Skittles Own(s) My Heart

CHAPTER 36

JUST REMINISCING MEMORIES

After dinner at a beautiful restaurant, when we reach home, Luke and I decide to take a short walk around the neighbourhood.

It was quiet, apart from the wealthier houses at the end of the road in which people looked like they were having a gala of a time, the distant chatter and music being heard even outside.

Around the whole neighbourhood, colourful lights were hung from one light pole to another, pine trees were decorated with Christmas ornaments, some people had fake reindeer statues kept in their front yards and so on. All in all, along with the cold wind blowing, this neighbourhood had a quiet but festive touch to it.

Luke and me had settled in a comfortable silence, breathing in the fresh suburban air and taking in the beauty of this little place. 

"At your old house, did you'll also have big parties like this on every occasion?" I ask, my eyes roaming over the expensive-looking house on my right. He shrugs, "I mean, yeah I guess. Not for every function though, mostly Christmas and maybe some birthdays and stuff."

I nod, "Your house is really beautiful you know? Why didn't you ever tell me?" I ask and he snorts, "What? That I have a huge lavish house? You think that wouldn't come out as me looking like a show-off. And plus, there was no point in mentioning it anyway." I chuckle and put my hoodie over my head to keep me warm.

Luke sucks in a breath and squeezes my hand, "Skittles, you know when you said in the car that my life was perfect?" I nod, remembering our little spat, "Yeah" He sighs, "It's not. No one's life is. Just because I haven't told you my problems, doesn't mean I don't have them."

I bite my lip and look at my feet, "Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh, I wasn't thinking." He shakes his head, "I'm not telling you this for your apology and neither am I mad at you for saying it, I-I'm just telling you this so that you don't feel so bad about your life. I mean, everyone has problems. Mine may not be so big and...complicating? Yeah, but I have them and so does everyone else. So just, don't feel like you're alone in this okay? I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to...other than Harper and Liam."

I stop walking and he does the same. "Why don't you tell me your problems too?" I ask, facing him, "I feel so selfish now to never have thought of it, like I'm always the one overloading you with my problems and you're just keeping yours inside you. Why?"

He looks down and rubs circles on my hand before looking back at me, "Because you have enough problems on your head already, Skittles. I don't want to burden you with my miniscule ones, they're not that big of a deal anyway."

I groan, "Seriously not you too now. Even Harp hid something from me because she thought she would be burdening me with her problems. Don't feel bad about telling me stuff okay? Please. Whether it's big or small, if you feel it's a problem, then it is a problem and I want to be there for you. Like you'll are for me."

A smile spreads across his face and he pulls me in a hug, rubbing my shoulders with his thumb, "Okay Skittles, I will. I promise." He kisses my hair and we stay like that for some time before heading back home.

As we're nearing, a familiar Ford flashes past us, but I can't exactly pinpoint whose it was. I tap Luke on the shoulder and he turns his gaze from the houses to me. Oh never mind, he didn't even see the car. I shake my head at his questioning look.

"Okay then. Good night Skittles." Luke grins, when we reach our houses. I smile and hug him, taking in his scent. It smells a little like the dessert we ate earlier at the restaurant and when I look, I realize that he indeed had some Chocolate Mousse smudged on the center of his hoodie.