The Jealousy Plot

63) Why Did Danny Have To Leave The Door Unlocked?

"Okay, first of all I'm not that bad and second of all what college guy has Silent Night as their number one christmas carol?" I retort.

He scoffs at me. "Only the cool ones".

"I should head back to the apartment" I explain, standing up. "Belle and Danny are going to the club tonight and Danny never remembers to lock the door".

"Well then I'll escort you" James states, standing up before sending me a reassuring smile. Gosh his smile was great. "It's inappropriate to let a lady walk home alone".

"Bullshit" I declare. "You just want some of those thin mint cookies Belle always keeps in our cabinet".

"That may or may not be true but still, selfish motives with a generous offer is still a noble act in my eyes" he states as we walk out of the coffee shop, my hands clinging to the warm beverage in my hands.

"Eating all of the eggo waffles and leaving one at the bottom of the box is a noble act in your eyes so I hope you'll forgive me if I don't see this as a noble act like you do" I tease back.

"Hey!" James defends. "I saved you the last eggo!".

"Believe me when I say that nobody has ever wanted just one eggo" I say back.

"You're just ungrateful" James mutters.

We spend the rest of the walk back to my apartment bickering and laughing and the closer we get to the building the closer we start walking until our hands brush past each other's every time we take a step.

As we step onto the elevator I turn to look at James and without warning Luke's face molds into James's. It wasn't a far stretch either, seeing as James's hair was only a slightly darker blonde than his and they had the same build, tall and toned.

But the difference was in the eyes. While Luke's were bolts of electricity, James's were the color of hard packed dirt. If it wasn't for those eyes I could almost believe that he was Luke. I could almost believe that the boy I had loved had never left me.

But one look at his deep brown eyes would stop me. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to shake the image of Luke out of my mind.

"Hey" I open my eyes to be met by a concerned looking James. "You okay?" he asks.

"Thank you for being here" I say suddenly. James cocks his eyebrow in a questioning look but I don't try to explain the random comment. 

Moving to NYU had been hard, especially seeing as I wasn't ready for it but I had met James again and it was like I wasn't alone anymore. Of course I had Belle and Danny but I've always had them. Besides, they went out a lot while I would stay in instead. But whenever I felt sad or lonely James would somehow know and call me or show up at my door with a pizza or something like that.

And the longer I look at him, the more his and Luke's face start to mold together until I am staring at the the smirky and confident Luke my heart had been bursting to see again.

The last to change are the eyes but once they become blue, I stop thinking. I lean forward and connect my lips to his.

He immediately kisses back, bringing a hand to cup my face. I press harder as my arm winds around his neck, yearning for that feeling of closeness I hadn't felt in so long.

"Claire-" James moans my name and the voice reminds me that he isn't Luke. He never will be him.

But for once, I don't give a shit.

As the elevator dings to my floor I step backwards, leading James with me, our lips never withdrawing. We continue walking down the hall, our lips connected as our feet stumble clumsily.