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deadmancrawling · 5 years ago

Text

Starcrossed

after a billion months, i’ve finally finished that Luke fic i was talking about! i know a few of you guys were hounding me to finish it, so i appreciate you caring so much about my writing. (,:

this is one of my favorite stories i’ve written, and i hope you like it just as much! big shout out to miss jules, as you know she’s my best friend and one of the people who pushes me to be a better writer. i hope you enjoy this story!!! i’d love feed back (:

pairing: readerxluke

word count: 8,451

warning: violence. mentions of blood.

summary: the hemmings and harper family have been feuding for centuries. since you were little, it’s been engrained in your brain to hate the hemmings family. but you spend one night with luke, and suddenly, you can’t imagine your life without him. can you manage to stay together? or will your families tear you apart?

To whom it may concern:

Upon the request of Mister Andrew Hemmings, you have been cordially invited to the Annual Hemmings Charity Gala.

This year, we are celebrating Andrew and his two eldest sons, Ben and Jack, for all of their work with Habitat for Humanity and Newborns in Need.

Should you find yourself with an invitation, please bring this invitation and newborn supplies to gain entrance.

Dress code is Black Tie Masquerade, so please dress appropriately. Exceptions will be made for women.

You’re not entirely sure how the invitation in your hands got into your hands, but nonetheless, you couldn’t believe you actually had been invited to the Hemmings Gala.

It’s one of the most prestigious events in your city – anyone who’s anyone will be there – and the fact that you of all people have been invited must mean something.

The Hemmings family has a lot of known enemies: your family included. The Hemmings and the Harper’s have been enemies for centuries, the story being told to you by your father, grandfather, and great grandfather for years; it’s been engrained into your brain since you were a child.

But, growing up, hormones got the best of you and you found the youngest Hemmings boy, Luke, attractive.

You know it’s wrong, but with his ocean blue eyes, his curly blonde hair, and beautiful smile, you couldn’t help but simply wonder what it’s like to be one of his girlfriends.

That’s not to say you haven’t had your share of boyfriends; you’ve had a couple of them, but none of them ever worked out for long. Either they couldn’t handle the pressures of dating a Harper, or they just wanted to fuck other people.

At least they respected you enough to break up with you before they got with other people.

But there was something about the Hemmings boy that just kept reeling you in.

In your twenty-one years of life, you’ve never uttered a word to him, but that hasn’t stopped him from staring at you from time to time.

In school, when you had the same classes, you’d catch him staring at you. A lot of the time, he was in the desk next to you or behind you, since your last names are so close together. But, most times, when you’d look over, you’d catch his eyes focused on you, and he’d look away quickly, as if he wasn’t doing a few seconds ago.

You never thought it was weird, nor did you really care, because you were guilty of the same thing.

But tonight is the night. Tonight is the night you’re finally going to speak to Luke, whether you like it or not.

You stare at the reflection in the mirror, looking at the dress that you’re wearing. You’d had it specifically made for this event a few weeks ago once you received the invitation, and you were going to put it to good use.

You turn around and face your best friend, Natalie, who is also attending to the Gala, and look at her.

“Well?” You ask, grabbing her attention. “What do you think?”

Although the Gala wasn’t until tonight, you and Natalie had swung by your family’s tailor shop to check on the dress and pick it up.

“You look…” Natalie says.

“Like Cinderella.” Your tailor says, taking a few steps into the room.

You smooth out the skirt and twirl around in it, really feeling like Cinderella for a brief moment, before stopping and looking at yourself in the mirror.

“I love it. Thank you so much, Jeanne.” You say, looking at your tailor.

“Anything for you, (y/n). Shall I have it delivered to your house, or would you like to take it with you?”

“I’ll take it with me, thank you. I can’t have my parents see this.” You respond, and Jeanne gives you a knowing look.

Natalie scurries into the dressing room with you, helping you out of your dress and then carries it out so you can get dressed without falling into your dress.

Stepping out, you see Jeanne putting your dress into a box and Natalie twirling around in one of the other dresses.

“Thank you so much, Jeanne. I’ll see you later.” You smile, picking up the box and walking out of the tailors shop.

You place the box in your car, and then the two of you drive to the coffee shop to buy a coffee, before the two of you head back to Natalie’s house to get ready for the Gala.

A few hours later, you’re sat in Natalie’s guest room, where your hair and makeup people are setting up camp for the next few hours.

Going to the Hemmings’ Gala takes a lot of effort, and you have to look your very best if you’re going to be attending.

Since it’s one of the biggest social events of the season, a bunch of people are going to be there. Everyone from Giuliana Rancic from E! News, to some of the most notorious celebrities in Hollywood, like Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey, and everyone’s favorite power couple, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

There’s going to be a red carpet and paparazzi and magazine editors just waiting to speak to the attendees.

This wouldn’t be the first time you’ve been on a red carpet – your family also hosts an Annual Gala two months before the Hemmings Gala, but something about being on this red carpet makes you nervous.

