✦XO✦

Penelope began to feel the heaviness in the air as Luke slowly got very quiet. Both had one thing on their mind, Scarlett. "You don't have.." Penelope stopped. She wanted to know so much about her. She wanted to know what was so special about her that she captured Luke heart in such a way he refused to give his heart to someone else. Luke picked up his phone from the table and laid back down next to her. He opened up his gallery and handed it over to her. Penelope stared at the screen, none of the picture looked recent. The most recent one was of her and him. He hadn't taken a photo ever since she passed. She selected the first picture. It was a normal couple selfie. Both looked so happy and in love. Luke had that sparkle in his eye and she smiled looking at it. She swipe to see the next. It was a full body picture of Scarlett in a cocktail dress. She was the complete opposite of Penelope. She had blonde hair. Scarlett black. She had black eyes. Scarlett hazel. She was overweight. Scarlett normal. She was short. Scarlett tall. Scarlett was beautiful. She was never told. Penelope heart squeezed but she continued to swipe. Photos of them as a couple or individual picture of him and her. The one she stopped at before he spoke was of Scarlett sitting on a love seat reading from a book. She was wearing loungewear, had a messy bun and was wearing glasses. No makeup and nothing fancy about it but this photo was beautiful.

"Thats was her in her natural habitat." He told her. Penelope closed the phone after looking at it one last time. She handed it back to him and he placed it to the side. "She loved reading. There wasn't a single bookshop we crossed that she never stopped to look into. She even made me get off the highway once because she saw a small bookstore. She didn't care for big chain bookstore. She adored small independent bookstores, they had more character." Penelope slowly turned to her side facing away from him. Luke turned his head to look at the back of her head "Penelope?"

"I am listening." Penelope answered him back softly. She wasn't jealous or maybe she was. It wasn't the 'green little envious monster type' of jealousy. It was a bittersweet jealousy. Whether it was family, friends or coworker. Whether the person were talking about themselves or someone they love. She was always happy to hear about their love story but it also hurt her a little. It hurt because she would do anything for someone to love her that way. She would fight back tears whenever someone told her about their love lives, whether it was the beginning of one or the ending of one. At this moment, she wanted him to talk, she needed him to talk. If she happened to shed a tear she didn't want him to stop because of it. So she turned away from him.

He turned his body over to face the back of her. He left enough space in between them so she wasn't uncomfortable. But he had to feel her presence so he laid his hand on top of her arm above her elbow. He waited a moment to see if she would pull away but she didn't. "I was on my way to meet a client. I usually have them come to my usual coffee spot that was near the office. But this client insisted for me to come to this cafe that was in the next town because he loved their coffee. It was only a 15 mins drive. I decided to leave early in case of traffic or I needed to look for parking. There was no traffic and parking was no problem. When I entered it wasn't busy but there was a good amount of people to keep a business like that up and running. She was standing on a stool reaching for a book on the bookshelf. While a lady next to her was insisting on her to forget about it. I took a seat at the next empty table I could find near the exit. She had finally reached it and turned to give it to the lady. The book was the lady favorite and she wasn't able to find a copy of it. She told the lady to keep it and saw her to the door. She walked right passed me and picked up a toy a baby had dropped. She greeted the baby like it was the child of her sibling. There was no hesitation that you usually see between two strangers. She walked around talking, pouring coffee and taking orders with the biggest smile on her face. Everyone she approached smiled back at her genuinely. She was with another customer when she stopped and looked at me. All of a sudden I got nervous, dry throat and I was suddenly feeling hot. Lucky for me my client walked in the moment she approached me. He gave her the order and we began our meeting. But every so often I found myself looking over his shoulder towards her. I was spell-bounded."

A tear fell from Penelope eye. Why couldn't someone look at her that way. Was she ugly? Her friend and family often complimented her but it wasn't the same then to hear it from someone that truly loves you. Which no one ever did.

