The Last Chance- l.h ®

12: California

Addie's POV

"California?" I asked, making sure I heard Luke correctly.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Well, I don't know," I fake thought. "It's on the other side of the freaking country!"

"Babe, calm down," he chuckled. "It's just for the first week of Christmas break. That's over a month away. You don't have to think about it right now." This calmed my nerves a little bit. I had a month and a week to think about this. Five weeks. Thirty five days. Eight hundred and forty hours. "Stop calculating how much time you have." It's funny how well Luke knows me.

"I know. You're right. I have a lot of time to think about this." I thought about it real quick. "No."

"Please, Ad, please?!" He begged. "It will be so much fun! We can go to the San Diego Zoo oh and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and ride the trolleys in San Francisco."

"Luke, I know it will be fun and all of those things sound absolutely amazing but my parents! I have to be home for Christmas." I looked at Luke who was in hard thought.

"Hmmm how about the second week?"

"Lukeeeee," I groaned. "What does no mean to you?"

"Yes?" He said hopefully.

"Stop!" I said, punching his shoulder. "I'm being serious. We cannot just hop on a plane just because you saw a commercial for California on the T.V. that inspired you."

"Oh my god! And the beaches! We can go to the beach and see Hollywood and the walk of fame..." He trailed off and looked into space.

"Luke!" I snapped. "No! I've told you thirteen times." He groaned.

//

"Today class, we will be studying the history of dental tools," my professor announced. The entire class groans. "Well, we aren't going to get anywhere with that attitude."

Let me just explain to you that our professor is awful. She's too happy to be teaching a bunch of college kids and to add to it, only twelve of the thirty actually show up to class.

I tend to sit in the back of the class so if I happen to be on my phone the teacher won't care. Except today someone did care... and it wasn't the teacher.

"Um, excuse me but there's no phones aloud." I glance up from my phone and look at a young boy staring at me.

"Oh, sorry. Someone just texted me," I lied, setting my phone back down.

"Hi, I'm Adam."

"I'm Addie." He stuck out his hand and I shook it.

"So, orthodontist or dentist?"

"Ortho; you?"

"Dentist." I observed Adam. He was sweet but also super nerdy. Eventually class was over and Adam and I exchanged numbers so we could keep in touch. It wasn't a long walk to Luke's apartment so I figured I'd stop there first before going to my physical sciences class.

"Addie?" A familiar voice called. I turned around to see an overly happy Ashton heading my way.

"Hey Ashton!" I exclaimed.

"Headed to see Luke?" He smirked.

"Yep!"

"I'll walk with you."

"Okay." We walked in silence most of the way until he spoke up.

"You really love him don't you?"

"Huh?" His question caught me off guard.

"Luke," he chuckled. "You really love Luke."

"Oh," I blushed. "Yeah, why?"

"I can tell. The way you two look at each other."

"We look at each other a certain way?" This is the first I've heard of this.

"Yeah. It's weird, sort of. I mean, I don't know..." he trailed off.

"Weird? How so?"

"I don't know. I guess I notice things because I'm not the one in the relationship."

"Ashton, what the heck do you mean?" I began laughing at him.

"He looks at you as if you're his world, the center of his world. And you, well you look at him as if he's everything to you. Your oxygen and like all the things you need to live."

"Really?" He nodded. "Phew. I had no idea." We arrived at the apartment and Ashton walked inside while I followed him. I turned the corner and what I saw I couldn't quite comprehend.

Rachel.

Luke.

Kissing.