You stare at your reflection in the mirror, watching as your hair stylist curls your hair into classic curls and braids the front section of your hair back, your tresses bouncing delicately past your shoulder.

Your hair stylist then places butterfly pins in your hair, a signature of yours, and then begins to spray your hair with hairspray so everything stays in place throughout the entire night.

Once your hair stylist is done with your hair, he packs up his things and sits to the side, and your makeup artist begins her work.

You look at your dress, which is hanging near the window of the large guest room, and let out a sigh.

You’re not going with a look that’s too crazy, just a basic eye and maybe a bit of lip stick. You close your eyes are your makeup artist begins to beat the foundation into your face, and you swear her touch is so soft that you want to fall asleep.

Fifteen minutes later, the look is done, and you take a look in the mirror.

You barely even recognize yourself – you haven’t been this done up in years it seems – but you love it anyways. It’s almost like you’re looking at your doppelganger, because if and when you do put on makeup, it’s always a basic look. Subtle foundation and concealer, and if you’re feeling saucy, maybe a cat eye.

But now? You’ve never seen yourself wear so much makeup but such a natural look. You’ve got the basics, foundation, concealer, and a bit of eye shadow to make eye pop beneath your mask, but you look so ethereal and gorgeous and princess like, that you instantly get butterflies in your belly.

You look over at Natalie and she’s got her hair in classic old-Hollywood waves, and her makeup makes her look like she’s stepped straight out of a 1950’s film.

The two of you tip your stylists and artists before seeing them out and getting ready together.

You help Natalie into her dress, the champagne colored, off-the-shoulder empire gown fits your best friend beautifully, and you can’t believe that her dress might even look better than yours.

Her dress isn’t simple, but it isn’t over the top. You can see some crystals placed in the skirt, just enough to shimmer under the lights, and the torso has a few crystals lining the neckline.

Natalie then helps you into your dress, the blue color popping against your skin tone as soon your zipped into it.

Your dress, like Natalie’s, has crystals sewn into the skirt, but your skirt has a bunch of layers to make the blue pop.

It shines beneath the light, the blue hues all forming together to make a color you’ve seen before, but you can’t quite place where.

The two of you grab your masks off of Natalie’s bed, and then you head downstairs to the living room, where Natalie’s parents are waiting.

“You two look absolutely stunning.” Natalie’s father says.

“Thank you, Dad. I appreciate it.” Natalie responds, smiling at her father.

“Just remember to be home by one a.m.!” Natalie’s mom reminds you two.

“Yes ma’am.” The both you say in unison.

Natalie’s mom snaps a photo of the two of you before you head out into the limo that’s waiting for you outside.

The Gala is in full swing by the time you arrive. You grab the baby blankets, formula, and invitations next to you as you step out of the car, and hand them to the man guarding the carpet entrance.

Paparazzi and magazine editors have vanished, and the only two people on the carpet are you, Natalie, and the two security guards that are guarding the entrance.

“You might not make it. They’re announcing people’s arrival now.” The guard warns. “I’d hurry if I were you.”

You and Natalie book it for the entrance, careful not to ruin your hair, your makeup, or your dress.

You’re nearly out of breath by the time you reach the inside of the Hemmings Mansion; you knew it was big but you didn’t think it was this big.

Natalie steps inside before you do, holding the door open for you as you catch your breath and prepare yourself for the night.

Now that you’re inside of the Hemmings Mansion, which is basically a baby castle, a bunch of thoughts flood your mind.

Should you be here? What if you get caught by a Hemmings? What if your father finds out that you’re here? What if when you talk to Luke, he’s a total dick? Should you leave? You should probably leave.

“(y/n)!” Natalie whispers, separating you from your thoughts. Thankfully.

Natalie motions for you to come closer, and she speaks to the guard outside of the door, telling them to announce her arrival.

“See you in there.” Natalie says, giving you a quick kiss on the cheek.

The guards open the door and Natalie takes a few steps in.

“Miss Natalie of the Granger family.” The guard yells, and everyone claps as Natalie descends down the stair case.

You take a deep breath and step out, not bothering to have the guards announce your arrival.

It’s not like they needed to make an announcement to have all eyes on you, everyone is already staring at you anyway as you descend down the steps of the ballroom.

You notice the Hemmings’ boys standing next to their mother and father, but Luke is nowhere to be seen around you.

Scanning the room for him once more, you stop at the top of the stairs and finally realize just how many people are staring at you.

You see familiar faces; people you grew up with and people you grew up watching on your television screen, but you don’t particularly see the face.

Maybe you shouldn’t have come tonight.

You put on your best smile and continue walking down the stairs, and once your feet hit the floor, you look up.

As if the universe had heard your silent pleas, Luke stands a few feet in front of you.

Suddenly, the butterflies are back in your tummy, and you feel a breath hitched in your throat as you make eye contact with the boy across from you.

Blue eyes meet yours, and a small smile spreads across his lips.

It’s as if you’re the only two in the room. You can’t see anyone else but Luke, and you can tell by the way he’s looking at you, it’s the same for him.

