Chapter Text
“So, everything good?” Reggie asked when Luke came back, watching closely as he grabbed his guitar where he left it.
“Yeah, just needed some coffee” He picked up a guitar pick on the desk next to Reggie and glanced at Julie across the room, who was in the amp again, but she wasn’t looking at him, she was just looking around. “Did you guys work on that draft I sent you last week?”
“Yeah, thanks to me we now have a killer bass for that song” Reggie said, smirking. “and maybe a solo” Luke grinned and turned to Alex, who was already picking up his sticks.
“Good. Wanna play it then? We I guess we can tweak some things here and there.” He suggested as he tried his best to not mind the girl in the room. Reggie grabbed his bass and pulled the notes from his phone.
“Ok, but don’t overdo it, Late Last Night was impossible to finish simply because you didn’t want to give it up.” Alex
“I’m sorry If I want my music to be incredible, Alex” Luke retorted now looking at his friend. “Guys, we’re now in the big leagues, no time for mistakes.”
“Whatever you say, boss”
After bickering a few more minutes over the draft he had for Bright, they then proceeded to play for half a day. Every now and then he would casually glance at Julie, not really feeling irritated for her being there. Whenever he looked at her, she had this cheerful smile on her face, like she was really enjoying the sound, shaking her head at the beat of Alex’s drum or Reggie’s riffs. She even hummed to his melody. He could almost admit to himself he wasn’t annoyed by her presence. His friends also didn’t ask about her anymore and Luke was hoping he could sort things out and pretend it was all just a terrible misunderstanding. As for Julie, she let him had his time with his band and didn’t say much the time they were there. In fact, they didn’t really talk until the session had finished and Luke was properly alone in his car.
“I love seeing you guys play, you got something special, I can feel it” She said from the passenger seat. She had her legs crossed and a warm smile on her lips as she turned to him. Luke’s chest fluttered as he watched the setting sun behind her, forming almost like a halo around her, brightening her up, as if she even needed. He cleared his throat and faced forward as he turned on his car.
“Hey siri, what’s the closest psychiatrist in the area?” He said it loudly so the phone could pick his question. Julie shifted in her seat.
“I can believe you still don’t belie…” Luke shushed her off as he got some results from his digital assistant. “You really gonna do this” She realized as she watched him stop at a red light and typed it in some random number on his screen.
“Well, I need to do something. I can’t just have you here forever driving myself insane every hour of every day.”
“I thought you liked seeing me, you said I was beautiful.” Her voice was low again, Luke pressed his lips as he tried to form the right words.
“Y-you are, I mean, you’re an angel” Julie smiled at his cute confused expression. “But I can’t really have you here, can I? Alex and Reggie already think I’ve gone mad.” He heard cars honking behind him and turned forward again. “Like I said, it’s not you, it’s the…”
“…Situation” She finished his sentence. There was a brief moment of silence. “I get it, I wasn’t supposed to be like this either, but I don’t know how to fix it.”
___________________
The brunette woman slept soundly and yet she seemed quiet. Luke sighed and leaned towards her bed, his hands on the railing beside it, looking at Emily. He took over as his father went home to change clothes and get some proper sleep. He just couldn't dissolve the lump in his throat he felt every time he saw her like that.
He was used to his mother's uplift figure for years and now that she was lying so still in a hospital bed, it seemed like everything had happened ages ago. But them, he was teary-eyed when the the lump in his throat suddenly disappeared and his body relaxed as if a wave of peacefulness came over him. Luke then realized that he was no longer alone in the room and caught sight of the girl who caressed Emily's face gently.
"She is fine," Julie said in her usual sweet voice. He shook his head negatively and turned to stare at his mother.
"No, she’s not.” He said quietly. Julie stopped what she was doing and waited for Luke to look at her again.
“Trust me.”
"Since when are you a doctor?" he retorted bitterly. She opened her mouth to answer, but the noise of the door opening caught her eye. The gray-haired doctor looked over Luke from her rectangular glasses. He closed the door behind him and smiled.
"I knew I'd find you here.” Luke's worried expression made Julie approach him instinctively. She was so used to guard him in case something happened. He glanced at her and saw that the girl’s fond smile was there again.
"Why?" he asked in a low voice.
"Because she keeps improving.” The doctor took the tablet attached to Emily's bed and ran her eyes through it quickly. “I think your prayers for her guardian angel worked, young man.”
"Really?" " Luke asked confusedly.
"If she keeps this good numbers, she might go under surgery sooner than expected.”
Dr. Turner looked at the monitor next to Emily and made some notes before saying goodbye and leaving the room. Luke stared at the crucifix pinned to the head of the bed, remembering that Emily was always talking about angels.
"Now you believe me?”
