when we collide ✰ l.h.

Chapter 17

I stood in the center of my room, slipping on my one and only dress. My mom had bought it for me to wear for my senior graduation, but I rejected her offer since it always stuck in my mind that Ellis never liked it when I wore dresses. Not because I didn't look nice in them, but just because it wasn't his 'taste'. I now know how stupid that sounds and how ridiculous it is that I actually let a boy have a say in what I wear, boyfriend or not.

It was a simple dress; long sleeved, pinched in at my waist with a light floral pattern. I was beyond relief that it still fit since I actually didn't think of anything else I could wear since Luke did bring me home last minute. I was lucky my mom had good taste.

I stood in front of my mirror with my back visible so I could zip it up. After a few moments of tugging and fumbling, I was able to successfully complete the task and turn back around to become face to face with myself. I scanned my reflection up and down as I pulled out a few tugs and wrinkles. A few light knocks on my bedroom door caught my attention, followed by a familiar voice.

"Autumn?" Luke's muffled voice came through the thin wood. I adjusted the dress over my shoulder and reached for the door knob, but he had already let himself in. He took a step inside and gave me a gentle smile. "I haven't seen you in a dress since we were little." He commented, eyeing me up and down once.

I looked back to my mirror and messed with the messy bun that I still needed to take down and fix. "I have a mop of hair on my head and you talk about my dress." I said as I let out a small laugh.

"I figured you would've been less offended." He replied. I shook my head at him and pushed passed him to make my way to the bathroom to actually tame my hair.

I tugged on the elastic and let my hair fall down on my back. I noticed that my once ombré hair was fading and was almost back at it's original dark color. I shook my fingers through my damp hair and was lucky enough to have it fall into the natural waves without going through too much of a hassle with it.

Luke popped up in my mirror behind me and I took a brush to the ends of my hair, throwing a little piece over my shoulder every once in a while. I parted my lips to ask him what his was up to, but he' easily grabbed my brush from my hand and slowly put it on my counter. I stared up from my white sink to my mirror, seeing Luke place his chin on the top of my head. He draped his arms over my shoulders and locked his fingers with his own.

"Why don't you wear dresses more often?" He sighed. I gave him a small smile in the mirror then looked down at the ground and started fiddling with the hem at the bottom.

"I don't know." I sighed. This was very obviously a lie and Luke could tell from the moment the syllables started falling from my mouth. I peered back up to our reflection to see his facial expression as flat as it was before. "Ellis never like it when I wore dresses." I admitted to him as I awaited his reaction.

"Well, I do." He said quietly after a pause in the conversation. "If it makes a difference." He added. I gave him a half smile which he easily returned.

"Thank you." I told him. I turned around to where I was gripping the sink behind me and Luke's tall frame stood in front of me. "And I like button-ups on you." I lightly hit his stomach once before I stepped out of my bathroom. "If it makes a difference." I repeated over my shoulder.

I heard him take in a sharp breath of air as if he was going to speak, but my mom shouting at us to come downstairs for lunch had filled our ears instead. I swiveled around on my heels to see him already walking towards my door. He opened it all the way with a hand still holding it to where I ran under his arm to get through. He chased me down the stairs, our laughter with each other mixing in with everyone else's at the table that was set downstairs.