I Fell Again - Luke Patterson

Chapter 29

ADIRA'S POV

"Luke, you better have the best explanation in the world for waking me up at 6 in the morning" I grumbled. I was so tired I couldn't even open my eyes. "It's 7" Luke corrected as I scoffed. "Does it really make a difference?" I countered as I turned over on the couch to avoid Luke being close to my face. I'm not ready go get up.

"Oh, come on! I had trouble sleeping because you wanted to move away from me" his hand touched my lower back, sending chills down my spine. "I don't understand the problem, you've slept without me being next to you a thousand times" I was still trying to sleep but I should've know Luke would be persistent. "But it's different now. Everything is different now!" He exclaimed. Is he still forgetting it's 7 in the morning?

"Yea, that's true. But you know what isn't different? Me trying to sleep peacefully" I huffed and turned around to face him. "Well, look at that... the face I've been waiting to see" I shot him a sarcastic smile and pulled the covers closer. I just stared at Luke who looked giddy.

"Well, I'm up... for some unknown reason, what do you want?" Luke scoffed dramatically and pulled me up off the couch. "Can't I just hang out with you early this morning? Without the boys around?" I stared blankly at him. "How do you know this isn't a dream again?" I decided to mess with him. If I was going to be up this early, best believe I was gonna have some fun.

"Please. I think I would know if this was a dream. God knows I've had plenty" Luke mumbled. "Well, let's say your wrong. How do you tell the difference?" This was a serious question to Adira. Luke thought about it for a moment before stepping up.

"Well... I would reach out and touch you. I'd look into your eyes. Sometimes..." Luke trailed off as he couldn't resist and kissed her passionately. "I'm definitely... not dreaming" he replied breathless as his forehead rested on Adira's. "It's your lucky day" she kissed him quickly and stepped back.

"Let's go somewhere. Ha-" Luke got cut off as they felt another jolt. "I hate Caleb with a passion" Adira groaned as she sat back on the couch. Luke nodded in agreement and sat next to her. "Can we just sit here? And be with each other?" Adira asked as she looked over at him. He looked down at her and smiled. "I like that" he leaned in and kissed her.

Adira instantly responded as she straddled his lap. Luke's hands gripped her waist tightly as their lips craved one another. Her hands found their way up to his hair and slightly pulled on it, Luke moaned in response. His lips found her neck, sucking on it slightly. Luke carefully laid Adira's back on the couch as his hands roamed under her shirt. Right when things were about to get interesting, they heard somebody appearing and they pulled away.

"Come on" Luke groaned as he laid his forehead on hers before looking up to see Alex. "Woah! When did that happen? But, I mean... finally! I have been waiting for forever" Alex exclaimed excitedly. Adira smiled at Alex, but her eyes were on the shaggy hairder boy walking out the garage.

"Luke, where are you going? It's just Alex" Adira said as she finally caught up to him. "I've gotta go. I'll see you later" Adira caught his hand before he poofed away. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, why the sudden change in attitude? "What's wrong?" She asked quietly. Adira didn't understand why he was suddenly being like this.

"Nothing. I have to go" Luke looked down at their joined hands, but he pulled away. "You know you can talk to me, right?" Luke didn't respond as he poofed away.

ADIRA'S POV

I poofed back into the garage. What was Luke's problem. Yes, we were having a moment, but it was just Alex who interrupted. Did I do something wrong? "Hey, where'd Luke go?" Alex asked as he followed me to sit on the couch. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Beats me. I don't know, I asked him what was wrong and he just poofed out. I mean, I was a little upset that you ruined the moment too, but I'm not mad" I explained. "So there is something going on" Alex said with realization in his tone of voice. "Sorry, not the topic of conversation right now. But, maybe he's just feeling stressed? I mean, if we don't play the Orpheum, then we have to say goodbye to everybody" I nodded, I wanted to slap myself in the forehead. How dumb could I be?

This was about his mom, he finally had the chance to give her that song and now he might have to say goodbye all over again. "Where did you disappear to?" I changed the subject quickly. "I sat on the stage of the Orpheum. Willie and Miliano came to see me. They said that they felt terrible, and that if they could take it all back, they would. It sucks, you know? I feel like I should separate myself from Willie because there's a high chance that we won't crossover. It's like... in the end, I think it'll hurt less if I tried to stop caring? If that makes sense?" Alex rambled.

I understood where he was coming from. For me, or anybody who is going through what we are, it's like if you separate you and your feelings from that person, life could be easier.

"I've been doing it too" I admitted, catching Alex by surprise. "I've been avoiding Julie. Not really avoiding, per se, more like trying to keep the conversation small. Julie is like the little sister that I never got to have. She was the first person I saw after 25, long years. How am I supposed to say goodbye to her? And continue to lie to her? Julie looks so happy now, I can't do that to her" I said as tears threatened to spill. I was hardly ever this emotional, but I love Julie, how am I supposed to do this?

"You know what I think?" Alex asked quietly. "I think that, no matter how hard we try to pull ourselves away from these people, we also have to realize that they are also the people we go to when we need to lean on somebody. I have Willie and you. Julie has you and Flynn. Reggie has Ray, which makes no sense. You have Julie and us. And Luke, he has you... and his mom" Alex replied. It made sense, even though some of them couldn't see us like Julie can, we all relied on each other.

"What do you think I should do? Things are different now, between Luke and I. I don't want to mess things up" I said nervously. "Be there for him, that's all" Alex said, and I nodded. Ok, I can do that. How hard is it for me to be there for Luke? We're friends? Boyfriend and girlfriend? I don't know, it's complicated.

"Adira, I have to tell you something" I looked over at Alex. "The night that we all came back, the boys and I... kinda... sort of... maybe spied on you and your dad" my eyes widened in surprise. "We was just walking around, you know? Trying to see what's changed and then we heard you talking to your dad" I slapped a hand over my forehead. They heard everything. Talk about embarrassment.

"I'm not mad" I admitted. "Just don't do that. It's weird" I mumbled. God, could this day get any worse? "If you don't mind me asking, what do you do when you go see your dad?" Alex asked. "Well, I tell him about what's going on, what you guys are doing, what Julie's doing. He'll talk like I'm still there, which I am, he just doesn't know it. I haven't been over there, since... you know" I answered.

Its weird talking about what I do when I'm with my dad. It's not like it's a sensitive topic, it just hardly ever gets brought up. "I'mma go find Reggie. See if you can find Luke, ok" Alex patted my knee and poofed out.

Not even a few seconds later, Julie walked in. "Adira, hey! Just the girl I wanted to see" my brows raised in curiosity as she sat next to me. "I know that look. What do you need?" I asked. She huffed and playfully rolled my eyes. "I don't know what's been going on, but I see that Luke is hurting. And I know that you're hurting too. Then I got to thinking today, and Flynn gave me this brilliant idea that I should give that Emily song to Luke's mom" Julie answered in one breath.

"And you wanna know where his songbook is?" Julie nodded. I got up and tore out the page. "What? You're not going alone. Let's go" I said as I handed the page to her. Hopefully this is what Alex meant when he said to be there for Luke. I'm not really good with sad emotions.