I quite like this. I hope you do too.
He had always loved her. Always. It wasn't a case of 'was it really love?'. It always had been. Ever since he could remember, she had made him blush when she smiled at him, cloud his vision when she talked to him, and make him buzz when she touched him, unaware of the effect she had on him. It was only during the last year that he had plucked up a certain amount of courage to actually talk to her. Sure, she replied politely, smiled and turned away. But that was enough for him. He had always thought that that would be the extent of their communication and had come to except that fact. They had grown up along side each other at the same small local school, their complicated lives running parallel, yet painfully separated. It was only recently that she had acquired Nathan as her boyfriend. They went everywhere together, their bodies locked together in an intimate embrace of some description, murmuring low sweet nothings in each others ears. Lucas watched on the sidelines, the pain he was suffering barely visible on his poker face. He had never expected her to stay free forever, not someone like her- someone like her was bound to be snatched up at some point and swept off into a whirlwind romance. He had just always hoped that that would be him.
A year on, and it still hurt to see them together. They stayed secluded from everyone else, hardly mixing with people that weren't one another. That was why Lucas was astonished to see them enter his mother's café that Saturday, intertwined as always. Nathan whispered something in her ear, she giggled and they sat together on a table furthest away from any other.
Karen caught her son's eye and beckoned him to wait on the newly arrived couple. Had she known what was passing through his head at that particular moment, she surely wouldn't have been as cruel as to ask him to go and serve them. Lucas grabbed his notepad with a slight tremble visible in his hand, and walked over as calmly as he could without looking wooden. As he approached their table, her hand slid away from his and they separated themselves. Her gaze landed on him like a delicate butterfly on a poised flower, her smile made her face open up like a window opened for the first time. He tore his eyes away from her, his breath quickening, and looked at Nathan.
'What can I get you two?' It pained him to say the last word. He smiled, and turned his head towards Peyton, asking her what she wanted.
'Two cappuccinos'
'Would you like chocolate powder?' He was looking at her now. She smiled but shook her head, sending her blonde curls dancing round her face.
'Anything else?'
'No, thank you'
Calming his breathing, he handed Haley the small slip of paper.
'Are you ok, Luke?' Haley asked, noticing his reddened cheeks.
'I'm fine.'
'Ok, well here are their drinks- and the cheque.' Lucas took the tray and turned around, but before he could get any further, the sound of raised voices reached him from the corner. A scraping of a chair and the slam of the door later, and Peyton was sitting alone at the table. Unsure of what to do, he hesitantly approached the table, now with only one occupant.
'I'm sorry- do you still want these?' He asked quietly. Peyton raised her head from her hands, rubbing her hair, sighed and shook her head.
'How much was it?' she enquired, reaching for her wallet.
'Don't worry about it.' He stopped her
'Why are you going to let me off? Because my boyfriend just broke up with me?' She rounded on him, angry.
'I never said that.'
'Then why?'
'Because I want to buy it for you.' She remained silent, searching his face. He sat down next to her.
'I'm Lucas' He introduced himself.
'I know.' She smiled, relaxing a little
'Do you want to talk about it?'
'What?' She was immediately tense.
'D'you want to talk about it?' he waved his hand in the direction of the closed door
'Why should I tell you?' she had a nasty tone to her voice
'Because I'll listen.' He stated
'Do you always have an answer for everything?' she queried, smiling, cocking her head to one side.
' I suppose' He remained silent, whilst she found a place to start
'I can't really remember what happened, to be honest; it all just passed in a loud blur. It hadn't been going well for a long time. I've kind of been expecting it.' She sighed, her eyes shining. His hand instinctively took hold of hers. She looked up, and he immediately regretted it.
'I should get going' she announced.
'Don't. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have.' He pleaded.
'No, it's not that. I should really get home though.' She persisted
'Let me at least take you home. You're in no fit state to drive.' Her eyes searched his face once more, his regarding her, the light on her soft curls.
'Alright then, Lucas' she smiled. That was the first time she had spoken his name, its effect on him immediate.
'I'll grab my jacket, then' He picked up the tray of cold coffees and walked back to the counter.
'I'll be back in a sec Hales' He reached over the counter and felt around for his leather jacket, his hand, noticing the touch, grabbed it up. She was waiting by the door, her head bent, twisting the rings round her fingers nervously, her hair draped round her face, framing it. As he came towards her, she looked up, and, smiling she grabbed the door handle and pulled.
'Thank you Lucas, you didn't have to.' She repeated.
'It's nothing, don't worry about it. Without a seconds hesitance she put her arms around his neck, and pulled him close. Caught unawares, it took him a while before he realised that she was actually hugging him. He snaked his arms around her waist and held he close. It was over far too soon.
'Well, I'll be seein' ya, Lucas' She smiled at him, turned on her heel, unlocked her front door and was gone.
'I'll be seein ya' He replied to the white wood door. 'I'll be seein ya' He repeated, this time more a sigh.
He turned, looking up at her house, figuring which one was likely to be her room. Deciding on the window third from the left, he smiled, and proceeded to walk down the street, set on returning to the café.
What d'ya think? Wanna tell me how much you hated it? COMMENT AND I WILL HERE YOUR PLEES!