Never Too Late

Chapter Forty Six

Luke sat in the living room, torn between calling Johan and giving him space. He couldn’t imagine how unbearable it must be to lose someone you loved, but the silence was eating at him. Earlier that day, when Johan had finally left his room, Luke hoped it meant he was ready to talk. Instead, he left without explanation.

Luke wanted to follow him, but his dad told him to let Johan be. Still, worry clung to him.

Just then, he heard a knock on the door, but upon opening it, he was surprised to see Ericka.

"Ericka!? This is a surprise," he said, elated to see her, as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. His mood instantly lifted and he welcomed her inside.

"I'm sorry if this is a bad time." she said hesitantly while looking around. She seemed more shy than usual and her gaze flickered on the floor as her hands clutched the bag she carried.

"No, it's fine," he said sitting her on the couch and pulling close to her, curious to hear the reason for her sudden visit.

"How has Johan been?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.

"Not too well. He mostly spends time in his room and hasn't been talking too much, but that's to be expected." He explained, seeing sadness fill her eyes.

When he'd told her about Liz's passing, she was devastated, although they'd only known each other briefly. Ericka was a sensitive girl so he understood that things like this must've been heartbreaking for her.

"Can I try to talk to him?" She asked softly.

"He left not long ago," Luke gently informed her.

"Where did he go?" she asked looking sadder than before.

"Not sure, maybe he needed fresh air," He said, drawing closer to her and resting his arm on her shoulder. "Don't worry about him, he just needs space right now."

Ericka pulled away and rose to her feet, opening her bag to retrieve a parcel. "My mom and I baked this apple pie together. Can you give it to him when he gets back? I'm hoping it will cheer him up a little."

"That's very sweet of you," Luke said, noting how thoughtful Ericka was being to his brother in his time of need.

"It's nothing really," She continued but her eyes seemed distant as she spoke. Luke smiled softly, admiring how modest she was before taking the pie and bringing it to the kitchen.

As he placed it in the refrigerator, he thought of how unpredictable life could be. One moment, you could be spending time with someone you love, and the next, they could be gone. Looking over at Ericka, sitting on his couch, he thought of how he'd loved her for years and how beautiful and kind she was. His chest tightened with affection for her and a bold realization hit him.

He had so many chances to tell her how he felt before but he was always too nervous to do it. Too afraid of messing up and saying the wrong things but he had grown tired of waiting. Life was too precious and fragile and he wouldn't let another opportunity pass him by. He had wasted so much time but not anymore. He wanted to tell her right now, how he felt.

Looking over to her again, he tried to think of a way to tell her, but when he remembered his brother's advice about being honest and open, he knew exactly what to say. Drumming up the courage he returned to her side.

"Ericka?" He began and she looked over at him, smiling faintly.

"Yeah?" She asked curiously, perhaps noticing the shift in the atmosphere around him.

"I have something I want to tell you," he began but the words felt stuck in his throat.

"What is it?" She asked moving a fraction closer to him and as he gazed into her eyes which shone like the surface of a pond, he felt the words he always wanted to say finally bubble to the surface.

"I like you and I've liked you for years. I like everything about you. I like being around you, and when you smile you light up the room because you’re kind. When you laugh it makes my chest feel warm because you listen and that's what makes you so beautiful."

At the end of his confession, he could feel that his cheeks were flushed and his heart pounded against his chest but he was happy and proud that he was able to tell her how he felt.

Ericka stared at him with her mouth half open and eyes wide, visibly stunned into silence. Taking her hands in his Luke pulled her closer.

"I've wanted to say this forever and I'd do anything to make you happy," Luke expressed but instead of happiness as he'd expected, Ericka's expression grew crestfallen and she pulled her hands away.

"I'm sorry," she said without meeting his eyes.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Luke asked as he felt his heart sinking.

An impenetrable silence filled the air that was so thick he felt he would choke.

"I've ... fallen for someone already." She whispered and just like that, Luke felt his heart shatter.

His mouth opened, but no words escaped. He wanted to ask who, demand why, but he already knew that wouldn't cure the ache he felt growing in his chest and rapidly spreading across his body.

Forcing himself to compose, he stood up and turned away from her.

"I see... I guess I waited too long." He said quietly.

"I'm so sorry, Luke, I -" Ericka started, but he shook his head.

"No, it's fine, it's only natural that someone else would fall for you." He said with his back still turned to her. "I'm a fool for not realizing that."

Ericka stood and reached a hand towards him before pulling it back sadly.

"I guess I'll go," she said retreating quietly, leaving Luke alone with the weight of everything he hadn’t said soon enough.