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Picture above was taken by me! :) 

Wilted flowers and a half eaten plate. On an unrelated note...

Chapter 74:  Home run

If I was at home, I'd be able to fling myself out the front door and into Luke's arms. His strong, neighborly arms. No matter where I live in future, I will always think of Luke as my neighbor.

The future seemed so scary to me now. Luke will be leaving this summer for college and I didn't know where I would be. If my mother doesn't come home, what will happen to me?

I didn't like thinking about it because my eyes started to sting. I called my mom and sister again, like I always do, and expected no reply. I received no reply.

"Why are you in such a hurry?  You're not going anywhere without fuel to start your day," Cearra's mom told me. She placed a plate of waffles on the table, "What would your mother say if I let you leave hungry?"

I don't know.

That's the problem.

I watched Cearra's mom cut the waffles into smaller chunks for her youngest son. He was busy with a coloring book, though his crayons preferred to color the table instead.

Sitting next to me, Cearra was just as restless as her siblings. She twisted round in her chair to stare out the window.

"Is he really outside?" she whispered, trying to spot him on the street, "I don't believe Luke Dawson is outside my house for breakfast! He is a full meal though."

She giggled at her own joke until her mom gave us a look. Luke was outside, waiting for me. I ate my waffles quickly and tried not to jump too eagerly at the sound of coffee. After inhaling an entire cup, I was desperate to leave.

"Go, go, go!" Cearra urged me, "And remember to ask Luke about Austin!"

I thanked Cearra's parents and I grabbed my backpack and scarf. I tried to avoid looking out the window and making it too obvious.

Cearra's mom took my coat from the hanger and handed it to me. "There is a boy outside this house," she said, "I'm guessing he's yours?"

I nervously said, "He's my boyfriend."

"Then slow down," she told me, watching how I was rushing to put my shoes on, "And let the boy wait."

**

The cold couldn't deter my smile.

Luke was outside with a cup of coffee in his hand. He was leaning against the railings of the neighbor's picket fence, wearing a dark winter jacket, while he waited.

His eyebrows raised when he saw me walk out of Cearra's house. "No rush, Minnie. I'm here all day."

The sarcasm dripped off his tongue and I went over to taste it. I kissed his lips and tasted coffee on his tongue. As our kiss deepened, he held the cup further away from us so it wouldn't tip over.

"Is that for me?" I asked.

"For once," he smirked, "No."

A lady walked out of the house and, to my surprise, greeted us, "Is that your girlfriend dear?"

"Yes," Luke answered, wrapping his arm around a very shocked me, "thank you for the coffee."

My envy soared. I have never been offered free coffee before.... and he... even though... gah! It's not fair.

The lady answered extremely enthusiastically, "I'm oh so glad it kept you warm! We don't want a cute thing like you to freeze."

We don't?

He can freeze.

Luke handed her back the mug and she waved at us, taking her time to filter through her letterbox, before heading back inside. Luke turned his attention to me and slid his hands into the pockets of my jacket, tugging me closer to him.

"You made a friend?" I guessed, glancing at the kind neighbor.

His lips curled into a smirk, "She felt so bad that I was left waiting in the cold..."

"A cute thing like you?" I mocked him.

His lips kissed my cold cheek and lowered to my lips, "Who could be so cold hearted?"

**

Our date began with an hour at the police station.

I guess this is Luke's idea of romantic.

We both gave statements and they pulled up my old file from when I first came to report the blackmailer's letters.

I had little hope of finding the blackmailer. The police had sent the blood on the record for DNA testing, but it would take a few days for the results. They warned us that it would be low chance of a match.

"This feels like a very personal attack," the police officer said, "Often times, the perpetrator of a crime of passion is someone from the victim's life with no criminal background. First time offender, we call them. Be careful and keep an eye out to those around you. You need to call us, if you get suspicious."

I squeezed Luke's hand and he looked at me questioningly.

"He called me a victim," I whispered.

**

After our date at the police station, we got in Luke's car and there wasn't much to say between us. We were both lost in our own worlds, wondering how our worlds had collided and resulted in such a bang.

Raccoon, car, laptops. That's the how.

"It's my fault," Luke said quietly as he stared at the road ahead.

"It's not your-"

"What did the letters say?" Luke asked me as the car drove at an increasing speed, "They said to stay away from me. Someone is out to get you because of me."

"It's not your fault," I repeated.

He drove onto the high street and we parked in one of the few parking spots left. People were hurrying about their day, shopping, lunching and running errands.

