With eyes wide open [Karalie]

[Lucas Blacke]

He never knew that his aversion to coffee would be a good thing. Over time he did learn how to tolerate small amounts of caffeine, but to drink a complete cup of coffee was not done for him, hence his initial grumbling at getting some coupons for free coffee.. it caused him to try and think of ways to use the coupons without going haywire. He thought about just giving them away, but that would be a waste as he had a slightly better idea in mind; a date. Well, not so much a date and more of a chance to catch up with a certain someone. Karalie. He would ask her to help him drink the free coffee and try to shoehorn in his change, or more or less mention the new things he got (not the money though). She would no doubt see it as an attempt of him to get her back or something, and if that happen Lucas would be the happiest guy in existence, really, but this wasn't what he was hoping for. He legit wanted a talk with her, see if things simmered down a bit since his fuck up.

One thing Lucas would never do was let Karalie go entirely, even if there was no chance at anything more. Holding on to even a friendship with her was worth it, since she was the only other Texan he knew. And even if her beliefs were different and she was religious, something that would bother him if it were someone else, did not really bother him with her. She never really spoke about God in a way that was annoying. Yes she did mention him but she did so in a way that was interesting to Lucas.

He had sent her a simple text though, saying where to meet him which was just outside the shop so they could order together. Luke had his coupons with him and drove up to the shop in his brand new car, still with the new car smell adorning it.

He admired his new and shiny car as he waited for Karalie to join him.

[Karalie Heise]

It had been nice to get home for the summer.  Or at least it had started that way.  Karalie was used to her freedom away at school and she didn't like her mother knowing her every move.  The woman probed for answers to all sorts of random questions, most of which centered around boys and how she was feeling about college.  Still, there was something nice about being in her own home in her own state in her own bed.  She saw some of her family, did a little volunteering (not by choice) and caught up on her bible studies.  She went back to school with a fresh start.  Literally.  No more Hammel! She was a college girl now and so far preferred it, if for nothing other than the new sleeping arrangements.  Plus she was no open to browse the endless amount of college boys in the area.

One college boy she was not expecting to see was her ex.  Luke had somehow managed to get himself into school, clean himself up a bit, at least physically, and was now in one of her classes.  She didn't notice him at first, but when she did she had mixed feelings.  It was nice to have a familiar face in a sea of strangers, though admittedly she would have liked a different familiar face.  Maybe one that didn't belong to a boy that crushed her heart.  Still, when he approached she was polite.  They'd, for all intents and purposes, made up last year and they were both starting fresh.  She never expected him to text her and ask her to coffee.

Her first reaction was to shoot the boy down.  Nothing good could come of hanging around him again, but her weakness was coffee and he knew it.  And she knew he was better off not touching the damn stuff, even the decaf because it still had too much caffeine for his moron ass to handle.  It took her a couple of hours to respond but she agreed for a quick cup to catch up.  She could always lie and tell him she had other plans shortly after.

She pulled up to the cafe and saw him immediately.  Her stomach turned as she watched him through her sunglasses, pretending like she hadn't seem him yet.  Why were all the men she met assholes or gay? It didn't even make sense.  Karalie took a deep breath and ran a hand through her long, dark hair as she got out of the car, wearing a navy blue floral romper, her hair messy but somehow still styled as it cascaded over her shoulder.  She held her wristlet tight to her body and gave a small little welcome smile, pushing her sunglasses up to perch on top her head.  "Now how does someone like yerself find uh bunch've free coffee coupons in his possession?" She inquired, quirking a brow at him.

[Lucas Blacke]

He returned the smile he saw when she pulled up, even if it was a fake one. Boy did he know his fair share of fake smiles, though luckily this one wasn't hiding anything bad aside from possible resentment to the boy, but what was there to resent when said boy had come across the greatest gift a human being without going haywire when getting in touch with caffeine? He remembered she liked coffee though, and even if he didn't drink it himself he could spend hours on end watching Karalie drink the stuff without so much as a word.

