"The beginning of the end."
➹♡➷➹♡➷➹♡➷
Luke
"Stop fussing they'll love you." Lizzie chuckles as she catches me fiddling with my shirt for the tenth time as we walk up to her parents home.
Dragging our mini suitcase in my left hand I use my right to wrap my hand around Lizzie's waist and tickle her.
"AH OK OK!" She laughs her smile lighting up her face, I'm so fucking lucky. When she asked me to spend Christmas with her I knew I was going to say yes I was just surprised that she asked.
I've never met a girls parents before, ever. Sure I've met friends parents but I never seemed to care what they thought about me, but this is Lizzie's parents.
I need them to like me.
"Sweetheart!" The door flies open revealing a middle aged woman, her hair is tied back in a bun but she still has some blonde pieces flying out.
Scarlett Myers I realise, Lizzie's mum.
Her face is full of warmth as she embraces Lizzie in a hug for a solid minute before she moves her gaze to me.
"Uh-" I clear my throat -"Nice to meet you Mrs Myers." I smile, my insides shaking.
"Oh please call me Scarlett, Lizzie you never told me your boyfriend was so handsome." I already know I have turned bright red by the way lizzie can barely hold it together as she looks at me,
"Max and Benny are inside watching the hockey, let me put this away for you." Scarlett exclaims taking the luggage out of my hand and rushing upstairs in the blink of an eye before I can protest.
Lizzie takes my hand leading me inside, the walls are decorated with paintings and pictures of the family and I can't help but feel a gnaw of envy in my stomach.
When we reach the doorway where I assume the TV is I pull my hand out of Lizzie's hold abruptly causing her to give me a glare.
"No freaking way am I touching you while your dad is watching." I say,
"You were literally just holding my hand Luke." She deadpans, I shake my head as she sighs in defeat walking in front of me, the house is small but it's cozy and I don't forget the pile of bills on the floor next to the door when we walked in.
On the couch ten feet in front of me sits the two only men in Lizzie's life that I respect.
Max Myers is staring daggers at me while her brother is trying his best to do the exact same.
"Dad!" Lizzie goes up to hug him before pinching her brothers cheeks lightly,
"Luke this is my dad and my brother Ben ,guys this is my boyfriend Luke."
"Nice to meet you sir, I've heard great things about you." I hold out a hand which he accepts roughly, looking at me like I'm an animal he switches his gaze back to his daughter.
"I thought I said no boys till you're fifty." For a second I think he's joking but then I realise he's not, his face is dead serious.
"Ha ha, like I'm gonna listen to you old man." Lizzie says and I bite my cheek to hide my smile.
"You already introduced him! Isn't he handsome and a gentleman!" Scarlett gushes, Lizzie nearly chokes on her water.
"Yeah yeah"
"Well I'm going to bring dinner out, will you help me honey?" Scarlett says looking at Lizzie and I immediately want to scream for her not to leave me.
"I can help." I shoot up,
"No don't worry about it, dear." Scarlett waves me off politely.
Lizzie gives me a glance before walking out to follow her mum and I'm left standing in front of two guys - one sixty, one ten - who are glaring death wishes upon me.
"I hear you play hockey, pretty boy." Max is the first one who breaks the silence between the three of us,
"Um yeah-"
"Where do you wanna go?" Lizzie's brother says crossing his arms,
"Vancouver." For a second I see his mask fall away and the normal 10 year old excitement come back,
"That's far away, Lizzie still has one more year of college." My gaze slices back to Max who looks at me with one eyebrow raise,
"it's in Lizzie's hands" I reply truthfully,
"I'm going to the bathroom." Max says getting up, watching me closely as he leaves.
"Do you know all the cool players?" Ben says from the couch, the slightest excitement in his voice as he tries to remain cool.
"Oh yeah, I got a picture with Charlie Hollows just to prove it" I wink at him and his face instantly lights up when I mention the two time Stanley cup holder.
"Dude, are you kidding?" He says, jaw on the floor.
"I can send him a text right now." I shrug trying to hide my smile as the kid nearly falls off the couch sprinting towards me.
"Really?!"
"Yeah I'll text him for you." He practically beams at me before turning to someone behind me,
"Can we keep him?" I turn around to see who he is talking to,
"Eh, maybe. I haven't decided if I like him or not yet." Lizzie grins at me and I want to kiss the smile off her face. The smile that I saw months ago, when I knew I wanted to see it for the rest of my life.
"Yeah well, I like him so you're not getting rid of him." Ben puts his hands on his hips as he stares down his sister.
"Oh really, well he's my boyfriend" Lizzie imitates him,
"Dinner!" Scarlett calls from the next room and I internally thank her for the save, I cautiously back away watching as Ben flips Lizzie off.
I sit next to Lizzie on the table with Scarlett opposite me and Ben to my right at the head of the table,
"So Luke, do you have any siblings?" Scarlett asks,
"Yeah, a little sister."
"She's a freshman at Boston, her name's eve, she's really sweet." Lizzie says filling the gaps and I smile at her obvious love for my sister, it feels different knowing that someone else has her back.
"She sounds lovely" Scarlett nods along,
"Do you speak to your mum often?" The room goes deathly silent and I can hear lizzie inhaling a sharp breath beside me,
"Mum-" Lizzie starts,
"She-uh, She's not in the picture." I say roughly, I'm quite certain that lizzie's parents have seen the article about my dad and although it loves to mention me, it doesn't bring up the topic of my dead beat mum.
