Read Just a Little Sincerity for Free Online

Just so, if you happen to pull through, I might happen to run to your side and finally profess my undying love for you? Is that what you want? For me to admit that I care?”
    “No,” I said. “I don’t care if you tell me you hate me, Luke. At this point, it doesn’t matter anymore. All I’m saying is… your words don’t always match your actions. How was I to know you’d actually show up last night?”
    “Real nice, Julie,” he said. “Any excuse to make me the bad guy—”
    “What do you want me to say, Luke? I’m not wrong! You don’t know the meaning of consistency ! You never carry through! I can’t spend my life trying to decipher your hidden messages!”
    The door creaked open and Detective Bruno stuck his head in the room. “Everything okay in here?” He flashed a glance at Luke. “When did you get in?”
    “Just a few minutes ago,” Luke mumbled, not meeting Bruno’s stare.
    “Sorry about the yelling,” I said. “I didn’t mean to disturb anyone—”
    “No sweat,” he winked. “Everyone is up and at ‘em anyway. We just got ahold of Charlie. He and Matt are both safe and sound, but you should probably get dressed soon. They’re on their way over to get you.”
    “Thanks,” I said, throwing the blankets off to slide off the bed.
    “Heads up, Julie,” he said. “He’s pissed as hell that you left the school alone.”
    Bruno left the room. I turned back to Luke and shrugged.
    “So?”
    “What?” he asked, still angry and bitter.
    “I need to change. You need to go—”
    “Right,” he said, standing up. He walked toward the door and stopped short as he reached for the handle. He didn’t turn around, didn’t look back, but rested his forehead on the door.
    “I’m glad you’re safe, Julie,” he said, his voice muffled against the wood. “If anything would have happened to you….”
    “I know,” I said, figuring this was as close to an apology as I would get from him.
    He pushed himself back and opened the door, finally turning around to look at me. “I won’t be here when you come down. So, get home safe and don’t let Charlie give you too much crap.”
    “You’re leaving?”
    “I can’t stay,” he said. “Lonnie and I don’t necessarily see eye-to-eye. Grace let me in this morning, but he doesn’t know I’m here and it’s probably best if it stays that way.” He rubbed his thumb across the scar on his lip before turning back to me. “Get home safe—”
    “Luke,” I said, stepping a little closer to him. “You don’t have to respond to this, okay? Just know that… I do understand that I’m not a cat; and you’re not a mouse,” I said, beginning to recycle Derek’s speech. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop chasing you…because I love you, Luke. And when you love someone the way I love you, you don’t give up. I left the school last night because I let an idiot make me believe that you didn’t care for me. I let Derek convince me that you were never going to come for me. And up until about… five seconds ago, I really believed that. But I know you care, despite it all. And no, I don’t know what you’re running from, but I’m here to help you. And if you don’t want my help, that’s okay. I’ll wait. I’ll keep waiting… until you tell me to stop.”
    “Jules, I….”
    “Do you want me to stop, Luke?”
    “No….”
    “Then I’ll wait,” I said. “Until you’re ready.”
    Luke took a step back into the room, opening his arms up, and pulling me to his chest. He wrapped me in the warmth of his arms, holding me as close as he possibly could without snapping me in two.
    A creak at the top of the steps sounded and I sensed that we were no longer alone. I opened my eyes and smiled at a red-faced Lonnie.
    “Good morning,” I said, reluctantly pulling away from Luke’s hug.
    “Julie,” Lonnie said, tearing his eyes away from Luke long enough to smile at me. “Charlie is here.”
    I nodded. “Thanks, I’ll get