Free Luke's Crazy California Christmas by Cindy K. Green

He’s having such a hard time, and I don’t know what to do for him. All I can do is pray.” That was back in October when she found out about Monica and the hard time Mom and I had been having with Dad.
    I closed the journal and pressed it against my stomach as I shut my eyes. What would I do without her? I must have been out of my mind to let her break up with me. Amy was right. Andrea wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t pushed her to it.
    Time to do some real praying and getting into God’s Word, because that was the only way I could make this right.

8
    Been dying all night. How did things go with Andrea?!
    I glanced at the text from Charli the next morning and debated whether to ignore her. I felt spent emotionally and physically drained. I wasn’t sure I had the energy to deal with her. 
    Don’t want to talk about it.
    U know I’ll bug u till you spill.
    Let it go. 
    I could always come over there. 
    NO!
    She didn’t respond and that had me worried. 
    Ten minutes later, Dad’s muffled voice out in the front room intermingled with a female voice. Heather? No, Charli! She’d come over even though I’d said no. I didn’t know girls could be this annoying. Although, come to think of it, I’d never really spent this much time around another girl other than Monica and Andrea.
    A knock sounded on my door.
    I closed the Bible on my lap and climbed off the bed as the door swung open.
    Dad stood in the doorway. “Charli’s here.”
    “Yeah, I heard. I’m coming.” Dressed in a white T-shirt, black-and-white sweatpants, and sock-clad feet, I joined Dad in the hallway.
    We met Charli in the living room. She was seated on the couch, but she stood when she saw me. 
    “I’ve got to go into the office. There’s paperwork I have to get settled before the end of the year. Will you kids be OK?”
    “I’ll keep him company and my mom said she’d take us out for burgers for dinner.”
    “Great! See you two later.”
    Dad grabbed his briefcase and left us.
    “I told you, no.” I frowned hard, hoping she got my disapproval of her actions.
    “I know you did. I figured you meant yes, but you were just being a guy.” 
    “Newsflash! I am a guy, and I just needed to be alone.” 
    “No, you don’t. That’s the last thing you need. I know guys aren’t all about talking out their problems, but trust me, it helps.” 
    “Charli, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but we barely know each other. What makes you think I’ll share my private life with you?”
    “Fine, hold it in. But that’s why men die young.” 
    I dropped into the sofa, closed my eyes, and rested my head back on a cushion. “This is why I wanted to be alone. I don’t have the energy for you today.” 
    Charli lowered onto the cushion beside me. “OK, you don’t have to talk about it. I’m pretty sure by your response that things didn’t go well.” 
    I looked at her with a scowl. 
    “Ooh, yeah. So how bad was it?”
    I scrubbed my hands over my face. “Bad.” 
    “Bad, bad?”
    “Worse.” 
    “You didn’t break up, did you?”
    My hard expression answered for me. 
    “Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry. It wasn’t because of me, was it? Because if it was, I’d feel so bad. I mean—”
    “It wasn’t you.” I interrupted her and then hopped off the couch. For a minute, I just stood there, staring into space. “It was a lot of things.” 
    “So what will you do?”
    “I haven’t decided.” 
    “Well, you have to do something. You love her too much to let her go so easily.” 
    “I love her?”
    “Stop denying it. You do.” 
    Did I love Andrea? I kept asking myself that question, and I almost didn’t want to know the answer anymore, especially now that we were broken up. What if I did love her and we didn’t get back together? I wasn’t sure I would survive that. 
    My heart rate sped up, and the room suddenly seemed way too small for two people. “I need some air.” I hurried to the sliding door, which led