"What are we doing here?" I asked him.

I didn't come to the high street often. There wasn't much reason to, since I don't have many friends to meet and I don't have money to spend.

"I wanted to correct what went wrong the other night," he answered, slipping his car keys into his pocket.

What does that even mean?

We turned towards a small store with a creaky front door. Luke opened it for me, and I stepped inside.

It was an old vinyl store, with rows of records on display.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"You don't have much in your room, Minnie, except for your vinyl collection. I know you broke one the other night," Luke said.

"You wanted to fix what was broken," I understood.

The store had a few customers inside, perusing through the old vinyls and the candy store it was connected to.

I turned to him and said, "I'm sorry Luke, but I don't want to do this."

His blue eyes flickered in surprise. "Why not?"

"I know you're trying to help, but my vinyl collection is special to me," I gulped, realizing that my choice of words hadn't been right.

I looked down at the ground. This was the first time I was telling anyone. It was hard to say.

"I'm not into old record players," I said slowly, "but my dad was. It's his collection and the only thing I have of him after he left."

Luke didn't say anything, but his eyes softened and his hands reached for mine. I still hesitated to look him in the eye. He has such a powerful gaze that sweeps me off my feet on a normal day...

And nothing about this moment felt normal.

Thinking of my dad during a time when my mom has left me and someone has broken into my house... this was all starting to get too much.

"It's ok," Luke whispered, seeing my eyes water.

I didn't want to break down in a vinyl store. I quickly wiped the tear away with the sleeve of my jacket.

"I know you tried to do something nice, Luke," I said, "But some things can't be fixed. My dad left me and, for some stupid reason, I'm still here trying to preserve his memory."

Another tear escaped. I tried to wipe that one too, but they were stinging my eyes.

"Hey," Luke hushed me, his hands rising up to my elbows as he pulled me close, "There's nothing stupid about that, Millie. You hear me?"

I nodded, finding the comfort in his arms. He was so special. What did he see in me?

What in the world is keeping him from leaving me too?

"He was happiest with his vinyls," I murmured into his jacket, "I wished he would've been happy with me."

"Your dad," Luke answered, gently touching my hair, "is a fool."

He held onto me and I cried a little more into his jacket. Then I sneakily wiped my nose, hoping he wouldn't see.

"Let's get out of here?" he suggested.

I nodded. He took my hand and led me out of the store. The hustle and bustle of the high street broke the tension and the cold wintery air soothed me.

Luke unexpectedly laughed and apologized.

"Sorry, I really don't mean to laugh," he said, trying to stop his smile, "But I've really f*cked this date up. I took you to a police station and then I made you cry in a vinyl store."

My lips cracked into a smile and it must've looked so weird with my crying face. My eyes were still red, but he made me laugh.

I agree. This was an unusual date – but it's still better than anywhere else I could ever be.

**

Days like these, days where it was just Luke and me, were ones I couldn't forget. I can't let myself forget.

"I haven't been to the movies in forever," I told him excitedly as we strode up to the ticket booth.

Finally, a part of our date that feels normal.

"Third try," Luke joked, "Let's see how this goes."

"Was the police station really a try though?" I retorted, thinking about the first part of our date.

"Let's call it an obligation."

Luke was determined to find the intruder. He spent so long with the officers at the station – he'd practically interrogated them.

Luke kissed my forehead as we got our tickets and walked into the beautiful theater. 

I have never been here on a date before. After my dad left, my mom put all her energy and money into keeping the house and keeping us in the neighborhood – that we stopped all these luxuries.

"This is new for me," I told him, grateful that he brought me here. "And it's incredible. Thank you."

He answered softly, "It's new for me too." 

Luke then added something else. He said, "You've got me in deep."

Those words struck me. He said them so casually, that I wondered if he even understood the impact it had on me.

He can be so direct and unexpected sometimes. Yet it still takes me by surprise.  

Luke didn't expect a response. He didn't want me to return the compliment or feel forced to say anything back.  Instead, he walked up to the concession stand and ordered snacks to take into the movie.

"One large coke, water, a large salty popcorn and a pack of whatever that is," Luke said, pulling out his wallet.

I was staring at all the candy with my eyes wide open, still recovering.

The girl working the counter tapped Luke's order into the register and said, "That'll be 23 dollars and 9 cents."

"Why?" I asked.

Her name tag said Alice and it reminded me of Alicia for some reason. I missed those kids at camp.

"Um..." Alice said, not sure how to answer that, "Because you ordered coke, water, popcorn and candy?