People begin to part like the red sea as you make your way toward him, meeting him in the middle of the dance floor.

“Mr. Hemmings.” You smile, curtseying in front of him.

He bows, and then smiles at you, looking in to your eyes. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

You give him a small smile and shrug your shoulders the tiniest bit. “Just so.”

He can’t stop staring at you, and he shuffles his feet before continuing to speak to you. “(y/n),” he begins. You’re shocked he even knows your name to begin with. “it would be my greatest pleasure… if you could give me the honor… to lead you through this first…”

“Dance?” You finish for him.

“Dance, yes. If you’d let me lead you through this first dance.” Luke chuckles awkwardly.

You nod and give him a genuine smile.

Luke then takes your hand in his, and begins leading you through the dance.

You hear the band begin to play a song; a lovely little instrumental that sounds like it could be something out of a Disney film, as Luke guides you through the dance.

Your dress is magnificent under the lights of the Hemmings Ballroom; earning ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the other attendees as Luke spins you around the ballroom.

The two of you never break eye contact as you dance, the music drawing you into one another as the song goes on.

Luke is impeccable at dancing, you’d never known he was good at dancing unless you saw him dance.

He spins you a final time, causing the audience to roar with applause.

When the two of you are done dancing, he grabs your hand and whisks you away from the crowd.

When you and Luke are alone, you immediately take off your mask and toss it into the bin. Luke finally gets a good look at you, never letting go of your hand.

“You are beautiful, (y/n).” Luke admits. “Your dress is absolutely ravishing. You look like a real life–”

“Cinderella.” You both say in unison, and you both giggle.

The two of you roam the hallways of his family’s estate, hand in hand, and the only thought on your mind is ‘I can’t believe this is happening’.

The two of you make your way into a little garden in the back of the estate, and the garden overlooks the back of the mansion. You take a seat on the swing that’s hanging off the old oak tree, and Luke stands behind you, pushing you gently, careful to not let your dress drag on the ground.

“You know, I’ve never shown this place to anyone.” Luke states, breaking the silence.

“Really?” You say, your eyes lighting up. “It’s breathtaking.”

“As are you.” He says, and you turn to look at him, making eye contact.

You giggle like a school girl but quickly put a stop to it. You can’t let him know that you’ve had a massive crush on him since grade school.

“I find myself wondering,” you begin, looking around the garden. “How come your name wasn’t on the invitation tonight.”

Luke stifles a chuckle. “Unlike my parents,” he begins. “I’d rather the charitable acts that I do be genuinely charitable. Not for the brownie points.”

“So you’re involved with the charities your father and brothers are?” You ask, looking up at him.

You’ve stopped swinging now, and Luke is standing in front of you, holding his hand out for you to take, so you can walk around the gardens together.

You intertwine your fingers with his, and the two of you begin walking around the gardens.

“Yes, I am.” Luke answers your question from a few moments ago. “But I don’t do it for the recognition. I do it because I genuinely enjoy helping these people.”

“That’s very kind of you.” You smile.

“What about you?” Luke asks. You two look at each other as you walk along the concrete pathways. “Are you involved in any of the work your family does?”

“Yes.” You tell him. “I do a lot for JDRF, and I also volunteer for St. Jude.”

“Oh, crap. That’s so cool.” Luke smiles.

“But I agree. I do it because I like it and I like seeing people’s lives change for the better. Last year alone, my sister and I helped raise over half a million dollars for JDRF.” You tell him.

“I didn’t realize juvenile diabetes research was so important to you.” Luke says, his voice getting quieter.

The two of you are stopped in front of a vine and rose covered wall that would be the perfect backdrop for some pictures.

“Well… Natalie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when we were five. From then on I swore I’d do anything I can to help her find a cure.” You mention.

Luke smiles and turns so his entire body is facing you. “You’re amazing.”

“So are you.” You whisper back.

For a brief moment, you notice him staring at your lips before he brings his gaze back to your eyes.

You’ve never seen him like this; vulnerable and shy and handsome. Everything in you is telling you to pounce on him because this might be your only chance to do so, but you push that thought aside and snap back to reality.

You notice Luke is staring at your lips again.

“You know… You can kiss me if you want to.” You tell him, not sure where that rush of confidence came from.

“I know but… The problem is,” He says leaning in, “if I kiss you, then I don’t think I’d be able to stop.”

You sigh and look around you. You’re leaning against the wall now, Luke’s right hand by your head to steady himself as he leans towards you.

Everything inside of you is telling you to kiss him. For so long, you’ve wondered what his lips would feel like on yours. You’ve wondered how he would taste, how he would feel with his arms wrapped around you.

You look up and make eye contact with him, placing your hand on the back of his neck and closing the gap between you, and placing your lips on his.

Immediately his hands go to your waist, pulling you closer. You get as close as you can without tripping over your dress, but it isn’t close enough.

