Luke's POV.

I'm woken up by the buzzing sound of my phone. I open my heavy eyelids and I stare at the ceiling.

It's one of those mornings, the ones that make you feel nothing but emptiness.

I hate these kinds of mornings.

I twist my head to my side and I spot Mason fast asleep on the other sofa.

I sit up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and picking my phone from the coffee table.

One message from Mom.

I sigh before opening the message.

"Luke, where in God's name are you? You're supposed to fly to Florida with your father."

I roll my eyes, getting up, shoving the cell in my pocket and staring down at the almost empty bottle of whiskey on the table.

I sigh again, grabbing the bottle from the table and walking to the kitchen.

I hold the side of my head because it feels like it's gonna split in two.

I open the freezer, grabbing a bottle of orange juice, I pour a little in a glass cup then my eyes travel to the whiskey.

I chew on the inside of my lower lip, contemplating.

Fuck it.

I release the content in the orange juice, mixing it and having a sip.

Not bad.

The thing about horrible hang overs? They'll try to remind you of the events that went down the previous night...

C'mon, Reign, it's just one stupid kiss.

Fuck me dead.

"Why would I do that?" I mutter to myself, shutting my eyes in.... Cringe as I rub my forehead.

Reign? Dude, seriously? You don't even like the little shit.

I mean it's not like I wanted to kiss her, I was just drunk and confused and.. horny.

I haven't gotten laid in two weeks, I need to call Sasha or Dana or Tiana or maybe Maddie? Yeah, it has to be Maddie.

"Oh there he is," the voice makes me wince, I raise my gaze and I watch as she walks in at a stride with a mocking smile.

Her pink hair looks like she changes sleeping positions a hundred times in one night but her face doesn't look like someone who's just from sleeping, oh and let's not forget about the dress, no actually, let's forget about the dress.

She takes a seat on the kitchen counter, across from me and she applauds, I take a sip, looking away.

"Last night was Oscar worthy," She points at me, "I didn't know you had a soft spot for me, or should I say hard." She giggles, I drift my gaze to her, glaring.

"I was drunk," I defend myself, ripping my eyes away from her because the more I look at her, the more I'm reminded of last night and how small, soft and hot she felt in my hands, one inch closer and I would have had her mouth but she wouldn't let me.

Looking back, I think I'm glad she wouldn't let me.

Drunk me is so out of control, he needs to be put down.

"Yeah, let's blame it on the alcohol." She says, "Wanna rewind? Since you're not drunk right now?" Her tone sounds playful.

"Get out of my face, Reign, seriously." I snap, she laughs, slouching forward on the counter to grab my glass of orange juice. My eyes drop to her cleavage, displayed right in front of me.

Damnit.

I look at the ceiling, scratching the back of my head. She grabs the glass and leans back in her seat, taking a sip and scrunching her face in disgust as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

"The fuck, Richardson, why are you drinking at 7AM in the morning?" She scowls at the drink.

"Yeah, cause, whoever made alcohol said don't drink it at this time but at that time." I say sarcastically, she rolls her eyes.

"Can we go?" She asks nicely.

"We?" I lean my arms on the counter, her eyes drop to my hands then she lifts her gaze to my face again, shifting in her seat.

"Yes, we," She finally responds.

"Why are you dragging me into your business?" I question, she huffs, looking to her side then back at me.

"You drove me here, it would be nice if you drove me back." She gestures with her hands like I'm dumb or something.

I'll let it slide.

"Okay." I say, she raises her brows in shock.

"Okay?" She asks.

"Okay." I shrug.

"Okay, wow, that was surprisingly mature, I'll go grab my stuff." She gets down from the seat and rushes out of the kitchen.

I also grab my shoes from the living room, shaking my head at a snoring Mason. I exit the house, hating the fact that the sun is doing its job right now.

I get in the car and Reign joins me a minute after, buckling up and placing my hoodie on her bare legs.

"Ariana and Garrett crossed the line last night, I literally almost jumped out the window." She says while I back out of the driveway.

"How so?" I try to sound interested.

"You didn't hear them?" She gives a half laugh, stroking her fingers through her hair.

I swallow, tightening my grip around the steering wheel and mentally slapping myself for wishing those were my fingers.

I clear my throat, "No."

"Good, wouldn't want you begging me to kiss you again." I literally hear her smile, I run a hand down my face, feeling frustrated.

I've never thought about Reign in a romantic way before, but do understand that I'm a guy with sexual feelings so if I have a girl sit on top of me the way she had last night and then tease my mouth like that and then have my hands squeezing her hips, hell, I even imagined that I was already inside her, letting her ride me raw and-

Whoa, Luke, keep it PG, the flashbacks end there. For today.

Right.

The point is, I've never thought about Reign laying naked in my bed before, until right now.

"So what? You think kissing is overrated too?" I look at her.

"No, kissing is okay," She shrugs, "It's love I have issues with, what about you? do you believe in love?" She questions.

"Yes." I keep my eyes on the road.

"Why?" She laughs.

"Unlike you, Reign Miller, some of us actually believe that there's some good in the world." I say.

"Oh please." I practically sense her rolling her eyes at my statement.

"Wanna make a deal with me?" I ask.

"What deal?" She sounds disinterested.

"I wanna make you believe in love," I tell her, she snorts a laugh.

"Yeah, good luck with that," She looks out the window.

"If I make you believe that love exists in a month's time, you'll do anything I ask you to do and if you make me believe that love doesn't exist then I'll do anything that you will ask me to do for the rest of the school year," I lay out, she snaps her head to look at me with wide eyes.

"Anything?" She flutters her lashes.

"Anything." I assure her.

"Deal." She responds quicker than I expected.

"Okay then,"

"Goddamn, I'm finally gonna convince someone that love is a fucking myth," She looks excited, I scoff, shaking my head at her.

"There's a book in my backseat, grab it for me," I instruct, she furrows her brows at me, "just do it."

She unbuckles her seatbelt, kneeling on the seat to grab the book that my sister Cassandra left in my car yesterday, it's her favorite novel, the same novel that she dared me to read a few weeks back.

She settles back in the seat, leaning her back against the car door and examining the book.

The hoodie is no longer covering her legs, my eyes don't have curtains so I stare at her thighs. Long and smooth and waiting for my touch. She has a beauty spot on her left leg and it's fucking beautiful.

She catches me staring but she doesn't call me out on it.

I take my eyes back to the road, feeling her eyes on the side of my face, I look at her again and our eyes meet, her eyes are beautiful too but they're always challenging me, not right now though.

I can't read them.

"What?" I ask, she shakes her head in response, looking down at the book.

"Don't let go?" She questions the title, "Of what?"

"Well, I guess you'll find out soon."

"You want me to read a novel?" She smiles amusingly, I find myself staring at her lips.

What is even happening?

I think there's a ninety-nine percent chance that says I'm still drunk.

"It's your first assignment," I respond to her question.

"But it's a romance novel." She looks at the book, flipping through the pages.

"I'm aware." I say.

"Luke, I can't read a fucking romance novel," She shakes her head at me.

"Why not?"

"They are cringe and unrealistic and exaggerated and-"

"Reign?"

"What?"

"Read the goddamn novel and argue with me later." I say, she sighs defeatedly.

"Fine." She groans.

"Read every word." I insist.

"Yeah, whatever." She utters, "And, I'm telling all the blonde babes at school that you're actually this cliché." She lifts the book in her hand, I chuckle.