Handle With Care

10. The Best Best-Man

"If you get the bus with me," Annie started, licking her lips as she hoped she could persuade him, "you can pick our next adventure- we can do whatever you want." She spoke as seriously as she could, trying to come off as confident.

Luke looked at her, ready to disappoint her and walk away, regretting his decision and not even wanting to go to his best friends wedding, but he just couldn't. Her eyes were just pleading but promising, they deemed safe and welcoming, almost promising nothing bad will happen to him.

He trusted her, he really did, and she wasn't the problem. The problem was that he didn't trust vehicles, they are supposed to protect people and they don't. They don't save people the way they should and Luke hates them.

"Ok," he breathed, his mouth speaking before his brain could even process what he was saying. He couldn't believe he was agreeing to this, for Annie.

"Good because it's coming," She waved her hand out for the bus driver to stop, waiting for Luke to get on first before following behind him, digging out some change from her purse to pay for the both of them. Luke would of happily paid, he just didn't bring any money as he didn't think he would need it. He would repay Annie at some point, probably at their next adventure.

He slid into the seat closest to the window, in front of the middle aged women and behind the elder couple. Annie sat herself next to him, noticing how his head started to glisten with sweat and his chest started to heave. His leg tapped up and down in nerves and his clammy hands fiddled between his legs.

Annie reached into her purse, pulling out her phone and some small headphones she had just grabbed, putting one in her ear and carefully placing the other in Luke's. The first song was Snow (Hey Oh) by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, another band Annie had the albums of.

Luke liked them too, they influenced him a lot as a kid and they even inspired him a little to start playing guitar, along with a lot of other artists of course.

Annie reached her hand over, placing it on top of Luke's and intertwining their fingers, squeezing gently as she rested her head on his shoulder, hoping to distract him away from his nerves. It seemed to work as he placed his head on top of hers, his other hand enclosing around hers and keeping it close to him.

"Annie?" Luke spoke just loud enough so it was over the music, moving his head as she moved her own, resting her chin on his shoulder instead. She realised this was way too close, not just for clients but for friends too, if that's what they were. "Can you not tell anyone you're my therapist? Can you be coming here as a friend instead?" He gulped.

"Of course, I wouldn't want it any other way." She smiled, looking out the window to see that they were nearing the stop.

-

If Luke was nervous before, then he was a down right mess now. Everyone was already in the church, seated and waiting for a few more people to arrive until the bride was to walk down the aisle.

Annie was a little too busy looking at all the decorations as Luke stared at all the familiar faces, feeling as though he was about to cry. No one had noticed him yet, everyone was engrossed in there own world, focusing on Michael and Olivia's big day.

Luke thought he was going to be ruining Michaels big day, maybe he shouldn't of returned after a year on the day of his best friends wedding, what if people wanted to talk to him and not Michael?