But he hadn't asked her over not to talk. What would be the point of just asking her over to give her free coffee?

When she walked up to him he felt a smile coming on and nodded at her happily. ''Good to see ya.'' He welcomed her even if she failed to say as much as hello herself. Although.. she might not have been so happy to see him if not for those coupons, and he wasn't even sure she was happy to see him even with those things. When she asked about where he got those coupons though he went through his back pocket and fished out the coupons for the drinks. He hoped she was thirsty as there were enough coupons to last him a while for some reason.

''Well, ta be completely honest..'' He began as he put the coupon he was going to spend into his back pocket as he walked over to his car, unlocking it with a beep of his new keys. ''They came with some sorta event over at th' car dealership. Fer every 10 grand spent on a new car ya'd get one voucher good fer two cups o' coffee..'' He told her absently as he opened the door of his Charger and put the vouchers in the glove compartment before closing the car up again. In no way did he do that to try and make her see his new car. ''So I kinda 'ave eight vouchers now.''

''We're lucky I didn't get vouchers fer every grand spent on me house. That'd be quite some drinks.'' He laughed as he walked back up to the girl. ''Ya look good, as always.'' He commented as he then pushed the door open for her to move through.

''Ladies first.'' Well that and he knew her thing about touching random objects. While she could have had it under control quite well by that point, seeing the ex that pretty much broke her (he was sure) would make said control falter a bit.

[Karalie Heise]

Dark brown eyes followed the young man as he moved to the shiny, expensive car, the key fob in his hand unlocking the brand new, luxury doors.  She raised a brow, folding her arms over her chest as she gave him a curious look.  Whose car was that? Certainly not his.  His explanation seemed far fetched.  eighty grand for a car? Sure, it wasn't unheard of, especially for that kind of car, but where in the world would Lucas get money like that? Hell, her car didn't cost as much as his and her folks were loaded.  

The thought of Luke being rich made her surprisingly uneasy.  He'd come from a broken home with nothing to his name when she'd met him a year ago, and here he was boasting about a brand new car and then he mentioned something about a house.  A house? How would he have made enough money for either of those things unless he was doing something very, very illegal.  That or he'd found someone to take care of him in an extreme way which she also highly doubted.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, looking him over.  Maybe he was just lying.  Maybe that wasn't even his car.. Would he go so far as to make up a bunch of lies to win her over, as if she were that shallow? Of course money was important to her, and she certainly enjoyed her short time with the handsomely wealthy Carter, but it wasn't everything which she proved the first time she was Luke.  It wasn't like they split over money.

She didn't reply to his compliment, instead watching him carefully as she walked through the door, trying to figure out what to say.  He wanted her to ask, that much was obvious, and as much as she didn't want to give him the pleasure, she also wanted to know what his story was. "Ya'll gonna make me ask where yah got th'funds tuh go an' get uh car like that?" She asked as they moved to the line, already knowing what she was going to get.

[Lucas Blacke]

Her look didn't slip past him unnoticed as he went to his own car as if she didn't believe it was his. Well, Lucas wasn't quite sure of that either, the whole idea of being able to afford this kind of stuff was like a dream to him. He was still waiting for the moment it all dropped around him like everything always did. The meet up with his parents, the house and the car, they were all a bit too good to be true and he just knew that if he took the time to tell someone they wouldn't believe him or it would all be taken from him. Not that a car you openly drove around was easy to hide though.

However, did he want to hide it? Even if he was sure it would somehow be taken from him he desperately wanted to tell someone that he had those things, that something in his life was turning out to be great for once as opposed to all those things he used to fuck up. Like his time with Karalie. And now she was here and he wanted to risk fucking up something else just to have someone to tell it to? Lucas was a weird one and he was the lead expert on it himself.

Still, she asked, in a way. Did she ask? She asked if he was going to make her ask, so clearly she knew he wanted to tell and didn't want to give him the time of day by actually seeming interested in what he had to say. It was as he had thought; she was here for the coffee and nothing more. He would make sure he said what he wanted to say though instead of keeping her without reason in a place she clearly didn't want to be. It was kind of a dick move to lure her there with the promise of free coffee. Something he didn't lie about but still.

