Ella's pov:

"I'm nervous....." I whine to Julie who is sitting right beside me in her car outside of the park's entrance.

She rolls her eyes, "So I've heard, you have been saying those two words for the last twenty minutes straight."

She lays her head back on the seat looking at me while I bounce around in my seat like a kid who just came back from the candy shop.

"When did he say he would be here again?" I find myself starting to fan my face.

Is it hot in here?

Did Julie turn down the air condition?

As mush as I would like to believe that, I know it is just me overreacting.

But can you blame me? Hell, I'm about to confess to my best friend that I have a crush on him.

I'm just scared of what he will say.

But again, I feel like I need to do this.

If I just wait around not doing anything, who knows what might happen.

And plus, if Luke doesn't like me like that, then it will really save me a good heart break in the future.

Ding

The sound causes me to jump up in my seat, nearly hitting my head off the roof of the car in the process.

I quickly scramble around my surrounds to find my phone.

Starting to feel the now more common butterflies in my stomach, I read the text on my phone from Luke.

Hey, waiting in the park, where are you?

I give a confused look to Julie as she reads the text over my shoulder.

I was just about to say something to her when I feel myself getting flicked on my forehead.

"Ow!!" I whine, again, rubbing the skin where she flicked me.

It didn't really hurt, but it did hurt my feelings.

...

Ow.

"Let me get this straight, you guys didn't actually plan if you were meeting outside the park or in it?" Julie glares at me.

I throw my hands up in surrender as I try to avoid her glare, "What? I said we were meeting at the park, what's the difference if you're in it or not?" I say to her in defense.

Plus, I was having a mini heart attack just by sending that one text, did she expect me to send him another one?

Julie just shakes her head and mumbles something that sounded like "kids" under her breath.

"Hey, don't look at me, we are the same age Miss Well's, or future Mrs. Rider-..."

"La la la I'm not listening." Julie says covering her ears as I laugh at how embarrassed she gets when I talk about her becoming Ashton's wife.

Which is obviously going to happen by the way.

Julie then removes her hands from her ears and points to the park, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

I give Julie a confused look, "Aren't you coming with me?" I ask.

She just laughs and shakes her head, "As much as I would love to see you stumble over your words-..."

"Hey!!"

"... I feel like you should do this on your own." Julie laughs at my horrified expression.

"But you can't leave me alone with him!!"

"You sound like he is some serial killer, Ella he's your best friend, and that best friend is alone right now in the park waiting for you to get your butt over there."

I look out at the park and find myself agreeing with what she was trying to say.

With that, I open the car door, "good luck!" Julie smiles at me.

I smile back, "Are you staying here?" I ask her, she shakes her head at me.

"Date night with Ashton, I guess we are going to his grandmas bingo." She grins.

I laugh, "Let me guess, the only way he would go to it is if you went also."

At this, she lets out a chuckle, "Yep."

She then starts her car engine and gives me one last wave and pulls out of the parking lot.

I then, slowly put surely, make my way into the park.

I look around the surroundings, at first, not being able to find him, but then I see a familiar hoodie.

Luke's hoodie.

You're probably wondering how I remember it is his.

Well, what other guy has a sweatshirt with the last name of Barrington on it and his wrestling team name on the back of it?

But, my mind quickly took a weird turn.

Barrington.

Luke Barrington.

Ella Barrington.

Luke and Ella Barrington.

But before I could continue, I dismiss the thought.

Jeez, I didn't even tell the guy I like him yet, but here I already planning the wedding.

Does that make me a stalker?

I mean, people do it with celebrities like everyday, so I guess everyone is a stalker if you think about it.

With all my crazy thinking, before I knew it, I was only a couple feet away from Luke.

I feel my heart starting to beat quicker the closer I get to him.

I like you.

I like, like you.

Luke Barrington I like you.

You're my best friend, but I like you.

All of those different scenarios start to play in my head.

"Luke?" I find myself saying once I am about a foot or two away from him.

I feel my cheeks start to warm instantly as he turns around and faces me.

"Hey, what's up?" He says nonchalantly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

He is so freakin attractive.

...

I'm insane, clearly just insane.

"Nothing much, how have you been?"

Okay, maybe if I just make small talk, then I can just gradually lead the conversation into me confessing my feelings towards him.

"It's been good, really good actually, I guess you could say." He gives me a small grin.

"Why would that be?" I raise my eyebrow at him, well try to, I'm not the most skilled person on the planet if you ask me.

I can't even do that weird thing people do with their tongue.

"Lets just say I have a surprise for you." He winks at me.

I am not even going to get upset with my blush this time, I can't help it.

"What is it?"

"You'll find out, there is this thing called patience." He grins.

I put my hand on my chin and squint my eyes so it looks like I am thinking really hard, "patience? Is that even a word?"

He laughs and shakes his head at me, "Sorry, I forgot about your first grade level vocabulary, should I break it down for you?"

