Close As Strangers

1.6

The rest of my night was boring. I had my constant back pains, I had to use the restroom every 5 seconds, and my house was just silent. My mom said that she and dad were going out to plan things for my surprise on Friday night. As happy and grateful as I was, I still wished this wasn't happening.

I laid on my bed, looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars and moons Luke had stuck on my ceiling one night when he stayed over. I remember it like it was yesterday.

-

"Can we please watch a scary movie babe?" He asked, putting one arm under my legs, and one around my shoulders, pulling me ontop of him.

"Luke." I whined. "I don't like scary movies."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you!" He laughed, dumping me off of him and jumping up towards the tv.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he turned down the lights.

"Scary movies are ment for the dark."

I looked at him blankly.

"Lucas Robert Hemmings. You know I don't like scary movies, nor do I like the dark."

He went over to his backpack and unzipped the first pouch.

"That's why." He said struggling, trying to pull something out from the bag. "I bought these. Look! They're stars and moons."

"They glow?" I laughed. This was for five year olds, but here I was, sitting on the floor, in the dark, opening up this package.

"They glow." He reassured, taking the first star's adheasive off, handing it to me, and lifting me up to stick it on the ceiling. "See babe, look now we aren't in the dark."

It took us a while, but we managed to stick all 23 of them onto the ceiling.

"Now, can we watch the movie?" He laughed, putting me back onto his lap.

I nuzzled my head into his neck at the scary parts, feeling his grip around me tighten up every once in a while. I don't recall when, but I managed to fall asleep in Luke's arms.

-

I was awoken to my ringtone of Taylor's Swift's "Blank Space" and shook myself out of my sleep. Who the hell could be calling me so early? I didn't care to go get my phone, it was probably just my mom or dad anyways. I sat up in my bed, looking at the surrondings of my room. In just a couple of months I'd be packing all of this up and going to USC. But maybe I wouldn't. Maybe I would just stay home for a while. I would have Carmella after all, and Luke wouldn't be traveling long distance for too long. Of course he'd be going back to Australia here and there, but in the end he'd come back eventually. My phone began to ring again. I finally got annoyed, and walked over to my vanity.

Luke.

"Hello?" I asked, picking up the phone.

"Hey babe." He laughed. "How've ya been?"

"Great." I lied. I wasn't great. I was far from great, I was horrible. I was missing my other half. And I don't even know why, but I felt so annoyed with the world right now, like I could just explode.

"That's good. I'll be home soon." He said quietly.

"No you won't." I shot back. What the hell? Why did I say that? I don't want Luke upset with me.

"Are you sure everything is "great"?" He asked.

"No Luke. Everything sucks."

Oh shit. Arden stop. You're cracking. Stop before you say something you regret.

"My life sucks. I haven't seen you in 6 months, and it's killing me that I don't get to see you for another two. What sucks the most is that, I'm holding your baby, and even though you're going to be in the same country as us, we can't see you. Honestly Luke, this whole relationship the past few months. It's been ridiculous."

I laughed hystericallly.

"It's like- like we're just wasting our damn time, talking on a broken line. You keep saying, you haven't seen my face in ages, well that's because you haven't put in the damn effort to. There's a such thing as facetime you know? Why don't you use it? I used to feel this strong connection with you, like I could feel what you felt when you weren't even here. But now? Now it feels like we're as close as strangers."

"Arden." Luke said quietly. I could hear in his voice that I had hurt him.

"I-I didn't mean that." I stuttered, realizing what I had just done. "No Luke, I didn't mean any of that please-"

"I understand." He said. "I've got to go do something. See you in 60 days."