He noticed she failed to respond to his compliment though, but it was of no matter. He had expected a semi-silent treatment ever since his.. yes. Never would he even think of stopping those things though, and even though he kept telling himself he didn't want to get back with her or how he tried not to make every meeting between them about them he knew that they eventually would. What would happen was almost certainly an angry Karalie and quite possibly a severely depressed Lucas, which was something he couldn't stomach right now.

''Naw.'' He replied calmly and as much himself as possible while forcing himself not to look into her actions that much. Thinking was always what caused things to go downhill even if they were perfectly fine and he knew as much, hence his attempted lack at.. being himself, really. ''I ain't ever gon' ask ya ta do anythin'.'' ''Mostly 'cause I ain't worth it since what I did to ya.'' He should have added, but luckily he decided not to to avoid this turning into another 'Hey look I'm pitying myself in front of people' act.

''It got somethin' ta do with that letter from me parents I told ya 'bout.'' He told her as his eyes gazed into hers, trying consciously to string together coherent sentences as he did so. Even with the whole distant act going on she made Luke a bit woozy in the noggin'. ''Turns out they ain't as bad as I expected them ta be.''

[Karalie Heise]

Before she knew it he was bringing up their past.  It was the elephant in the room, always, when they were together, but still she believed it wouldn't be brought up today.  At least she had decided she wouldn't mention it.  She supposed Luke had other plans.  He might not ever stop bringing it up, as if reminding her of his infidelity was a good thing.  Or maybe he just didn't want to keep it hush.  It was part of their history after all.  He wasn't trying to keep it some dirty little secret, and she wasn't sure how to feel about that.  She wanted it to stay there in the past..  Still, when he hinted at it in passing she looked down at her fingertips and then away at the counter, not able to make eye contact while being reminded of what he'd done.  She owed him no favors, he was right, and she knew that. Still, that wasn't what she meant.  She was pointing out the car without pointing it out.  It was dumb, she wished she'd kept her stupid trap shut.

She tried to recall a letter from his parents.  Was that when they were together? No, she remembered he'd maybe mentioned something about it when she returned that dumb book to him last semester.  She thought that was when he'd mentioned it, anyway.  What did a letter from his stupid parents have to do with a car? And how could things change so severely between he and his parents? Even if things were suddenly better between he and them, surely they wouldn't give him tens of thousands of dollars to blow on whatever he wanted, like a car and a house.  No, it wasn't adding up.

She opened her mouth to say something but the cashier called out that they were next so she pursed her lips and gave him another unsure look before stepping up to the counter and ordering her drink.  It felt odd to be with him and allowing him to pay. She'd always paid for her own drinks when they'd been together.  Carter wouldn't dream of letting her pull out her wallet, though.  It was sort of nice to be treated again, even if it was free coffee to begin with.

Once she gave her order and they'd moved away towards a table she gave him a piercing look.  "Ain't nobodies parents give'm enough money tuh buy uh car like that an' uh house, less they Brad Pitt or somethin'." Not that Brad Pitt would probably do that, but Lord knew he was probably loaded enough to hand each his kids a few million without it hurting his bank account, and he had a lot of kids.  "I thought ya'll were at odds with'm.  At least you were last year when we.." She swallowed hard, clenching her teeth.  A thought occurred to her and her eyes widened.  "They ain't dead, are they?" She asked, far too bluntly for a question like that to be ask.

[Lucas Blacke]

A few seconds passed and he went on to order the same thing she ordered. The coupon was for two drinks instead of one, also it would look mighty silly just to have her drink away while he talked. Maybe she liked one of whatever she ordered to go, who knew. It was a good thing to dream even if it was something as little as free and cold coffee. It was funny being together with her in something like a coffee shop though, even if it wasn't on the best of terms as he looked around and mentioned for Karalie to take a seat there and that he'd join her once their drinks were ready. This would luckily also give him some time to think, assuming she actually did what he asked.

