Heartthrob ✓

twenty nine

T W E N T Y - N I N E

THERE CAME A TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHEN THE FOG CLEARED IN YOUR HEAD AND YOU WERE FACED WITH THE TRUTH BEHIND EVERYTHING.

Seeing Luke standing there was like that, like there was a still a chance for me at love even without Ashton. No matter how much I wanted Ashton, I wasn't part of his world. I wasn't going to be the girl who lived the lap of luxury, who was going to vie against other taller and more beautiful women for his attention, the girl he hooked up with in hotels, the girl his family disapproved of. I deserved to be more than the girl who's always waiting in the wings for the guy to finally decide he wanted me.

No, Ashton was too much drama and I knew now that he was not the one for me. But Luke, on the other hand, he was exactly who I needed. I couldn't believe how I had been basically head over heels for Ashton around the time of the event. Luke was never volatile or rude or touted other girls in front of me who made me feel insecure. No, he was kind to me from the beginning and always made me feel special. It was I who did all of those things Ashton did to Luke and I felt horrible thinking about it. Luke was always the one.

But there was a problem. Luke was leaving for New York. I had to find a way to apologize to him, to hopefully make him stay. Because if he left me then I'd have no idea what to do.

Before I could do anything, Luke began to walk over to me with a shy smile on his face as he scratched the back of his head. I mentally braced myself, trying to figure out the right words to say.

"Hey," Luke said when he finally reached me. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"

I shook my head. "I got the day off, it's a long story."

"Well," he said but trailed off as if struggling to find the right words to say. I honestly couldn't blame him. The last time we had spoken was at the movie theater where he told me that he was leaving for New York, that I had basically broken his heart.

"Look Luke, I know I haven't been very good to you, but let me explain myself," I said.

Luke stared at me for a few seconds, his emotions imperceptible before he just nodded. "Go ahead, Fiona."

"I know how upset you must be because you thought I was in love with Ashton, and for a second I thought I actually was too," I said. "But then I was with him and it just felt wrong. I've been with his type before; Ivy League, rich guys who live fast lives and are trouble. And it just naturally felt like I should be with him instead of you when it came down to that choice, mainly out of habit. But it always ends badly for me with guys like Ashton, even f they aren't exactly bad people. You, Luke, you're different. And it took me way too long to realize it."

If the look on Luke's face were indicative of anything, it was that he was stunned speechless. His lips hung open slightly as his eyebrows arched and his eyes widened. He finally coughed after a while when I thought he would just stand there watching me in shock for forever.

"Fiona, that's great," he said, "but you do know I'm leaving, right? I already scheduled my trip for next week. My mother needs me up in New York and I can't just not go."

I had known that, for a while actually, but I had somehow thought that I'd be able to change his mind and make him stay. Of course, I hadn't really known his reasons for leaving until now. I guess I was too self-involved to think his departure had to do with anything besides me. I instantly felt like an idiot knowing now that everything I'd done wouldn't change a thing.

"I'm sorry, Fiona. Maybe if I come back from New York, we can give it another shot," he said. "I think she only needs me for a couple of months and then I can leave."