𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑 | Luke Patterson

5) chance to tell her.

I was sitting there. On the couch.

I hadn't sang out loud in twenty-five years.

Ever since the three boys that had come back into my life had died...

I know I keep dwelling on death... but it's a constant plague in my mind.

Nothing had been the same after my mother died. It wasn't the same pain as Julie had felt, I know that that is hard to believe. But-

When my mother died, I lost my dad too. He wasn't the same. He started drinking...

You know how that turned out... not even Alex knew and he was the person I went to with my mid-teenage crisises.

Only one other person knew. The most unlikely person...

Luke.

I didn't know if he snuck into my bedroom window four nights a week out of pity.

I never asked him his ulterior motive.

But I was grateful having him.

______________________________ •✫❁✫• _______________________________

𝙸'𝚖 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞
𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝙸 𝚍𝚘

______________________________ •✫❁✫• _______________________________

Back hunched over. Her grip on the wooden neck of the guitar fading. The vapour dripped promiscuously down the flesh of her cheek. The cream, woven strap was the only force that suspended the guitar against gravity's pull.

Isabelle's hands wiped away the incoming water seeping from her own eyes; attempting to calm herself down. Her emotions and hormones both failed her.

In that moment, she felt a tug at the guitar- the strap still slung over her shoulder, around the front of her body. Her hands lifted from over her vision. She expected someone other than the person in front of her. His face glum, lips scrunched together in a thin line, his eyes contorted with something she couldn't put a label to. It was a mixture of: worry, anxiety and sorrow. She complied with what he was doing.

Letting his hands maneuver the guitar away from her body; setting it down only few feet away. Izza unknowingly trailed his movements. Every single one. Her weight shifted as the couch dipped, the boy seating himself beside her. It caused her to bump into the side of his body. Isabelle swore that she felt red sweep across her cheeks in that moment. She expected him to shuffle away, Luke defied her expectations. "You don't have to be strong all the time, Isabelle." The girl felt an arm reach around her body. That warmth from another living being... it was something she missed. Luke could have sworn he felt the girl shudder, however, it didn't stop what he was doing.

His words sank into her mind like ink seeping from a needle. It was the thing that caused her to lose herself in his embrace. Her body constricted around; arms hooking themselves around the neck of the boy, her head nestling itself into his shoulder. It was an understatement to say that he was shocked by her action. But not surprised by the whimpers and shuddering he felt of her body; his grip tightened around her waist. Guiding her onto his lap. Legs resting over of the seat where she had been sat.

The silence between them was bliss and accepting. Accepting of any feelings present.

"Isabelle, that was awesome-!" The synchronisation of bandmates' voices rang in both her and Luke's ears.

Luke swore that he could feel the girl's cheeks heat up in his shoulder. And Isabelle couldn't feel his anger... but it was there.

She could, however, feel his arms waving for them to leave. Both heard the murmured giggle come from Reggie. Whose lips were upturned in an expectant grin. As if he knew this moment was bound to happen and it had just been a matter of time. "You guys look comfy." He didn't know the turmoil Izza was in, but he knew of her feeling for Luke.

So did Alex. Luke had no idea.

______________________________ •✫❁✫• _______________________________

The music ceased to play. Panting and the clapping of another replaced the air of emptiness. "Guys! That was awesome!" Isabelle yelled a tad bit loud in the crowded practice space.

"Just awesome, Iz?" Luke called over his shoulder, in the process of opening the lid of the bottle of water. Cockily- earning an eye roll from Isabelle; her eyes tracked on his figure.

Unknown to the girl, the other members of Sunset Curve had their eyebrows raised, their eyes following where Izzy was in an intense, yet, lovestruck gaze. "Am I the only one seeing this?" The bassist's voice low, not able to be heard over Isabelle's reply to their bandmate.

"Are you seeing Izza Nolan drooling over Luke Patterson? " Curiosity laced the pink-wearing boy. Bobby stayed silent, nodding along with the boys.

"Yes." Reggie replied to Alex.

"Then yes, we are seeing the same thing." A matter-of-fact tone in those words.

______________________________ •✫❁✫• _______________________________

Izza wanted her own time. Alone.

It left the guys alone, the other two slumping down harshly onto the couch, where Luke was. "Sorry about that, man. Didn't mean to wreck you and Izzy's makeout session." Alex patted the chest of the person on the receiving end of his teasing. The guitarist flinched away.

"It was not a makeout session, she was crying." A pout expressed on his features, arms crossing in the process. Both Reggie and Alex mimicked sounds of kisses. "Cut. It. Out!" The boy whined.

"Seriously, dude. Why don't you just tell her?" The leather-wearing boy couldn't comprehend the fact that Luke hadn't told her.

"Yeah, seriously... you nearly lost your shot when we died. What do you have to lose, Luke?" It was Alex's turn.

The light-brown haired male looked pained- no, more like conflicted. "I could lose Izza... I couldn't even if I tried, guys."

"Well... it's not like you've waited thirty years- oh, wait! You have!" Alex bore his renowned sarcastic tone once again. But Luke couldn't be mad at him. He was right.

"What would I say to her? 'Hey, Isabelle. How's you're day been? Good, that's awesome! Oh! How have I been? Oh, I've just been in love with you since we were twelve-years-old. Nothing much.' And that's when she stops talking to me forever and I'll die alone."

"Sorry to break this to you...but you're already dead." The sarcasm was rife in the blonde's comment. Earning a death glare from Luke.

His features softened back to a solemn expression. " I have to wait for the right time to tell her. I have to get her to like me like that."

'If only he knew.' Was what Reggie and Alex both thought in synch. If only Luke knew that Isabelle Nolan didn't need to be convinced to fall in love with him. She already was.

And if only she knew the same about him. That he had felt those same feelings, and he had died before he had gotten the chance to tell her.