more ↠ lrh

thirty-six

9 months later

"Can I read it?"

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Come on, please."

"Nope."

"So you're going to write all of these stories and never let me read them?"

"Bingo."

Ashton groaned, grabbing the laptop from my lap, closing it and setting it on the coffee table before replacing it with his head.

He looked up at me and grinned, moving my hand towards his hair. I rolled my eyes and groaned. "You're so needy."

"You love me," he teased, sighing when I moved my fingers into his hair. "How'd it go today?"

"Good," I nodded. "Surprisingly, he wasn't mad."

Over the past few months, I had saved all the money from my job at my dad's firm and bought classes for writing. I'd been writing a bunch of excepts from books I'll probably never write and Ashton was bent on reading them.

Today, I told my dad I was quitting law school and the job at his firm. I wanted to pursue my own future. He wasn't too surprised. 

I haven't talked to Luke since the day he left to the airport. Well, sober me hasn't. Whenever I had a bit too much to drink, I would text Luke or read some of the old letters that I never got around to reading.

It was depressing, really. I still wasn't sure how to function without him. I tried dating, I've slept with other people, but it wasn't the same with Luke. With someone that I had so much love for. Luke knew me like the back of his hand, these strangers barely know my name before we're taking our clothes off. 

Eventually, I gave up on dating. Being single wasn't the worst. I needed to learn to cope with life without Luke. Every now and again, Calum and I would skype, we would talk about how our lives were going but in the end, it would always be about Luke.

Sometimes, he would tell me about the girls he was seeing, the songs he was writing, I still knew more about Luke than Michael did and I didn't even talk to him.

How depressing. 

Ashton tried to set me up with some of his friends but they were all douches. Michael and Crystal were upset because they were missing Luke and I as a double date couple, I told Ashton to get a girlfriend but he wasn't interested in anyone.

Ashton and I have grown closer over the past few months and I was thankful to have such a great best friend, but I missed Luke so much.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't forget about him. Unless mass amounts of alcohol were involved. I wasn't still in love with Luke, I just miss him. He made me feel at home.

Whenever I had rushes of sadness or when I was overwhelmingly missing him, I'd write letters. I would never mail them, it was just easy to organize my thoughts and not explode on Ashton or contact Luke.

"I'm gonna go down to the Hideout and get some hot chocolate, you want some?" 

"I'll go with you." Ashton said, starting to get up.

"No, I know you don't want to, lazybones," I chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Pick a movie and get comfy, I'll go get the drinks."

"You know me too well." He smiled before pressing a kiss to my cheek and grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch.

I pulled a hoodie over my head, slipped on my shoes, grabbed my purse and headed to the coffee shop. I smiled at everyone I passed on the street as I walked three blocks to the Hideout.

I saw someone about to come out so I opened the door for them, a smile on my face. They were looking down at their phone, going out the other door, the one I wasn't opening for them.

"Nice." I scoffed.

They looked up from their phone and instant their face fell. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying atten-"

The boy's eyes met mine, my breath catching in my throat. Holy fuck, he was hot.

He had green eyes that reminded me of emeralds, his lashes were thick and his eyebrows were full. His cheekbones and jaw was very prominent and his lips were plump, red, and full.

"Oh-uh-don't worry about it." I stuttered under his eyes.

"That was an asshole move," he chuckled at himself. "I'm sorry."

"You're fine," I said, looking down at his drink. "Hot chocolate?"

He looked down at his drink before back up at me. "Yeah, it's my favorite."

"No way, it's my favorite drink," I smiled at him. "Besides the iced almond milk latte."

"I love the iced latte," he smiled back. "I like my milk from cows though."

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "Almond milk taste betters and is healthier." 

"Whatever you say, darling." He grinned at me, his accent catching at the end.

"Well, I've got to grab some drinks quickly," I smiled, heading inside. "Try the latte next time, darling."

He just nodded and continued grinning at me. "I will, bye stranger."

He continued his way out of the shop and I continued mine into the shop, that stupid grin plastered on my lips.