𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦, ʟᴜᴋᴇ ʜᴜɢʜᴇs

eighteen

LUKE slumped into his chair, the weight of the argument with Charlotte-Alexandria pressing down on him like a heavy blanket. The apartment felt emptier than usual, even with Shrimp curled up on the couch beside him, his one good eye watching Luke intently.

"You think I messed up, huh?" Luke muttered, reaching out to scratch behind Shrimp's ear. The dog responded with a contented sigh, but Luke's mind was far from at ease. The memory of Charlotte's tear-filled eyes haunted him, her words echoing in his head.

For a long moment, Luke just sat there, trying to make sense of his tangled emotions. He knew he'd been too harsh, too defensive, but part of him still bristled at the idea that she could doubt him so easily. It wasn't just the accusation that stung; it was the implication that he was still that guy—the one who would use someone and toss them aside without a second thought.

"Maybe I haven't changed as much as I thought," he whispered, more to himself than to Shrimp. The dog tilted his head, and nudged closer, resting his head on Luke's knee.

Luke needed to clear his head. Grabbing Shrimp's leash, he decided to take a walk. The summer sun was still low in the sky, casting long shadows across the pavement as they walked. The rhythm of their steps and the sound of Shrimp's nails clicking against the concrete provided a temporary distraction, but Luke's thoughts kept circling back to Charlotte.

As they passed by a small park, Luke paused, watching a couple laughing together on a bench. He couldn't help but remember the early days with Charlotte—how easy everything had seemed. There had been no complications, no doubts. Just the thrill of getting to know each other, of discovering the little things that made her smile.

He wished they could go back to that, but he knew things weren't that simple anymore. They had reached a point where their relationship was either going to deepen or fall apart. And that terrified him.

Meanwhile, back at her apartment, Charlotte-Alexandria sat on the edge of her bed, the sketchpad lying open in her lap. She flipped through the pages slowly, each drawing a reminder of how much she had come to care for Luke. But now, looking at the sketches, all she could see were the flaws, the things she might have been blind to in the beginning.

Had she been too quick to trust him? Too quick to let him into her life? The girl at the party had planted a seed of doubt, and now it had grown into something she couldn't ignore. But as much as she wanted to protect herself, the thought of pushing Luke away hurt even more.

She closed the sketchpad with a sigh, her fingers tracing the edges of the worn cover. It had been a long time since she'd felt this conflicted, this unsure of what to do next. Usually, her art was a refuge, a way to express what she couldn't put into words. But now, it just felt like a reminder of everything that was slipping through her fingers.

A soft knock on the doorframe made her look up. There was Luke, standing in the doorway, his face a mix of guilt and uncertainty. He was holding his hoodie in one hand, his eyes locking onto hers the moment she met his gaze.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice tentative.

Charlotte-Alexandria didn't respond immediately, just watched him as he hesitated at the threshold of her room. She wasn't sure what to say, wasn't sure how to feel. Part of her wanted to reach out to him, to tell him that everything would be okay, but another part of her was still stung by his earlier dismissal of her feelings.

Luke cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly. "I, uh, I came to get my hoodie. I didn't mean to—" His gaze fell on the sketchpad in her hands, and he winced. "I'm sorry, Alex. I shouldn't have looked at that."

Charlotte-Alexandria bit her lip, trying to hold back the wave of emotions that threatened to spill over. "It's okay," she finally said, though her voice was tight. "It's not like it's a secret."

Luke stepped further into the room, setting the hoodie down on the bed. He didn't sit, just stood there, his hands fidgeting as he tried to find the right words. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did earlier. I was... I don't know. Defensive, I guess. And I'm sorry for that."

She nodded slowly, appreciating the apology but still unsure if it was enough. "It's just... it's hard, Luke. Hearing something like that, it made me wonder if I'm just another girl to you."

"You're not," Luke said quickly, the sincerity in his voice making her heart ache. "I know I haven't been here long, and maybe it's hard to believe I've changed. But I have. I swear, Alex, I'm not that guy anymore."

Charlotte-Alexandria looked down at the sketchpad, her fingers tracing one of the drawings she had done of him. "It's just hard to know what's real sometimes. People can change, but... it takes time."

"I know," Luke admitted, taking a step closer to her. "And I want to prove it to you. I want you to trust me, but I also get that it's not going to happen overnight."

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his for any sign of deceit. But all she saw was the boy she had drawn so many times, the one who had made her laugh, who had made her feel special. And maybe, just maybe, the one who could make her feel safe.

"I want to believe you, Luke," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "But I need you to understand that this—us—it's important to me. I can't go through something like this if it's just going to end up like it did with that other girl."

Luke nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. "I get that. And I promise you, Alex, I'm in this for real. No games, no messing around. Just... give me a chance to show you."

Charlotte-Alexandria studied him for a long moment before she finally let out a sigh, a small, tentative smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Okay," she said softly. "But let's take it slow. One step at a time."

Luke's shoulders relaxed, the tension easing from his body as he nodded in agreement. "One step at a time," he repeated, relief flooding through him.

They stood there in silence for a moment, the air between them lighter than it had been just minutes before. Then, as if sensing that the worst was over, Shrimp trotted into the room, his tail wagging as he nudged his way between them. The small, one-eyed dog looked up at them expectantly, and Charlotte couldn't help but laugh, the sound breaking through the last of the tension.

"Looks like someone's ready for a walk," she said, glancing at Luke.

Luke smiled, bending down to ruffle Shrimp's fur. "Yeah, I think he's had enough of the drama."

Charlotte chuckled, the sound warmer now, more genuine. "Maybe we could all use a break from that."

Luke straightened up, meeting her gaze with a look of determination. "How about we take him for a walk? Clear our heads, start fresh."

Charlotte considered the offer, then nodded. "I'd like that."

Together, they walked out of the apartment, Shrimp trotting happily between them, oblivious to the weight of the emotions that had hung over them earlier. As they stepped out into the sunlight, Luke reached out, hesitating for just a moment before taking Charlotte's hand in his. She glanced at him, and for the first time that day, she felt a spark of hope.

Maybe they weren't out of the woods yet, but for now, they were willing to try. And that was enough.

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