Forbidden Love • Peter Hale

XXIV // Emily

Peter held Luna close to him as they walked around in the mall. They were just shopping for fun.

Luna pulled him to a shopping window with Tommy Hilfiger clothes behind it, and as she intently looks at especially one sweater, Peter just scans the rest of the mall.

He sees a group of kids running around, a few couples shopping, not many familiar faces. Until he sees her. His heart stops. He swallows and tries to avert his eyes from her, but he can't.

Luna notices Peter had let go of her hand, and she looks up to see him staring at something. Luna follows his gaze only to see a woman. Luna moves her hand up to place it on Peter's chest.

Peter's attention is finally back to Luna, who looks at him with questioning eyes. Peter's eyes are full of pain as he takes her hand and gently pulls her with him.

Luna obliges and wonders who that woman was, as they walk out of the mall.

Peter sighs and looks back one more time, right into her eyes. She waves and smiles. Peter averts his eyes back to look in front of him and walks back to the car with Luna.

They both step into the car and sit together in silence for a few minutes. And just as Luna swallows and opens her mouth to ask something, Peter says, "So, that was my ex, Emily."

Luna nods and frowns. "How long ago were you in a relationship?"

Peter sighs. "About 5 years ago... But I didn't get any closure," He stops to clear his throat. "She left town without telling me and left me with a broken heart. After that, I became cold and distant towards everyone, afraid to get attached to someone. Until I met you." Peter places his hand lovingly on top of Luna's.

Luna nods and bites her lip. "Do you.." She sighs.

"Still love her?" Peter finishes her sentence and Luna nods in response. "I-I don't know," Peter admits.

Luna looks down and tears pop up in her eyes. Peter notices. "I thought she was the love of my life, Luna."

Luna scoffs and nods. "Come and find me when you do know, who you love." And with that she gets out of the car and heads into an alley, unable for Peter to follow her, and walks home.

~~~

Peter tries to track her down, but Luna knows all the short cuts to her house. In the end Peter gives up and heads back to his apartment as well.

He opens the front door and throws his keys onto the cabinet. He heads straight into the bedroom and falls down on his bed, their bed, since the first night he spent with Luna. With his coat, clothes and shoes still on, he just lays there, staring at the ceiling. He sighs and closes his eyes, allowing memories, he'd locked away for a long time, back into his mind.

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Pete," Emily says. That's how she liked to call him, Pete.

"Hmm, if I remember it correctly, you would be with that douche of an Alan Daniels if I hadn't saved you." Peter retorts and chuckles.

"Don't even get me started about that guy," Emily laughs and says, "And if I remember it correctly, all you did was throw your beer into that guy's face after he made a move on me."

"What can I say," Peter smirks, "I am a very heroic person."

" My hero," Emily says as she puts her hand on Peter's chest and kisses him deeply.

Peter kisses her back and as they pull back, he keeps his eyes shut and enjoys the feeling. 'This is her. This is the love of my life,' he thinks to himself as his hand goes down and feels the box in his pocket. 'She is the one.'

Peter sighs and sits back up. He walks to his dresser and takes opens the top drawer. There's a box, one he rarely opens, especially since he'd been with Luna. He opens it, and inside of that there's another box. He takes it out and sits back down on the bed.

He sighs and a tear rolls down his face as he studies the ring. He was supposed to ask propose to her that evening, but she left fast after getting an important text. She didn't tell him what it was about, and she never would, because that night she skipped town and left Peter alone and heartbroken. He never got any kind of closure and that's why Luna's question was so hard to answer.

Did he still love Emily?