Maid For You 3

Chapter 74

I was going to drive Luke to the airport using his car before I would drop it off at his parent's house for them to keep while he was gone. He came to my room the morning of the 21st, and immediately I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder, trying not to cry. I had known this day was coming, and yet it still suddenly felt very hard. We stood there for a couple of minutes, silently holding onto each other.

"You ready to go?" I finally asked him. He pulled himself away and nodded. Walking hand in hand, when headed down to the main floor and were on our way to the garage when a shrill voice pierced the space.

"Lucas!" the voice cried. We turned to see Princess Calista, her face screwed up as to avoid tears, and to our surprised she started dashing towards us. I took a step aside just before she ran and wrapped her arms around Luke in a big hug. He looked very startled, but he did place his arms around her in turn.

"Princess!" he cried.

"I'm going to miss you!" Calista said, her face to the side against his chest. She hugged him tighter. "I don't know what I'll do without you," she said, her eyes shut tightly. "You're the only one who's always been nice to me, you know?"

"Oh, Princess," Luke said softly. He just untangled her from him and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know it's easy to feel overlooked," he told her gently. "But you are your own wonderful person with your own unique gifts, and you should remember that." He glanced at me for a moment. "A good friend taught me that." He turned back to her. "And you've always been so kind to me, you know? You are a sweet girl—you should let people see that side of you more often." He then removed his hands.

Tears welled up in the Princess's eyes. "I'm going to buy every single song you put out," she told him. "And all of your merchandise, too!"

Luke laughed.

"I mean it!" she said. "I'm going to be your biggest fan, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"I'm glad to hear it," he smiled. "It's good to know at least one person will be my fan."

"Of course!" she said, standing a little straighter. "You are a great singer anyways, you know? You'll be famous before you know it."

He grinned. "Thank you, Princess Calista. I really appreciate that."

To my surprise, another figure entered the hallway—Prince Coleman. We hadn't talked much since Durmanhein.

"Hello, Lucas," Coleman said, smiling slightly. Luke stiffened and bowed.

"Your highness," he acknowledged him.

Coleman smiled lightly as he approached us. "I just thought I'd come see you off myself," he said. "You have been a great butler to me these past few years, and my only regret is that I didn't get to know you better. But you're a great musician and I really believe you will be successful." Prince Coleman held out his hand, which Luke took and shook. "Thank you for everything," the Prince said. "My mother isn't here right now, but all that you've done for us hasn't gone unnoticed. Know that."

"Thank you, sir," Luke's eyes widened.

The Prince smiled. "You can call me Coleman."

"I can't believe it's really here," I said quietly as I drove Luke to the airport. I'd gotten a lot better at driving in Aregano since my incident with Prince Nikolas at the festival. Technically, Luke could have been picked up by the Nash Scottie's team, but we had wanted this last moment together.

"Me neither," Luke said.

"You know," I started, trying to laugh a little. "When you're a big-shot popstar, I hope you don't go all Taylor Swift on me, yeah? You won't write a bunch of revenge songs?"

He laughed. "Oh Cass," he sighed. "I'm going to miss you." He looked at me. "I very well may write songs about you, but I promise I'll only have good things to say."

I couldn't help but smile. "Lucas Prescott—immortalizing me through song?"

He grinned. "It's the least I can do, isn't it?"

I felt an ache in my heart. I would miss this—I would miss his smile and his cute freckle and his chocolatey eyes. I'd miss driving together and conversing in easy chatter. Gosh, I'd miss him. To my dread, the airport was fast approaching, which meant our time together was almost at a close. We rolled up to the side of the airport, and I got out of the car while Luke grabbed his luggage from his trunk. Once he had all of his things on the side of the curb, he turned to me and his eyebrows drew together.

"Oh, Cassie," he said, walking up to me and wrapping me in a huge hug. I held him tightly.

"I'm going to miss you," I said, tears pooling in my eyes.

"Me too," he answered. When he finally pulled away, he said, "Thank you for everything, Cassie. For believing in me. For helping me get this far. I'll never forget all that you've done."

"Thank you," I said. "For putting up with a crazy girl like me."

We both chuckled despite ourselves.

"If you ever need anything," Luke started. "I'm happy to help. I mean it."

"Thank you," I said. "The same goes for me."

"I wish you all the happiness in the world, Cassie Carmichael. I really do. No matter who you end up with, I hope he brings you joy."

"Oh, you too!" I cried, tears running down my cheeks. He then leaned down and we kissed for the last time. We said our final "goodbye," and Luke took his luggage and walked into the airport.

And thus ended my relationship with Lucas Prescott.

A swarm of memories swamped me as I drove the car to his parent's house. The first time we met, the time when he placed a band-aid on my cut at Coleman's mini pool party in September, our trip to Sky Land together, the song he sang for me at Calista's party, the way he helped French braid my hair after I sprained my ankle on the hike, the first time he held my hand during the Autumn Festival, the time when he told me that he liked me despite the fact that I had been eating pringles and garbage all weekend, the first time he kissed me and then asked me to be his girlfriend, our exciting kiss in the supply closet, our dance on his 23rd birthday, his "Fakesgiving" he threw for me, our nighttime waltz lessons, our Christmas in Durmanhein.

No, in the end I'd realized that Luke wasn't the man I was meant to marry, but it didn't negate all the good times we'd had. Yes, we had had our fights and issues, but we'd enjoyed a lot of sweet, happy moments at well. And for that, I would always be grateful. I would look back on our relationship with fondness, not bitterness. Luke wouldn't become that "crazy ex" story, nor did I think I would become his, and I was glad for it. I sincerely wished him the best in life, and I believed him when he said the same for me.