a work in progress

Chapter 18 - Happy Again

"Luca. Hi."

"How can you be so cavalier with Sir Douche-ster? He's been M.I.A. for God knows how long," hissed Harper from my couch.

When I couldn't sleep she'd come over to keep me company.

"Is that Harper in the background?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that," I said stepping into the kitchen away from Harper's spying ear.

"Don't apologize for me. I mean every bit of what I'm saying," she yelled.

"Will you please," I yelled back at her. "Luca, you were saying?"

"My dad is good."

"Good. That's...that's really, really....good."

I didn't know what to say to him or how to behave with him. I wasn't sure where we were or what would become of us, so I just managed repeat myself a lot and stutter and stammer through my words.

"MC?"

"Yeah?" I asked, my voice rich with anxiousness and anticipation.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry."

"No MC. Let me," he started, taking a big breath.

"You shouldn't have to be sorry. You've done nothing wrong. You never do anything wrong. You've been there for me and have been more to me than anyone else and all I seem to do is make you cry. You used to be such a light, and now I think I've killed that."

"You haven't. You can't take responsibility for all of...I mean for everything. In a relationship it takes two you know..."

"That's just it. I haven't really been playing fair. I haven't been treating this like a 2-person relationship..."

"You've been going through a lot recently. It's understandable."

"Please don't make excuses for me. It's not okay. I don't like it for either of us, but I promise I'll get better. I'll be better."

"Luca..."

"I'm serious. I want what we had. I miss us. MC?"

"Un huh?"

"Can you stay with me tonight?"

"You want me to..."

"Or I can come there. I just want to be with you...tonight."

"No, I can come. Just let me get a bag."

"Okay, I'll be waiting."

I didn't know what to make of Luca and his words and his request. I was on autopilot and I didn't really want to understand I just wanted, like he did, to be with him that night.

"Harper, thank you so much for coming over but I'm on my way out for a bit, so it's okay for you to go now," I spoke with rapid fury.

"You have got to be kidding me," Harper started dumbfounded as I moved back and forth between the living room and my bedroom, quickly packing an overnight bag.

"Harper don't be so dramatic."

"You're packing a bag? What for? For him? Are you going to see him tonight? What did he say to you? MC! Answer me dammit!"

"Harper, I don't want to do this right now."

"You don't exactly have the option."

"Actually I do. This is dumb. I already know you don't approve, so what does it matter why I'm packing a bag or what he said to me?"