Rock Bottom~Luke Hemmings

Years Later

Aubrey:

It's been about three years since I broke up with Luke. I still live in the small, dinky apartment. I some times think about him... about the memories we shared... The way his callused fingertips would go over my bare back after I woke up. His rough morning voice...

I sometimes skim my hands over the walls... thinking of him. About how we would argue about the color of the walls, lilac or baby blue. We ended up doing gray, which was fine with both of us. I remember the way his loose curls would fan out as he laid down. The days I would sit between his legs and read Percy Jackson while he played with my hair and gave witty commentary.

But all of that is behind me... as I heard on Wizards of Waverley Place, "You're going to fall in love so many times before you find true love. So think of this as one heart break away from forever..."

The hardest part was forgetting him. Not totally, but to the point where I wasn't staring at my phone begging to God Luke would call. Praying that he would just text me... to let me know how he was doing.

"Maybe his phone died."

"Maybe he's busy."

"He's probably asleep..."

But I had to be honest with myself. His phone didn't die. He isn't busy. He wouldn't sleep for 24 hours, despite my speculation. He had moved on. Went on with his life. Treated this as a stepping stone to his destination. And I needed to do the same.

I took our photos I had around the crummy apartment and stuffed them in my bottomless-pit drawer. I went to Home Depot and got lilac paint, the paint I wanted, and repainted the apartment. The guitar pick he had left on the coffee table was thrown in the trash. Every trace of Luke Robert Hemmings was gone from my eyesight. Gone. Diminished. Forgotten...

It's weird... how one day you can love someone with all your heart... and then the next you don't even see their face or hear their voice. It's like I can feel him. Correction, it was like I could feel him.

I made myself move on, even though I almost couldn't. I did it. And now I have another boyfriend. He works with me at my coffee shop job and he helps me look though papers for the hospital I work for. His name is Justin and he spilled coffee on me the first day at work... and things just kind of worked out.

As I got ready, I heard my phone buzz and I grabbed it. Crystal... Her and Michael are in a phase where they bicker a bit and she can't get over it. I know what that was like... and I tell her it will solve it by itself. And it does.

I called her and rested the phone between my cheek and my shoulder, changing my jeans.

"Hey, girly!" She chimed, happily.

I chuckled a bit and nodded, "Hey, Crystal. I'm about to head out with Justin, what's up?"

I heard some whispering behind the phone and she whispered, "Okay, I got it." I tapped my foot, waiting for an answer. "Anyway, I just wanted to see if you were going out which you were."

My brows furrowed, "O-Okay... bye..." I hung up.

That was weird. Is she up to something? Most likely. I finished getting ready and grabbed my purse, walking outside.

Justin stood there, patiently waiting for me and a huge smile spread across his face, "Hey, baby," he kissed my cheek and grabbed my hand.

My smile brightened and laced his fingers with mine, "Hey! Where are we going? Are we going to that new art museum that just opened downtown?" I asked as we started to walk.

He nodded a bit and smiled, looking around the streets. It was a cozy autumn day. The leafs were falling, peacefully, and the heat from the sun was canceled out by the cold of incoming winter.

We started talking about our day when I bumped into someone. The broad shoulders bumped into me and I looked up at the tall figure standing above me.

"Oh, sorry-" his piercing blue eyes stared down at me and they widened. They filled with hurt and I could see the tint of red, from tears begging to pour out. "A-Aubrey..." his deep voice sounded like music to my ears and the tears brimmed my eyes, "I didn't think I would see you..."

Emotions were attacking my body in ways I never knew possible. The way his eyes glinted when he talked about a new project he had been working on. The way his smile cracked once he finally got a joke. His brainless moments... everything... came rushing back... like a tsunami hit me in my heart, shattering it while it still got put together.

"Luke, its-uh-its nice to see you. Justin, this is Luke. Luke... Justin..." I motioned to them each.

Justin cracked a wide smile and put out a hand. Their firm hands shook, "Its nice to meet you, man."

Luke cleared his voice, "I see you aren't an Aussie."

"Yeah, I moved here from California. I have family from here and my dad moved here after a divorce." He scratched the back of his neck.

The same eyes that I loved once caused me so much pain in this moment... they shot through me like daggers, "Well I best be going... it was nice seeing the two of you. Aub..."-there goes the nickname-"I mean... Aubrey... I'll see you around."

My nod was short and subtle, "See you around, Hemmings."

I watched him as he walked off...

Luke:

My hands ran through my hair. She loves someone else. I'm done for. The years of trying to regroup myself. The calls I declined because I couldn't stand to hear her shaky voice... were all to see her with some American jock, who probably has a 4.0 GPA and a 30 on his ACT. Jerk...

I had her heart in my hands... I knew to be gentle with it... but I used it... I tore it... I never loved her the way she deserved. Until she figured it out herself... and now...

She's gone...