Bringing up their past, any past between them was probably not for the best as it would just remind both him and her about what he'd done. It was hard for him not to hint back to their fun together though, even if it did end up being cut short by some easy slut. He closed his eyes for a few seconds then and sighed a bit as he heard their drinks being poured. It hit him right then though, that if they ever were to get back together it would be a complete hell between them. Even if she forgave him and went on like nothing had happened he knew he wouldn't be able to. It would always be there how he promised her he'd wait only to end up breaking that promise.

What snapped him out of the downward spiral was his name being called and his coffee being handed to him as he handed the coupon over and took the one for Karalie as well, turning around and making his way over to where she sat after that. He did so with a smile though to hide what he had been thinking as his mind went over those dark things he did once more before briefly shaking his head and him sitting down next to the girl and placing the cup in front of her with a nod. ''M'lady.'' He said as he had completely forgotten that her power would likely enable her now to gain a memory through him touching the cup.

''An' naw, they ain't dead.'' He told her, almost thinking he was doing it to reassure her when a few weeks before he wouldn't even bat an eye if they did happen to die. ''Turns out that, well.. they had been savin' up fer my eighteenth birthday since the day I left, which was a real long time ago. Turns out that three people savin' up fer a good seventeen years are good fer 500 grand an' a house 'ere in Pilot Ridge.''

''Also, they weren't avoidin' any contact with me, they weren't allowed ta seek me out.'' He added when he saw the possibility of his words adding more confusion into the fray. ''But now that I'm an adult to th' law people can't stop them from contactin' me.''

[Karalie Heise]

"Thanks." She offered, taking the warm paper cup from his hand.  She let it warm her fingers a moment before sipping it slowly, eyes on her ex.  He explained his parents weren't dead, and she felt better for being so blunt just a  moment before.  Surely it would be a sore spot if they had been, despite his relationship with them, and she hadn't exactly been sensitive.

Lucas started into the brief story and she listened intently, not sure she really believed it.  He had never been forthcoming with information about his parents, but that was because he had nothing good to say about them.  She knew his late uncle was someone he cared deeply for, and who had cared for him for many years.  She'd seen some memories with the man and could recall them now as she thought of him, as if the memories were her own.  A twinge of pain from the lost love tugged at her heart, even though she'd never actually met him.  Hell, she didn't know his name.  The pain wasn't hers, it was Luke's, but she felt it anyway.  

"Five hundred grand?!" She spat out, her voice a low, surprised hiss not wanting to cause attention.  Her eyes widened in surprise; how had they saved that much money? Most people didn't earn that much in a lifetime let alone have enough to put away for someone else.  Hell, her own trust was half that, maybe less.  She didn't have an exact number.  The next thing she thought was how stupid he was to have pissed away some of it on a car and a house.  The car would depreciate in value quickly and the house, well, she couldn't imagine Luke would maintain a house the way it was supposed to.  She'd spent enough time in his little dorm room to know the boy could be a real slob.  

She stared at him in shock, never expecting something like that to have happened to him.  Deep down she wondered if he thought that the money would somehow make her want him more. She wouldn't go accusing him of that yet. "So.. they jus' called yah up, or.. wow.." She leaned back, brows furrowed as she studied him.  That story was way out there and she shook her head as she took it all in.  "That is seriously some crazy stuff. So.. ya'll are talkin' to 'em or.. what?"

[Lucas Blacke]

As she took the cup from him he put his own down on the table and sat down with a nod. ''Aye, 'course.'' Briefly he looked around as he then focused fully on the girl in front of him who had instantly begun sipping from the cup. Balls, someone liked coffee. He tried not to think about adding the word holy in front of it as if she could read minds or something. Which she could, in a way. Especially now with the tainted cup he had given her. Lucas also realized a bit too late the subject he had begun talking on would induce a few memories, if not for her then for him. She would know his pain, surely, and he would obviously know his own pain.