_____________
Luke let out a grumble when realized that Julie continued to follow him. Not only she was annoying him with her sharp inputs at home and in the studio, now she was accompanying him at lunch. He had chosen the usual table at the restaurant near the studio and opened the menu, ignoring the Julie who was sitting in front of him.
“You could talk to me, you know” she crossed her arms and stared at him. “You don't ignore Alex or Reggie.” He raised his eyebrows when he heard her bitter tone.
“Maybe because they’re not a hallucination of mine.” Luke cut her off before she opened her mouth. “Or an angel as you say.”
“Luke?” He lifted his head to the waiter, Nick, beside him and smiled awkwardly. Julie laughed out loud as she watched him get angry at being seen talking to himself.
“Well done,” He hissed at her as she let loose with laughter, leaving Luke frowning even more. He ordered and waited for the waiter to walk away far enough not to hear it again. “Do you still want me to talk to you even after that?” Julie stared at a point behind him, ignoring Luke's angry expression. He snorted when he realized that she wasn’t even paying attention to him. “Great, don't answer me...”
“Oh, shush it.” she flickered her hand distractedly making him shut up. When Julie smiled and waved, he couldn't resist and turned around. A girl, about five years old and hair as light as the woman sitting in front of her didn't look away from the table they were at.
“What’s going on?" Luke asked when he saw the child waving timidly in response to Julie. He looked around and realized that no one there looked at the child except her.
"She saw me," Julie said shrugging as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"How did she see you?" he leaned over the table and stared at her with a furrowed face. “I thought only I could see you, after all you are my angel.”
The Julie’s cheerful expression made Luke blush and return to his initial position. He couldn't believe he had just said that.
"Children see us," she smiled kindly and leaned back in her chair, "And now that you've accepted the fact that you really have an angel, how about cancelling your appointment to your psychiatrist?”
Earlier that day he had made his appointment having Julie as his parrot, embarrassing every second of his call.
“Dr. Burke's office?” Luke asked in a low voice. “Yes, I want to make an appointment.”
“Luke, really?” Julie sighed, tired of his denial.
“Just shush,” he hissed covering the phone with his hand “this is all your fault." Julie sighed again and tossed her long dark hair back quietly.
“Ah, hello doctor ... What's going on?! Well ...” Luke looked up to Julie. “I have a ... friend, uh, yeah, a friend ... And he is seeing things, you know? Hallucinations.”
“I’m not a hallucination, I told you” she murmured tiredly. “I'm an angel, that's all.”
“Could you please be quiet?” he glared at her, vexed “I'm on the phone.” He turned in his chair, staring at the wall. “No, sorry, I didn't speak to you, I was talking with the hallucination that I’m ... ugh, not me, my friend, is seeing.”
He heard Julie's soft laugh and shut his eyes. The doctor's voice was slightly concerned when she started to speak. He nodded slightly and only looked at Julie again when he hung up the phone, since she easily distracted him without even saying a word.
Now they were at the doctor’s office, sitting in the waiting room as he managed to get an emergency session.
"I told you you should have cancelled it.” Julie muttered wearily as Luke checked his wristwatch for the third time in less than ten minutes.
"I will not listen to a hallucination," he answered dryly before hiding his face behind a magazine.
"What happened to "my angel"?” She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “I should have suspected that there was something wrong with you in the restaurant.”
"Why?" Luke asked without lowering the magazine.
"My angel" Julie imitated his angry tone of voice and then smiled. “It is not in your nature to treat me well.”
"Oh, for god’s sake!" he lowered the magazine and puffed, impatiently.
Julie pouted and stared sadly at the ground. She heard Luke taking a deep breath at her side, holding the bridge of his nose as if seeking patience. The door opened and out came a woman who was in her 30s and had her brown hair in a firm bun, with matching suit and pants, in slow steps.
"Luke?" The doctor's voice was soft and cautious. “I'm sorry I'm late.”
"No problem," he sighed as he stood up to follow her into the office. "It’s ok”. He dropped to her couch.
"Right then... " she smiled and picked up a notebook, sitting in a big chair in front of him. “So...”
Julie rolled her eyes when she realized that Luke's gaze had fallen on her, accusingly. Even with the dim light of the office, Christine Burke could see that he was nervous. The magazine he wrapped between his hands denounced it.
"Just relax and trust me.”
"That's what she keeps telling me," he grumbled, "All the time. ‘Trust me’." Julie yawned loudly and stretched herself. He huffed when he realized that the doctor was looking at him with serious eyes.
"I see... " she licked her lips and wrote down something in her notebook. “First let's talk about your family.”
He shifted uncomfortably in the chair. The doctor wrote something else the notebook and Julie sighed.
