sliver of hope they regretted taking things too far.
“He’s ruthless. Why don’t you talk to Mr. Amhurst about what’s happening?”
I shook my head. “It’s complicated.”
“Too complicated to tell me?”
I gave a nod. “I’m sorry. You’ve been a great friend to me but some things are too complicated. Anyway, it won’t be long. Sometime soon, everything will end.”
The thought of losing Mom made my throat choke up at once. Squeezing my eyes tight, I blurted. “Let’s forget about it. It’s only a few more weeks until our finals and it’ll all be over.”
Luke looked like he wanted to say something but held back. Leaning against the couch, he sipped his coke with a thoughtful expression.
“Do you have plans for the future?” he asked after a while.
“I want to get a job and live my own life,” I said. “Hopefully, a degree will help or I can keep working at the café.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure someone like you will be scouted as soon as you graduate. If you want, I can get you a position in my dad’s company. We’re always looking for smart kids who’re good with numbers.”
Surprise flitted through me. “What kind of company does your family run?”
He gave me a strange look. “You don’t know about my family?”
His question reminded me of Noah at once. Why did these Elite members think people had nothing better to do than google about their families? A cold chill slithered down my spine.
This was a conversation I wanted to steer away from. “I’m so tired,” I said, feigning a yawn.
“Want me to tuck you into bed?” he asked with a glint in his light gray eyes.
“I’ll manage,” I said with a smile, glad that I’d been successful at changing the subject. “Thanks for bringing the pizza. I really needed that.”