"She must have noticed because she shook her head smiling when I turned back to look at her before leaving. From that day forward, I would drive to that cafe for coffee. I would sit in that same table every time and surprisingly it was always empty. We never spoke except for when she took my order which was always the same. Around the second week, I found a cup of coffee sitting in the middle of the table with a note. 'Scarlett' I looked up at her and she smiled at me before she looked over to the customer she was helping. I finished my coffee wrote my name on the note and left. This note thing thing lasted for the rest of the week until I asked her out. I wrote down dinner? the date, time and place but never returned for the answer. I was afraid she would say no. I went to the restaurant anyways and she was there waiting for me. She blew me away. I was already head over heels but I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with her with every passing minute. In my hectic life she was an oasis of serenity. She even got along with Matt and my uncle so well. Matt took her in as a little sister."

Penelope wiped her tear away. She never once felt accepted amongst her ex's friends. She felt like she was a burden amongst them.

"She was head strong and often put me in my place. She was also the damsel in distress to my being the knight in shining armor. She gave me the space that I needed but also forced me to face her when I refused to give in. I felt stable with her, felt safe, felt loved, felt desired, felt appreciated, felt satisfied, felt reliable, felt trusted, felt honored, felt childish. No women could come close to her and I knew she was the one I was going to marry and have children with." Luke went quiet for a moment. Penelope wanted to turn around and hug him but she couldn't let him she her like this. She too had loved like that before if not more but she wasn't as lucky to receive it in return. Was she one of the unfortunate ones that would never experience love. She removed her arm from under his hand and placed her hand on top of his hand. She intertwined her fingers with his fingers, letting his hand rest on her waist. Luke took a second but began to speak again. He continued to tell her stories about different moment in their lives that defined her as a person and their relationship. "I asked her to marry me and she said yes but she had a request that for one month before the wedding we couldn't be intimate and we shouldn't see each other unless it was for the wedding. I refused and was so upset with her but she got me to agree." Luke heart felt so heavy. That month away from her was torture. He had only seen her twice in that month and he wasn't even allowed to kiss her. But the minute he saw her walk down that alley and the romantic night they shared it was worth it more then words could describe. Now she had been away for much longer then that and was to never return. If he could he would repeat that torturous month again and again just to see her for a day at the end. "She had written me a set of letters. It was those 'when you' letters. Like 'when you miss me, when you are upset at me, when you find yourself in trouble' type of letters to help me get through that month."

"Do you still have them?" Penelope asked him, softly.

"No. After she passed I burned them all." He lied. He only kept one letter. The only letter he wasn't able to open. It was in one of the boxes in the attic. 'When you find yourself alone at my grave.' Luke grasped on to Penelope waist. "We were only married for four month before she passed. The night I received the call my life flashed before my eyes. Her cafe was booked for a birthday party so she was going to be late. She was on her way home when a drunk driver crashed into her. He ran into two other cars as well. All of them bumping off the other." Penelope held his hand tighter feeling how angry and upset he was getting. Luke stopped to take a moment. He was fighting back tears and unknowingly grasping down harder on Penelope waist. His mind was lost revisiting that moment. "I arrived to the hospital and was taken to the section of ER they took her to confirm her death. I was frozen, I couldn't move. Just behind the curtain was my life. If I walked passed the curtains my life would be taken from me. I couldn't let that happen and I stood there. It felt like forever until the doctor came and told me she passed away on the way to the hospital. Then the doctor told me…" Luke choked on his tears. "She was 6 weeks pregnant." Penelope quickly turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her. Luke wrapped his arm around her. Luke cried into her neck as she kissed the side of his forehead.

