while you were gone .: lrh

chapter thirty three

luke: i'm back in town, can we meet up?
1:23pm
luke: please? i know you hate me and there's a low chance you'll even answer these, but please? i just want to talk to you
1:25pm

mardelle takes a deep breath as she stares at the texts. after contemplating for a bit, she types.

mardelle: yes.
1:33pm

luke: yes? yes what?
1:33pm

mardelle: let's meet up. when and where?

-

as she exits her apartment, mar cautiously peeks around each corner in nervousness. she doesn't understand why until it hits her; she's afraid eric will show up. without her locked door to separate them, she's weak.

after a good ten minutes of her jumpy journey downstairs, mardelle reaches the lobby and rushes outside. when she sees that she's in the clear, on the street with a lot of possible witnesses if eric does show up, she lets out a long, relieved breath.

luke had asked her to meet him at a nearby starbucks, and as its only five minutes away, she walks. she hadn't realized how nervous she was until she arrives at the shop. with slow movements, she looks through the store window and her breath catches in her throat at the sight of familiar blonde hair.

mardelle almost leaves, too unprepared to speak to him again, but then her mind drifts back to how the simple thought of him was what motivated her to stand up to eric, and she pushes into the warm coffee shop.

the doorbells chime, signalling her entrance, and at the noise, luke glances at the door. his face lights up in anticipation and he stands to greet her. she smiles hesitantly, walking over. "hi."

"hey, hi," luke pulls the chair out for her and she thanks him quietly, taking a seat. "how are you?"

"i'm...fine. how are you?"

"i'm well. um, i probably shouldn't start our conversation off like this, but i...i miss you, mardelle. i miss you so much."

she tucks hair behind her hair, looking down. "yeah. i missed you too."

"i don't just mean when i was on tour. i mean us. i miss us. together."

"luke," elle bites her lip, looking up and into his hypnotizing blue eyes. "i have a boyfriend, whom i love very much."

"i get that. i understand, and i'm not asking you to breakup with him and date me. i just...i wanted to ask you if you'd consider starting over?"

"luke..."

"i love you, mardelle," he bares his heart honestly, and the girls stomach clenches at the words. the boy looks desperate as he explains. "and i'm not asking you for anything huge. i know you don't feel the same anymore, okay? but i can't not have you in my life anymore. i need you, even if i can't have you as my girlfriend. can't we just...be friends again?"

taking a shaky breath, mardelle lowers her eyes to look at the patterned phone case on her ex's phone, avoiding eye contact. she tries to find a way to reject this, but after really thinking about it, and looking into his eyes, her mind changes. "just friends?"

luke nods hopefully. "just friends."

with a sigh, mardelle begins smiling a genuine smile. "okay."

and in that moment they were both happier than they'd been in a while.