''Aye.'' He nodded as she repeated the number he had said. ''An' th' house didn't even cost me anythin'.'' Lucas added when he noticed the whirlpool of emotions going on in her eyes, for that he hadn't even the need to use his ability. He'd been around her long enough to be able to tell just like that.''An' I felt like buyin' a new car fer a good while now. Th' money from me folks an' uncle-'' A cough. ''-helped a bit though, I'd be workin' fer a few more years b'fore I'd be able ta buy th' car I wanted.'' He motioned at his new car he saw standing neatly in the parking space just outside the coffeehouse.

''Seven hundred horses, it has.'' A smile crept over his face as he recalled everything it had and could do. ''It has a fuckin' keyless ingition! Two outlets ta charge yer phone or do other stuff, an' even a holder fer yer phone or somethin'! Friggin' heated seats, added breaking power during the rain! And friggin' solar glass! No more need fer sunglasses!'' Lucas knew he was a bit too happy about it all and quickly silenced himself when he noticed he was slightly hovering above his chair and drifting closer to Karalie.

''..sorry.'' He offered as he got back into his seat and coughed.

''They sent me a letter.'' That much he knew she should remember, she was just about the only one he had told about the letter, and his struggle with opening it. ''That, at first glance just held a key an' th' location of th' house. It looked like th' usual shit I used ta blame them of.'' His hands reached into his pocket and he took out a set of keys that held both those to his house and to his car as he thought about the letter he found when he got there.

Plopping them down on the table he took a bit of a breather as his arms started folding over each other, a smile on his face because of the fact he was finally able to share this with someone. And even happier was he about the person he was telling. ''In it I found a bit of a personal letter, a letter from me parents to me.'' He said with a smile. ''It led to me lookin' them up.'' He swallowed a bit, letting sink in that he was still the one needing to initiate contact, though in the current situation that would be for the best, what if Lucas didn't want to see them?

''They told me some stuff I was never told, an' I asked fer clarification on things I wasn't sure happened.'' Like the memory of him yelling at his parents. If he had been given up, how could he yell at his parents? ''Anyhow, turned out me uncle was kind of rich, an' that was why they put me with him. An' it explains th' size of th' house they left me.''

A smile again, wiping away the worries of not knowing certain aspects. ''Six rooms, nice stuff in it like a piano, which I suspect actually belonged ta me uncle. Still play it daily.'' If only to get a small flashback at what was.

''An' this smile, Kar, this smile-'' He pointed at his own face. ''Ever since us, this 'as been my only genuine smile.'' Hyperbole. But no less true.

[Karalie Heise]

A strange twinge of jealousy speared her at his strange accomplishments.  A new house and car and he didn't pay a cent for them.  He hadn't worked hard for any of it either.  Now, she was a trust fund kid herself, she would have the world handed to her if she wanted, but her parents had impressed upon her a firm moral base as to how you got what you wanted.  Her father had worked hard to get where he was, keeping the wealth in their family from generations passed.  She would never want for anything, and she knew it, but she had worked hard on getting good grades and had gotten a partial scholarship for her education.  Lucas had done none of that and she was bothered by that, especially as he went on and on about wonderful his new toy car was.

She knew she shouldn't be too hard on him.  Luke had a lot of nothing.  He didn't work hard for what he got, but he didn't exactly have the love and support children need in their young years.  He had no one to look out for him, and clearly no one to teach him right or wrong.  If he did, then maybe she and he would still be together.  She wondered from time to time how that would have all panned out.  It wasn't all peaches and cream with Luke.  They fought plenty but she'd adored him.  Hell, she even loved him, but that ship had sailed.  She wasn't sure if it would ever dock again.

