𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙 [𝗻𝗼𝗮𝗵 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗮𝗽𝗽] ✓

FOURTEEN

how do you like the book so far? 
adore you - harry styles

Y/N POV

"Jade, can I ask you something?" I ask her as we sit at lunch in the cafeteria. 

"Of course." Jade says.

"If, hypothetically, I really liked Noah, how would that make you feel?" I ask.

"I mean, I'd be happy for you, but you know, I'd be a little sad. Wait, do you?" Jade replies.

"No, of course not, I was just wondering. We're completely fake." I reassure her, causing her to laugh.

"Okay, keep it that way." Jade says.

I nod and smile, looking down at my lunch. I'll have to tell her someday, but for now I can't. It would crush her and our friendship. Jade is someone I can't lose, she's been there for me ever since we became friends and she was what really got me through my mom's death. She just means so much to me, she's like a sister, I would never hurt her. But I know that when I do tell her I will hurt her. Maybe she'll have a change of heart? Maybe someone will come along and sweep her off her feet so she'll be okay with Noah and I? A few years back, Jake, Noah's friend, asked her out. Jade being Jade rejected him of course, but maybe he still likes her. I'll have to ask Noah. 

"Hey." Luke says, sitting down next to me.

"Hey." I say, looking over at him. Ever since he got back with Ebony, things have been painfully awkward between him and I. 

"How's your day going?" He asks.

"Good." I reply.

"Listen, I know you two aren't exactly happy about me and Ebony, but I just want to tell you that she has changed and that I trust her not to hurt me." Luke deadpans, which causes Jade and I to jump back a little.

"That's good, that's really good. I trust you and I'm happy for you." Jade tells him, eyeing me.

"Yeah, totally." I add.

*****

How do I tell Luke that Ebony is either trying or has cheated on him. Like, she called Noah asking for him to cheat on me, and she's probably done that to other guys. And the difference is that they'll probably go along with it. Luke deserves to know that she hasn't changed in her ways. All I need to do is find a way to tell him without completely hurting him, which might be impossible. I just need to do it. I need to call him, tell him and just comfort him.

Luke 

Y/n: are you free rn

Luke: yeah

Y/n: wanna meet at the cafe?

Luke: sure 
Luke: be there soon

Great, I set up the meeting and now all I have to do is tell him. Why is this so hard? If he didn't go back to her in the first place, this wouldn't be happening. Luke would've saved himself a lot of trouble just leaving her in the past, but he didn't.

*****

I'm so nervous. I've been waiting for ten minutes at our normal table in the cafe waiting for Luke. Before I got here I called Noah and he comforted me, which helped a little, but I'm still so scared about how Luke is going to react. Is he going to be mad at me? If he is, this'll just ruin our entire friendship, which would be terrible. This entire situation just awful. The bell on the door rings and I look up as Luke sees me and walks over.

"What's up." Luke says, taking his seat.

"Hey. Do you want anything to drink?" I ask, trying to stall.

"Nah, I'm good." He says with a smile.

"Oh okay. So..I wanted to tell you something." 

"Okay?"

"Last night when I was with Noah, Ebony called him asking if he wanted to hookup and Noah told me that it wasn't the first time she'd done it. I didn't know if you knew and I wouldn't be fair if I didn't tell you." I say gently. 

"Oh." Luke says, looking like he wanted to cry. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know how to tell you. Are you okay?" I ask.

"I'm just a little mad." Luke says, looking away.

"I'm so sorry, we all thought she'd changed." I lie.

"No, I'm not mad at her, I'm mad at you." Luke says, taking me by surprise. 

"What?" 

"I knew you didn't like us being together, but to lie to me and tell me that my girlfriend is cheating on me is just not something I thought you would do." 

"I'm not lying." I say to him, confused.

"Y/n, you're lying, I know Ebony wouldn't do that to me." Luke snaps.

"I promise you I'm not lying." I try to reason with him.

"You know what, just stop." Luke says, getting up.

"Luke, I'm not lying to you, I wouldn't do that!" I try to tell him, but he just holds his hand up and walks out. 

I'm shocked. When I imagined this, this was not what I thought would happen. He knows me and he knows I wouldn't do that. But, in a way I'm still lying to him about Noah, but this is totally different. All I want to do is run after him, but I know that would only make things worse. The first thing that's happening is that I'm crying. The second thing is that I'm heartbroken Luke would think I'm lying to him and didn't trust me. Everyone here in this cafe just witnessed that and they're all staring at me as tears run down my face. And that only increases my crying.

I stand up and walk out, keeping my head down, apologizing to the workers for not buying anything and just leaving. When I get to my car, I let it out. This is not the reaction I had expected. I'm not a cryer and the fact that this hurt me so much is scaring me. All I want to do is go to Noah and have him put his arms around me, but my dad is expecting me. I'll just call him.

"Y/n?" Noah asks as he picks up the phone.

"Y/n are you okay?" Noah asks, hearing my crying.

"No." I reply, my voice shaking with my hand. 

"Do I need to go pick you up? Are you safe? Talk to me, sunshine." Noah says worried.

"No, I'm safe, I just needed to hear your voice. Luke and I just had a fight, that's all." I reply, my crying decreasing. 

"What about?" Noah asks.

"Well, I told him that Ebony called you and stuff because that would just be unfair if I didn't and he got so mad at me and just kept telling me I was lying and that he never thought I would do that, and then he stormed out of the cafe and everyone was staring...it just all just shocked me." I spill.

"That's terrible, Y/n. Are you sure you don't need me to come get you?"

"Yeah, I'm just gonna drive home. I guess all I needed was to talk to you. Thank you." I reply.

"Always. Listen, I'll meet you at your house." Noah says, hanging up.

a/n -

☁︎

<3 lilia