Definition of Promise

Chapter 7

Luke's POV

Michael had been watching Sophie downstairs all afternoon. I had a couple more things to pack up when Michael had walked in the room.

"Where are you going?"

"I am going home, where I belong." I shortly stated, not turning to face Michael.

"This is your home. This is where you belong. Luke please don't go, not yet."

"Why? So I can be humiliated in front of Hayden's fiancé. 'Oh, this is the boy who left me when I needed him the most.'" I waved my hands around, pretending I was Hayden. "For you to show me that I could never be a good dad and that you were always better than me? For me to watch the girl I had loved get married to another guy? Why do you want me to stay?" I desperately asked, finally turning around to look at Michael.

"I want you to stay for Sophie. You have missed well over three years and I don't want you to miss any more of it. In time, you will learn to be a good dad and she will learn to love you. And so what if you get humiliated, at least you actually came back unlike some guys. And since you can't have Hayden, you will find a different girl that you will love you death."

"I'm still leaving." I shoved the rest of my things into my suitcase and zipped it shut.

"Luke just give it two weeks and if you still want to move back to California, then I'll let you go. Please?"

Michael had sounded more desperate than ever. He never had that tone with me. It was usually a scolding tone. I thought about it for a brief moment, deciding what I wanted to do.

"Fine. I will stay. But just for two weeks."

Michael let out a silent YES before exiting my room. "Oh and there's something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" I grumbled, unzipping my suitcase.

"Next week would you be able to watch Sophie just for a little while in the morning while I meet up with the boys?"

"Watch her again?"

"Yeah, I watch her once a week," Michael explained like it was no big deal. I had the urge to ask him some more questions about it but I refused. I had already learned enough for today.

"Sure, I guess," I shrugged.

"Okay. Thanks bro."

With that, he left the room to go return to watch Sophie. She would be getting picked up soon by Hayden, which would give me another chance to see her. I knew at this point, we would never be anything more than friends.

I had finished unpacking again as I heard a knock at Michael's door. Could that be Hayden? I booked it down the stairs before speed walking over to the front door where Michael already was, holding Sophie.

I looked past Michael to see a man standing and talking to Michael. As I peered over Michael's shoulder, the young man seemed to notice me. Michael turned around to face me before turning back around to introduce me.

"Thomas, this is Luke. Luke, this is Thomas, Hayden's fiancé," Michael simply stated, handing Sophie over to Thomas.

"It's nice to finally meet you Luke," Thomas kindly said, extending his hand out. I shook it firmly and gave a small smile. I thought of a nice nasty comment I could say to him, but deiced not to say it.

"The pleasure is sure mine," I replied, half sarcastic. Michael turned to look at me before giving me a disapproving look, which Thomas didn't catch.

"Thank you again for watching Sophie. It's really appreciated."

"Anytime Thomas," Michal answered, closing the door as Thomas and Sophie left.

"What a weirdo," I laughed, jumping over the couch, only to land with a plop on one of the couch cushions. I laid on my back looking up to the celling; my hands placed behind my head.

"You wanna know what's weird?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Out of all of the times I've watched Sophie, Hayden was always the one to pick her up. I didn't even think Thomas knew where I lived. He is always working."

Michael's words floated around in my head as I tried to puzzle them together. There has to be some reason she couldn't pick up Sophie. As I tried to think of many reasons, one particular stuck in my head. It was because of me. She didn't want to see me again and that was the end of it.

I wanted something to drink and I didn't want it to be water. I wanted a nice cold beer, which I knew Michael had in his fridge. He just couldn't catch me drinking it.

I waited until Michael headed to the bathroom before going to the fridge and grabbing two beer. I ran upstairs and hid them in one of the drawers holding my clothes.

"Luke!" Michael yelled from downstairs.

"One sec!" I headed down the stairs and saw Michael sitting on the couch. His elbows were propped on his knees and his face was in his hands. "Yeah?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something." Oh no this couldn't be good. Good thing I stashed two beers upstairs. "I think you owe Hayden an apology."

"No fucking way," I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You left her when she needed you the most and I think it would be good for you to say sorry."

"Me? Say sorry? Let's just remember it wasn't just me that wanted to leave to go tour the world and play shows for people. That was all of us. We all wanted that same dream. We were all going to leave and tour the world together. So don't give me any of the bullshit that I should apologize."

"But you don't know what she's been through!" Michael scolded me, pointing his finger at me.

"Oh and you do?!" I was practically seething by now. "I came back here for Sophie, not Hayden!" With that, I left the room and headed upstairs.

As I thought of what I said to Michael, I realized that my last statement was partially untrue. I did come here for Sophie, but a small part of me wanted to come back here for Hayden. But the thing I didn't know what that she was already taken by someone else and that someone else wasn't me.