“See? "Julie spoke as if he were a stubborn child. “If you had listened to me you didn't have to go through this”
"My parents and I had our disagreements in my teenage years, we had a big fall out when I decided to get into the music program instead of business, but after a few years my mom reached out and long story short, we are ok now.” He summarized, slightly regretting his decision to come.
"Ok” another scribble. “And how is she like?”
"Ah, a lovely person," Julie replied with a smile, "And very friendly, unlike his son.”
"Would you just shut up? For once?" he glared at Julie “I'm in the middle of a mission to get rid of you.”
"Are you talking to the...” the doctor leaned towards him, speaking guardedly. “With the hallucination? Isn't that what you call her?”
"Actually my name is Julie," She replied amused, "But he calls me a hallucination.”
"Her name is Julie," he grunted while staring at the girl in white, "And she showed up out of the blue since my mother was hospitalized.”
"Ah... " the doctor made other notes and frowned lightly. “Tell me about Julie.”
"About me?" " Julie seemed happy with the question and stood up, smiling.
Luke frowned, thinking about how he would describe her. He didn't know if he should include the part about the sweet smile, the big and beautiful brown hair or the easiness she always seemed to be. Maybe if he started with the sweet voice...
"Luke?" Christine called him patiently.
"Oh yes," his expression suddenly changed and he crossed his arms. “She is annoying and never stops talking," he snorted. “And she thinks she knows everything about my life.”
Julie's smile faded hearing his complaints, Was she really that awful? Her eyes dropped to her feet not before catching Luke’s amusement in his face, which he barely contained and let out a laugh. The doctor just watched him staring at fixed point in the office as if all that was normal to her. "And she is very sensitive and sweet," he averted his gaze from the sulky girl on the other side of the room. “She is also very beautiful... Actually, she’s the most beautiful person I've ever met.”
He turned to face her again only to catch Julie's radiant smile. Luke gave a faint smile in response, not giving a damn about what the doctor would think.
______________
Luke rubbed his eyes lazily. He had dreamed of something good, though he couldn't remember what exactly. He rolled around in bed, trying to get back to it, but was disturbed when a chill breeze took over him, making him shiver so he fumbled the blindly for his phone. He didn't want to get up, that’s why he’d turned off the alarm twice now. He uttered swear word, cursing himself as he felt the cool breeze again.
"You're going to be late.”
He jumped in his bed as quickly as he heard the familiar female voice, his eyes wide open as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water at him. Luke sat on the bed and searched the source around the room, lingering at the serene gaze Julie had, sitting on the armchair. Luke had forgotten Julie's presence for a moment, so his cheek turned red when he realized he was only wearing in his underwear. He hastily pulled the sheet up to his neck and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She made a funny face.
"Don’t worry, silly," she let out a fun laugh.
"Just a question," he sank under the sheet, "Do you see me in the shower too?”
"Of course," she shrugged, "You may fall or something...” Julie ran her hand through her hair with a contemplative expression. "How do you think you got to shower by yourself and get to bed on your 19th birthday?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. “I had a lot of work that day.” she babbled.
Luke felt his face warm with embarrassment. That was the first and last time he had passed out drunk. He slapped his forehead stunned as he remembered that he had woken up the next morning with no clothes, but safe and sound.
"Luke, I am an angel," she said calmly. “I don't feel these things you're thinking.”
"Can you read thoughts too?", he grumbled grumpy as he got out of bed still curled up on the sheet.
"No, it's just that you're very obvious," Julie said with a smile as she watched him entering the bathroom.
___________________
"Argh, for fuck’s sake, Luke, let it go!" Reggie had a wide grin on his face. “Today is Friday, the official day of drinking and forgetting your problems!” Luke rolled his eyes and grumbled. It was easy for Reggie to do that, since his parents were traveling again in perfect health, while Luke's mother was still in the hospital.
“It won't change anything if you stay home” he insisted, seeing that Luke had trailed off the conversation. “And I'm sure Emily wouldn't like to know that you're just surviving.”
“He's right, you know” Julie said opening a soft smile. “Go live a little, Luke.” She was sitting on the kitchen counter, her legs swaying side to side, right next to Reggie, who stared at him worriedly.
“If I go you’ll leave me alone?” he asked Julie, who nodded excitedly, making her hair dance with her motion.
“Of course!” Reggie answered confused by his tone.
The noise of the TV indicated that Reggie was still in the room, waiting for his friend to get ready so they could go out. Luke came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and ignored Julie's presence in his room. She was in the usual armchair, humming a song while waiting for him to decide on the outfit he would wear.
"You should wear lighter clothes," Julie gently commented when she watched Luke discard the towel standing with only his black boxers.
Feeling self-conscious he hastily grabbed the first jeans he laid eyes on it, put it on as fast as he could. When he turned to take a peek at where she was, he caught her a the same place with the same kind expression in her face.
