More Than a Moment

Ten

"Like today, so get moving," John said, and he walked away. He giggled as he gathered his things to leave the studio.

Luke and Magnolia sat, each pressed against the arm rest, in complete silence, still processing what happened.

After what seemed like forever, Magnolia spoke. "You know, he'd never know if we didn't actually follow through." She knew that's completely false, but she said it for Luke's benefit.

Luke sighed, both upset and excited for what today could hold. "If we come back tomorrow and act exactly the same, he'd know."

"Yeah, I know. Just trying to make you feel better," Magnolia answered.

Luke's stomach went warm with butterflies, and he fully faced Magnolia for the first time all day. "Coffee?" He asked, just going with it.

"Sure," Magnolia smiled lightly, and they left the studio.

They walked quietly to a nearby cafe that Luke and the boys frequented, and they ordered their drinks. "Do you wanna just, like, walk around?" Luke asked, unsure of what to do.

Magnolia agreed, and they began their aimless, silent journey.

After about four blocks, Magnolia had mustered up the courage to finally as the question she's not even sure she wants answered. "Will you tell me why you were being weird this morning?"

Luke followed the sidewalk below with his eyes, trying to decide how to answer. "It's a long story."

Magnolia quietly scoffed, giving up. "'Kay."

"Do you really wanna know?" Luke asked, though she obviously does if she asked.

"Not really," Magnolia answered honestly, laughing lightly and surprising Luke, "but I feel like it's something we should probably talk about."

About half a block went by before Luke spoke again, "Okay."

Magnolia waited for him to begin.

"Uh, it's you. I was weird this morning because of you," he answered stiffly and uncertainly.

Magnolia silently nodded along, "Okay."

"But I have a girlfriend, and being around you kind of makes me forget about her..." he spoke slowly. He's scared of this conversation and saying these things because saying them out loud, to her, makes them real.

"I see," Magnolia responded. The old Magnolia (old as in a month ago) would be freaking out, but the new Magnolia has had ample time to come to terms with the fact that something like this would very well happen, and she's been preparing herself for this moment. It has definitely come sooner than she thought it would, though.

"And that makes me feel guilty..." Luke continued, still taking each sentence one word at a time.

"I'm sorry." Though Magnolia had somewhat prepared for this conversation, she hadn't prepared for this conversation. She feels so badly. This is exactly what she didn't want.

"You don't have to apologize, it's not your fault," Luke assured her. "Actually," he thought aloud, "it is kind of your fault." He and Magnolia both chuckled, finally looking at each other for the first time since the cafe.

"It really is my fault," Magnolia accepted full blame, smiling softly. "But it wasn't this weird that first time a few weeks ago. What's changed?"

Luke really didn't want to discuss this any more, but he was trapped. "Ali and I spent my time off in Georgia... Did you know that magnolias grow in Georgia?" He looked at Magnolia to get a read on her reaction. "So the week had been going really well, and I had hardly thought about anything that didn't have to do with Ali or Georgia."

Magnolia frowned at the sidewalk, listening silently, so Luke just went on. "We were out on a walk, and I had a nature guidebook with me, and I was reading about all the stuff we passed, and--"

"Nerd," Magnolia teased, getting a genuine smile and chuckle from Luke.

"Anyway, we ended up passing a magnolia, and pretty soon I realized that they were all around us, and I couldn't stop thinking about you," Luke told the story slowly, just like he'd been doing, but rather than talking slowly because he wasn't sure of what to say, he was talking slowly to give Magnolia a chance to say something. He desperately wanted her to say something, but she kept frowning at the sidewalk.

What was she supposed to say? Oh, that was really nice of you, Luke. Or wow, Luke. This is literally all I've wanted to hear for four years. Or maybe I sincerely feel badly for probably ruining your relationship, but I also don't know how anything would work out between us.

Luke just continued because he couldn't stop there. "Ali knew why I was being distant, and she told me that she knows how I feel about you and that she and I probably won't be together much longer because of it."

There it is. There's the bomb Magnolia had been waiting for. The desperation in Luke's voice made Magnolia's stomach drop.

"I asked her to just keep trying, and now that I'm saying all of this out loud, to you especially, I'm realizing how unfair that was," Luke spoke, surprising both himself and Magnolia. "Because I really like you, Magnolia."

Magnolia stopped walking, trying to come to terms with what just happened. Her head felt light and so did her stomach. Luke stopped as well and faced her.

"Are you okay? You haven't said much," he asked nervously.

"Yeah, I mean, it's just a lot to process." She rubbed her face with her hands before folding her arms up. "I've kind of just been thrown into all of this, and I wasn't ready. And now I feel terrible about you and Ali, and I just didn't mean to mess anything up, but I've messed it all up. I'm so sorry." Her chest felt heavy with emotion and guilt, and she wanted to cry.

Luke hesitated before reaching out to her. "Don't be sorry. I mean, you only have to be sorry if you don't feel the same way about me." Luke had just realized that she might not feel the same way. Sure he's pretty sure she does, but he could totally be reading her wrong.

"No, I do. I really like you. Of course I do." She pressed her face into her hands feeling overwhelmed.

Luke bit his lip to keep his smile from spreading and was too giddy to think about anything but those last eight words.

"This just really sucks. Having people tell you how you feel really sucks, and it sucks even more when they're right. I mean, I knew they were right, and I figured there had to be some kind of reciprocation. But I've known you personally for all of a month and we've hardly talked because we both like each other," Magnolia took a breath, "which is completely reasonable by the way," she added sarcastically, ushering a laugh from Luke before she picked up at top speed. "But like I said before, we hardly know each other, and it's just really hard for me to comprehend what is so compelling about us to one another that it's a problem so soon, and I don't want things to be weird because I like spending time with you and I like singing with you. But I don't want to ruin things for you."

She took a deep breath. Luke just looked at her, enamored. A few seconds went by, and Magnolia broke into a soft laugh. "I'm crazy."

Luke broke out of his trance and quietly said, "I'm going to have to break up with my girlfriend."

Magnolia's mouth literally dropped open. Not only because she's now officially a home-wrecker but also because Luke is completely serious about liking her. She's speechless, but Luke looked down at her with a small, kind smile on his face.

"I don't want you to feel badly about this. But yeah, it sucks when people tell you what you feel, and it certainly sucks more when they're right."