Speak Now

Chapter 3

It's a high you can't get out of. A sickness you can never be cured of. A race you never finish. It's like you can't breathe. You want to push forward, but you can't. You try to let go, but you can't seem to loosen the grip. It's when you keep falling into a deep pit, a pit that seems impossible to get out of. It's like a dream that never ends. It's called love. And it's what we all want and need. We wish for it, some of us don't get it. But when it comes down to it, we all deserve it. And, if you try, you will. Someone loves you, you need to believe that.

Don't give up. Don't ever give up. This is what you want, what he wants. Don't give up on him, he hasn't given up on you.

Caroline read this over and over again. Luke wrote this. Caroline thought it was about her ex, that's who she thought he was. But now she understands. Luke is he. This was a love letter, from Luke. He had admitted his feelings, but never got the girl.

Caroline now realized how wrong she was. He loved her. He gave up, that's why Lizzy's his fiance. He gave up on love. If anyone was the antagonist in this story, it was her. Luke was the protagonist, overcoming a broken heart. It's like a Shakespeare playwright or a Nicholas Sparks story. Caroline and Luke's friendship was a tragic love story. Two people in love, but never persevering it. Never making the outcome a happy ending. They were a tragedy. Caroline wish they weren't. Someone was writing their story, the question was, who? Was it God? Was it her? Was it him? Was it Lizzy? Hell, maybe it was Shakespeare himself, laughing in his grave as he wrote his latest piece of work. How cruel would that be?

Luke, on the upside, was going through his old memory box. It contained his baby album, the collar that had belonged to his first dog, and even the first love letter he had ever received. Paper clipped to that letter was a picture of him and Caroline, they had been dancing at Dingus Magee's when Leah, Caroline's friend, snapped a picture of them.

Luke unfolded the letter and read it.

Luke,

I'm not very good at these. I just want to express my feelings towards you. I promise you are not a rebound after that other boy. You're my best friend, I could never do that to you. But, I do have feelings for you. I have never felt this way about anyone before. The thing is, we can only be friends, as I keep telling myself. Why? Because you're going away to Nashville and I'm still stuck here, finishing up my last three years of college. I just need you to know that I have fallen I love with you, but this is also goodbye, because by this time, you have graduated and are packing up for Nashville. We are just friends, nothing more. But I still love you, I will forever. Good luck in Nashville, I guess this is goodbye.

Caroline

Luke wiped a single tear off his face. He remembered how hurt he was, how he wished he had never fallen for his best friend. How if their lives were just slightly different, there would be no conflict. No being in love with his best friend, a girl he wish he had never met, but can't live with out. Why did love hurt. And now that he admitted it to himself that he loved her, he wish he never proposed to Lizzy. He just wished he ended it with her and gone back to Caroline. That's what he should've done, but didn't.

"Luke?" Lizzy said as she walked into the bedroom. "Are you still mad at me?"

Luke looked at her, but then stared back at the memory box his mama had made him. He pulled out his last picture with Chris. "I just want to be alone right now."

Lizzy shook her head. "If you're not happy with me, please tell me. I don't want to be a burden if you really are in love with Caroline and not me."

Luke looked down. He didn't know what to do. He would admit he kinda loved Lizzy, but not in that way. But also, Caroline told him she didn't have feelings for him. He didn't want to pressures her if she stopped loving him.