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S T A R T L I N G
Luke, persuading me to get on the Ferris Wheel, was the catalyst I needed and all that I needed to get over my fear of that haunting incident was to actually take help, to probably have let go of that irrational thought.
The suburbs of New York along with all the sky scraping buildings was absolutely a wondrous sight to gaze at from the above. With that and the lush of plants and trees planted, I was feeling more patriotic and possessive about New York City than ever.
"And this is why, Luke, you should fall in love with New York. Tell me, how can you not fall in love with all these?" I gestured.
"Because I've fallen for something better," Luke smirked and kissed me on my cheek as our fingers entwined into each other's. I blushed and pouted unknowingly. Luke chuckled at my very reaction at his line.
"You're cheesy as hell."
"I've a purpose and a reason to be so."
"And what may that be, Fletcher?" I questioned with no intention of getting no answer. A mere joke, was all I ever meant. "To sweep poor girls like me off their feet or to gather and collect the broken pieces of the heartbroken girls' hearts?"
Luke laughed it off and shrugged, "I thank my mother for those devilishly charming looks I have."
The Ferris Wheel soon came to our stop and we got down. I couldn't help but notice how Luke kept dodging talks about his father or how he never mentioned him even once.
Bad past, maybe.
I hopped sloppily to my left and right and wondered. I'll need to look up who Luke's father is. Search him up and get Luke to resolve things with him. Fabulous idea, I smirked to myself.
"I need to thank your mum indeed, my boy," Luke looked at me weirdly as soon as I called him that. I laughed and patted him on his back.
You're weird, I thought to myself, again. You're weirder because you don't even care it's your birthday. I mentally shrugged and walked with Luke. We walked to a bench and Luke made me sit down.
I looked at him weirdly and asked, "Why aren't you sitting too then?"
"I have to go somewhere."
"Then I'll come along with you," I offered, still confused.
"No," Luke stammered. He was having a tough time making excuses and I could see that clearly through him. "I'm going to use the men's restroom. You can't come there, right?" Luke laughed nervously. I eyed him and nodded.
I sat down on the bench and tapped on the bench out of utter boredom. I sighed and looked around left and right for any sign of somebody and absolutely anybody.
Quickly, as if on instinct, a girl came running in my direction. My eyes widened as she quickly stopped at the bench I was sitting. She was petite but had this fair maiden beauty etched into her. Her features seemed very delicate and her eyes were gorgeous ebony black. I looked at her in awe.
"I'm so sorry but may I hide behind the bench?" She asked, out of breath. I quickly modded my head and she hid behind the bench and literally, behind me, silently.
Soon after her, a tall handsome man came. Searching erratically left and right, I knew that he was searching for the same girl that was behind me now. He walked to me and asked me politely if I knew whether a five foot five inches brunette has come here or not. I quickly shook my head left to right to indicate a no.
The tall boy quickly had a frown on his face and looked lost and heartbroken. He quickly apologised to me and walked away. I was pretty shocked and confused at all the drama that was happening and looked around yet again to see if the coast was clear. The tall boy had walked far away and it was then, that I gave the signal to come out to the brunette behind me.
The brunette came forward and sat next to me. Looking me in the eye, she said, "Thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for not telling him where I was. I'm Noelle by the way."
I smiled, "Noelle, I was happy to help. I'm Danielle. You can call me whatever you like."
"Elle it is then," she laughed.
"Would I be invading privacy if I asked out of sheer curiosity, why was that guy behind you and chasing you?" I asked keenly. I sat cross legged on the bench, facing Noelle and I rested my head on the support of the bench.
"No, you wouldn't. I would be as curious as you are now if I were in your place," she spoke kindly to me. I raised my eyebrows at her, surprisingly and out of habit; slowly biting my lip.
She began, as she pushed her hair that covered her eyes behind her ear, "That's my ex-boyfriend. Zach. Zachary Tussel."
"Why are you at a fair with your ex? Or did you come across him with here?"
"He's my ex as of ten minutes. Like I broke up with him here," she spoke with remorse in her voice.
