mistake || c.h au

|| chapter two ; new years kiss ||

|| december 31, 2011 ||

•

Tegan stood on the Hemmings' doorstep on the evening of New Years Eve. She took a deep, staggered breath before she reached out to ring the doorbell, holding her breath as she willed for Luke to answer.

It didn't take long for a member of the Hemmings' family to answer the door - it just wasn't the son that Tegan had hoped it would be.

"I'll get Luke," Jack shrugged simply, leaving the door open and shouting his brothers name throughout the house.

Luke bounded down the stairs to the door, and a small smile formed on his lips at the sight of his best friend. Luke's smile faded, however, once he looked at his friend a little closer. He took notice of her watery eyes and slightly smudged mascara.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked, a concerned expression replacing his smile.

Tegan simply shook her head and looked up towards the sky, biting the inside of her cheek in an attempt to prevent herself from crying.

"Do you want to take a walk?" Luke asked softly, and Tegan nodded in reply. Luke grabbed his jacket from where it hung on the wall just behind the door, while simultaneously shoving his feet into a pair of worn out vans.

"I'd invite you in," Luke started, as he pulled the door closed behind him. "But I feel like now really isn't a good time to be bombarded with questions by my family."

"Sorry," Tegan sighed, running a hand through her hair as she and Luke began walking down the path. "I didn't mean to pull you away from your party."

"My brothers' have been here since Christmas, I'm grateful for the escape," Luke shrugged.

Tegan and Luke walked around aimlessly for a while. Although the purpose of the walk had been for Tegan to talk about whatever had happened, the two walked in a comfortable silence of understanding.

Ahead of them, the illuminated arches of the McDonalds sign became visible.

"Shall we get a drink or something?" Luke questioned, being the first to break the silence.

"Sure," Tegan murmured in reply with a small shrug.

Luke held the door open for his friend, and she stood with him while he ordered hot chocolates for them both.

Tegan's grip on her paper cup tightened once she noticed the presence of someone she knew too well, and wasn't ready nor in the mood to see.

"It's New Years' Eve. He should be at some party getting hammered - not here," Tegan said quietly - more to herself than anyone else - her gaze unwillingly focused onto her ex-boyfriend.

Luke's gaze followed that of his friends, and his jaw tightened at the sight of Calum with his arm draped along the length of the booth seat, while he sat opposite Riley - the girl that Calum had been with in the aforementioned snapchat stories.

Despite Luke's internal rage, he exhaled calmly and slipped into a seat at a table that was on the opposite side of the fast food restaurant to Calum Hood.

"I know it's difficult, but you have to ignore him and move on," Luke said quietly.

"Yeah. I know," Tegan agreed hesitantly, her attention returning back to her friend.

Luke nodded in both understanding and sympathy as he took a sip from his drink. He couldn't help but look over his shoulder at regular intervals to look at the boy he despised so much, although Calum had yet to clock their presence.