Change of Plans

Chapter Thirteen

"So, the guys at my office are throwing a New Year's Eve party tomorrow night," Noah told me. My phone was nestled between my shoulder and ear as I combed through my messy closet to find an outfit for our date.

"Cool," I muttered, preoccupied by my task at hand. 

"Do you want to go with me?"

"Go where?" 

He chuckled. "To the party, silly."

"Oh, I don't know..." I pretended to ponder. "I already have a hot date tomorrow."

"I'm jealous of the man who gets to take you out," Noah said. 

My giggle was a little short of genuine. Noah had called me as soon as I got home from supper. We'd been talking on the phone for an hour and my eyelids were beginning to droop. "And all the ladies will be jealous of me when" I paused to yawn "they see who I've got on my arm."

I abandoned my search and fell on my bed onto a hoard of clothes I'd decided weren't sexy enough. 

"Beth, you should get some rest."

"But I'm talking to you." I yawned again. 

"And you'll still be talking to me tomorrow. Sweet dreams," he whispered and I barely managed to mumble 'good night' before sleep took me.

I staggered into the kitchen the next morning to find Jane kneeling on the floor, head buried in a cabinet. The sound of pots and pans clanging together was deafening. I groaned and headed for the coffee machine. Coffee, coffee, coffee. As I walked past the opening to the living room, I caught a glimpse of Charlie sitting on the couch watching the news. Immediately, I made a beeline to him.

He saw me coming and offered a warm smile. 

"Do you live here now or something?" I asked. 

"Or something." He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned off the TV. 

"Dude." 

"Dudette." 

"Charlie!"

"Beth!" 

Jane walked into the living room holding a pan. Her eyebrow was cocked curiously. In that moment, she reminded me of a brunette Rapunzel from Tangled. Which would make Charlie her handsome Flynn Rider. His smiled broadened when she came and stood beside me. 

"Good morning, Beth," Jane greeted. "Already picking fights, I see."

I pointed toward Charlie. "It was him!" I yelled. 

Charlie raised his hands. Jane laughed. 

"Why is he here, Jane? It's eight in the morning," I complained. I looked at Charlie. "Don't you have work?" An odd stench filled the room. I sniffed twice. "Is something burning?"

Jane squeaked and spun on her heel before running into the kitchen. My gaze was fixated once again on Charlie. Before I could speak, he stood up and looked me in the eye. 

"I know we got off on the wrong foot. I can see how much you care for your sisters and I admire that. I just want you to know that I like Jane." His eyes flitted toward the kitchen doorway and his voice dropped to a whisper. "We've only been on two dates and I already like her more than I've ever liked anyone else. You don't have to worry about me, I'll take care of her," he assured me.

I could tell he was being serious. But just to be sure...

"Pinky promise?"

He cracked a grin. "I haven't made a pinky promise since grade four."

"Did you break it?" I asked.

"Never," he boasted and hooked his pinky with mine. 

It being New Year's Eve, the firm was kind enough to give us a half day. Our day off the next day was most likely because the aftermath of partying and heavy drinking doesn't equal an efficient work day. So, best to not pay us at all than pay us for a half-assed job.

I made it through three quarters of my case files, a deposition, fifty-six "happy New Year's", and five cups of coffee before we were permitted to leave. 

I gathered my stuff before stopping by at Luke's office. Past all the courtesies, I didn't bother knocking. This time, I wish I had.

I found Luke pressing a petite girl against the wall, the two passionately making out. Their heads snapped toward me and Luke quickly removed his hand from beneath her shirt. He didn't seem fazed by the interruption but the girl was blushing profusely. I recognized her as a paralegal from a few floors down. She reached back and hooked her bra. She smiled weakly before bolting to the door, shutting it behind her.

I looked at Luke, who was buttoning his shirt, expecting him to say something, but didn't. When he slipped on his suit jacket and nobody had uttered a word yet he snapped at me, "what?" 

I flinched, surprised by his outbreak. 

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I--"

"Nevermind, I don't want to hear it," he interrupted. Luke slouched against the table and buried his head in his hands. Three minutes had passed and neither of us moved or said anything when I heard a sob reverberate. He was crying.

In milliseconds I was by his side, arms wrapped around him. As I held him in my embrace, I felt my heart breaking. Nothing I could say at this point would console him. Luke never cried. So I held him.

The tears subsided when the sun disappeared completely behind the New York skyline and the sky began to darken. The room was illuminated only by the fluorescent office lights from the building across the street.

He pried me off of him gently and reached for a tissue. 

"I wish it was you I'd fallen in love with, Lizzie." 

I offered him a sad smile. "The heart wants what it wants."

"She's never going to love me back."

"She loves you, Luke."

He looked at me with red-rimmed eyed. "She's not in love with me," he whispered.

"And you thought meaningless sex with a faceless paralegal would help?"

"It numbs the pain," he retorted.

I wrapped my hand in his and pressed the back of it against my lip. "Let's get you home."

Author's Note: SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT AND SHORT UPDATE. I was busy with my first semester of uni ever. (I did really well! YAY!) I'll try to stay more consistent with my updates. Promise.

If you spot any spelling/grammar mistakes, point 'em out! This chapter was more of a filler since something BIG'S going to happen next chapter, so wait and see! Ta-ta for now. :)

Thanks for reading, guys, it means a lot.