𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 | 𝘎𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴

18 :: 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺

so so sorry about the scattered updates, i'm really trying my best

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❝ Trouble in paradise? ❞

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"YOU JUST WANT your usual right?" Gracie asked, standing on the steps into the diner while looking back at her friend. Melissa stood back, away from the diner and avoided looking in the large windows. She couldn't bear to see him.

Melissa nodded. It was the fourth time this week that she'd refused to go to the diner to retrieve her usual morning coffee on the off chance that she'd see Jess.

Melissa hadn't told Gracie what had happened. She was ashamed of herself for not realising everything sooner and for letting it play out longer than it should've. Luke was hurting because of Jess, and she didn't even notice. What kind of person does that make her?

All that Gracie knew was that their pair of them had had a fight of some sort and that it had been bad. So bad, that even the mere prospect of seeing Jess made Melissa feel physically sick. It hurt Gracie to know that her best friend was hurting, but even more than because it was a boy's doing. Boys weren't meant to make them feel this way.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, don't go anywhere," she instructed before sauntering off up the steps into the diner. The bell chimed and Jess's head perked up, but the hopeful gleam in his eyes flattened when he saw Gracie step inside alone. Again.

Luke was the same as his nephew, impatiently waiting for Melissa to show up one day. It was killing him that he hadn't seen her. He didn't know what had happened in the slightest, not even the simplest of notions as to what had happened in her life. But he had his guesses. And from how unusually cold he was being towards Jess, it was obvious as to what he thought.

"Still no Melissa?" he asked when Gracie approached the counter. Jess listened in with nosy ears. Luke didn't know why he asked, he could tell she wasn't coming. But still, he needed to make sure.

Gracie shook her head sadly as Luke pulled their travel mugs up from under the counter. "Not yet. Maybe tomorrow." Gracie didn't know why she answered with that either. She knew that Melissa wouldn't be coming in anytime soon.

"Tell her I miss her, and she needs to get her butt in here at least once by the end of the week or I will be disowning her," Luke grumbled, the façade of annoyance faltering. Everyone could see how much her absence was bothering him.

"I'll tell her, no promises that she'll be here though," Gracie said. Her eyes flicked momentarily to Jess standing at the other end of the counter. The quick glance didn't go unnoticed by either of the boys.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Luke handed her a bag of Danishes and then waved Gracie goodbye and she turned to exit the diner. He turned around, refilling the coffee pot and taking a deep breath in. He really really missed her.

A raucous came from one end of the counter and the sound of angry stomping footsteps could be heard meeting the tiled floor. They stopped suddenly, but were then followed by a voice of utter panic.

"Come on, Gracie. Move out of the way, you can see he's bothering her. He has been every day now and I won't just sit around and let it happen –,"

"I might be very small, but I won't hesitate to fight you if I need to. Stay away from her Jess, she doesn't need you to fight her battles. She can handle him herself, she doesn't need you to be her knight in shining armour –,"