redamancy // l.h au

twenty-four

"I'm not sure how to feel about him." I muttered, mostly to myself, but I stared down at Luke's hand intertwined with mine.

After we finished dinner, he insisted we take a walk in the city, and I couldn't disagree. It rained for a few hours while we were asleep in my bedroom, and so the pavement was wet beneath our feet. The skies were overcast, but the air was warm.

Somehow, we found our way to the park. We sat on an old bench, hidden behind a mass of green trees. I leaned my head against his broad shoulders as we stared out onto the busy streets ahead. "My Dad," I clarified, and Luke nodded, edging me to go on.

When I don't speak, he looks down at me, a smile tugging at his lips. "He cares for you, Rhea."

I smile, and nod, "Yes, I know, but sometimes he's not like one hundred percent present with me. I know he does care, somewhat, but it's difficult for him to say it."

Luke squeezes my hand in understanding, and a thought hits me. I smack my forehead with the palm of my free hand, "God, here I am complaining about my parents, and yours are half way across the world."

"Rhea," Luke chuckles to himself, "I speak with my parents almost everyday. You've nothing to feel guilty about." He leans his head against mine. "Remember, I chose to come here."

"Do you regret it?" I ask, almost immediately. I close my eyes, bracing for his answer.

"Of course not." He says, a matter-of-factly. "I'm making music, and I met you. America is the best thing that's ever happened to me." I bit my lip, feeling the blush creep up my neck. Luke turned my head with his finger underneath my chin, and leaned down to kiss me.

I put my hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat, loud and fast, beneath my fingertips. I smiled to myself at the thought as we sat there for a while longer, speaking only about what we'd missed in each other's lives the time that we'd been apart.

---------------

A week later, I sat on the floor of the apartment, sorting through Charlotte's pairs of shoes. Sam snuggled into a blanket on the sofa directly across from me, staring daggers at the television screen.

"I've had enough of Kourtney's shit." He sighs, turning the volume down. It was nearing ten in the morning, and we had several hours before we were to meet up with Luke and Sam's date for the concert that evening.

"What about Khloe?" I asked, holding up two pairs of flats in front of face, examining them.

"Don't even get me started, Rhea." He sat up, and crossed his legs, putting his elbows on his knees for extra support. "Anyway, isn't this your first real date with Luke?"

I nod, letting my hair fall over my face to conceal the redness in my cheeks. "Please, don't embarrass me, Sammy."

Sam laughs, "As long as you keep the same promise, Rhe. And, that includes any mention of the waldo incident."

"But that makes such good conversation!" I whine, resting my elbow against the coffee table beside me. Sam shakes his head, slowly, and leans back, searching for the TV remote.

After a few moments, I settle for Charlotte's red converse. I pull on a pair of leggings, and a white lace top. Sam goes for a plain black tee shirt and a pair of ripped denim shorts that stopped just above his knee.

"Damn," I smiled at him as he examined himself in my bedroom mirror.

"I know." Sam smirked, putting a hand on his hip. He turned to me, slowly, and gave me a look of curiousity, mixed in with a mischievous grin. "You still haven't told me about that kiss."

"Well," I sat down on my bed, leaning back on my palms. "What do you want to know?"

Sam laughed, taking a seat on the mattress beside me. "Everything, obviously."

I smiled, replaying the moment in my head again. "It was better than I would've ever imagined, Sam."

The boy rolled his eyes, and he opens his mouth to argue about how vague I was being, but I interrupt him: "He actually asked me if he could kiss me."

Sam smiles, "Consent is sexy."

I nod, "I just have a lot of feelings that I'm not quite sure what to do with."

"So does he. Maybe you guys can figure it out together."

"Maybe." I lie down on my bed, facing the ceiling. The white canvas reminded me of what Luke and I now were; a blank space. A new beginning.

I couldn't help but wonder what would become of the future. I always talked of serendipity and the idea of luck itself. Luke was my serendipity, I knew that. He was a kind of luck that I'd never even looked for.

My mother always told me that love, if it was real and true, would never hurt. It wouldn't be painful - like in all the romantic comedy movies and dramas.

Love was light, and it was beautiful. I'd never thought of the feeling being reciprocated, but when I'd look into Luke's ocean eyes, I knew.

Hell, my own mother knew before I did.

"He makes me very happy." I say, mostly to myself. Being lost in my own thoughts, I'd forgotten that Sam was there entirely.

"I haven't seen you like this in a while, Rhea." Sam shoots me a toothy grin, taking my hand in his. "So happy. In love."

Love.

I squeeze his hand and close my eyes, taking it all in.

_______

"This is amazing!" Sam's date, Dan, yells out.

We're dancing to the music; Luke is standing behind me, his hands on my waist as we sing out the lyrics.

The boy rests his head on my shoulder, whispering sweet nothings into my ear as the concert passes us by.

Luke sings the songs into my ears; his hot breath tickling my neck. I can only concentrate on his voice, and how close his mouth is to my skin.

"You two are so damn cute." Dan glances over at us, and I could feel my cheeks burn. Luke, however, was a tomato red.

The stadium was beautiful - filled with pink, yellow, and purple hues. The lights flashed before us, and I smiled to myself as I looked at Luke behind me.

He hadn't shaved, so his stubble was prominent on his chin and down his neck. His profile was gorgeous in the dark; the cheeks pink and his eyes a deep blue.

I gave him a peck on the cheek, and he leaned forward to me, returning the favor. His lip ring brushed against my jaw, sending shivers down my spine. I could've melted into a puddle right then and there.

Luke Hemmings; life ruiner.