"That's brutal. Why did you have to break it off with him in a fair?" I tried my best not to be judgemental about the lady before me.
"I didn't have an option. He proposed me today and I had no option but to break it off with him. I wanted break up with him weeks ago. Zach proposed me so suddenly today. Weeks ago, I didn't have any plans to even give this relationship another thought. Elle, he proposed me and it was out of the blue," she tried making me understand with her explanation. However, deep inside, my heart stretched out to Zach. The poor guy loved this girl and she probably shattered him.
I decided it was best for me not to give my opinion on this because trust me, I would just be building up hate against me. I shrugged and acknowledge what she said with a nod.
"I had to break it off with him. I lost my best friend because of his love," she revealed.
That sparked interest in me and I enquired, "Lost a friend? What do you ever mean?"
"I had a best friend like everyone did. She still is, just that she fakes it now. She had a massive crush on Zach. Trust me, who wouldn't? That guy was extremely cool and hot," she sighed.
"You broke up with him, babe," I informed her.
"Yeah, well, as I was saying, Paige was okay with it initially; thought that she would get over him. It never worked. I think it was specifically during that phase where I turned extra rude that I kind rubbed it on her face with all the dress shopping for Zach with Paige, bickering about him to her and God, everything. I was just a bad friend," she let out. I agree, I thought. That doesn't mean I would dare to tell that to her.
"I guess all I could ever tell you now is to move on and find peace with your inner conflicts because I don't even think you know who you are," I shrugged.
"Yeah, thank you, Elle. For all this," she spoke with her watered eyes. "For listening to me, all this while."
"Anytime, Noelle," I smiled at her, sincerely. Luke walked to me and smiled. He looked at the girl next to me and shot me a confused look soon after. Noelle stood up as soon as she saw Luke.
"Luke, this is Noelle," I gestured at Noelle who waved at Luke.
"And Noelle, this is Luke," I smiled. Luke, who had not waved back at her, sufficed the entire introduction with a simple hey.
"I better get going then. I hope to see you somehow, somewhere soon, Elle," Noelle hugged me finally and I hugged her back.
"Bye, Noelle," I waved a good bye to her as she did the same and went on her way.
Luke sat next to me and it was then that I realised he had a paper bag in his hand. I looked at him, questioningly and my gaze lingered on the paper bag for quite some time.
"How do you know her?" Luke broke the silence of two minutes or so with his question. Did I know her? No. No matter how much and what the girl poured out to me, I was nothing like her and I was glad I couldn't relate with her.
"I don't know her," I mumbled. Luke was shocked was indeed an understatement to express what he felt right now.
He stuttered cutely, "How do you know her then? You -You were talking to her a few minutes ago."
I laughed and ruffled Luke's hair and spoke, "I apparently saved her from her ex-boyfriend."
"You covered for her probably?" Luke guessed and wasn't his guess spot on.
"Yeah," I laughed.
"I know you so well," Luke shook his head casually. I smirked at him and applauded him jokingly.
"Drop that topic," I laughed it off. "What's in that bag?" I asked out of pure curiosity. Luke got up from the bench and waved the bag in front of me and pulled my leg, "This one?"
"Yes, Luke. That one itself," I rolled my eyes at him. Luke looked like an anime character and I couldn't help but laugh.
"It's for you," Luke smiled innocently and sheepishly.
"Really?"
"Hm," Luke hummed in agreement and passed the paper bag to me. I quirked my eyebrow in sheer amusement and snatched the paper bag from him. I looked into the paper bag and screamed and exclaimed with pure joy and ecstasy.
"Chocolates. You got me chocolates," I cried out to him. "You're the best." I took out of the chocolate box from the bag and kept it next to me as I jumped onto my feet. Luke's eyes gleamed with a certain exaltation at my enraptured expression.
"I've got one more small thing for you, Amor," Luke told me and my eyes found home in his once again. A single eyebrow of mine raised upwards at Luke.
"Chocolates was more than enough for me. Chocolates are life," I folded my hands and gazed at Luke.
