Forgotten Memories

Chapter 7: Split Lips and Jealousy

-Aria-

No. Nuh-uh.

Get him away from me. NOW.

"Aria, please."

I looked up at him annoyed as he raked a hand through his hair. Gosh, I loved it when he did that.

Ugh, snap out of it, Aria! I will slap myself if I have to.

"Please," he repeated pleadingly.

"Fine," I said, then continued when I saw Luke open his mouth to speak. "One chance, two minutes. Make it count."

He stared at me, and I raised my eyebrows.

"A minute, 55 seconds and counting!"

He stuttered, then started. "Ah, y-yeah, okay." He took a deep breath and winced, as if bracing himself. "You know Hope, right?" I nodded.

"She was there for me when you were in a coma, so we grew close. We talk a lot and we're friends. She's not my girlfriend or anything, if that's what you think. She-"

His phone started ringing on the table and he silenced it, ignoring whoever it was that was calling.

"-She wasn't supposed to see whatever happened between us back there, really. I-"

My eyebrows shot straight up. "Whatever happened, huh?"

He paled. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I-"

I laughed humorlessly. "You don't mean a lot of things, don't you Luke?"

I looked out the window. "And to believe I thought you'd changed. But people never do, do they?"

He reached for my hand, and I flinched away. I shook my head. "Don't you ever try to touch me again, Gonzalez."

I stood up and he moved out of of the bench reluctantly to let me out.

"I've had enough of this-" I paused. "And I can't wait until it's over."

He froze, staring at me a I walked out of the booth. "Over?" he said.

"How will this ever be over?! Don't you understand?" He scoffed, doing the hair thing again.

"This will never stop, Aria! You can't just run away from this."

He paused. "From us."

I walked away briskly, running away tears as they fell.

"Aria, please!"

I shook my head and turned around.

"Times up."

I walked out of the gas station, but not before I saw a reflection of Luke in the window, on his knees with his head in his hands...

Sobbing.

••••••••••

-Luke-

I can't even talk. At all.

"Luke."

Go away. Let me die in peace.

"Luke," Rue says again, shaking my shoulder. "Come on. Aria doesn't hold grudges, maybe she'll forget." She sighs. "You'll get another chance some other time, but we gotta-"

I shoved her hand away and stood up, glaring at her. "Oh yeah, as if 'another time' is so easy to get. That-" I point to the booth, "that was my last chance. And it's gone."

I walk out of the store and into my car. I've had enough of this.

••••••••••