Lie To Me • lrh

Pink Nails - Luke

This morning Valentine stayed in bed late with me, but not too late. I didn't get breakfast this morning so I ate some chips because I had gotten used to her cooking so I didn't know what to eat. I went downstairs to look for Valentine, I walked through all of the floors of the building trying to find her. I was getting worried...scared, when I finally stopped to see her at the front of the shelter talking to an old man. She was the brightest person in the room.

"Where the hell have you been? I couldn't find you anywhere! Please tell me where you're going next time!" She looked at me with a surprised expression that turned into a smile.

"Were you worried about me?" No shit. Of course I was worried.

"No...I just wanted breakfast." I looked everywhere but at her. "Who's this?" I motioned to the old man she was talking to.

"Oh! This is Mr. Marcus, he was one of the first people to come here when I first opened up the shelter." She looked so happy talking about the shelter...I wanted her to be happy, but I wanted to be the one who makes her happy.

"It's nice to meet you." He completely ignored me and continued talking to Valentine, but I didn't care.

"He loves you Yaknow?" The old man whispered loudly to Valentine. She didn't say anything...she just laughed, she laughed like it was the stupidest thing she'd heard all day, like me loving her was so hard for her to believe. I don't love her though...at least I don't thi—

My thought was cut off when I heard a scream coming from the door entering the shelter. A girl with short blonde hair ran and hugged Valentine. She looked about 18 years old.

"I missed you so much! I can't believe you're dating Luke Hemmings! Doesn't he hate you? It doesn't matter." She doesn't know what she's talking about, Valentine's my girl, she's a little too pink for my taste but I could never hate her...oh wait...

"How's that boy you liked from school?" Valentine asked the girl. After the girls' whole squealing episode I had walked away, close enough to here but far away enough so the girl couldn't see me.

"Oh, we've been together for a few years now. I love you V, but I seriously doubt you're dating the Luke Hemmings." I heard now who I knew as Sam say. I had to show her that Valentine was my girl.

"Oh well...wait where'd he go? He was just he—" I cut her off as I hugged her waist from behind, kissing her lightly on the cheek and down her neck. I almost couldn't stop myself. I lightly moved my hand under her loose pink shirt to feel her smooth skin, she wasn't opposing it because she started playing with my hair as my head rested on her shoulder. She smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. She was smiling, she was happy.

"Sam...this is my boyfriend, Luke." She laughed as I kissed her shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you...but we have work to do, so I'll see you later!" I said as I took Valentine's hand and ran back into the elevator. I didn't want to be rude and leave the girl, but I wanted Valentine all to myself today, no sharing.

"Hey Luke! How's the penthouse!" Michael called me, I wish he didn't. He was with the rest of the boys too. I was laying in bed while Valentine was in the kitchen, making me pancakes because she basically freaked out when I told her I had chips for breakfast.

"It's amazing here, the penthouse is really nice." I smiled thinking about the pancakes.

"How's my girl?" His girl? His girl? He hasn't even spoken to her for over an hour! I was getting angry.

"Don't call her that. If anything, she's my girl. So shut your mouth before I fly over there and shut it for you." Michael looked scared...good, he should be. I was still angry though, he had to know that she was off limits, but before I got to speak the door opened.

Valentine jumped on the bed and wrapped her arm around my back. She must've not noticed that the boys were on the phone because she took me by surprise and started kissing my cheek as she laughed.

"Hey! What's all this for?" I laughed. I was surprised but I wasn't complaining. 

"Payback." She laughed. "For earlier. Also your pancakes are done." When did payback become so sweet? I thought as she kept kissing my cheek. I turned my head quickly at the sound of hearing my pancakes are done. At that moment, In a split second, her lips crashed into mine. Before I knew it I hung up on the boys and grabbed her face, kissing her. She tasted like heaven. I never wanted this to stop, but she only kissed back for a split second before pushing me away.

That look. The look on her face like she had just done something wrong.

"I...I have to go." No. Please don't. I'm sorry. She ran out of the room and started running for the door. I ran after her.

"Please don't run from me again! I'm sorry! Valentine!" I called after her as she ran down the hall. I ran my hands through my hair, thinking about my next move. I couldn't look for her, I didn't know the city. I couldn't call her, she wouldn't pick up.

It was around 10:30 when I heard the door unlock from my seat at the piano. I was scared. I didn't know if she had gotten on a plane.

She walked in, tears running down her face, mascara ruined, her hands were filled with shopping bags.

I ran to her and took her in my arms. I held her tightly, so she couldn't run. I heard the bags fall to the floor as she sobbed into my shirt.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Val. I didn't mean to. It didn't mean anything, I promise. I'm sorry." It meant everything. I felt her arms slowly wrap around my back as she clung to my pink shirt. "Please don't leave like that again...I was...I was scared."

"I'm sorry...I just I haven't...the last person...i'm sorry." She cried. Who did this to you? Please tell me. I had to find a way to make this up to her...I mean I shouldn't have acted on the kiss, I should've backed away. I partially let her go and reached into one of the bags to see what she got. "Pink nail polish?" I laughed.

"I'm sorry I know you don't like pink." She sniffled. She even looked cute when she cried, but I needed to see that smile.

"Actually...I think I need a new manicure to match my new favorite shirt." I jokingly looked at my nails. "Sadly...I don't know anyone who can paint my nails at such a late hour...oh wait..." I smiled as I handed her the pink nail polish. That laugh, I missed it. She grabbed my arm and wiped her tears with her other hand. She took me into the bathroom and sat me on the toilet, sitting on my lap. She was excited....she was so excited that she didn't even care about personal space, reminded me of well...me.

She laid my hand on the counter and started painting my nails baby pink. She was so focused. "Feel better?" I asked. She nodded. "So...when was the last time that you were...kissed...I mean besides today." I asked, I didn't want to pry but I was curious. She was so focused on my nails that she answered the question without even thinking if she cared about giving out that information.

"Last year, my last boyfriend." She kept painting.

"What happened to him?" I asked. 3 boyfriends. The last one out of the 3.

"He died. He was the last person I kissed. Cameron. I don't want to talk about it." She always seemed so happy in the media, at award shows, before I met her I thought she was always happy. The past haunted her, I could see it in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Val." Val...I liked it. "Can I call you Val?" I wanted to make sure she was okay with it.

"It's okay. The nickname, it's cute. The media will love it. That's a good part of the fake relationship." Fake...that word didn't hold meaning to our relationship anymore, not for me.

"You're the only one I'd do this for. Pink is not my color." I laughed as she finished my nails.

"I think it looks good on you." She smiled.

"We should go to bed after this dries." I looked into her green eyes. She moved before I could say one more word.

She kissed my cheek, and I was alright with that.