You find yourself yearning for more; more of his words, more of his touch, more of him, that you wrap your arms around his shoulders in attempt to pull him closer.

Several minutes later you pull apart and look at each other as you catch your breath.

You’ve kissed several guys before, but you haven’t kissed them like that. Kissing Luke was something else.

“I told you it’d be hard to stop kissing you.” Luke smirks.

You roll your eyes and push yourself up off the wall. You catch a glance of the time on your phone: 11:59 P.M.

You’ve got several missed calls and texts from Natalie, telling you to get back asap or you’ll miss curfew.

You hear the chapel bell a few blocks away begin to chime, signaling that you must leave.

You and Luke look at one another, and you try to find the words to say before you leave him.

“I’ve uh… I’ve got to go.” You tell him.

“What? Why?”

“It’s just…” You begin. It’s embarrassing to tell him you and your best friend have a curfew at age twenty-one. “I’ve got to go. But I had a lovely night and I hope we can continue this some other time.”

“How will I know where to find you?” Luke asks as you begin sauntering off.

“Trust me, you’ll run into me!” You tell him as you make your way back into the mansion.

You pick up your dress skirts and begin scurrying across the dance floor, grabbing Natalie as you do so.

The two of you make your way upstairs before you’re stopped by Mister Andrew Hemmings himself.

“You’ve got some nerve coming here tonight.” He says, making eye contact with you.

“Mister Hemmings, I meant no harm, really.” You state. “I got an invitation and I wasn’t going to pass it up. I have nothing against your family.”

“Go. You’re a good one, (y/n).”

You smile and curtsey before him before resuming your scurry off to the limo that’s waiting for you outside of the mansion.

* * * *

After getting back to Natalie’s at exactly 12:59 on the dot, the two of you are in her room getting ready for bed.

“How was it?” Natalie asks you, plugging her phone into the charger.

“Natalie it was amazing!” You sigh, plopping next to her in the bed. “I learned he’s a real philanthropist and…”

“Spit it out, (y/n)!” Natalie says, sitting up in excitement.

“We kissed!”

“Shut the front door!” Natalie exclaims. “I’m so glad it turned out well.”

“I can’t believe he knew my name.” You mumble, leaning down on her pillows. “I didn’t think he’d know who I was.”

“Your family has been feuding for centuries.” Natalie starts. “You didn’t think he’d at least know your name?”

You shake your head and chuckle, still floating on the cloud you were on earlier, and before you know it, you’re lulled to sleep by the thoughts of dancing with Luke.

* * * *

When you arrive back your family’s estate, you’re greeted by your brothers, who are as usual, talking about the Gala last night and making fun of the attendees as they speak on the television.

“Hey (y/n).” Your oldest brother, Stephen greets from the couch in the family room.

“What are you guys watching?” You ask, sitting down next to them.

“The coverage from the Hemmings Gala last night.” Your other brother, Nicholas, states.

“I heard it was a shit show.” You mumble, hoping that your brothers don’t catch on or ask you questions about your night.

“Apparently their youngest, Luke, I think, was smitten with one of the girls last night.” Stephen states, looking over at you and your brother.

“Poor girl.” Nicholas begins. “I bet she’s regretting every second of it.”

Your brothers laugh and high five as you get up and walk up the stairs to your room.

When you get to your room, you shut the door behind you and plop down on your bed, sighing as you close your eyes.

You grab your phone from your bag and check the notifications, seeing that you’ve got one missed message from an unknown number.

You read the message on your phone, noticing it’s from Luke, and the smile upon your face spreads from ear to ear.

You change into something more appropriate for meeting him, and head to the train tracks in the middle of town.

* * * *

“You know we could get caught.” You mumble, giving Luke a hug. He kisses your cheek and grabs your hand.

“That’s half the fun of being here.” He smirks, looking down at you.

The two of you walk along the train tracks hand in hand, silent, but it isn’t uncomfortable.

You feel at peace for the first time in forever, and you could get used to the feeling of being around Luke.

His hand in yours feels like home, and you feel safe around him, which is unlike anything you’ve experienced before.

“I was thinking about you all night, you know.” He says, breaking the silence.

You stop in your tracks and look up at him. “Oh yeah?”

“If I’m being completely honest…” His voice trails off and he averts his gaze from your eyes and looks at the ground.

“Just say it, Luke.” You encourage.

“I’ve always had a crush on you.” Luke says, and you practically feel your heart burst at his statement. “I never knew that I could like someone who’s supposed to be my enemy.”

You stifle a laugh. “You don’t seriously still believe in the feud do you?”

“I mean…”

“I think it might just be because I’m the youngest, but that’s more for my older brothers. Not for me.” You tell him.

Luke kind of shakes his head and sighs. “Look, (y/n), I want to be with you. I need to know if you feel the same way about me.”

You look around, trying to avoid the conversation.

How could you date someone you’ve only spoken a few words to? How could you date someone you only met last night? Sure, you’ve known about Luke your entire life, but the stories you’ve heard and the stories that will be told about you and him… you weren’t sure if you could handle it.