Penelope laid her head against his as she could still feel him sobbing quietly. He had been through so much no wonder he was so different with her. She felt embarrassed to feel the way she did earlier. She was depressed when she lost her mother. She had lost part of herself. He had gone through so much as well he probably lost himself too. But she was just happy to know he was still able to be himself with Matt and Prentiss. Penelope felt Luke arms wrap tightly around her as he placed a kiss on her neck. They both moved away from from each other slightly. Penelope held his face and kissed him on the lips. She pulled away and looked at him "are you okay?" Luke looked to her and nodded. "Luke, did you ever go to see anyone?"

Luke nodded as he looked over her head. He wasn't happy with how he got there to look into her eyes. "Yeah I did 6 months later. After they passed, i got drunk every night to the point where I lost my job. Then one night I became that exact person who ruined my life. Matt usually was the one to pick me up from the bar but that night he didn't answer. So I drove my self home." Penelope took a sharp breath. "I was turning the corner when I almost hit a women and her child." Luke wanted to cry but held it in. He looked back at Penelope. "I promised myself that I will never do something so stupid again. To help me grieve properly I went to see a therapist. I was with him for two years. I spoke about the lost of my parents, Scarlett and our child. I moved on but it still hurts and I still get scared sometimes."

Penelope caressed his face while looking into his eyes "of course it does and there isn't anything wrong with that." Luke nodded at Penelope as he removed a strand of hair that was covering her face. Penelope looked down, "Luke I am sorry for everything that happened earlier."

Luke shushed her. The image of Penelope walking by in front of him as she rolls her suitcase into the bathroom with no expression on her face flash into his mind. He needed to know. "The only thing that matters to me is that you trust me." Penelope snuggled down a bit to lay her head against Luke chest. Luke smiled and wrapped her into a hug. "White." he said quietly.

"White?" Penelope asked.

"My favorite color." Luke replied feeling very sleepy.

"That's not a color.." she yawned "it's the absent of color."

"Hmm. What is yours?" Luke asked adjusting himself.

"The rainbow" Penelope said breathing into his chest as she falls asleep.

"Well maybe you could introduce me to some." Luke says as he hugs her tighter and falls into a deep sleep.

The next morning Matt met Prentiss in her room.

"She did that? I don't believe it." Matt said sitting down on the bed.

"I can't say I blame her. She took it much more easier then I would. I would of knock them both out." She said standing against the dresser in front of her.

"Why do you think she didn't knock both of you out." Matt asked as his mind circled back to the shirt.

"I don't know. I am just glad she didn't. Getting punch for that idiot mistake, I don't think so." Prentiss said as she picked off food from her breakfast.

"No seriously. She doesn't say anything about the shirt and puts you both in a room to continue to have this so called affair." Matt said thinking.

"Leave them alone." Prentiss said annoyed. "Your shirt idea started this whole mess."

"My shirt idea. He was the one who took off his own shirt. The only shirt I like taking off is mine or the shirt of another women."

"Another women huh?" Prentiss smirked at Matt.

"No Prentiss I did not mean that." realizing what he just said.

"I bet JJ would love to hear this." Prentiss picks up her phone pretending to call JJ.

Matt jumps off the bed and lunges for Prentiss. Prentiss and Matt both run around the room, jumping off the bed and back on the bed. Both of them stop to catch their breathe on opposite side of the bed. "truce." Prentiss says.

"Truce." Matt repeats. Both of them sit down with there back towards each other before falling onto the bed. It was a thing they did so much that they could fall back blindfolded and never hit each other. Matt turned to look at Prentiss "So what do you think about Penelope?"

"I think she sweet. She cares a lot about Luke, I'll give her that." Prentiss said.

"How do you know?" Matt asked curiously.

Prentiss turns to look at Matt. "I don't know. I definitely don't know her that well but i do know from what I saw yesterday, there is something there."

"I just can't wrap my head around this whole room sharing plot she planned." Matt said looking at her. "It's a bit dramatic isn't it."

"This coming from the guy who lives for drama. You turned her life into a drama. If you hadn't planned the shirt tactic then this would of never happen." Prentiss said getting up on one elbow and punching Matt.

