Target || l.h.

Aisle Two

Emily's pov

This was hard, keeping up this facade.

Pretending I was happy.

Not that I haven't masked a sad face before, I mean, haven't we all at least once.

This time was different though, as if it physically hurt to smile.

As if there were weights attached to the corners of my mouth, and they were too heavy for me too lift.

We rounded the corner to aisle two and Luke went to go fetch a bottle of water, before I stopped him.

"It's ok, I'm not that hurt, I can get the bottle myself," Luke paused to listen to me and didn't say anything as he turned around, ignoring what I had said, and retrieved the bottle for me.

"Thanks," I muttered.

He smiled at me, as if he felt sorry for me. Which he probably did, unfortunately,

"No problem, Emmy."

The silence between us was awkward to say the least. I really wanted to try to initiate a conversation but it felt too forced.

Then luckily Luke started talking, "So where were you coming from?"

I cleared my throat and he waited for me to speak patiently, "I was at a party for my someone's birthday."

He looked at me with amusement, a small glimmer in his eyes, "Just somebody, no one you knew?"

"Nope," I replied popping the p.

He gazed curiously at me, that little spark still in his eyes.

I hesitated before truthfully answering his question for the second time, "It was a party for my friend's sister's boyfriend."

And then Luke, did something I never would have expected him to do.

He giggled.

"It's not funny! I hardly knew an eighth of the people there!" I whined.

He kept giggling, his little laughs floating out into the world like puffs of smoke.

"I think it's hilarious, who was the friend that made you go?" He breathed out quickly before his sudden fit could take over him again.

"Well... I wouldn't exactly call him a friend."

He started laughing, even harder this time,

"Who? Wait- Don't tell me! Was it a psychotic ex? A blind date? Please don't tell me it was an online set up!"

I frowned at all of his suggestions, "It was, well you see- He's."

"Just tell me," Luke interrupted.

"He's a childhood friend, our parents have known each other for years and they've been trying to set us up since preschool when they would have us play "family"," I answered as Luke tried to calm himself down.