"Shit, I'm sorry hun." Her face is full of genuine emotions, pity being one of them.
"You're the captain of your team, right?" Ben asks, I was around his age when it started I can't help but thinking but then mentally smack myself for being so fucked in the head.
"Yeah, your sister tells me that you play." He just shrugs toying with the vegetables on his plate,
"He's leading his team to victory!" Scarlett gushes over her son, a blush falling onto his cheeks.
"Well I bet by the time you've grown up, you're going to be showing me some competition." I tease,
"Do-" My phone buzzes on the table repeatedly cutting Scarlett off, pulling it off the table I look down at the unfamiliar number.
"I'm going to take this outside, excuse me." I stand up, kissing lizzie on the forehead before making my way outside of the house.
"Hello?" I answer tugging my hoodie closer to myself to try and find warmth,
"Is this Mr Luke Beckett?" A woman's voice comes from the other side of the phone,
"Yes." I respond warily,
"I'm Sofia Cha from the Admin team here at the Vancouver Vipers-" I stop breathing -"The coaches and team here have been looking at you for quite a while and would like to offer you a place here." A mix of emotions swell up in my chest.
"Wow, thank you-."
"The offer is that you finish the rest of your senior season with us, we've already talked about it with your coach and it's a done deal, we are just waiting for you."
Lizzie.
Her name is the first to pop into my mind, I would have to leave any way at the end of the year but this means I'm leaving half a year earlier, I am missing out on an extra half a year with her.
"When would I leave?" I manage to get out,
"In two weeks." I blow out a breath, If I don't take this opportunity, an opportunity I've wanted my whole life, I know I will regret it.
But I can't leave Lizzie, I can't leave her now, I'm in too deep.
She came into my life, and became it.
"When do I need to give an answer?"
"Preferably by tomorrow, we need to start the contract signing."
"Okay, thank you" I hang up.
Suddenly everything starts weighing down on me, I'm leaving.
Lizzie.
The team.
My life.
All my moments here will become distant memories. I pull up the contact of the one person in my life who I can bare seeing me like this.
"Luke?"
"I'm fucked Wyatt." I blow out a harsh breath,
"What happened?"
"They want me."
"What?! That's great Luke-"
"They want me to finish the season with them as well." I cut him off. The call goes deathly silent all I can hear are his jagged breaths.
"When do they want you?" He asks,
"I'd be moving to Vancouver in two weeks."
"One last game with the team then."
"That is if I take it." I say after a moment of silence, my vulnerability coming out.
"Are you fucking stupid?! Of course you're taking it! You've wanted this your whole life, you'd be stupid not to fucking take it!" He curses at me,
"I don't know if I can leave her man." I whisper and once again the call goes silent.
"Did she say she didn't want you to go?"
"No I haven't told her about it, I just got the call."
"She is going to tell you to go man. Just because you move doesn't mean you'll be over, I've seen the way she looks at you, she's in love with you."
"I'll tell her." I announce,
"I need to head back in, thanks man."
"Good luck." He says hanging up. The words don't seem like he means them for the present but more for the future. Like a parting.
⎯⎯ ୨୧ ⎯⎯
"Why don't you just sneak into my room." Lizzie whisper-whines into my chest on the couch as Home alone plays on the TV, I take a look around seeing her dad on his phone and her brother watching the screen evidently while her mum tries her best to act like she's not staring at us.
"No way, I'm already letting you touch me." I whisper-shout and although she might think I'm joking I have never been more serious, there is no way I'm touching lizzie inappropriately under her fathers roof.
"I hate you." She huffs out,
I'm leaving,I want to admit but I keep the words in my mouth.
"Well, I think it's time for your bed time Ben." Scarlett says standing up from the armchair she was sitting in, Ben puts up a good fight but eventually gives in.
Scarlett makes her way over to Max next, giving him a fat kiss as he whispers something in her ear that makes her hit him.
"Thank you for dinner, Scarlett." I say standing up pulling Lizzie up with me,
"No worries, have a good night Luke." She says before walking towards lizzie and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Can I talk to you Luke?" Max says after his wife is gone, I still.
"Um-yeah sure." I clear my throat,
"Dad-" Lizzie starts,
"I just want to talk to your boyfriend." He shrugs innocently, I mouth to her 'it's okay' and she reluctantly nods stepping closer to me.
"Could you at least leave for a moment then." Lizzie blurts, I give her dad a sheepish smile as he walks out of the room.
When the door to the living room closes she wastes no time leaning forward and connecting our mouths, deepening the kiss.
"I love you." She says quietly staring up at me with pink cheeks, looking perfect.
"I love you so fucking much baby." I whisper, kissing her lips one last time as she slowly walks out the room, I hear her soft footsteps as she walks up the stairs.
"You love my daughter." Max startles me, his words coming out more like a statement rather than a question.
"More than life." I reply,
"I can see that you make her happy."
"I don't hate you. I like you." He says and I nearly break into a smile,
"You're a good kid, just brought up with a lack of love." He says walking out of the room, leaving me with my thoughts.
I'm not a good person, I'm fucked in the head and he's going to figure that out.
I trace the scar on my collarbone, the scar from my father.
➹♡➷➹♡➷➹♡➷
THE DRAMA IS HERE!!
I'm really sad because we are getting closer to the end :((
I felt really bad for making you guys wait for so long, so this is a longer chapter☺️
Also here is a quote from the new book I'm working on!!
"It's funny how now I'll have to remember you for longer than I've known you.
And it's funny how you'll never know how far I fell for your best friend."