safe | l.h.

one

"yeah i'm no angel, i'm just me, but i will love you endlessly" - Endlessly / The Cab

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-Violet-

When I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in my towel, I found Luke in the kitchen. He was shoving a couple of bagels into the toaster, muttering under his breath when he couldn't get the cheap appliance to cooperate with him.

I laughed and walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Here, let me get that. You know I have the magic touch when it comes to this thing."

He sighed, "So much for making you breakfast. I at least wanted to take some of the stress out of the day for you."

I just shook my head at him, "Why would I be stressed? It's not like we are inviting all of our friends and family from Boston as well as a few new friends into our already cramped apartment. What could possibly go wrong?"

Luke laughed lightly, "At least you can have a sense of humor about it. I can barely go two seconds without panicking over the thought of my dad being here tonight."

I felt a small frown fill my face. We were having our engagement party tonight, mostly due to peer pressure from our mothers and from Sydney, who was dying for an excuse to come visit. I had encouraged Luke to invite his whole family, including his dad, because it didn't feel right to celebrate something like this even if things between them were still not great. I hadn't even met the guy yet, and it just felt like something that needed to change now that we were taking such a big step.

I made my way to the other side of the counter, tightening my towel slightly, "I guess I'm just a little surprised he said he was coming. I mean, last Christmas when you flew back home, he literally refused to be in the house at the same time as you. What changed? It's not like you've spoken since the Christmas before that."

"Don't remind me. That's the main reason I didn't even want him here to begin with." Luke turned around to face me and crossed his arms over his chest. Even with the tough exterior, though, I could tell it bothered him.

I sighed, "Look, I know it isn't an ideal situation. It's just the right thing to do. No matter how much of an asshole he has been, he deserves a chance to get to know what a great guy you've become. And even if he doesn't realize it, you at least deserve a chance to show him how much better off you are now."

A small smile finally appeared on Luke's face, and he stepped closer to the counter, leaning over it and grabbing my hands in his gently, "What would I ever do without my voice of reason? To answer your question, though, my mom said that me getting engaged was kind of a wake-up call for him. She said he told him that I had found myself a great girl, and that the person I was with her wasn't the same person he used to know. That, and I think the idea of me taking such a big step in life made him realize I was going to keep growing further apart from him if he didn't do something soon."

I gave him a sad smile in return, placing my left hand on top of his now, "Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad he's coming. This will be good for you, I promise."

Luke looked down at my hand, letting out a small sigh, "Even if I'm not the same person I was the last time my dad talked to me, I'm still not the kind of person who can buy you the ring you deserve."

I rolled my eyes and pulled my hand away, groaning loudly, "Luke! For the fiftieth time, this is perfect. You know I'm not the person who needs a flashy ring, I wouldn't want something like that. And I wouldn't want you spending all your money on something so silly anyway. So stop acting like such an idiot, and when I come back out here after getting ready I better see an excited smile on your face. Got it?"