Iris ↠ l.h.

Or the moment of truth in your lies...

Luke couldn't contain his happiness.

Iris's dad had confessed, was charged guilty and is now spending the next few years in jail.

Away from Iris.

That was the best part.

For Luke at least.

Because, for once in his life, his puzzle was completed and it created the perfect picture.

But I guess Luke forgot that pictures don't always show the real story. They just capture the moment you want to remember.

Maybe that's why Iris always took photos of such beautiful things.

She just wanted to remember the happier things in life.

"Luke?"

Luke looked up from his lunch table to see all his friends staring at him.

"You're smiling at the mashed potatoes," Ashton pointed out, trying to contain his laughter.

"I have to go find Iris," Luke stated, ignoring Ashton's remark and getting up from the lunch table.

"You're obsessed," Calum murmured, mixing the salad around in his bowl without actually eating any of it.

"Who's Iris?" Michael asked with pizza stuffed in his mouth.

Before Luke could even leave the table he saw Iris walk into the cafeteria.

It's been a week since her fathers arrest and Iris hasn't been in school.

Of course, nobody would expect her to be.

As soon as Iris made eye contact with Luke she gave him a smile that seemed unpleasing, fake...

A lie, really.

So, of course, Luke did what any concerned kid would do for his crush.

He followed her.

But really, following her was unnecessary when they both knew exactly where they were going.

"It seems like forever since we've both been out here," Luke chuckled, taking a seat on the ground next to Iris.

She nodded looking down at the grass as she fiddled with her fingers. Luke followed her gaze and saw the last thing he'd ever thought to see.

"Your pictures,Iris," He said, his voice so quiet it seemed nonexistent, "why would you rip them up?"

Iris shrugged, leaning back on the tree, the tree that started it all.

"Are you seriously not talking?" Luke asked, his voice sounding deplorable.

After all they've been through.

Luke didn't expect her to just stop talking again.

"Iris, what's wrong? What happened?"

She let out a snort shaking her head.

"I thought everything was better, Iris, what changed over this week?"

She shook her head once more, rolling her eyes, "What happened? Are you serious?"

"I'm confused," Luke said, standing up from the floor.

"You're confused? Luke, please just think about it. My mom is dead. My dad's in jail. And then there's you, the guy who knows what to say and is just perfect but I will never be able to reciprocate that over to you because I can't. And you're just going to end up leaving. I have no other family and it wouldn't matter if I did because I'm turning 18 soon and expected to live on my own and I'm going to be alone and I don't know what to do. I don't even have enough money to last me through a day of college. My life is a fucking sob story, Luke,it's pathetic," She turned her head to face the sky, ignoring Luke's gaze on her, believing that for a moment, this was the only true thing that she's been saying.

The rest were lies.

"It's not pathetic, you've just been through a lot, it's understandable."

"Life shouldn't be understandable," She sighed, looking over at Luke, "life just has to be something you make the best of, y'know, isn't that what everyone says?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe I don't want to make the best of it, I didn't even ask for it in the first place."

Luke sat back down and pat his knee so Iris would get the hint and sit on his lap.

She did.

Luke wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his chest, relaxing his chin on her shoulder.

"Iris, you'll always have me," he said quietly into her ear. "Through everything, I'll be here for you."

"You're too good for me, Luke," Iris mumbled.

Luke let his smile take over his face and gently kissed the crook of her neck, letting his lips linger a little longer than they should have.

Luke was too optimistic for his own good.

He believed.

He believed that everything was going to be okay.

From now on, he believed things were perfect.

But, you know what they say about dreamers.

A/n
So short and so overdue i'm just really not into this book anymore.

Im trying to be.

You guys should definitely check out my new story "Risky Business" there won't be continuous updates but I'm gonna try my very hardest.

Also, "faking it • l.h." very cute.

So thank you so much and hopefully I'll have an update by the end of this year.

BTW there are only 4 chapters left in this book :( I know I haven't enjoyed writing it as much as I did when I first started but this book really helped me through a lot and it means a lot to me.

even if it does suck 😂

Love you xox.