“It’s okay.” Luke sighs. “We can play it by ear.”

“I just… I’m not like the other girls you date.” You tell him. “I’m not a party girl.”

“I don’t like dating party girls.” Luke laughs. “I’ve never been the type to party. That’s more of Jack’s thing. I don’t really care what you like to do, as long as you’re nice and have a good heart.”

“That sounds like something straight out of a Disney movie.” You chuckle.

“I did watch a lot of Disney movies as a kid.” Luke laughs.

You smile and shake your head. “What’s your favorite Disney movie?”

“Probably The Lion King.” Luke answers. “Or Cinderella.”

You two begin walking hand in hand again. “Cinderella is my favorite too.”

“You strike me more as Beauty and The Beast kind of gal.” Luke admits, smirking.

“I love that film. But Cinderella is a classic.”

“You’re classic.” He smirks, looking down at you.

You’re scanning his face to see what your next move should be, but you don’t know.

He’s silent before he says, “I’m going to kiss you now.”

“I’d be mad if you didn’t.”

His lips are on yours again for the millionth time in twenty-four hours, and yet again, it’s still not enough for you. You need his touch almost as much as you need oxygen to breathe, and for a moment, you feel as if you’re meant to be doing this; you’re meant to be here, in this moment, with Luke, forever.

You pull apart to catch your breath and rest your head against his chest.

“I could kiss you forever, (y/n).” Luke mumbles against the top of your head.

“I wish it was this easy.” You give a small smile, but you both know it will never be easy for either of you.

“Run away with me.” Luke says.

You pull away and take a few steps back. “What?”

“I didn’t stutter. Run away with me (y/n). We can start a new life together.” He says again.

You’re not entirely sure if he means it, part of you still thinks this might be a prank, but you cock your head and consider the offer.

“We barely know each other. What if you don’t like me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. This could be fun!” Luke says.

You sigh and grab his hands, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “How about this. We consider it again in a week. By then, we’ll know each other better.”

Luke sighs and kisses your cheek. “Okay. We reconsider in a week.”

* * * *

Natalie enters your room, bags of Chinese take-out and three DVD’s in her hand. She places the food on your bed and pops in the Hairspray DVD, your favorite movie of all time, and then crawls next to you in the bed.

You can tell she’s going through something, but you also don’t want to push it, so you take the box of orange chicken and fried rice and the chopsticks, and begin eating your food.

Natalie sighs. “I’m upset.”

“I hadn’t noticed.” You say, putting your stuff down on your bedside stand. “What’s wrong?”

Natalie turns to look at you and sighs once more. “You know, I really thought that he liked me. But when I saw him earlier, he just… ignored me.”

You know almost instantly that she’s talking about the fling Natalie’s having with your brother, Stephen. They’ve been sleeping together since you started college, and Natalie was in deep. Stephen? Not so much.

“You know how he gets… He’s annoying and doesn’t know how to state his feelings.” You reassure her.

“I know but, I know he likes me. He’s just being a dumb boy.” Natalie sighs. “I just don’t want to tell him how I feel because I think he’s going to drop me.”

You sigh and sit up, still keeping your attention on Natalie. “Nat. You can’t be hung up on him forever. You’re better than him anyway.”

Natalie groans and rests her head in your lap. “I’m gonna go talk to him.”

“Go do that.” You encourage her.

Natalie stands up and walks out of your room, shutting your door as she leaves. Before you can get comfortable, you hear the sound of something hitting your balcony door.

You get up and walk towards your balcony, opening the curtains to look down at the noise maker.

Luke is smirking; he’s totally the type to throw rocks at your window at midnight.

You open the door and step out onto your balcony, and Luke starts yelling at you with a smile on his face.

“What is that light in the window over there? It is the east, and (y/n) is the sun.” Luke says, his hand against his chest as he looks up at you.

You lean against your balcony railing, looking down at him. “You’re going to get killed if anyone finds you out here.”

“So let me in and change my fate, my sweet (y/n).” Luke smiles, and begins climbing the tree to your left.

He climbs over the railing and makes his way over to you, placing his hands on your hips and planting a kiss on your lips.

He tastes like mango chapstick, and your first thought is: he doesn’t seem like a mango chapstick kind of guy. But it’s nice, and you kiss him again and again, until you sneak him into your room and he lies down on your bed, where Natalie was once sitting.

“If I’d known it’d be this easy to get into your room, I would’ve done it a lot sooner.” Luke teases, and you rest your head on his chest and cuddle up into him.

His heart is beating fast, and at first you think it’s from him climbing the tree, but you soon realise that it’s because he’s holding you in his arms for the first time in an intimate setting.

You begin to draw circles around his chest with your finger, and he places a kiss on the top of your head.

“I really like you, you know.” You mumble.

“How much?” Luke asks.

“This much.” You respond, leaning up and kissing his neck. You trail your kisses down his neck and to his chest, and he guides you back up to his face, and pulls you back in for a kiss.