"4.50, 3.00, 7.10 and 3.99," I said, reading off the menu on the board, "That's 18.59."

There was a pause while she tried to figure out if I was messing with her.

Luke lowered his card and told her, "I'd recount if I were you."

Alice nervously stared at the register screen and double checked the order. It took a few seconds before she exclaimed, "Oh sorry! I gave you a double on the cokes. My bad."

She tapped the correction into the register.

"No worries," I said, not wanting to stress her out.

With his credit card still in his hand, Luke looked over at me and teased, "Minnie, can I pay now?"

**

The movie was going to start in five minutes, but I desperately needed the bathroom. I drank that coke way too quickly.

I handed the half empty cup for Luke to hold, along with the popcorn and then the water. I was keeping the candy.

Luke didn't look too pleased holding on to everything, especially after he warned me not to drink too quickly.

So I explained it rationally: "A straw in the cup makes it easy to drink fast."

"That's your excuse?" Luke asked, "A straw?"

"No, that's not my excuse," I told him. "Because I don't need an excuse."

~3 minutes later~

I opened the bathroom stall and went to wash my hands. While I was squirting soap from the dispenser, another stall opened, and another girl walked out. I looked up and saw her in the reflection of the bathroom mirror.

"Millie?" she gasped.

My hands froze and all we could hear was the sound of the tap running over my soapy hands.

"Julia?"

**

Luke was waiting for me outside the girls' bathroom.

He was casually eating popcorn and laughing at something his friend said. I wasn't surprised that he'd bumped into a friend here... but I really hoped he would help me get away from mine.

Well, ex- friend technically.

Julia and I very awkwardly walked out of the bathroom at the same time. We didn't say anything to each other, but we just walked.

"Kaden," Julia called out, "I bumped into Millie."

He's here?!

I looked at who she was talking to and a pit of nothingness fell into my stomach. My ex-boyfriend with my ex-friend. They were made for each other. 

Kaden stared me like I was a ghost, equally surprised to see me here. I suddenly remembered the texts he'd sent me just before New Years'.

"Hey you," Kaden said, trying to sound casual in a very awkward situation, "I was hoping we could talk."

"No," I said.

"That jersey incident was a misunderstanding," he tried to tell me, "Julia can explain it."

I was slowly stepping away. Just backing out of this, one step at a time.

"Kaden," I said his name out loud for the first time in a while and it felt like a pile of nothing.

I really wanted him to stop talking. Unfortunately, they were waiting for me to finish my sentence, so I did.

"You have the ugliest sneakers."

He looked down at his shoes and Julia did too.

Kaden was wearing the brightest colored sneakers I have ever seen. Bright red, like the walking warning sign he is.

I backtracked into Luke, who was now no longer talking to his friend, but watching me. He put his arms out and stopped me from walking straight into him.

"Everything ok?" he asked.

I felt his hands slowly move down my arms, sending shivers through me.

"Yup."

"OK," he said, and handed me the bucket of popcorn, "Your turn to hold this."

I accepted the popcorn and watched him walk to where I had just came from.

Luke went straight up to Kaden and Julia, who hadn't noticed him before now. I guess they thought I was here solo.

The fear on Kaden's face when he saw Luke again was enough to make me feel like I didn't need to watch a movie anymore. This was enough.

The drama was unfolding in front of me and I had actual popcorn this time. I offered some to Luke's friend.

Luke was talking to them so calmly and I watched as he ate the remaining popcorn he held in his hand. He seemed relaxed while Julia and Kaden were incredibly tense.

Julia objected to whatever Luke said, but Kaden didn't put up much of an argument. I couldn't hear what Luke was saying, but I saw him point in another direction. Then, it sounded like they agreed.

Luke walked back to me.

"What was that about?" I asked him, surprised by how maturely the situation had been handled.

Luke replied, "I told them they were watching the wrong movie."

I didn't ask any questions. Luke parted ways with his friend, before putting his arm around me  and leading me towards Screen A.

I turned back and saw Julia and Kaden arguing. Luke had just kicked them out of our movie. 

I looked back at Luke and said, "That's three strikes by the way." 

Our date had gone wrong three times.

"No love," Luke replied, surprising me again with his next words, "This is what I call a home run."

A/N: Thank you! Your comments on my Instagram story were HILARIOUS!!  

If you want to get involved in Millie's story AND in my awful photography (see photo above), then join me on Instagram (@NatalieInACorner)!!!

And yes, those flowers were wilting.

See ya Tuesday!

P.S. Please vote. Thx

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