Falling (l.h.)

Chapter 65

Hey sorry this is sooo late and it's not very long but i'll update tomorrow to make up for it i promise :) i just wanted to upload this quickly 

Bri’s POV

I got back to the apartment and tried calling Luke to thank him, only to be reminded that he still didn't get his cell phone from the kitchen counter.

Extremely frustrated, I decided to head to Sydney's early so we could get ready. During the drive over, my mother called to wish me a happy birthday. If only she knew...

"Happy birthday Bri!" Sydney yelled as soon as I stepped out of the elevator. How did everyone seem to remember my birthday except for me?

"Thank you," I smiled sincerely.

"Why didn't you say anything this morning? I feel like an asshole because I forgot to say it," she pouted as I followed her up the stairs and into her room.

"I didn't even remember it was my birthday until Luke said something to me," I admitted honestly.

"How do you forgot your birthday?! Especially when you're turning nineteen!" she yelled jokingly.

"I guess I've been so caught up in everything that's been going on lately I didn't realize the date. It just slipped away. I mean I knew it was coming up," I shrugged, not really knowing the whole answer. She nodded and we got dressed at chatted for a while until it was time to leave.

We took Sydney’s car there, so she drove. I stared out the window the whole ride, trying to distract myself with the beautiful scenery of the city. I knew it wouldn’t work; it actually made my thoughts even more prominent than before.

Even though we weren’t exactly keeping our distance from each other the past week or so, I couldn’t help but get a small ounce of anxiety in my stomach at the thought of Luke being at dinner tonight.

Maybe it was anxiety over getting into a fight with him and ruining everyone else’s night, or maybe I knew that after spending the night with him, I wouldn’t be able to stay away from him any longer.

When Sydney put the car in park, the anxiety in my stomach was no longer contained. It exploded and pulsed through every nerve and vein in my body and I was frozen.

“Are you okay?”  Sydney asked when I didn’t get out of the car.

“I can’t do this,” I shook my head. “I can’t go in there.”

She sighed and sat back down in the car and shut her door. “Look at me.”

I turned my entire body so I was now facing her.

“Bri, I know that you and Luke are in some sort of rough patch, but you’ve been on good terms all week and it’s not like you guys haven’t spoken or anything. I understand that you’re nervous, but grow a pair and get your ass in there. Show him what he’s missing out on, or if you decide tonight’s the night you get back together, then get back together. None of us are going to judge you; we’re actually waiting for you guy to get back together.”

“I’m not concerned about any of you, it’s just I don’t want him to think it’s okay to keep lying to me about stuff, like if I take him back he’s going to think that it’s okay because I’ll take him back,” I confessed.

“Trust me Bri, he’s learned his lesson. And if you keep holding it off, he is going to think he’s forever stuck in the friend zone now and move on,” she said.

“You’re right,” I sighed, not wanting to admit it.

“Now let’s go, Ashton keeps calling me, they’re already seated,” she said, making me laugh.

Luke’s POV

I sat there like an idiot, shaking my legs under the table and looking down at my lap.

Ashton was sitting next to me and he kept calling Sydney, but she wasn’t picking up. We’re all here and they were ten minutes late and neither one of them would answer their phones.

We all knew they were together, and I was hoping it was just because they were running late and not because Bri got cold feet about tonight.

Just as I was about to get in my car go to both of their apartments to find them, they walked in the door.

Sydney hurried inside and quickly sat down at the table across from Ashton, leaving the only open seat for Bri directly across from me.

I could tell Bri was nervous by the look on her face and the fact that she was walking slower than a snail. I wanted to get up and assure her that everything would be okay, but I’m sure that I’m the last person she wants to be comforted by at the moment.

She finally sat down and when she did, she looked everywhere except straight ahead. She refused to look at me, and that made me ten times more nervous about the plan. I thought we had taken things a step in the right direction, I was hoping tonight would be the night she would take me back, but she seemed to be closed up again, like she built up sky high walls since this afternoon.

I don’t know if Sydney had anything to do with that or not, but I needed to break these walls down, and fast. If I didn’t do it by the end of the night, the plan will never work.

I didn’t pay much attention to anybody during dinner aside from Bri. I watched her eat, speak, and everything. I just loved the way her eyes light up when she talks about something she’s passionate about. I love the way she takes small bites because she’s scared that she’ll look funny if her cheeks are giant and full of food. I love the way she wipes her mouth after every bite just in case there’s something on her face that no one told her about, or she can’t feel it. I love her.

That’s it. I can’t wait any longer. As soon as we get back to Sydney’s I’m doing it.

We split up into the cars we came in and all drove back to Sydney’s. Everything felt the way it used to, before all this alcohol drama. It was almost perfect. There was only one difference between then and now, and that difference was quite obvious. It didn’t only affect me and her, but it affected everybody. We all noticed it, but none of us said anything because there really was nothing to be said.

All night Ashton kept elbowing me in the side, telling me to speak up and talk to her, but I refused. She was slowly coming out of her shell and I knew that if I spoke to her, she’d crawl right back inside.

I was waiting until we got back because it’d be a little more private considering at dinner, not only were we in a public restaurant, but we were both in the middle of the table.

I parked my car in the lot as did everybody else and we all rode the elevator up to her floor.

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soo do you know what the surprise is yet? any guesses? keep voting and commenting :) i love you all so much!

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