He flips you over and he takes his time, teasing you with his hands and with his mouth.

“Do you want to do this?” He asks, looking at you directly.

“More than you know.” You breathe, pulling him back in for more kisses.

* * * *

Luke lies in your bed completely naked, but absolutely beautiful. His chest moves up and down slowly as he breathes. His blond curls are splayed across your pillow, his hand resting on his chest, and his mouth slightly agape, but you’ve never seen anyone so beautiful.

You quietly get out of bed and walk across the room to turn off your TV and lock your bedroom door – which luckily isn’t out of the ordinary for you so no one would question why you have it locked when you wake up in the morning.

* * * *

Before the sun even rises, you and Luke are awake, talking in your bed about anything and everything.

You’re lying on his chest and his arm is wrapped around you, and your other hand is holding his, the only light coming from the bouncing screensaver on your tv.

You’ve never felt this content in your life, and something is telling you to run away with him, but you know you can’t just leave.

It’s never that easy, especially when it comes to a Hemmings.

Luke gets up and gets ready to leave, putting his clothes back on and turning to face you before he leaves.

“I had a great time last night.” Luke mumbles, pulling you in as you walk towards him.

“I did too.” You reply. “When can I see you again?”

Luke looks into your eyes and smiles. “Whenever you’d like.”

“How about tomorrow. I’ve got things to do today, but tomorrow I’m free.” You tell him.

“I will see you tomorrow, then, my love.” Luke smiles, kissing your nose before you walk him out to your balcony.

“Text me when you get home.” You tell Luke. “I want to know you made it home safe.”

“As you wish.” Luke kisses you again, longer this time, before climbing down your tree and walking off your property.

Waking up again once the sun has officially risen, you grab your phone and see a text from Luke stating that he made it home. You send him a thumbs up emoji and a smile, before placing your phone down and walking downstairs to greet your family.

“Good morning, princess.” Your father greets as you walk into the kitchen, and you approach him, giving him a hug. “I trust you slept well?”

“Better than you know.” You tell him.

Natalie is already sitting down at the kitchen island with Stephen, and you sit next to her as your mother slides you a mug of coffee.

“I believe someone got all of your attention last night, huh, (y/n)?” Your mom says suggestively, giving you a playful look.

“Oh, (y/n) definitely got the attention of a certain someone.” Stephen smirks.

“So did you, isn’t that right, Nat?” You smirk, looking at your brother and your best friend.

You’d do anything to avoid this conversation – you suck at keeping things from your parents – and any more attention, and you might accidentally spill that you slept with a boy. Not just any boy, but a Hemmings boy, and your dad would flip his shit.

You take a sip of your coffee and look over at your parents; they’re already dressed for today’s agenda – your family is running in the JDRF marathon – meanwhile, you’re still dressed in your pajamas.

Luckily, you weren’t running the marathon, but since your parents are running, you’ve got to be there to show support.

You walk back upstairs, coffee mug in hand, and head into your room to get dressed. Natalie follows, she’s not running either but she’s going to show her support, and she shuts the door behind you two and pulls you into your bathroom and turns on the shower, so you can talk without being heard.

“Did you sleep with who I think you slept with?” Natalie smirks, pulling you close so you can hear her. “Did you sleep with the Hemmings boy?”

You raise an eyebrow and wink at her, giving her a technical confirmation without saying you did.

Natalie gives you a big hug and kisses your cheek. “I can’t believe you’re the modern day Romeo and Juliet.” She jokes.

“No one is dying.” You laugh.

“Not yet.” Natalie fires back.

“You’re ridiculous.” You shake your head and turn off the shower faucet, signaling that the conversation is over.

You walk into your closet and change into your clothes, more appropriate than your pajamas, and then walk down the stairs to your family.

* * * *

It’s been a few hours since your family participated in the marathon, and now you’re celebrating, getting ice cream in a part of town that your family likes to call No-Man’s-Land – only because it’s between the Hemmings and the Harper county lines.

You sit down next to your mom and eat a spoonful of your ice cream, looking at your dad. He’d placed second today, which is impressive, considering your dad never likes running or any form of physical exercise.

“Thank you guys for supporting me today.” Your dad says, looking around at your siblings, Natalie, and your mom. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Your family is silent eating their ice cream, until your brother, Stephen, looks up and points at someone standing in line.

“Get the fuck out of here.” He shouts.

Everyone looks over and you see the Hemmings boys – Ben, Jack, and Luke – looking at your family.

You make eye contact with Luke and instantly, a surge of fear rushes through your body. You can’t stand to see him get hurt, even though you’ve just met him, you’re sure you might even love him.

“Who you tellin’ to get out of here, huh?” The oldest Hemmings boy, Ben, says.

“I told you.” Stephen retorts, standing up from his seat to match up with Ben.

You look at your brother. “Stephen, don’t.”

“Shut up, (y/n).” He says, pushing you out of his way. “You need to know that these boys are never going to be good enough for you.”

