TROUVAILLE ... l.danes (REWRITE)

chapter twenty-eight; the present

SURE, LET'S KILL ROMEO AND JULIET

two-thousand-and-three

"DO LAWYERS make for good neighbours?"

Shelley's head snaps back to Luke from where she had been watching the construction men working on Taylor's new ice cream store. They'd been there every single day since the snow had melted, and she has watched Luke grow more and more furious at their constant hammering and drilling. Her eyebrows raise at the furious expression clouding his face.

"I roomed with a law student when I was a freshman and she was nice enough. So... sure."

It's not a question she would have expected from Luke. But, then again, she's not sure what to expect from Luke any longer. Every night, she presses her cold fingers against her cheek and imagines his lips there instead. Why does she keep doing this to herself? She knew seventeen years ago that it was never going to work out. How will it be any different?

"Just go and see his lawyers. Sign the stuff he needs you to sign and he'll stop bothering you."

Luke's eyes snap over to her, livid from the mere suggestion of doing anything Taylor's way. "If he wants something signed, he can bring it over here and I'll sign it."

He huffs out a sigh and rounds the counter to clean up after some customers. Autumn and Jess are meant to be doing it, but they're too busy throwing sugar sachets at each other from across the diner to bother doing any actual work. Shelley swings off of her seat at the counter, coffee in hand, allowing the steam to warm up the chill of her face and follows after him. Another love-sick puppy trailing behind an owner who doesn't even want them. God, she's sad.

"Have you always been filled with rage?"

"Yes." She chuckles and swings herself up onto the table that he's just finished cleaning. His glare cuts through her, but she can tell it's half-hearted. Her legs swing. "Get off my table. Come on." He swipes at her with the dishcloth he uses to wipe down the tables and she laughs, throwing her hand out to hit him back to no avail. Behind the counter, Jess throws another sugar sachet at Autumn, but she doesn't reciprocate, too focused on the scene playing out in front of them. Shelley jumps off the table so she can run away from Luke, but all he does is toss aside the cloth and catch her around the waist before she can get too far, picking her up off the floor and swinging her around. She laughs so hard the air gets caught in her lungs.

It burns. It's the best feeling in the world.

The bell above the door chimes and they freeze.

Luke drops Shelley back to her feet as a pretty woman walks in. Chin-length dyed red hair, professional suit, even more professional briefcase. She smiles, but it falters just a little when she catches sight of the four people staring back at her.

"Excuse me," she calls out to Jess. "Hi. I'm looking for a Mr Lucas Danes."

Jess smirks at Autumn beside him before letting his eyes flit across the diner to his uncle. "Oh, Lucas!" Shelley and Autumn start to chuckle, trying to hide it behind their hands when they catch sight of Luke's grumpy glare. "IRS!"

"I'm not IRS." She shakes her head, straight red hair swinging side to side. She tucks a few strands behind her ear when Luke crosses the diner to shake her hand. Shelley watches them as she too crosses the diner, in the opposite direction to stand by Autumn behind the counter. The teenager hands over the pot of coffee to let her fill her yellow mug.