𝐑𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 | 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬

𝟐𝟐 | 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞

I followed Luke without question, because that's just something I'd do.

We arrived outside a familiar suburban home. A home that felt so familiar I could've sworn I had dreamt about it. In fact, I had dreamt about it. Ever since I was a little kid. Not quite a mansion, yet a lot bigger than any house I had ever lived in.

That was when everything started to feel a little too familiar.

"Luke - "

"Do you recognise this place?"

I looked around and remembered the surroundings I had explored not long so ago. I remembered my curiosity getting the best of me. I remembered accidentally falling in love with Luke's perfect childhood home. I remembered accidentally, one-sidedly, meeting Luke's parents.

"Um, yeah," I replied. "This is the house."

"What do you think?"

I paused. "I dreamt of growing up in a place like this."

"I could tell you were trying to see what I saw every time I looked at this place," Luke sighed. "But you just saw a house. I want to show you my home."

My stomach dropped. I had already seen his home. It was an accident, but I had seen it inside and out. It was perfect. It was beautiful. It was truly a home.

"Luke, you really don't have to," I explained.

"I know," Luke met my eye. "But I want to."

I nodded, because what else was I supposed to do? Tell him I had broken into his childhood home by accident because I was curious? That I didn't realise it was his home? What was he supposed to do? Believe me?

I followed Luke through the front door. When we were inside, he held up his arms in welcome.

"Home, sweet home!"

There was something in his tone that I couldn't quite read. Something about it felt off. Different. Wrong.

"Right through here," Luke began the tour by heading to the kitchen. "Is where I would open my exam results."

Oh.

"I got a 'C' in math once," Luke explained. "Something as small as that would cause an explosion around here."

"At least you passed," I tried to lighten the mood. "I don't think I ever got higher than a 'D' in math."

Luke frowned. "My parents didn't see it like that. They only saw the grades I didn't get but could've, had I tried harder in school."

I pursed my lips. What could I have possibly said to that?

"Right over here," Luke guided me back to the lounge. "Was where we had our last fight."

I could see him fighting back the tears. It made me want to fight them too. If he started, I knew I would start.

"I remember it like it was twenty-five years ago," He forced a smile. "It was so stupid. I made it clear, for the thousandth time, that I wanted to be a musician. For the thousandth time, they told me I needed to focus on schoolwork so I could go to college and get a stable, reliable, and respectable job."

It was like the scene had appeared before me. Two grown-ups telling their kid that they were right and he was wrong.

"But it didn't end there," Luke headed upstairs and I followed.

We came to a stop outside his bedroom. It took him a moment to realise he would have to walk through the door.

"I would run in here and slam the door behind me," Luke pointed at an empty spot on the floor. "I didn't even have to pack. I always had a getaway bag ready to go."

Luke sat down on his bed and took a deep breath. I cautiously sat down next to him, knowing how this story would end. And, embarrassingly, knowing all of the stupid band posters that were hung up on the wall behind us without even looking. Nirvana, AC/DC, Green Day.

Luke chuckled as I placed a hand on shoulder. "But even after everything that happened ; the constant fighting, the running away, the coming back, the apologies, I would give up everything to have it back. Even for a little while."

I wiped away the tear that had fallen down his cheek.

"You probably think that's crazy," Luke shook his head.

"Oh, completely torturous," I joked. "But I get it. You loved them, and they loved you. Before the arguments there were cherished memories. Family trips to the beautiful beaches of Spain and all that."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know about that?"

I sighed. "Curiosity got the best of me one day and I may or may not have let myself in."

"You broke into my home?!" Luke stood up.

"I didn't break anything!" I stated. "Look, it wasn't cool, alright? I know that. But I didn't realise it was your house. I thought you just daydreamed about living in a place like this like I did. So, one day I came here to have a look around so I could tell you how great it was. As soon as I found out it was your house I stopped snooping. I swear!"

Luke sat down again. "You daydreamed about living in a place like this?"

"You were right, Luke," I admitted. "I saw a house, not your home."

We sat in silence for a minute. I didn't want to be the first to speak, neither did Luke. But one of us had to. There was so much to be said, but we couldn't quite bring ourselves to say any of it.

That was when we heard a car door slam outside.

"Oh right," Luke stood up, indifferent. "That was the reason I really brought you here."

We made our way to the top of the staircase, waiting for the front door to open. I felt Luke slide a piece of paper into my hand. I couldn't bare to look at it just yet. The key turned slowly. I felt it digging into my ribs. The woman with the kind eyes I had seen before, Luke's mother, walked through the door carrying a bag of groceries.

"Ruth, meet my mom," He gestured. "Emily."

I looked down to see Unsaid Emily written in scrawny handwriting on the top of the page Luke had given me. I don't know if he expected me to say anything, I was speechless, but either way he spoke before I got the chance.

"I saw the look on your face when Julie read out part of the song," Luke said.

"Luke - "

"I know I never show you any of the lyrics I write," He continued. "That's because I wanted you to see them for yourself, right before your eyes."

I couldn't help but smile a little. "You were planning on introducing me to your parents this whole time?"

"Well," Luke shrugged. "Maybe for a little while."

I turned to face him, so I could look directly into his soulful brown eyes. "What other lyrics were you planning on showing me?"

Luke's pupils dilated. It felt like the entire world around us dilated. It felt like his god awful handwriting was plotting our future, and whatever it was, it was going to be perfectly imperfect. It was going to be us.

Slowly but surely, we drew closer together. It was impossible not to. I had no idea what kind of lyrics his genius mind had come up with but in that moment I could feel them.

Something went right through us just before our lips could meet. We jumped apart and looked over to see Luke's mother, Emily, walking down the hallway.

"Oh my god, mom!" Luke exclaimed.

We couldn't help but laugh and find each other's eyes once again.