Thick and Thin [l. hemmings]

sixty

"Hey, can we talk?" I ask almost right as Luke gets home from work.

"Damn, you really can't let me enjoy the weekend for five seconds before ruining it?" Luke jokes, shaking his head at me as he drops his keys and bag on the island.

"It's nothing bad!" I giggle, "I just thought we could discuss the wedding tomorrow."

"Yeah? What about it?" He asks, coming to join me on the couch.

"Well, just, I'm part of the wedding party, so we will be separated for a good portion of the day. I know stuff like that doesn't bother you, but, I don't know-"

Luke smiles, "I'm sure it'll be fun catching up with people from high school. I'll be good."

"I figured. But, you will be sure to let people know we aren't together, right? They're going to ask."

Sighing, Luke reaching out resting a hand on my knee, "I promise, I will let them know."

Looking down at his hand he quickly moves it, and I look up at him, "I just want to make sure you're not going to lie like you did to your family."

He doesn't say anything, he just nods.

"How did that go, by the way?" I nervously ask, not sure how Luke's going to react.

Luke doesn't say anything right away. It's as if he doesn't want to tell me, but he does want to tell me. If he ever expects us to stay friends or anything like that, I expect he'd tell me at some point. He takes a deep breath, "My mom didn't talk to me for at least a month."

"What?"

"She hated me for what I did to you."

"Oh."

"They all did. Then they hated me even more for not telling them. My brothers told me they knew something was up, but they didn't realize it was anything like this." He continues.

"I mean, you should've told them."

Like sighs, slouching in to his seat. "I know that. I really thought we were going to get back together. Then it just became too late that I didn't know what to do."

"I wasn't trying to upset you with this."

"No, I know. Don't worry. I will make sure people at the wedding know."

"Okay, great. Thanks." I quietly reply.

We sit in silence for what feels like a while. Looking down at my lap, I was fidgeting with my hands because I had no idea what to say. When I look up at him, he's smiling, and I cock my head to the side, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What?"

He quietly chuckles, biting his lip to try to hold back a smile, "I don't know. I'm happy."

"Is that all?"

"I could tell you what I'm feeling, but it's cheesy as fuck, and you'll probably hit me."

"I mean, we should probably be open..." I explain, trailing off. My stomach feels like it's doing flips, it was like he was giving me butterflies. I felt like a teenager again. I felt like I did when I first met him. I wish I didn't feel this way, I wish I could just push it away. Thinking about how this was what I felt years ago while falling madly in love with him is terrifying. "Anyway, any excuse to hit you is great." I add, joking with him.

"I mean, I'm about to make things awkward, but you're so beautiful, Kelsey. I'm so lucky to have you here. Thank you for giving me a chance."

As he catches me off guard, I almost gasp as I take a deep breath. I mean, he was right, he's making it awkward.