BETWEEN TWO BROTHERS AND A PAST

Chapter 11: A Friendly Offer

(Julia POV)

The office hummed low around my cubicle, a faint pulse of noise I barely noticed. Papers towered on my desk, and I snatched the stapler, jamming it through reports with a thud that felt good, too good. My brain still churned from that first week at Kane Enterprises, Luke's easy vibe, Andrew's cold glares. They both stuck to me. A shadow slid across my desk. I glanced up, Luke, propped there with that grin that always threw me off.

"Tough week, huh?" he said, voice breezy. "Coffee's on me. Let's hash it out."

Heat crept up my neck. He had this knack for lightening the load, like he didn't even try. I fumbled a nod. "Yeah, sure."

He tipped his head toward the door. "Let's roll."

The café sat just around the corner, a quick hike from the office. A bell chimed as we pushed in, coffee scent hitting me hard. We snagged a table by the window, the street outside alive with cars and footsteps. Luke flopped into his seat, sliding me a menu. "Get something decent," he said. "I'm paying."

I cracked a smile, the knot in my chest loosening. "You don't need to."

"Already done," he shot back, tossing a wink.

The barista hollered our order quick, plain black for me, some syrupy disaster for him. He stirred it, spoon clanking against the mug. "You're too quiet, Hart," he teased, leaning back. "Unclench a little."

A laugh slipped out, catching me off guard. "I'm working on it."

His charm coiled around me, warm and disarming. For a second, the keychain, the note, the questions gnawing at me, they faded.

We rambled about nothing, office crap, the drizzle outside, a goofy tale about his car dying on the highway. His laugh rolled out, easy and catching. I cupped my coffee, letting the heat seep into my hands. He wasn't like Andrew, not guarded, not sharp-edged. Safe, almost. Maybe that's why he kept popping into my head. Luke felt like someone I could lean on. But lean on for what? Jake? That night?

I set the mug down, steadying myself. Time to poke. "Ever hit up a masked party?" I tossed it out light, like it was nothing. "They've got this, vibe."

He grinned, leaning in a hair. "Oh, tons, wild nights, masks all over the place."

My pulse jolted. Tons? His offhand answer slammed into me. Did he mean that party? Five years back, the night that flipped my life? I scanned him, blue eyes sparking, that lazy smile. He didn't catch my flinch, he just kept swirling his coffee like it was casual chatter.

"Wild how?" I nudged, keeping my voice even as my heart thumped.

He shrugged. "You know, dancing, booze, people cutting loose. Masks crank it up. You're someone else for a night."

My grip tightened on the mug, heat stinging my palms. Someone else. That's what I'd been, untethered, stupid, swept away by a masked guy. Kane. Luke's words skimmed too close. Was he there? Was he him? My mind raced, his ease, his swagger, it fit. But Andrew's steel did too. I couldn't pin it.

"Sounds like a blast," I said, plastering on a smile. The real question burned, Were you there five years ago? I could see it: his grin slipping, maybe a spark of something. Or him laughing it off, clueless. What if he knew? What if he didn't?

I choked it back. Too soon. Too much.

Luke c****d his head, eyeing me. "You good? You went quiet again."

"Yeah," I lied, nodding too fast. "I just zoned out."

"On what?" he prodded, playful now.

I shrugged, dodging. "Work stuff. You know."

"Liar," he said, but he dropped it, sipping his drink. I stared at my coffee, steam twisting up. He didn't press, but his gaze lingered, like he could peel back the front I'd thrown up. Did he sense it? I'd kept Jake under wraps, the keychain too. But Luke wasn't slow. He'd sniff it out if I slipped.

My gut churned. I needed answers, not more loose ends. Masked parties, he'd done plenty, he said. Andrew too? I couldn't ask him yet, not without showing my cards. But I had to know. For Jake.

We drained our cups, the café's hum fading out. Luke flicked some cash onto the table. "Good break?" he asked, stretching as he stood.

"Yeah," I said, pulling up a real smile. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he replied, swinging the door open. The air outside bit crisp, the office hulking ahead. I shoved my hands in my pockets, the keychain's shadow trailing me, I'd left it home, but it stuck anyway. Luke strolled beside me, yapping about some meeting later. I half-tuned in, nodding.

He was too easy to be around. That's what rattled me. If he was Jake's dad, what then? A guy like him, warm, quick with a laugh, could slide into our world. Andrew? That frostbitten edge? No chance. But those eyes, his, Luke's, both dug into me, yanking me two ways.

Back at the office, we split at the elevator. "Catch you later," Luke called, peeling off. I waved, stepping into the lift's quiet drone. Alone, I sagged against the wall, head spinning. Luke's voice looped, wild nights, masks everywhere. He'd been to those parties. Maybe the one. I needed more, some way to dig without spilling it all. That engagement party, he'd mentioned it yesterday, casual, Andrew's thing. Maybe there I'd catch a hint, a c***k.

But what if I'd misread it? What if neither remembered? I scrubbed my eyes, irritation flaring. Jake's face hit me, those blue eyes, too close to theirs. No more stalling. I had to know.

The elevator spat me out, and I trudged to my cubicle, office buzz a dull roar. I sank into my chair, staring at the stapled mess. Luke's laugh lingered, clashing with Andrew's clipped "Get it done" from days back. Two brothers, two shots. One answer.

I tugged out my phone, Mom's text from last night glaring, “He deserves to know”. She wasn't wrong. Jake's school chatter proved it. Clock was ticking. I had to push, gamble more. Luke was my in, he'd talk, eventually. I just needed the right angle.

Footsteps jolted me. Luke again, lounging on my cubicle's edge. "Forgot to mention," he said, grin flashing. "You're crushing it here. Don't let Andrew spook you."

I laughed, shaky but real. "I won't."

"Good," he said, then he leaned in, eyes glinting. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"

My breath snagged. "What?"

He smirked. "I'll c***k it."