"Me I didn't do anything. It was all Luke's doing." Matt said rubbing his arm.

"Please you are acting like I don't know the both of you. If he is in the hot seat it's because you provoked him and vice versa." Matt nodded in agreement he did provoke him but it was for his own good. Prentiss went back to laying on her back.

Matt turned to his side to lay on his elbow this time "Where is our tragic hero anyways."

"He's is their room. Both of them are probably getting ready as we speak." Prentiss said looking at her finger nail.

Matt lifts himself up "But you said she thought you were having an affair so she booked this room for you guys. So what is he doing there."

"I don't know, probably having makeup sex I guess." Prentiss said smiling. "What's with the 20 questions?"

"What you don't have any. I would be furious at her." Matt said.

"Well so was Luke but it was his fault and she had every right to be upset." Prentiss realized she didn't tell him everything. "Damn you Matt, if you haven't cut me off earlier." She shook her head before she continued talking to Matt like she had some juicy gossip. "So Penelope came to the room to return my phone and when she saw Luke she apologized for disturbing us. She was about to walk away when Luke told her to come in. He, in Luke fashion, yelled at her for putting us in the room together. She then went off on him. Telling him, if he had told her earlier about the affair she wouldn't have done such a thing to get the truth out. And I think… I think she was going to tell him she would leave him if he wanted her to but Luke told her not to say another word. He then began to explain the whole shirt fiasco that you both planned but she told him she had enough with the stories. She was upset that he was still a stranger to her. He never once opened up to her. That the night we had dinner with them was the first time she saw such a different side to him. And a lot of other things I can't remember. She said she couldn't take it and left. Luke ran behind her and I don't know what took place exactly. But when she did come back about an hour or two later to grab his suitcase, she told me they were talking about him and his life."

Matt jumped off the bed and started dancing. "I knew my plan would work. I thought Luke would crack first but it was Penelope." Matt rubbed his neck feeling excited

"You planned all of this. I knew you had something to do with this." Prentiss got up and grabbed a pillow to throw at Matt. "You jerk. In the office that day I thought you kept telling me to trust you because you knew Luke would not go through with it. Because of you Luke.." Prentiss stopped. She hadn't told Matt that Luke walked in on her wearing a bra, it was to embarrassing.

"I didn't plan for her to lock you both in a room together that's all on her. I just thought it would provoke one of them to talk which it did. I thought it would be Luke, he would try and find out why she hadn't mentioned the shirt and get the ball rolling from there but this turned out for the better. He opened up to her."

"Yeah that is definitely a plus. I just hopes he starts changing himself soon." Prentiss never met Scarlett but she knew about Luke everlasting love for her.

"I wouldn't have interfered if he wasn't already." Prentiss looked at him confused. "Ever since they got married, whenever we travel he always buys her a small gift before we leave for the airport."

"So that is what he is doing when he disappears." Prentiss finally getting an answer to one of the nagging questions she had in life.

"At first it was because he always forgot his clothes in the suitcase. One day he let it slip that he liked the way it made her smile. I acted like I didn't hear it because that was the first compliment I ever heard him say for another women after Scarlett." Matt said smiling at Prentiss.

"That's for sure. I can't even get a nice top or nice dress or a simple nice coffee from him." Prentiss said upset but then smiled hearing about the small change in Luke.

"Ohh about coffee, he loves her coffee. He always complains about the coffee at every cafe we go to. So now he always orders juice." Matt said laughing along with Prentiss

"So do you have any plans to get Luke to fall in love?" Prentiss asked wanting part in it.

"Nope. That is something that I am not going to drip my hands in. I gave them the push, falling in love should be nature and that is on them." Matt said grabbing the jacket he left on the chair as he walked in. "Let's go see what our hopefully soon to be love birds are doing." Matt said grabbing Prentiss by the neck leading her out as she kicks and punches him.

✦XO✦