LuRe Big Bang - The Notebook - Chapter 6
Chapter Six
August, 2005
Luke’s cheeks flushed red as he scrambled to find something to cover himself. “Casey, what the hell?!?”
“Look I’m sorry but your parents are going crazy. They got Margo and Jack out looking for you right now.” Casey turned around as Luke and Reid scrambled to get their clothes back on.
“They called the cops? Crap, we need to get out of here.” Once they were fully dressed Luke and Reid ran out to his car, jumped in and headed to Luke’s house. The car had barely made it to a stop before Luke was jumping out and running up to the front door. Reid stopped the car and got out following Luke to the door. When he stepped inside there were a few police officers inside talking to Luke’s parents.
“Mom! You called the cops?!?” When she heard his voice she turned to him gathering him in her arms and rocking him like he was five year old.
“Oh god Luke I was so worried about you baby. You didn’t leave a note. No one knew where you were.” Luke was trying desperately to disentangle himself from his mother as his father just stood there not saying a word. It was very clear who ran the show in that house and Reid had to chuckle to himself at the scene.
“It’s not even that late Mom.” Reid stepped forward now having gone unnoticed until that point.
“I’m so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Snyder. Luke was with me and we just lost track of time.” Lily whipped her head around to face Reid narrowing her eyes at him.
“And who may I ask are you?” She turned back to her son. “Who is this b…”She started to say boy but then corrected herself, “You’re not a boy at all are you? Who is this man that you were supposedly with at all hours of the night?” Luke stepped back so that he was standing beside Reid and took his hand.
“This is Reid mom. He’s my boyfriend.” Lily’s eyes grew wide in surprise.
“Boyfriend? Luke what happened to that nice boy… What was his name?” She turned to look at Holden but he just stood there. Determined
to let her run with it as he had no problem other than the fact that his 17 year old son was out later than was necessary. “Noah! That was his name. What about Noah? Did you two break up?”
“Noah? God mom, we went out on a couple of dates, that’s it.” He snuck a glance at Reid hoping that he wasn’t buying what his mother was saying and gripped his hand tighter. “Reid is my boyfriend.”
“Luke can we have a word with you in private.” Luke didn’t have much of a choice as he watched his mother storm from the room with Holden trailing after her.
“I’m so sorry Reid. I’ll just be a minute. Please don’t leave.” Reid reached out and cupped Luke’s face in his palm and gave him a tender smile that only Luke was privy to.
Reid sat down as Luke went in the direction his mother had gone. He shook his head wondering to himself how the night had gotten so screwed up. He was lost in his own thoughts when he heard voices carrying over from the other room.
“What were you thinking Luke? How old is he?” Reid heard a pause and assumed that Luke had answered and then she was yelling again. “Twenty-two! You are 17 years old Luke. What would a 22 year old man want with a boy like you?” There was another pause and Reid got up from his chair. “How do you know he’s not using you Luke? I know boys like him. Everything seems great now until he gets what he wants and then what are you left with?!?”
“Reid’s not like that!”
“And you know him so well do you? How do you know that he isn’t with you for your money?”
“He loves me! Ok…He loves me. And I love him.”
“Love?” Holden asked.
“Yes Dad! I love him!” Luke went to his father now pleading with his eyes for him to see what he was saying was true.
“He’s not suited for you, son. He’s going away and you’ll still be here, in high school.”
“I don’t care! I love him and he loves me and that’s enough. Don’t you get it?” Tears were streaming down Luke’s face now. “No! Of course you don’t. What do you guys know about love anyways? You’ve been apart longer than you have been together.” Luke turned from them and stormed from the room in search of Reid. “Reid?!” Running into the living room where he had left him all he found was an empty room. Luke ran out the front door to see Reid walking towards his car. “Reid! Wait! Please don’t go.” Reid stopped and turned back towards Luke. “I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say. I’m humiliated.” Reid reached out cupping Luke’s face in both of his hands and wiping the tears away before kissing him on the forehead.
“It’s alright.”
“No it’s not.” They stood there for a minute like that. Tears still rolling down Luke’s cheeks and Reid’s hands holding him in place. And then Reid dropped his hands and stepped back.
“I’m gonna go.” Luke reached for him.
“No. I don’t want you to go.” Reid looked at him but didn’t falter.
“I gotta think about some things.” Reid started to walk towards his car now but Luke reached out for him again.
“What you do you gotta think about, huh? Come here. Talk to me.” Luke pulled a reluctant Reid towards him trying anything to keep him from going.
“I’m going away. And you’re staying here.” Luke gripped Reid tighter.
“Don’t say that.”
“Why? It’s true.”
“I could come with you.”
“To Boston? Come one Luke. What would you do in Boston? You’re not even done with High school yet.”
“I don’t care about that. I just wanna be with you.” Reid stepped back from Luke again causing Luke’s hands to fall to his sides.
“Look, we don’t have to figure anything out tonight. We can just finish out the summer and see what happens.” Luke flinched.
“Are you saying you wanna break up?”
“I’m saying we just see how it goes later on.” Reid reached out now to touch Luke’s face but he turned away.
“Are you breaking up with me?” Luke’s voice was barely above a whisper. It was all he could manage. He couldn’t understand how things had been so great only an hour ago and now they were talking about breaking up.
“I don’t see how this could work.”
“I see.” Reid dropped his gaze from Luke to the ground unable to look at him anymore. Unable to see him breaking and knowing that he was the cause. “Well, hell. If you’re gonna do it. Why not do it right now?” Luke ran after Reid grabbing his arm and whipping him around to face him.
“Luke don’t.”
“Don’t what. You know what, fine! I’ll do it. We’re over. You got it?” Luke pushed Reid against the car. “We’re over!” Reid put his hand out as if to reach for Luke but Luke backed away glaring at him. “Leave!” Reid stepped forward reaching out again. He hadn’t wanted things to end like this. “Just go! I hate you!” Luke pushed Reid again. “I hate you!” And that was all it took. Reid could take a lot of things. But that was something that he would never be prepared to hear from Luke. He opened the door to his car and got in ignoring whatever Luke was yelling at him. Luke beat his fist against the driver’s side door as he turned the key, put the car into drive and drove away.
Present Day
“Gone?” Luke asked as they stepped off of the porch and walked across the grass.
“Gone.” Reid answered.
“Well he must have been devastated.” Luke worried.
"He was."
“Reid was only trying to do the right thing.”
“Yeah.” Reid smiled slightly at this. He loved that Luke was defending him. It gave him hope. Hope that somewhere inside Luke was remembering. Hope that there was even the smallest part of Luke that was feeling the pain because that meant that something inside of him was piecing it all together.
“But what he should have done was tell those parents to go to hell. To stick it where the sun don’t shine.”
“You’re right, he probably should have.” And the truth was that over the years Reid had often wondered that very same thing. Wondered why he hadn’t done exactly that. Why he hadn’t stood up for himself and for Luke. Why he hadn’t fought for them to be together. It pained him to think of the years they lost especially now when Luke’s lucid moments were few and far between. It pained him to know that they could have had more time together. They wasted precious years together being selfish and immature and they would never get them back.
Chapter 7 ===>