stupid little things || luke hemmings

Chapter 17

"BYE LOVE YOU 5 EVER SEE YOU LATER," I yell, kissing her cheek before running out the door, leaving her with an eye roll.

-----------------------------------------

What are you up to Hemmings

I read the text over and over, chewing on my lip as a taxi driver speeds through the streets of Paris. It was so hard to play oblivious all day; of course I knew what today was. It's our frieniversary as we had coined it all those years ago when we officially became best friends.

I have no idea what you're talking about 

She responds immediately

 oh so you have no idea where Steve is taking me?

Not a clue

I feel the car pull to a stop and I carefully take the flowers out of the seat beside me. I'd picked hydrengias- hydrogens- hy-. I'd picked the ones that matched her hair dye earlier, and I checked them to make sure they weren't smashed by the taxi driver's driving. I pay him and go and wait below the lights of the Effiel Tower.

I watch with a hawk's eye until I finally spot the SUV pulling up, Steve beaming at me from the driver's seat. Jo eases her way out, a suspicious eye flickering between Steve and I. I clench my teeth and grin at her as she gets closer, the anticipation growing.

"Not a clue, huh?" She quotes me, a smile on her red-lipstick coated lips.

"Maybe I had a little clue," I respond with a shrug, careful to keep the flowers behind my back.

"Alright Hemmings, what's all this about," she questions, trying to peak around my shoulders.

I take a deep breath and bring the flowers around, grinning as her eyes light up.

"Happy frieniversary, and you thought I forgot," I tilt my head a little, placing the flowers in her hands sheepishly. 

"Luke-" she breathes, looking up at me. The lights of the tower reflect in her eyes and I swear I can feel the love in my veins. I crash my lips down onto her's, her arms throwing themselves around my neck as I lift her feet off the pavement below our feet.

 "Thank you," she whispers, hugging me tightly and burying her face in my neck. I hold her exactly as she was, feet still dangling, moving back and forth slightly until I feel her whole body tense.

"Luke, I don't want you to freak out, but I'm 98% sure there's a baby pigeon behind you," she whispers in my ear. I slowly turn around, looking to see the small gray bird, pecking at miscellaneous crumbs in the cracks of the pavement.

"OH MY GOD WE FOUND ONE," I yell excitedly, turning a few heads of couples around us. 

"You're gonna scare it!" Jo exclaims, wiggling out of my grip and watching the bird take a few startled steps backwards before flying off. 

"I DON'T CARE BABE WE FOUND ONE," I respond, looking at her with the widest grin I can muster.

"This is a frieniversary for the books," she smiles, cuddling up to my side. I lead her to a bench where we sit in the cool air as close as our bodies will let us.

"I have an idea," Jo perks up, looking deep into my eyes.

"Shoot."

"We shouldn't have an actual anniversary, we should just keep the frieniversary. Fits us better, don't you think?" She smiles warmly.

"Well I've been in love with you since we became friends, so I was planning on it anyways," I shrug. I don't know where the sudden burst of confidence to say all this came from, but I know I'm not going to let it pass.

"Luke-" Jo looks even more shocked as she gazes up at me.

"I mean it Jo. All these years, all the times we spent together, they made me fall in love with you. Playing freeze tag on the playground and you slapping me because I tripped and touched your butt, the time we stole all the blue crayons from the class 64 set so we could color your hair in the back of class. When you bribed me with your piggy bank for me to do your multiplication facts, when I would have done them for just a few more seconds of talking to you. Or all the times you covered for me when I skipped to go record covers with the boys. You teasing me about my cooking and always being willing to listen to my shitty songs and bad guitar playing. Everything," I trail off as I see a few tears forming in her eyes.

"Those first few were stupid though, we were so young."

"We just freaked out about a baby pigeon. Weird? Yeah probably. But you know what Jo? Maybe that's what love is to us. All the stupid little things."

------------------------------------------

FEEDBACK IM BEGGING