His apology brought her back to solid ground and she sipped her coffee, watching him over the cup as he continued on, not really commenting but letting him get it all out.  Obviously he was excited.  Part of her did feel happy for him, even if she was a bit jealous and maybe annoyed at his sudden prosperity.  She wasn't a complete bitch and she certainly wasn't going to lay into him about how he should be spending his money wisely, investing it or at least putting it into an IRA.  She wondered if the house he was living in was his uncles.  Was it there in Pilot Ridge? She didn't think he lived up this way, but in Texas.  Maybe she misunderstood what he told her. Maybe they sold the property and bought him something here.  With six bedrooms.  Because an eighteen year old needed six bedrooms.

His final jab at them breaking up rubbed her the wrong way.  She hoped this wasn't an attempt at winning her back.  If Luke wanted her back, he would need to work it out with her, not suddenly become wealthy, though admittedly that helped.  It would be nice to live off someone else's savings in addition to her own.

"Well, I'm real happy for yah."  She offered sipping her coffee and putting it down on the table between them.  "Honest, that's uh real strok've luck there.  I hope ya'll use it wisely." She could only imagine what he was doing to the poor bedrooms in that home.  With any luck they would stay empty, because she was sure he wouldn't know how to properly furnish a home. She hated how curious she was to see it, to check up on what he had.  How many awful memories of him would she fine in there? Screwing girls on every surface.  Her cheeks felt warm thinking about it and she looked down into her lips, her fingers twisting around themselves.  She peeked up at him, her head still bowed slightly, not sure how to move forward with the conversation.  Once upon a time it had been so easy, but now?

"Yah happy, Luke?" She asked genuinely, hoping that he'd come to peace with his life and everything that had gone wrong in it.

[Lucas Blacke]

He nodded profusely as she mentioned it being a stroke of luck. Classifying it as luck would be a bit of a stretch seeing as how it'd made him hate his parents who apparently wanted nothing but the best for him, but still. Carpe diem, right? Lucas knew that while he didn't want people to know what he had gotten he could safely tell Karalie, heck, she was almost the same save for the cheating and the sucky past, she was getting things handed to her, like that car and she wasn't even being completely honest with her family. So when push came to shove and she would decide that it was time to make his life a complete hell by telling people, he'd have a way of getting back at her. He hoped it never came to that, but she was the one who lied to her family. If she hadn't changed her mind, that was.

She never responded at the things he said about the car, but she did respond at the house and the money when she suddenly asked if he was happy. The look on her face was sincere and not just one of being forced to ask, which had Luke answer in the same way, though that took some time as he still needed to process a lot of stuff. ''Honestly, I ain't.'' Luke replied, suddenly 'forgetting' his accent after that. After all, him dropping his accent meant you got to the real Luke instead of the mask he so often showed. And in all these years, Karalie had been the only one to make him do that on more than one occasion.

''I mean, having money is fun and all, but.. it's kinda the good versus the bad at this point. Yes I have a house, a car, a future and have been reunited with my parents, and I often thought that that would make it all good again, but in the span of eighteen years, it only ends up being one day. And that one day, good as it may be, does not erase my past.'' He sighed slightly when he thought back on it all, in a way being forced by Karalie. But maybe it was a good thing to keep both feet on the ground, even through means that hurt him.

He hunched over a bit and shoved his arms closer to the girl as he swallowed. ''Maybe keeping the past so close is wrong, and not supposed to be a course of action one should take. I suppose every person does it though, I personally still hate my parents for not telling me my legal guardian passed away when I was at Hammel.'' Things went south real fast at that point. ''They gave me five hundred grand, yea, but they kept th' stinkin' load of money he left behind all ta their damn selves!''

''Dude had me in 'is will, an' me fuckin' parents jump in an' take th' money meant fer me. They try ta be nice, but when I found out he wanted me ta get everythin' I kinda snapped. Not at me parents, but fuck if it didn't get me goin'!'' He sat back with a motion that said fuck it and sighed.

''All this time, all these bad mem'ries, all this talk 'bout still being nice parents. An' fer what? Jus' ta steal th' millions he wanted me ta 'ave? 'S pretty tough ta keep seein' em as people who want me ta like 'em at this point.''

