leaked (l.h.)

17

"Happy birthday!" 

I say happily as I hold the phone between my shoulder and ear. I hear his quiet giggle on the other side of the line, as as my head is filled with such a beautiful sound I can't help but smile. I sit on my bedroom floor as I call my boy, running the tip of my tongue across the envelope I that holds his birthday card and a few other things that I pray he'll like. 

"Thanks," his sleepy voice responds. "You know you woke me up, right?"

"Good," I chuckle, sealing it closed. "You should be up early on your birthday anyway."

 Inside contains a few things: a guitar pic I had crafted out from a copy of his favorite album cover that I had found at the second hand store, twenty bucks that I had owed him after he brought me dinner the other night, and, perhaps the most terrifying of the three:

A love letter. 

"I was planning on sleeping in, to be honest," I hear his raspy voice reply. God, I love how beautiful it sounds this early in the morning. "But I'm up now. Are you still coming over later?"

"Absolutely," I reply, nibbling on my bottom lip as I slip the card inside of a gift bag containing more tiny presents I had gotten him. "I can't wait to meet your parents. And see you room!"

"Grace," he says slowly. "My house, my family isn't quite as nice as yours is."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my Dad's now at an extended care facility." He explains after hesitating for a moment. "And if I want my Dad to be at my party, then I have to bring it to him."

"Well, that's okay," I nod slowly. "Wherever your party is, that's where I'll be."

"It's a lot. There's a lot of tubes and wires and machines. Kind of makes you grateful to be healthy."

"I'm sorry, Luke," I say quietly. "I'm sorry about your Dad."

"Me, too."

I run my fingertips across my once-busted lip, looking down at the present I had given him. I'm terrified. Will he think that my timing is bad?

"Is your Mom home?" I ask, to break the silence.

"No, she's going birthday shopping. Then, she'll head over to the facility to decorate. Why?"

"Send me your address," I smile softly, moving to my feet as I run my fingers through my hair. It's way longer than it has ever been. "I still want to see your room."

"Well, shit," he scoffs, and I can hear his shuffling on the other end of the line. "I didn't clean my room."

"Well, hurry!" I chuckle, walking over to my closet and pulling out an outfit I had not worn since Tyler, but one that I know isn't too casual or too dressy for Luke's birthday party. "Because I'm coming over. And I'm making you breakfast."

"We don't have anything. No flour, no eggs..." He sighs. "I meant it when I said that my house isn't as functional as yours is."

"Don't worry about that, love." I reply warmly. "Let me worry about that. Just focus on your and your room. I'll take care of everything else."

The shuffling stops. The only sound from his side of the line is the soft humming of a quiet room.

"Grace?" 

I pull my shirt off over my head, replacing it with a dress that had taken me so long to build up the courage to wear. And if today was any other day, I wouldn't have worn it. But making a good impression on both Luke and his family is important to me. If I want a future with this boy, thenI should win him over. Right? "Yes, Luke?" 

"I love you."

I stop dead in my tracks, my eyes wide as I hear him say this. Butterflies escape from where I had so carefully locked them away. Despite how pure and loving Luke's intentions are, I'm terrified of being heartbroken again. But I let them escape this time. Luke must have a key.

But I know he meant it platonically. 

"I love you more." I smile softly, pulling my hair out from where it was tucked inside of my shirt. "But you knew that already."

"I didn't," he chuckles. "I was scared that you were secretly tired of me being around all the time."

"Absolutely not," I beam as I drop my pajama pants around my ankles. "In fact, I find myself wishing you were here more often. But I know you've got a family to be with, too. So I can wait."

"Well, maybe you can be with me here too," he replies as I hear a door creak on the other side. "I don't know. I'll cook you food for once."

"I'd love that, Luke." 

We spend a few moments in silence, and although I'm not sure what he is thinking I know what I am - I can't help but be a blushing mess as I remember what those three words sounded like when they fell off of his lips. And for just a moment, I picture what it might be like had he meant it romantically.

"Well, I should let you go if I am going to get this bedroom cleaned up." 

"Right," I nod, sitting down in front of my vanity. I sat here once before, looking at Tyler on my bed as I tried to get some sort of affection out of him. It was never as easy as it is with Luke. "Well, I'll see you soon Luke."

"See you soon. Bye, Grace. I love you."

"I love you," I say back, smiling softly as I move my hairbrush through my dark locks. 

And with a beep of his cellphone, I hear the line go empty. It's just me, my mirror, and the inevitable makeover that has suddenly popped into my mind.