Room 206 - Luke Hemmings

forty-seven

My mother fixed my hair, shocked that I'd actually cut it all off like that. It laid around my shoulders now, still messy but I didn't regret it. 

I sat at the end of the table, eating dinner by myself a few days later. Everything felt so empty. The only sound in my entire house was the clanking of my fork against my plate as I scooped up my green beans to eat them. Gradually I felt the pain from the entire ordeal turning into numbness and I hoped it would stay that way. 

I washed the few dishes I'd used to heat up my leftovers, then went to my bathroom to take off my bra, put on my cotton pajama shorts and brush my teeth. I told myself all the while that I can and will function as a normal human being, with or without Luke. 

I sat on the couch in the living room, flipping mindlessly through the channels on the TV. I didn't really want to watch any of them. I finally settled on some stupid movie I'd seen countless times before that I no longer enjoyed watching but it would probably put me to sleep eventually. 

I jumped at a sudden knock on the door, confused as to who might be showing up at my house at seven in the evening. I wrapped my robe around my body and walked to the door, figuring it was probably Eleanor with a bottle of alcohol wanting to get me hammered to cheer me up, knowing my parents were out of town all weekend. However, I was quite shocked to open the door and see Luke himself holding another bouquet of daisies. 

Coming back to my senses, I went to shut the door on him, but he stopped me from closing it and let himself in. 

"Wait, Daisy," he said. "I need to talk to you." He shut the door behind himself. I turned around so he couldn't see the expression on my face and instead turned off the TV and sat down on the couch. Luke sat on the other side, facing me. 

"How did you know my parents weren't home?" I asked without looking at him.

"I asked Eleanor when you ignored my call the other day," he said. "I didn't know what to do and she said she was planning on surprising you this weekend instead but suggested that I do it instead." 

God damn it Eleanor. 

"Why are you here?" I asked, turning to him. "Did your indecisive mind finally decide that you want me in your life? Because you're wasting your time. I'm done with this back and forth shit." I tried to mask my pain and hurt with acting angry and unaffected but I had to admit to myself that sitting in front of him like this was hard and I had hope that maybe we could work things out. 

"Daisy, I didn't know what I was thinking," he said. "I was stupid for what I did and I know that now and I won't make the same mistakes again. I was too busy comparing you to someone you're not to realize that you were right in front of me the whole time. You are the real blessing in my life, and I was ignorant to that."

I didn't say anything, trying to process what was happening. I didn't want to jump in and forgive him for all he'd put me through right away. He's said it so many times before. 

"I love you Daisy," he said. "I love you more than I could describe. All I want is to be with you."

A couple tears fell from my eyes. I wanted to believe him; I was just so afraid of getting hurt again. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because I'm in love with you," he said, scooting down the couch closer to me, I scooted away but he cornered me into the edge, taking my face in his hands. He used his thumb to brush away my tears like he'd done so many times before. 

"I'm so sorry, Daisy," he said. "I swear I'll never make the same mistake again. I've let you go too many times before and I can't bear another second knowing that you're slowly sitting here slipping away from me little by little."

"I shouldn't trust you," I said. 

"I know," he said. "But please let me prove it." He leaned in and kissed me, leaving no opportunity for me to say anything else to him. I hesitated, but the familiar feeling of his lips against mine, the smooth feeling was too much to resist. I let him kiss me, pull me closer to him and over his lap. My hands rested around his shoulders, one of his around my waist and the other resting on my cheek, holding me close to him as if he were afraid of me getting away, which was probably somewhat true. His kisses moved from my lips down my cheek and jaw, all over my neck, my collar bone, and my chest. He untied my robe with one hand, pushing it off my shoulders and dropping it on the floor behind me. 

"There's a window right there," I said. "My neighbors could see."

"Let's go to your room then," he said, lifting me off the couch and following me up the stairs and down the hallway to my room. Luke shut the door behind me as I walked to my window and pulled the curtains shut. I turned around to see Luke was right on my heels and was right behind me, pulling me close to him and leaning down to kiss me again. His lips moved against mine as he turned me around and laid me back on my bed, lifting my shirt over my head to expose my bare chest. It crossed my mind that this was our first time doing this on an actual bed and in an actual bedroom. 

There was something special and different about it this time, as my hands slid up his shirt and he helped me to pull it over his head. I wasn't used to casual Luke, in a t-shirt and jeans and a little scruff from a couple days of not shaving but it looked so good. Now that I wasn't trying to ignore his presence, I was able to appreciate this Luke in all its glory. The flip of his hair, the tickle on my neck from his scruff that made me shiver as he kissed me, the soft touch of his fingers over my thighs as he pulled my pajama shorts down my legs. 

"I would have shaved my legs if I'd known--" 

"Shh, I don't care," Luke kissed my lips, hushing my remark as he fit himself between my legs, his hips grinding against mine. I laid my head back against my pillows and let him kiss down my chest and stomach, biting my skin here and there, leaving small purplish red marks. He pulled away just long enough to unbutton his jeans and pull them off, leaving them with the rest of our clothes on the floor. 

-

I laid against his bare chest, his heartbeat against my ear as we both enjoyed the blissful silence. A worry still sat in my own chest but I tried to enjoy this moment together while we had it. 

"It's nice being able to do this with you in an actual bed," he said, brushing my hair away from my face. "More special."

"Yeah," I sighed. "It's a lot more comfortable than a desk."

He chuckled, rolling over to face me and kiss my forehead. He kissed my cheek, then my lips and looked down at me. 

"Luke," I said. He continued looking down at me. "What's going to happen now?"

"I don't know, honestly," he said. "But whatever it is, I want it to be with you."

He kissed me again, and at long last I felt more relieved. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I am," he said. "I told you, Daisy. I'm not making the same mistake again."

"So what happens with us now?" I asked. 

"I wanted to make things official," he said. "And as far as I'm concerned, ever doubting that was a mistake. So I want things official with us."

"You want me to be your girlfriend?" I asked. "Not just a student-teacher fling?"

"I'm in love with you, Daisy. Be my girlfriend."

I smiled up at him. "Okay." He leaned down and kissed me again, lingering on my lips for a second longer than usual. 

"I love your haircut, by the way." 

-

A/N: so yay they are not only talking again but are officially together finally

3 more chapters left :)))