Stephen stands in front of Ben, Stephen being a little bit taller than the oldest Hemmings brother, and you sink into your Mom’s arms, hoping she’ll protect you from whatever is about to happen.

You hide your face into your mother’s neck as your brothers and your fathers begin yelling with the Hemmings brothers.

“Bold of you to think that your sister is even good enough for one of us.” You hear Jack, the middle brother, say.

You look at your brothers and father, and your dad throws the first punch before everything goes into a frenzy.

Curse words are being shouted, punches are being thrown, and you even see Luke pull out a knife and aim for one of your brothers.

“Luke!” You cry out, but you see him pierce the knife into your brothers bicep, and Stephen lets out a painful cry.

You run out of the ice cream shop and out to your car. You hear Luke calling after you, but you drive off before you even hear a word from him.

He gets in his car and he follows you, desperate to explain himself.

You drive around town, trying to avoid him at all costs. How could you listen to someone who stabbed your brother in front of your eyes? You didn’t get involved, so why did he have to?

You pull over at the train tracks in the middle of town, parking your car in the trees and walking towards the tracks, crossing them to get into the field on the other side.

“(y/n), listen to me, please.” Luke cries.

“Why should I?” You yell back.

Luke is walking across the field to get to you, and you’re tempted to run past him but you know you should also hear him out.

As he gets closer, you see the hurt in his eyes. You can tell he’s been crying; his eyes are red, and he’s trying to hide the tears with his curls.

He stops in front of you, and immediately, you notice the blood stain on his abdomen. There’s a gash in his shirt, and you can’t tell if it’s a stab wound or if he’s just deeply cut, but you don’t bother to touch it.

“What happened?” you ask him. “Why are you bleeding?”

“Your brother stabbed me with some glass. I tried to take it out but…”

“What do you want, Luke?” You cut him off. “Give me one good reason as to why I should hear you out.”

“Because I love you.” Luke blurts, grabbing your attention. “I know it’s only been several days, but holy shit, (y/n), I’m in love with you.”

“What?” You ask. Your heart is beating a million times a minute, and although you know it’s not the best of circumstances, you can tell he’s being truthful.

“I’m in love with you.” He says, taking a step closer. “I’ve been in love with you from the moment you stepped foot in my family’s estate. I’m going to be in love with you for the rest of my life.”

“You heard what your brothers said. I’m not good enough for you.” You tell him. “I love you too, but we can never be together.”

“(y/n)…” Luke whispers. His hands places on either side of your face.

You sigh and take his hands off of you. “You’re a Hemmings, I’m a Harper. We can never be together. It’s written in the stars.”

“We can rewrite the stars, (y/n). We can be together. Change the fate. Just… Please.” Luke begs.

You’ve never seen him so desperate, and he leans in to kiss you, and you hesitate. You don’t know if kissing him is even worth it anymore, not after what had happened at the ice cream shop.

But if you love him, you should be able to get past that right? You could run away together and the two of you could start a brand new life somewhere. Run to a completely different state, get married, start a family. An entire life is waiting for the two of you if you just say yes.

“It’s not that simple.” You sigh. “Nothing’s that simple.”

“Everything is. If you let it.” Luke says.

The two of you look at each other. You can’t bring yourself to say yes, but you can’t bring yourself to say no either.

“Luke, you can’t just expect me to run away with you.” You tell him. “Where would we go? We don’t have money. If our parents knew we ran away with each other, we’d be cut off instantly.”

Luke sighs. “I just really want to be with you.”

You scan his face and suddenly he goes pale, like he’s about to collapse.

“Luke?” You say. “Luke, are you okay?”

His hand is resting over the blood stain on his abdomen, and your eyes widen immediately as you rush closer to him.

“Hospital, please.” Luke breathes. It’s heavy and its harsh and you immediately begin walking him back to your car.

“Stay with me, Luke. You can’t die on me. I’ll be damned if this is a Romeo and Juliet situation.” You say as the two of you get into your car.

You book it for the hospital and race into the emergency room, practically carrying Luke, and as soon as Luke rests on the counter, he falls over, causing a rush of nurses and doctors to help him.

“What’s the patients name?” The nurse asks you as three other nurses and two doctors get Luke on to the stretcher.

“Luke. Luke Hemmings. Date of birth, July 16, 1996.” You tell the nurse, and her eye widen.

“This is a Hemmings boy?” She asks.

You nod as the others helping Luke rush him off into an operating room to get him stitched up, and the nurse who was asking you questions makes eye contact with you again.

“Can you tell me what happened?” She asks, grabbing her pen and a notebook as the two of you walk to a secluded corner.

“Um, we were in the ice cream shop in No-Man’s-Land. I’m not sure if he got stabbed or cut or what. But then we were by the train tracks, where the county lines meet? And we were talking before he went pale all of a sudden.”

“And you are?”

“(y/n) Harper, ma’am.” You say.

The nurses eyes widen when you tell her your name.

Everyone in town knows about the feud between your families, and you know she’s shocked that you’re the one who brought Luke in.