[Karalie Heise]

She frowned a little when he explained he wasn't happy.  After all he had been through, the kid got a stroke of luck, and he wasn't happy yet? What more could he want? Was there anything? She couldn't help but judge him some, but told herself it wasn't fair to do that yet.  She didn't know why he was unhappy, he hadn't explained and it wasn't fair to assume the worst of him.  She was trying not to assume the worst in others these days.  It was a hard habit to break.

The more he explained the more she understood and she felt the annoyed thoughts drip away.  No, she supposed that it didn't make up for eighteen years of dealing with crap.  She'd been in his mind, she knew what sort of things he'd had to deal with and not all of it was very pretty.  She wanted to reach out and touch him but held back.  She knew she was able to stop the memories from coming, but touching him was something she hadn't done in a long time.  Not since they broke up, really.. She wasn't interested in reopening that can of emotions over coffee, especially since she was afraid it might get misconstrued.  Sure, he might not assume she was hitting on him, but if he did he might think it was because he had money.  No, she knew she ought to keep her hands to herself.


"You are who you are cause've yer past.  It ain't wrong tuh keep it close." She pointed out, and firmly believed it.  She couldn't deny who or what she was and her past had shaped her, for better or worse.  Hell, others pasts have shaped her too, like it or not, for better or worse. When she learned he was supposed to get even more her eyes grew.  She couldn't help but feel angry for him, and at his parents.  As if they were doing him some sort of favor giving him part of what he was owed.  It was selfish.  They were selfish. She frowned again on his behalf and shook her head slowly, sipping the coffee.  She wondered if he could sue for more.


"If it's in his will, ya'll are entitled to it.  Yer parents can't legally hold anythin' from yah since yer of age an' all.  Like, yer not uh minor anymore, Luke.  They can't just take what they want an' leave yah with the scraps, even if it is five hundred grand!"  She wondered how uninvolved she should get in his fight. She knew her daddy would have good advice for the boy, but to offer it.. She looked down at his lap and pursed his lips. "I'm sorry, Luke.. even when things look on the up'n up they're still pretty shitty, huh.." It wasn't a question, but an acknowledgement.  She looked back up and sighed.  "Hopefully it gets better.."

[Lucas Blacke]

Wow, all he got from that was Karalie being nice instead of trying to talk him down from whatever pedestal he was on and the fact that he didn't really know how religious people worked even despite having dated one. Sure he kept certain words under wraps around her when he could, but he had never thought she could even use words like shit. Though maybe he had never paid attention as much as he should. Oh well, that ship had sailed as she was now probably only being nice out of spite or something, or maybe she was playing a good Samaritan. Point was, after what he had done to her, despite hoping to the max that she would, she would probably never even think twice about him or genuinely help him do anything. He blamed the coffee for getting her to listen to him in the first place.

Lucas glanced out the window and saw her car standing a few places away from his. Pretty much how they stood socially, that was. Turning his head back to her with a kind of distorted smile (he wanted to remain happy, really!) he almost wanted her to touch his hand in some kind of consoling way, the way women always did and with Luke being as he was he always knew what the intention was due to seeing what the muscles did. Women with ulterior motives always had a tell. Besides, he was a bit too preoccupied to make a move anyway. Not that he would, not with Karalie at least.

''Yeah ya know, fuck it.'' He finally said after a brief moment of silence, grabbing one of the cups that hadn't been touched yet and absently twirling it around. ''I ain't goin' ta fight shit.'' He said after having taken in what Karalie had said when she seemed to just be agreeing with him to get him to burn down his parents or something. Deep down the Texan was sure this was not the case but right now his mind was stuck in a loop of thinking bad things. ''I'm fine where I am. Got money, got a house, got a car, college an' everythin' else I need ta keep me goin'.''

Almost everything, anyway. ''Gonna find me a girl I don't fuck up with an' live th' life me parents don't want me ta 'ave!'' He withdrew his hand from the cup and kept it resting on the table, quietly urging his mind to stop getting worked up over what started out as a happy announcement.