I glare at him as he sticks his tongue out at me.

"I am very offended."

"Hmm.... checking the care o'meter... oh look! Nothing there." He smirks.

"Woah, I didn't know you owned a care o'meter in your head! It must fill up all the empty space in there where the brain was suppose to go."

Excuse me while I just, drop my mic.

"That was smooth."

"Thank you."

He shakes his head at me the same time a sound of a text goes off.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" Luke cheers to himself as he looks anxiously around the park.

Maybe this is the best time to say.. what I have been wanting to say to him.

You know, before whatever Luke has up his sleeves.

"Luke, can I tell you something real quick." I say, my voice somehow coming out a little shaky.

Luke looks at me and nods his head, but every so often, he would turn his head just a little bit.

Which made me more anxious about this surprise.

Knowing him, he's a go big go home kinda guy.

"Well, we have been friends for a long time now..." I draw out.

This gives me Luke's immediate attention as he stops looking around, his eyes just lingering on me.

"I know, who would have known I would be friends with the person who wrecked my car." He laughs, but he stops when he sees me not laughing.. or punching him with all my mighty, non existence, never will be existent muscles.

Or kneeing him in the balls.

Honestly, it really just depends on what kind of mood I am in that day.

"Okay, sorry, go on."

"And... I just really am so thankful for everything you do for me. I honestly don't think I would be here living a, well I guess I can say, more free life without you."

Keep going Ella.

"Ella, don't worry about it, that's what friends are for."

No. No. No.

Luke starts to look around again.

I can't miss my opportunity.

Say it now Ella!

"One more thing, Luke, you might not feel the same way, but.. well.. I-..."

"Luke!" A voice calls out of nowhere.

Seriously!

I watch as a huge smile takes its place on Luke's face as he stares at something behind me.

Or.. should I say someone.

I turn around to see a girl running towards us.

Which in my eyes was true talent because she was wearing like six inch heels.

Luke's presence from behind me slowly fades as he walks towards the girl.

I was confused, who was she?

But... the next thing...

Happened so fast.

She runs to his arms and kisses him.

...

He kisses her back.

I stand their almost in a trance as they break apart from their kiss, and he looks at her...

Like she was the prettiest thing in the world.

All I feel is my heart, hurting.

I never thought, heart break would hurt this much.

Both of them turn towards me, and I almost start to feel sick in my stomach.

"Ella, this is the surprise."

Every time he smiled, it made me want to smile back.

It made me happy.

So happy.

But now, I couldn't even look at him.

My head hurt, I didn't understand.

Who was she?

Why didn't I know about her?

How long?

Why?

When?

"You..?" I try to ask, but it hurt.

It hurt to breath.

It hurt to think.

It hurt to talk.

It hurt to see them together.

Happy.

"Well, I decided that I have been doing it all wrong."

"Wrong?"

I couldn't even say a complete sentence.

He looks down at the girl and pulls her a little closer to him.

She giggles and lays her head on his chest while I stand in front of them.

Alone.

The most I have ever felt alone since...

Since...

My family.

Who I had left to be happy.

"Girls have always liked me for.. the way I looked, what I was born into..."

He clears his throat and looks down at the girl, "Fawn knew the real me before she had even known my last name, my parents, well almost everything else that wasn't the real me."

I find myself looking at the grass as he continues.

It was like I was being stabbed in the heart over and over again.

"She's special."

She knows the real him.

She knew him before she saw the rest.

She was special.

"You know, I know the real you too." I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth.

I know about Luke's family, the money they have.

And I couldn't care less.

"Yeah but, I mean, Fawn could have chosen thousands of guys, you-..."

"Didn't have anyone?" I finish his sentence so he didn't have too.

Luke shakes his head repeatedly, "No, I'm just saying, well, we are friends Ella, you know?"

Friends.

Of course.

Trying to hide my tears, I nod my head, "Yeah, yeah I know, duh."

Luke smiles at me, "I think you and fawn will grow to like one another." He grins.

I would look up at fawn but it hurt.

"Luke? Don't we have somewhere to be?" Fawn's voice makes its appearance.

I wish I could say she sounded snobby.

I wish I could say she sounded mean.

But she didn't.

She just sounded like a girl who met the love of her life.

I look up from staring at the ground to see Luke's eyes on me.

"Well.. I mean.." Luke's voice draws out.

He wouldn't leave me here right?

Of course not.

Right?

"Ella, you wouldn't mind?" Fawn smiles at me.

"Uh..." Is all I can find myself to say.

I make eye contact with Luke, but it was only for a second.

He then quickly looks over at Fawn, "Ella won't mind." He says.

I stare at him dumbstruck as he mouthes me a 'see you later'

It wasn't until they turned their backs on me...

He turned his back on me...

that I would feel myself crying.

I just never thought I would be crying...

Because of the person who made me happiest the most.