the bucket list | lrh

07 - friends

Luke's hands fumbled a bit to unfold the precious piece of paper, mutually agreeing to help the girl in whatever she possibly could've asked for.

Luke wouldn't say the words aloud, but he would do anything to ease the pain from their hearts. He knew exactly how the girl was feeling, because he felt the same. Adeline was such a grave loss to the both of them that he would commit to just about anything in this world to help the little girl out.

"I will," he assured her verbally, finally setting his eyes on the sloppy handwriting he never realized he'd missed greatly. It was the same handwriting he had asked to copy in freshman year, and it was the same handwriting that would doodle little notes all over her tests in boredom. He always noticed Adeline's random illustrations, and he found himself wishing he could've talked to the girl about it before she was ripped away from him.

Valentine waited in anticipation. She wasn't sure if she was waiting on a response, or a choked up sob similar to her own when she had first read the words. She didn't know what she was waiting for, but she waited. She twiddled her thumbs a little bit to ease the nerves growing in the pit of her stomach.

She could only pray that Luke wouldn't be angry that she'd kept it from him, considering his name was mentioned in one of the tasks. She knew she was being selfish, she just wasn't ready to admit that her sister really was gone. Luke was the number one confirmation of the fact. But she was more than ready to share it now, focusing her eyes on the boy with intent. She was willing to let him read it after the apology he so sincerely delivered just a few minutes ago.

So she waited.

As did Luke. He was waiting for a sign that this had all been some sick joke ensued as a punishment for his crimes in life. He was waiting for God to pop out and say "gotcha!" But it never came. No, God never did show up to ease Luke of his troubles.

Instead, the blonde was sat alone in a room with Valentine—who was equally if not more devastated by the series of events leading them here.

And just when he was sure that he'd collapse, he felt a small hand cup his own in attempts to calm him. He hadn't realized it yet, but a singular tear had slipped from his eye.

He found himself wanting to engulf the girl in a suffocating embrace worth all the pain in the world, but he settled for faking a weak smile at the girls gesture. It would be a little too strange to hug her now, but he definitely didn't mind her comforting touch.

"I want to help you complete this," he finally spoke as the girl withdrew her hand. She was fairly certain she had imagined the words though, so she furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head in an attempt to get him to repeat himself.

He didn't, though—because Luke wasn't a fan of saying things twice—so the room fell silent once more. Both individuals were left to suffer through an endless amount of worrying as they sat there—together but very alone all the same.

Valentine's mind was full of troubling puzzles, and she was desperate to figure them out. Would Luke really commit to helping her? Because she was well aware of the fourth bullet point made being road trip to California with Luke, and Valentine didn't want to push her boundaries with the boy. She wasn't even sure how she would feel about doing such a thing, and she couldn't even imagine the way he would feel.

On the other hand, Luke had a mind completely void of all thoughts other than that he needed to finish the list with Valentine, for Adeline's sake.

As the two sat next to each other in a comfortable silence, they both wandered around the endless possibilities of what could come from the agreement to continue checking off tasks from the Adeline's list.