REVENGE #Wattys2017

Thirteen.

"What makes him so much better than me, Brit? I know he doesn't treat you the way you should be treated."

"And you did?" I was fuming. "You controlled me. You made me think that you were all I had. Like I was nothing without you. I don't need you. I don't need Luke. But when it comes to who I want, it's not you!" I quickly turned around and made a bee line for my car. How dare he make it seem like I needed him? I was perfectly fine.

Luke came at 9:00, give or take a few minutes. He brought me flowers. Daisies because he thought roses were too much. I thought it was the cutest thing he could have done.

We sat on the couch, my legs crossed and his resting on the coffee table I had just got yesterday. "How's work?" I asked him, fiddling with the hem of my oversized Nirvana t-shirt.

"I had to give Tim some of my clients for school but it's been good. My moms been helping me out with rent and stuff since I'm not making as much." He licked his lips and my stomach sank. I didn't even think about his rent. I should have helped him. "Don't worry about it, babe." He chuckled, laying his head against the cushion to look over at me.

"I shouldn't have gone to Harper and Talia's. They started saying all of these things about you and I didn't want to hear it. They took my phone and by the time I got it back, you were so mad. I didn't think you wanted to see me." I bit my lip and looked down at the white rug. "I messed up."

"Baby, I will always want to see you." He placed his hand on my thigh. "You're my girl, ok?"

"Am I, Luke?" I sighed, shaking my head. "For the last few months, I haven't left your side. We were glued together and as much as I like being around you, I wasn't very independent."

"Britney Olsen, what the hell are you talking about? Is that what this is about?" He scoffed, sitting up to be closer to me. "Your parents died when you were 15 years old, you are putting yourself through college, and you are the most badass chick I have ever met when it comes to defending yourself. You are independent."

"I'm not." I shook my head, sighing loudly. "I met JT when my parents died. I didn't ever really cope with it, that's why I hate talking about it. I put all of that reliance and dependence on JT and he was my entire world for 5 years. Then when he wasn't anymore, I put it all on you. I need to do some stuff on my own, maybe actually go to therapy and figure some stuff out. I just," he grabbed my hand and squeezed it softly. "I need something for me. Because, we're not together and if I put all of that on you and you walk away, I have nothing."

"I understand, babe." He whispered, stroking his thumb across my hand. "You got some stuff to work out. I just hope you'll let me come by every now and then." He brought my hand to his lips, kissing it softly. "Maybe?"

"I'm not opposed." I smiled, standing from the couch with his hand still in mine. "It's going to be different. No more sleeping around and coming to me when you're lonely-"

"You're so wrong about that." He chuckled, shaking his head. "It's just you. It's been just you, B."

"Swear?"

"On my fucking life." He rasped, placing his forehead on mine. "Let me take you to dinner tomorrow." He asked lowly, entwining our fingers. I moved towards the door, the time becoming more obvious. We stopped at the door, his hand holding mine tightly. "Lets do this right this time."

"If I say no?" I looked up at him and he let my hand go, moving his hands up to my jaw line, holding my head in place. Everything changed. The butterflies I had felt every time he kissed, were magnified. His hands were warm and his eyes pierced mine while he tilted my head back and leaned his head down further. He brought me into a slow and sweet kiss, no tongue or rushed bites. Just a kiss.

"You'll let me know?" He licked his lips when he pulled back and opened the door. My heart was racing and my head was pounding. This wasn't the same. "Brit," he turned back and I looked at him, my lips parted when I saw the sadness in his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you."