After thinking about his lunch with Reid and how much he had missed the easiness of being with the doctor, Luke sat in his hotel room and came to the conclusion that his choosing to return to Noah had simply been out of fear and a need for something safe. Being with Noah had been all he had ever known and he had been afraid to give up his dream of spending a lifetime with him.

"My God, how stupid I was," Luke said to himself as he paced back-and-forth in front of the bed. "Three years I've been with Noah and I've never realized how unhappy I was. Not really unhappy. Just how much happier I was with Reid. Argh!" Luke fell backwards onto the bed in exasperation. "What have I done?"

Just then, the door opened and Noah walked in, carrying a bunch of packets and fliers from the festival.

"Hi," Noah said, putting the papers on the counter.

"Hi," Luke said, sitting up. "Are you all registered and ready to start showing your film?" Luke asked, trying to ease into the conversation he knew he had to have with Noah.

"Yep. The first showing is tonight at eight." Noah sat down on the bed next to Luke. "We can get something to eat in a couple hours and then head over."

A shadow crossed Luke's face. Looks like I can't put this off. It's now or never.

"What?" Noah asked.

Luke took Noah's hand in his. "We need to talk."

"Okay," Noah said, shifting slightly on the bed so that he was facing Luke.

"Yesterday, while you were registering, I went to the hospital. To find Reid," Luke said. The little smile that Noah had been wearing faded.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to see how he was doing," Luke said, his voice inflected to say that this was the most obvious thing in the world. "But there's more." Luke hesitated. "I had lunch with him today."

"You had lunch with him?" Noah asked, taking his hand out of Luke's.

"Yes."

"I thought we said we weren't going to meet up with him?" Noah asked, getting off the bed and walking over to the window.

"I never said that," Luke said angrily and forcefully. "You couldn't really have expected me to come here and not search him out."

"Yeah, I could. It's been three years. I thought that you wouldn't care," Noah said.

"Really? Is that the kind of person you think I am?" Luke asked, standing up and knowing more than ever that this decision was the right one. "That because it's been three years, I wouldn't care any more about the man whose heart I broke?" How poorly Noah knew him.

"Yes."

"Why? Why wouldn't I care?" Luke asked. "Don't you ever wonder how Richard's doing?"

"Not really. No," Noah said, sitting down in one of the chairs.

"Wow. I never realized how cold-hearted you are, Noah," Luke said, frowning. "I'm really glad we had this conversation. It makes my decision so much easier."

"What decision?" Noah asked.

Luke had not wanted to break things off with Noah like this. But he was left no choice. "To go back to Reid."

"You're going back to him?" Noah repeated quietly, hurt now replacing anger.

"Yes," Luke said, sitting back down on the bed.

"When did you decide this?"

"After lunch."

"Why?"

Luke got off the bed and walked over to the other chair. He again took Noah's hand in his. "You were my first real love, Noah. And what we had was beautiful and wonderful. Something I wouldn't trade for anything."

"But?"

"But our time is passed. It has been for a long time."

"What about the last three years?"

"I was settling. I realize that now. When had to choose between you and Reid, you were all I had known. A life with you had been all I had wanted for a long time. And then I had a relationship with Reid and it scared me. It scared me because there was this person who wasn't you who I was happy with and who I could see myself spending the rest of my life with. And that terrified me because I knew my feelings for you had changed. But I didn't want to admit that. So I chose you. I made the safe decision. But that doesn't mean the last three years weren't great. Because they were. I just wasn't truly happy, Noah. I'm sorry. But I wasn't."

"You never seemed unhappy," Noah said.

"I know. And I wasn't. I was just…not as happy as I could have been. This isn't something I first realized today, Noah. I've thought about this a lot over the years. How things were with Reid and how different things are with you. With Reid things are new and exciting –"

"Are you saying I'm boring?" Noah asked, angry again.

"No. It's just…we don't challenge each other the way Reid and I do. You and I don't make each other be better people, more mature. The fire we bring out in each other just…just doesn't exist between you and me. At least, not anymore. I'm truly sorry," Luke said sadly. He didn't know how else to explain why he was happier with Reid than with Noah.

"So what now?" Noah asked.

"I hope we can still be friends," Luke said.

"I need some time," Noah said.

Luke nodded. "I understand. I'll pack up and get my own room," Luke said, standing up, going to the closet, and getting his suitcase.

As Luke opened the door to leave, Noah said, "Luke, I hope you're happy with Reid. And I'm sorry I couldn't be that person for you. And if you still want to come to festival, you're welcome to come."

Luke smiled slightly and said, "Thank you. I hope you can forgive me and find someone who will make you happy, too. And I really do hope we can still be friends and keep in touch."

Noah smiled slightly, too, and nodded.

Luke gave Noah a sad look and left.

When he had finally managed to get to the service desk, Luke was able to secure himself another room, ironically – or humorously – the same room in which he had stayed when he had come to Dallas with Reid so many years ago.

Smiling, Luke opened the door and walked inside. It hadn't changed at all since the last time he had been there. He quickly recalled his first kiss with Reid and then began to unpack his clothes and put them in drawers, though he hoped that he would be back here soon to pack up and move them permanently into Reid's place.

By the time he had finished putting all his things away, it was nearly dinner time and Luke realized how hungry he was. He ordered a grilled cheese from room service and ate it quickly when it came fifteen minutes later. His hunger satisfied, Luke grabbed his jacket and set out to Reid's apartment of which he remembered the location from when they were in the city together.

Outside the hotel, Luke hailed a taxi and sat anxiously through the awful Dallas traffic until they finally reached the building. He hurriedly paid the driver and entered the building. Once inside, he earnestly poked the UP button and the button for Reid's floor and nearly jumped out of his skin whenever the elevator stopped to let someone in or out. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened on Reid's floor and Luke nearly ran out and down the hall to Reid's apartment. Hoping beyond hope that Reid was not still at the hospital, Luke rang the doorbell.

A minute later, Luke sighed in relief as the door opened and he was face-to-face with Reid.