before the pain | luke (JATP)

XVIII

"I thought your parents were divorced?" Reggie said as they both sat on the car's hood. Mila nodded slowly, her arms were around her legs as she looked at the beautiful view in front of her.

"They are... they decided to move in together because they think their divorce is the reason for my bad grades I guess" Reggie sighed and nodded slowly as he looked at the view.

"I wish my parents would divorce honestly" Mila looked a little surprised by his words. "Why's that?" She asked, noticing his eyes weren't focused on the view anymore, but the ground in front of them.

"They yell at each other all the time, they are a minute away from being divorced, yet they never do... we live by the beach, so whenever they begin yelling I just walk down there and play music or go to the garage where we play... I wish they would just listen to each other" Reggie admitted, Mila took a deep breath before laying her head on his shoulder.

"And I used to be able to talk to Alex about it, yet when he came out to his parents... they never looked at Alex or any of us the same" Mila bit her lip listening to his friend, she hated the idea of him being hurt.

"What about Luke? " Mila asked, removing her head from his shoulder and looking into his eyes, Reggie shook his head. "Luke had his own trouble, I don't want to bother him," Mila noticed herself getting worried by Reggie's words.

"What kind of trouble?" She asked in a small whisper, almost being scared to ask this. Reggie shook his head. "Not something I should tell... but I will say Luke and I have not talked about feelings since he broke up with Alex"

The two of them continued to sit on the hood of the blue Audi 5000S. When the sun had gone down, Reggie drove Mila home, she enjoyed the company of her friend, yet the lovely day she had, was ruined as she opened the door, about to go to the kitchen to take whatever leftovers her parents had left, when at the dinner table she saw someone she did not expect and forgot would even be there.

Oliver Young, sitting at her place by the dinner table, enjoying her mom's Paella, the table that before Mila had entered the house was filled with a joyful conversation, now sat quiet, looking at the daughter.

"You're late Milliana" Mila's dad said, his voice not the typical sugar sweet. Mila gulped as she looked at Oliver, his eyes were looking into hers, as she almost caught herself having weak knees, by his big brown eyes and those glasses of his.

"Come sit down," Her mom said and put food on the empty plate beside Oliver, Mila shakingly sat down beside him, not knowing what to do, she quietly ate, still not having said a word, Oliver's eyes were still focused on her.

Her mind went to the night, she saw Aera and Liam together, a weird feeling in her stomach began and she quickly stopped eating. Of course, the whole table noticed this, so no wonder her mom asked: "Are you okay Mija?"

Mila stood up not knowing what to say, she looked at Oliver and then at her parents, then at family Young and smiled awkwardly. "I forgot I have homework.... I'll just go to my room, I'm sorry"

"Maybe you and Oliver can go to your room and make it together, and we can have an adult conversation" Mila's mom smiled brightly, at her own idea, which she of course thought was brilliant, Mila still stood frozen, not knowing what to say or do, but simply agreeing with her mother.

Oliver stood up in silence and walked to her room with her, unlike with Luke, Reggie, and Alex. Mila just opened the door to the bedroom. Oliver walked in and looked around, he tried to smile at her, yet she didn't smile back.

"How have you been?" He asked with a small smile, she shrugged. "Do you care?" Oliver breathed out as he awkwardly looked around, his eyes went to the wall of small notes, he walked over and read some of them, he licked his lips as he sighed, reading one of the papers.

Do you really not believe in sweet love?

I don't know.. I think love is difficult and we fall in love with the wrong people

Who broke your heart?

A guy that was and never will be mine

that guy must be an idiot for not noticing you. Now that you and I are friends, I'll help you get over that ass.

Oliver turned around and looked at the curly-haired girl, her eyes weren't meeting which made him get shivers down his spine.

"Who is the lucky, unlucky guy?" Oliver asked, pointing at the paper, Mila looked up and she felt her heart beating in her chest with a rapid paste. Yet she looked away, looking at Elijah's drawing on the other wall, giving her strength to answer.

"I don't like him anymore" Mila answered, this made Oliver walk over to her, looking down upon her. "Why not?" Oliver asked, Mila took a deep breath before looking directly into his eyes and standing up from the bed, which made Oliver take a step back, so their heads didn't bop in together, Mila looked at him with pity yet anger.

Memories of the party went through her head, memories of how Oliver's face was in a creepy smile as he kept hitting Bobby till he was bleeding, how he hit Reggie, which made her even angrier.

"Because I realized how much of an idiot he is" She answered, as soon as she did, she realized what she had done, yet she didn't have time to progress it as he quickly hugged her. As he hugged her tightly, he smelled of honey, and for a reason, she couldn't add the time explain, she wished he had smelled of peppermint.

"I'm going, to be honest... Aera and I miss you so much...." Oliver whispered into her ear, that was when it slipped out, the thing that made him storm out in anger, not even looking back, leaving Mila alone, to cry in her stupid mistake that she just ruined something;

"Aera is cheating on you"