Lie To Me

*A few days later*

Riley’s P.O.V.

“Luke, are you sure about this?” I asked as he helped me pack my things.
“Riley, stop asking me that.”
“I just-- I know we’re not--”
“Not together, I know. That doesn’t change how I feel. I told you’d I’d wait. Plus what are you going to do? Move in with your parents again.” he joked.
“Hey! I totally would.” I laughed. “This should be the last of my things.” I sighed, looking around the room I once shared with Hunter.
“Are you okay?” Luke asked.
“No, but I will be. I just never thought I’d be closing this chapter of my life. I thought it was forever... Can I have a minute alone?”
Luke nodded and went down the stairs. I slowly checked the room over once more.

*10 months ago*
“This house is huge!” I exclaimed, looking around.
Hunter chuckled, “I know we’ve only been dating a month, but you could move in if you’d like. This place is kinda lonely.”
“Wait, really?”
“Really.” he smiled, “There’s something about you, Riley. I can’t stop thinking about you. I’m sure it seems like I’m rushing, but there’s no one I’d rather come home to every night.”
“You’re making it sound like a forever thing.” I blushed.
“Maybe it could be.”
“I mean... I could get used to this.” I smiled, plopping down on the bed.

*Present day*
“Bye, old friend.” I sighed, walking out of the bedroom. I walked down the stairs slowly to meet Luke at the door.
“Ready?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be.” I replied. I held in tears as we walked away.
“Here we are. Your new humble abode.” Luke smiled, I tried to keep my head down so he wouldn’t see the tears welling. “Ry... Are you okay?”
Before I could respond Petunia came running up to me and almost took me down.
“Petunia!” I exclaimed, getting down to her level, “What a warm welcome.” I smiled, petting her. “You wanna help me settle in?” I asked. She quickly ran the opposite direction. “Welp, guess that leaves you.” I turned to Luke, then back to all of my boxes.
“You quite literally brought your entire life, huh?” he chuckled.
“I really did. So, let’s get started.” I smiled, picking a random box to break into.
--
After a few hours of unpacking and completely rearranging Luke’s whole house, I collapsed on the couch. Luke plopped down next to me.
“Is it sad that we aren’t even done.” I groaned.
“We could make it a little more fun.” Luke sighed.
“How? Moving sucks.”
“Hey! I’ve had fun dancing around to loud music in, diving back into your life.”
I chuckled, “It’s been pretty great, but I’m exhausted.”
“Me too, so how about we have one of our old movie nights instead?”
I smiled, “One more box, then I’ll give up.”
“Deal. I’ll get everything ready.”
I took the box upstairs to the bedroom and began pulling things out. It was a box I hadn’t even opened at Hunter’s house. It was everything from the first time Luke and I were together. I figured I’d be super cute and put everything up to show him that I’m ready to try again, no matter how long it takes. I shuffled a few things around in and on the dresser. I stumbled upon a girls t-shirt bundled up. When I pulled it out, a bunch of things fell out. There was a picture in California Adventure of Luke and Arzaylea, along with some poems she wrote him. The date of the last one caught me off guard; One month ago.
“Hey, everything is ready when you-- Ry? What’s wrong?” Luke came in.
“I was putting up all of our old things and stumbled upon this.” I spoke, holding everything with tears streaming down my face, “Why do you still have it? And why did she write this a month ago?”
“Riley.. I- uh I-”
“Right, none of my business.” I choked up, crying harder. It wasn’t that Luke had kept these things, I get holding on to memories, but it was that all the poems were written when he cheated, after, and now recently.
“It is your business. We have to be completely open with eachother now. I don’t have a good explanation for keeping it.”
“I don’t care why you have it. I care that these are literally during your affair, sometime after, and pretty much right now.” I sighed. “Did you ever really break it off with her?”
“I did... It’s just.. She’s so...”
“Spit it out, Lukas.”
“I couldn’t completely stop. You know about the affair, but after you and I were falling apart... She was there. She’s been there. And she didn’t care about how shitty I treated her, or how much time I didn’t give her, because she was doing the same thing I was doing.”
“So when we get bad, you’re just going to go running back to her?”
“No! That’s truly over.”
“This last poem’s date says otherwise.”
“Read it.”
“What?”
“Ry, read it.”
I picked up the poem and read it through. ‘Over the years I've been through so much, but it all seemed worth it when I first felt your touch. In the blink of an eye you've gone away. All that's left are memories of yesterday. Goodbye, blue eyes.’
“So, it’s really over.”
“It’s really over.” he replied.
“Sorry. I guess I don’t have much room to talk since I’m moving in from my fiance's house.”
“You have every right. What I did was wrong, and it hurt you. I’ll never forgive myself.”
I could see the pain behind his eyes, “I forgive you.” The words burned as they left my mouth. I could feel my chest ache. I don’t know if I’ll ever be secure enough with Luke after everything, but I was surely going to try.
“You do?”
“The past is the past, Luke. All we have is right now.”
He smiled, pulling me into a hug, “We have forever.”
“Forever is a long time to be stuck with you...” I joked. He pulled out of the hug.
“That’s it. No movie night for you.” he quickly got up and ran for the main level.
“I’m not chasing you.” I laughed.
“Ah, c’mon!” he whined.
I swiftly got up and chased him anyway.
Soon we both fell onto eachother on the couch.
“I really missed you.” he spoke, out of breath.
“I missed you too Luke.”
Petunia jumped on us both and promptly fell asleep.
“You know we can’t move now right? She’s comfortable.” Luke mumbled into my shoulder.
We both laughed and tried our best not to disturb her.

Luke’s P.O.V.

The first movie came to an end and Riley was asleep on my chest. I could smell her hair. Lavender. She still used the same shampoo. Her arms were wrapped around me tight, and Petunia had moved to the floor. She watched her almost as intently as I. Ry began crying softly in her sleep. I ran my fingers gently through her hair, hoping to calm her. I pictured her having a dream of earlier tonight when she found my old things from Arzaylea. My heart ached from the tears that streamed down her face. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Riley. Wake up.” I spoke softly.
“Hmm?” she groaned.
“You were having a nightmare.”
“Yeah... It was nothing.” She spoke rubbing the tears from her face.
“Didn’t seem like nothing.” I trailed.
“Can we move to the bed?”
I nodded.
“Piggyback?” she smiled in a childish way.
I laughed, “Jump on.” she giddily smiled and got on my back. I happily carried her to our bed.
“Thanks, Luke!” she smiled, nodding off again.
“Anytime.” I kissed her forehead and pulled the covers over us both.
“Luke.”
“Riley.”
...
“Riley?” I asked again, but she was out and I wasn’t far behind.

Notes

More drama? Less drama? Are exes still a thing? What crazy adventure is next? What do you guys want to read?! I'm kinda stuck between ideas. Thanks for reading!