𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

── quiet conversations

           𝕿he woods seemed to go quiet at Luke's words. No one was present, the wind stopped rustling through the trees and the birds went quiet. It seemed, against all else, that they were just alone.

Aurora brought her hands up to wrap around herself, watching Luke cautiously. She didn't know what to do. Did she speak first or did he? Was she supposed to do anything in this situation?

"Can we talk?" Luke's hands were stuffed deep into his pockets, hoodie slung over his Camp shirt and eyes watching her every move cautiously through his fringe.

"You're not giving me much choice." Aurora muttered. "I don't think we need to speak, Luke."

"Well obviously we do, because you're avoiding me and have been for weeks now. That's not fair on me." Aurora's eyebrows furrowed at Luke's words. Not fair on him? Not fair on him? What was that supposed to mean? "I just want to know why? What have I done? I miss my friend."

The word hurt her, but Aurora was aware enough to know that she was somewhat to blame for most of this understanding. That didn't mean he had to go and get with a different girl a week after she'd said it, but she should have probably filtered her words.

Gods, Aruna would have been proud of her for being this mature.

"Look, Luke, it's fine, alright?" Aurora shook her head, not wanting to continue this conversation any further than they already had. "Just leave it alone."

"I'm not going to do that. What did I do?"

"Luke-"

"What? What have I done?" Luke stopped her, standing over her, eyes narrowed. "Tell me what I've done!"

"What do you think, Luke?" Aurora placed her hand on his chest, shoving him backwards when he got too far into her personal space. "Have a guess. Have a think."

She spat the words out, her own eyes narrowing as she began to grow defensive and go on the attack. She didn't like it when people were shouting down at her for answers that she didn't want to give. It just reminded her of being stalked by photographers and reporters, who had been doing that since she was only around 13. 

"I don't know that's why I'm asking you!" Luke spat back. "You disappeared for three weeks and then came back and didn't speak to me again!"

"Are you-" She was starting to wonder if this man was completely and utterly dumb. Did he honestly have no perception? "Are you being serious right now? You haven't thought to yourself, hmm, what might have happened in that time that Aurora isn't speaking to me?"

"No!" Luke ran a hand through his hair before pausing as he spun to look at her. "Is this about Millie?"

"What do you think?"

"You haven't spoken to me in two and a half months because I got a girlfriend?" His voice went deadly quiet. "That was why you didn't speak to me? Because I moved on?"

Aurora backed up, eyes narrowing and fist clenching. She dug her nails into her palms, trying to ground herself as Luke seemed to grow more enraged.

"I liked you, Aurora, that's who I liked, who I had a crush on!" Luke pointed out as Aurora's heart dropped at his words. She knew that he was telling the truth, knew that he had a crush on her, but he was using past tense now. "You went and friendzoned me and then didn't speak to me because I backed off and moved on? That's why we're not speaking? Gods above, are you actually serious right now?"

Aurora didn't say anything as Luke backed off.

"I was coming to apologise. As soon as I got back, I was coming to apologise because I realised that I like you! But you'd already moved on. Two and a half weeks, and you'd already moved on." Aurora tried to keep her voice level. This was worse that she envisioned.

She had imagined what she would say when she saw Luke, what words would come from her mouth, her tone, her responses to what he would say but having him hear in front of her now was very different, and she couldn't work out why she was getting so upset by all of this.

"I moved on because you told me to!" Luke ground out through clenched teeth. "You told me you saw me as a friend, and I was supposed to use my well known telepathic mind reading abilities to work out that you actually meant that you liked me?"

"Now you're being mean." Aurora stopped him getting close again, putting her hand on his chest to keep him at arms length. 

"I'm being mean?" Luke's eyes went wide. "You friend zoned me, ignored me for weeks and ran away when I tried to speak with you."

"What was I supposed to do?"

"Talk to me?" Luke pointed out.

"Luke, I have no experience with having a crush on someone, or trying to express that feeling. I know I write all these love songs and shit, but that doesn't mean that I know what I'm doing!" Aurora shot back. "I'm sorry that I've been immature, alright? I'm sorry. I thought I was doing what was best, obviously I was wrong, but you and I shouldn't speak, because that's not fair on Millie! She seems really nice, and you and I still being friends knowing that you had feelings for me and I have feelings for you isn't fair on her."

"I'm not dating her anymore!"

"What?"

"I broke it off with her because I couldn't get you out of my head."

"Please, don't say that." Aurora completely backed up. "No, you don't get to blame your breakup on me, Luke. That's mean. You're being mean."

Tears began to well up in her eyes as Aurora prayed that she could keep them back. Gods above, she hated being an angry crier. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea.

They both fell silent, as Aurora pushed the heel of her hand into her eyes, trying to stop herself from crying as Luke tried to rein his words back in so they could speak in a more mature manner. 

Aurora sighed, before standing up and looking at Luke.

"We shouldn't speak because this is the outcome."

"What?" Luke's eyes went wide. 

"You dated Millie to rebound from me, and she seemed like a genuinely lovely girl, and I grew childish and resentful over something that was my fault." Aurora stated, before shaking her head. "I don't think you and I should keep doing this because we're just hurting each other. I'm not emotionally mature enough to do this and you-."

"I what?" Luke narrowed his eyes. "What am I, Aurora?"

"Mean." Aurora finished her words, before shaking her head and backing off. "I'll stay away."

She brushed past him, heading to walk off as he watched her go. Aurora just needed him to let her go.

Luke didn't comply.

His hand reached out, grabbing the back of her belt and pulling her backwards until she was standing in front of him again.

"You don't get to make that decision for us, Sunshine." Luke pointed out. "We're both in this. You want to learn to me mature and me to be less mean, we're doing it together."

"That seems vaguely toxic."

"And friend zoning me just to get jealous of who I chose to move on with isn't?" Aurora's eyes narrowed. "Look, why don't we just start over?"

"We've already done one of that, and look where that ended up."

"We became friends. Let's do it again, wipe the slate clean and see where it ends up." Luke compromised.

"Or, you could leave me alone and I'll leave you alone?"

"No." He shook his head. 

"Again, seems a little toxic." Aurora's eyes narrowed. 

"We're going around in circles here." Luke pointed out. "Just wipe the slate clean. We both acknowledge we did things wrong and we move on. What do you say?"

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

Yes, this was supposed to be out on Wednesday, sorry guys. Also, my WiFi has cut out at my house, so I can't actually do much unless I'm at uni, so sorry in advance cause until that's fixed, I'm a bit screwed. What do you think of their conversation? What do you think Aurora will or should say?

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx