𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐄𝐒 • Luke Dunphy

xxiii . what happened

we're now onto season 7!! months have gone by since tiana heard luke saying he's in love. if you guys think this is a slow burn for u, try putting urself in the couple's shoes!!! just a disclaimer, i'm on easter break rn which is why i'm posting so many chapters. once my break is done (start of next week) they won't be coming as quickly, but i'll try my best to keep on top of them.

Months. Months had gone by. Months since Tiana heard Luke declare his love for the girl she knew nothing about. Slowly, they talked less and less, until they only spoke at family gatherings, where Tiana now spent most of her time around Alex and Manny.

Now, it was September, the day before they started school. She hadn't seen the whole family for a while, but Alex invited her to their house to get together with everyone. She accepted, considering she missed the family.

Spending most of her time around Belle and Daniel really helped her come to terms with the fact that Luke loved someone else, but it didn't make her feelings go away. In fact, the less time she spent around him, the more she found herself thinking about him. They do say that distance makes the heart grow fonder.

So, to cope with the once wholesome, now painful feelings, she spent some time with Amelia, the bad influence friend who constantly got her fucked up and encouraged her to hook up with as many guys (and sometimes girls) as possible. It was like Tiana had regressed to her old self, but ten times worse. Maybe a reunion with the family, her family, would snap her back to reality.

Andy was there, and he'd put on weight. Lots of it. Tiana figured it was because he was engaged to his girlfriend, and greasing about the wedding. Then again, Phil did say something about him being in love with Haley at Alex's graduation party. If that's why he was gaining weight, then Tiana was handling things better than him. Not well, but better than Andy.

Overtime, Luke's feelings hadn't gone away, either. He was constantly checking his phone to see if Tiana had texted, but she hadn't for months. He couldn't be mad at her for it, it's not like he'd reached out.

Tiana walked into the Dunphy house, walking past Phil and Claire in the kitchen, who were too busy talking to Jay and Gloria to notice the girl walking in. Luke was there, too, and Tiana tried her best to avoid eye contact as she made her way to the back garden, where Manny was.

He embraced the girl, blabbering something about how he hadn't seen her in so long.

"So, what've you been up to?" He asked.

"Nothing much," Tiana lied, "I mainly hang with Belle and Daniel now."

"So you handled the Luke thing well?"

"Please, I'm completely over it. I have been for a while. I didn't come back because I was afraid I'd catch feelings again, but it's been months. I've moved on with my life."

"Boyfriend?"

"No, no boyfriend. I realised I don't need a partner to complete me." Another lie. Lately, Tiana had pretty much been thriving off of the attention she was getting from her sexual partners.

"Good on you, Tia."

Tiana and Manny continued chatting, and Alex joined them, too. She could feel Luke's eyes burning into the back of her head, but pretended not to notice. Eventually, she felt the need to touch up her makeup, so she headed upstairs to the bathroom.

When she came out, she was stopped in her tracks by Luke.

"Jesus, what the hell? Don't scare me like that," she said, attempting to walk past him.

"We need to talk," he said.

"About what?"

"You stink of weed and cigarette smoke."

"Okay, cool. That it?"

Although Tiana didn't care to wait for an answer as she began to head down the stairs. Luke grabbed her wrist, gently but hard enough to stop her from going anywhere. She turned around. He'd grown again since the last time they talked. He practico el towered over her now. How had he gotten more attractive? She didn't let her feelings show, instead keeping her emotionless glare. Living with her parents, she'd learnt to mask her emotions.

"Please, can we just go in my room for a second?"

"Fine."

The pair headed into Luke's room, and he shut the door behind them. He finally got a proper look at Tia, she'd changed. Her style was much different now. Low rise jeans, crop tops. A lot was on show, but he didn't mind it. Her hair wasn't in its old, wavy state, clearly straightened. Her ears now had three piercings on each side, and her belly button was pierced, too. He liked the change. She seemed more herself now.

"What?" She asked the boy was was looking her up and down.

"What happened to us?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? We haven't spoken for months, you barely even talk to Manny or Alex. You smell like smoke and weed. Are you doing drugs?"

"Nothing hardcore. Not frequently, anyway."

"Tiana."

"I'm coping."

"With what?"

"My parents! Me and you drifted apart, and I didn't wanna tell anyone else about my parents, so I'm just partying. I can stop whenever I want."

That was true. Tiana wasn't an addict. She liked her lifestyle, but she knew she'd had to stop at some point, and she could if she needed to.

"Then stop."

"You don't control me."

"Neither does Amelia."

"What?"

"Amelia. The one who's always giving you this shit. The one you're always hanging out with. Don't think Belle hasn't told me you're hooking up with her."

"Hooking up? We made out twice, super drunk, by the way. Why would it matter anyway?"

"It doesn't, do what you want, you just used to tell me things."

"Yeah, Luke, used to, before we stopped talking. Telling you things now would be like opening up to a total stranger."

"You don't mind that."

"What?"

"What's the name of the last guy you fucked? You don't know, you barely know any of the people you do anything with, whether that's partying, or hooking up. You're losing yourself."

"Luke-"

"You're my best friend. We haven't talking, but you are. I miss you. I miss the old Tia, the one who always came to me with her boy problems, who was there when people needed her, the one who'd put breadsticks in her mouth and pretend to be a walrus. She was funny, and sweet. Where did she go? Where did you go?"

Tiana broke, tears streaming down her face as she melted into her boy in front of her, crying into his chest. Had she really let one sentence uttered from his mouth turn her into this?

She wasn't coping with it. Not properly. Coping would be self care, finding other things that make her happy. Not whatever she was doing.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she said, "I never should've stopped talking to you. I think Amelia got into my head. She's nice, she's one of my best friends, but she's a terrible influence when she wants to be. I guess I kind of left you for her, but that's not gonna happen again. You're my best friend. I love you."

"I love you, too." Luke pulled away, wiping the tears from Tiana's face. "I have to say, though, I'm liking the new style."

"Well, this is here to stay. Just not the attitude that comes with it."

she's so tracy freeland core