“Please, don’t tell anyone.” You say. “I can’t risk it right now.”

“I’ll say you’re anonymous. You can wait in the waiting room while we figure out what’s going on.”

You nod and thank the nurse for her kindness, and you take a seat in the waiting room, anxious to know more about Luke’s condition.

Is he going to be okay? Is he going to die on the table? What if you never get to tell him that you want to start a life with him somewhere else? What if these last few days were the only few days you’d ever get to spend with him?

Maybe you won’t be able to spend nights picking his brain, or days in the sun just strolling along hand and hand.

No getting ice cream, no late night blanket forts for the two of you, no more Gala attendances and no more dancing together.

God, you so badly wanted to dance with him again. It’s practically made the two of you fall for each other.

You try to think of the positives.

Dancing with Luke once he recovers.

Starting a life with Luke.

Kissing him whenever he recovers.

You’re pulled away from your thoughts as soon as a nurse gently touches your shoulder. You look up and she smiles at you. You do your best to smile back, but it’s hard thinking about Luke lying on that table.

“He’s going to be okay.” She tells you. “It was a stab wound. He’ll need some physical therapy for a bit, but he should be okay.”

It’s almost as if the weight is lifted off your shoulders then and there. You take a deep breath and relax your shoulders before standing up and following the nurse to his room.

When you arrive, Luke is still under anesthesia. He looks soft; his curls held back by a hair clip, his lashes dark, his chest falling and rising with every breath he takes. You sit next to the bed on a chair and hold his hand, pressing a kiss to the top of it before wiping a tear from your eye.

You’re silent for a while, taking in the fact that Luke is alive and breathing and sure he may need a little help, but you’re going to be there every step of his recovery, even if no one approves.

“Where is he?!” You hear frantic yelling in the hallway. You keep your hand in Luke’s and brace yourself for Luke’s family walking in and seeing you, someone they despise with all of their being.

“My baby!” Mrs. Hemmings cries, entering the room.

“(y/n)?” Jack, one of Luke’s brothers asks. “What are you doing here?”

“I brought him in.” You say, looking between them. “He passed out and I couldn’t just leave him there.”

Mrs. Hemmings looks at you with wide eyes. You’ve never got the chance to look at her before, only in passing, but you can see she’s beautiful and that Luke gets his looks from her. Her eyes are as blue as Luke’s, only a little more dull from the tears she’s been crying, and she approaches you.

“Thank you. For saving my baby.” She says. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

You give her a sympathetic smile as she gives you a hug. You smile at everyone before stepping into the hallway to give the family some time with their boy.

You begin to walk away as someone calls after you. You turn around and face Mr. Hemmings, the man who was nice to you only a few nights before.

“You saved my boy.” He says. You can tell he’s trying not to cry. “I was wrong about you, Harper. You’re a good kid.”

“Everyone deserves kindness, whether or not your family hates them.” You respond.

“I don’t know what to say.” Mr. Hemmings tells you. “I know Luke would’ve done the same, if the rolls were reversed.”

You sniff and wipe a tear from your cheek. “Yeah.”

“Thank you, (y/n).” Mr. Hemmings says. “If you ever need anything; a place to stay or a ride or anything at all, you’ve got us.”

You nod as he gives you a quick hug, and then you head back to the waiting room.

It’s about fifteen minutes until someone comes back to talk to you, Mrs. Hemmings greets you with a smile as she motions for you to come follow her back into the room.

You stand up and head back to Luke’s room, where he’s awake but barely.

His eyes are fluttering shut as you walk in, but it’s like once he hears your footsteps, he shoots back to consciousness.

You turn around.

Blue eyes meet yours and a small smile spreads across his face. “You’re here.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

* * * *

6 MONTHS LATER

You’re standing in front of two closed doors, your father standing next to you with tears in his eyes. He smiles down and places a kiss on your forehead before the doors open.

When the doors open, you see Luke standing at the end of the room in a tux.

Blue eyes meet yours and a smile spreads across his face.

Your father continues to walk you down the aisle; your friends and parents watching in awe as you two take this step.

“Do you, Luke Hemmings, take (y/n) Harper, to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or worse, through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Luke smiles, sliding a ring on your finger.

“And do you, (y/n) Harper, take Luke Hemmings, to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or worse, through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” You smile, sliding a ring on Luke’s finger.

“By the power vested in me and the great state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Luke, you may kiss your bride.”

Luke doesn’t hesitate to kiss you. His lips meet yours and your arms wrap around him as he picks you up and spins you around.

Once he sets you down, you look at Natalie and wink at her, before the two of you walk out of the courthouse and towards your car.

Outside, it seems as if the entire town has come to celebrate your nuptials; confetti made out of leaves are being tossed in the air and everyone is cheering as you head out to your car.

You and Luke stop near the back of your car before looking at one another.

Blue eyes meet yours, and a smile spreads across his face.

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“Let’s go on an adventure.” Luke smiles.

“I’ll go anywhere. As long as it’s with you.”

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