Luke took out a pair of necklace from his pocket who's pendants fit perfectly together to form the yin and yang. I looked and stared at it in admiration and awe. He took the yin necklace and put the yang necklace in his pocket. He took the yin necklace in both his hand and walked closer to me. I lifted my hair up and Luke put the necklace on me. He stepped back and looked at me as I let my hair cascade down my back.
"You look outstandingly gorgeous, Ellie," Luke spoke in a very low voice and they send strikes of shiver down my spine.
"Thank you, Luke," my eyes slowly watered and I jumped and hugged Luke. "Thank you so much."
"You're my yin, Ellie," Luke whispered into my ear as I hugged him tightly. "You're the yin to my yang. You maintain the harmony in my universe; the reason to my souls existence. Stay with me, forever." His voice croaked in the end and I hugged him tighter.
Whispering into his ear and mumbled, "I wouldn't ever leave you."
"You'll be here with me forever, right?" He breathed into her face as he slowly and slightly pulled back.
"Yes, you count me in on that."
"You won't leave me and go like all of them did, right?" He held me tight, as if he was to scared to let me go - go far, far away from him.
"I love you too much to even dare to do that."
Luke looked me in my eyes and his gaze ever so slowly went down to my lips for a second. That second truly being the most excruciatingly painful second. He could kiss me all he wanted and I wouldn't mind as long as he was there to keep me happy and contented; as long as I loved him and he loved me.
Pecking my lips and letting it linger on for few seconds, Luke stepped back from me. I knew he and I were contented because happily ever after for us came not once but several times. It was up to us to decide whether they were happily ever afters or not. Smiling like he possessed the moon with him, he drawled out the words he had seemed to have wanted to tell from the very start of the day.
"Happy Birthday, Ellie. I love you."
•
"You're back home. Five-thirty. Considerably early," Mum spoke out loud as she pondered, leaving us at the doorsteps.
"Yes, mum," I sighed out of hopelessness.
"Luke, darling, you dropped her home," my mum squealed.
"Cheesecake dropped me home, mum," I rolled my eyes.
"No need to be jealous, darling," my mother laughed and Luke laughed out. I hugged and folded my hands.
"Yeah yeah. Like I'm going to ever be jealous of you mum," I shrugged and rolled my eyes inwards. Mum faked offence and pulled Luke and I inside.
"I'm still game, honey," My mum whined and I laughed.
"Your mother is cute, Amor," Luke stated like it was just a mere fact. My eyes widened and my mother's smirk grew wider.
"He agrees, Elle," I palmed myself on my face and Luke just continued laughing.
"Stop encouraging my mother's stupidity, Fletcher," I sighed and plopped down on the sofa. Luke sat next to me and my mum stood next to us.
"You're my daughter. I definitely gave you your good looks, honey," my mum laughed, furthering the joke a bit more.
"Mum," I whined.
"Okay, okay, okay," my mother raised her hands up and went to the kitchen.
"I've always liked your mother, Amor," Luke stated.
"And you've also liked all the girls who shamelessly fanned over you and flirted with you," I concluded and Luke glared at me. I laughed all over again.
"Today was a great day," I smiled to Luke and he smiled back.
"I knew," Luke and I whipped our heads to my mother who walked out of the kitchen with a big cake in her hands.
"Happy Birthday, darling," my mother wished me and kept the cake on the table. She called us over to the table. My eyes watered at what she made for me. Lemon meringue cake. My favorite.
"Thank you, mum," I hugged her as I locked her within my hold. "Thank you so much. I love you. Oh my god, thank you."
"Now cut the cake," my mother ordered me to and I let go of her. Holding the knife in my hand, I cut into the cake and the cake was sliced perfectly. My mother and Luke sang Happy Birthday! as I cut the cake.
Taking a slice of cake, I rubbed it on both Luke's and my mother's face and chuckled. They laughed along with me. Luke took a slice and my mother did the same as they rubbed the slices of cake on me to avenge for what I did to them.
I smiled as I thought of how happy I was; how happy I was with all these people. I had found contentment in the small and happy family I had.