Well I don't even like you, why did you want to go and make me feel this way.
* * * * * *
"Hon, Liz is coming over soon so please get your books out of the living room." my mother directed me as I shoved one last scoop of Cheerios into my mouth.
"M'kay." I mumbled and took my dirty bowl to the sink. I gathered my random books that were scattered about our living room then marched up the stairs to put them away.
As I hopped back down the stairs I saw my mom let in the familiar short blonde woman who was Liz Hemmings.
"Hi, Tess!" Liz greeted me.
"Good morning!" I gave a wide smile which soon faded when I saw her youngest son stick his head through the front door.
"Hey, T." He smirked awkwardly.
"Luke." I breathed in surprise as I felt all the blood drain from my head.
I shifted awkwardly and cleared my throat.
"I'll just be in my room if anyone needs me." I started to head back up the stairs, but stopped as my I heard my mother call my name.
"Tessa, if you would please get brunch together, that would be a great help." She said with a sweet smile.
I slowly turned around and put on a fake grin. "Sure, mom." I said and quietly made my way into the kitchen where I quickly lost my demeanor.
"Oh, God." I breathed. "I can't do this. I can't, I can't. Please-"
"I didn't think making cinnamon rolls was that stressful." A deep voice came from behind me.
Shocked, I spun around quickly which caused my right hand to hit the table with such force that I yelped in pain.
"Oh, Tessa, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! Here, let me see." Luke rushed over to me and reached for my hand but I pulled away.
"No, it's okay I'm fine." I mumbled and looked down, hoping he wouldn't see the involuntary tears in my eyes.
"Are you sure, it looked like it really hurt, T." Hearing him use my old nickname made anger flare up inside of me.
"I said I'm fine." I snapped.
"Okay, sorry." He put his hands up in surrender.
Silently, I turned around and busied myself with the ingredients my mother had set out.
"Do you want any help?" Luke asked as he stood in the middle of the kitchen awkwardly.
"Nope, you can leave." I silently wondered whether I had meant the kitchen, the house, or my life.
"Our mums are talking about menopause and I don't really want to be in there." He chuckled slightly.
"Hm." Was all I said and we continued in silence for a good ten minutes until I needed cinnamon which hadn't been set out for me.
I opened one of the cabinets and saw the spice sitting on the top shelf. I stood on my tiptoes but still couldn't reach it so I jumped a little which only resulted in me smacking the already sore fingers on my right hand on the edge of the shelf.
"Ah, dammit!" I cried out and held my throbbing fingers. Before I knew it, Luke was standing in front of me and examining my now swollen hand.
"Can you move it?" He asked.
"A little." I answered and wiggled my fingers slightly.
"Well I don't think their broken, then, but they're pretty swollen, I'll get you some ice-"
"I can do it." I snapped in a bitchy tone. "Can you just get the cinnamon down from that shelf?"
Luke's eyes widened and he looked like a hurt puppy. "Sure, T." He said quietly and reached up to grab the container.
"I wish you wouldn't call me that." I muttered, wrapping an ice pack in a towel and placing it on my fingers.
"What, why?" Luke looked at me in surprise.
"Because it reminds me of a time I've tried to forget."
"Tessa," Luke suddenly looked exhausted "I wanted to come over today so we could work on our friendship-"
"Our friendship?!" All my anger suddenly burst out. "Luke, our friendship ended two years ago when you decided you didn't want to talk to me anymore."
"Its not that I didn't want to, its that I couldn't."
"You couldn't? Oh yeah, and what exactly was stopping you, Luke?"
He looked down at his feet and spoke quietly. "I just didn't want to disappoint anyone."
"And by 'anyone', you mean Sarah." I inferred with a role of my eyes.
Luke looked up sadly. "Tess, it was a long time ago and I'm sorry. I've changed. Please, T, I need my best friend back."
A wave of sympathy washed over me and I yearned to sit down and talk with him like we used to. A lump formed in my throat and bit down on my lip hard. "Tessa, I've missed you so much." Luke moved closer so that I could now smell his familiar scent of clean laundry and faint cologne.
I turned my face up to look at him but remained silent.
How he had changed in two years! His jaw was now sharper with a small bit of stubble, his cheeks less rounded, a small black ring now pierced in the corner of his bottom lip, but his eyes were still the same steady clear blue they had always been.
I opened my mouth to speak, but right as I did, my mother walked through the door and Luke took a few steps away from me.
"Tessa- Oh Lord! Are you okay?" My mother was staring at my wrapped hand.
"Yeah, I just hit my hand on the table, I'm fine though."
"Alright, you sure? You want me to take you to the doctor?"
"No, mum, I'm fine." I insisted.
"Okay, well anyway, Amanda just called and said they need you to come in to work since Mary got sick; I'll finish brunch, you go ahead and go."
"Alright." I said as I left the kitchen. Thankful to be away from Luke, I grabbed my purse and sprinted out of the house.