"I'm going out," he opened a drawer and grabbed a white cut off shirt. "And I don't want you to show up...”
"But I am your angel," Julie pouted, crossing her arms in her chest, "You never went out without me.”
“You didn't piss me off so much when you were invisible” Luke patiently explained,
“Now you even get into my head and read my thoughts.”
Julie silently watched Luke put on his white shirt not really knowing what he meant. For just a moment he seemed to have forgotten her presence and gave himself a good look in the mirror.
"You look much better in white! I still don’t get what’s your deal with the sleeveless shit, but somehow you pull it off" she smiled when she realized that he had looked critically in the closet mirror. “See what I’m talking about?” Julie laughed fondly as she saw Luke's face turn redder.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY!”
"LUKE?” Reggie called worried outside the bedroom door “ALL RIGHT IN THERE?”
He thanked mentally when they arrived at a different club than they used to go to. Reggie had been babbling the whole way as Luke just nodded not really paying attention on what he was talking about.
He didn't see Julie after he left the house and it that worried him for a moment. Luke hoped she wasn't there and wasted a few minutes looking around searching for his angel. A smile came across his face when he realized that she wasn’t there and bounced up to the bar alone, as Reggie flirted with a red-haired woman.
"Excuse me," he asked a dark-haired woman who was sitting with her back to the club.
"Of course, Luke.” The sweet voice made Luke gasp in exasperation.
"Even here?” he muttered, locking eyes with her.
Julie turned to him with the serious expression. He couldn’t help but notice that even pouting she was beautiful.
"What a horrible place," she frowned "I take back what I said before, this friend of yours has terrible taste.” She said with disgust.
Luke ordered his drink and ignored Julie’s presence for a bit, taking a time to scan through the club in the dim lights. The futuristic décor wasn’t his cup of tea, but knew better than to agree with Julie.
"Then go away," he answered dryly when he got his drink.
Julie crossed his arms and Luke turned his back on her, walking away from the bar. He knew she wouldn't leave him alone that night, so he was determined to ignore her.
"I hate it when you make me come to these places.” Luke stopped walking and turned to Julie. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her incredulously.
"I make you?!”
A blond woman next to him shot him a weird look and he smiled back blandly. Julie laughed again as he stomped his feet across the dance floor reaching the high tables in the corner. While walking he brought the glass to his mouth, taking a big gulp, hearing a grumbling of disapproval beside him.
"Don't drink too much," Julie pleaded, "It’s me who has to take care of you after."
“Resign then" Luke whispered before emptying his glass.
She pouted and crossed her arms as she saw him searching around, looking for someone.
"How do they do that?" Julie said her eyes were wide open.
Luke followed her head and looked at the same point as Julie. The redheaded woman who talked to Reggie was now next to a brunette, both wearing dresses so tight that they resembled a bathing suit.
"Luke" Reggie called him with a smirk on his face.
Luke recognized Reggie’s look. The brunette scanned Luke from head to toe with a smirk and a knowing look while drinking the orange liquid from her glass. Julie rolled her eyes and followed Luke to where Reggie was.
"Marian, this is my friend," Reggie threw an arm around Luke's neck. “Take good care of him.” Julie groaned.
"She won't take care of you," Julie muttered narrowing her eyes, "That's my job.”
"Are you alone?" the woman whispered close to Luke's ear.
He locked eyes with Julie, who just stared at him with wide eyes. His lips curved in a wicked smile as he made up his mind and dropped his gaze to the woman in a deep v cut top in front of him.
“Yes, yes I am.” The woman touched Luke's arm gently, her fingers grazing his shoulder. Julie pressed her lips and tried to control her comments by seeing the woman whispering something in Luke's ear again.
"Are you seriously gonna do this?" Julie didn't hold back and asked with her eyebrows raised. “She’s just desperate after someone, you're not going to be...”
Luke was just about to glare at Julie and have her shut up when he felt the woman’s lips on his. He closed his eyes and felt her hands against his neck, pressing down to her, squeezing her body against his. When he leaned back to breathe, he noticed Julie was gone.
_______________
He heard a noise coming from the bathroom and rolled on the bed. He had no headache, but he didn't remember details of what had happened either. He forced his memory for a moment and realized that the memories were blurred. He finally opened his eyes and noticed he was alone in the room. He had already gotten used to waking up and seeing a certain curly-haired girl sitting in the armchair. Another noise was heard again, causing Luke to grumble.
“JULIE!” The bathroom door opened with violence and he saw a brown-haired woman coming out of there. She was only partially clothed and looked furious.
“It's Marian, I've said it like a million times” she hissed dryly. Luke raised his eyebrows, confused, seeing her dressing in a hurry. “I hate men who don't forget their ex”. Marian grumbled at herself while putting on her high-heeled sandals. “I should have realized that the first time you changed my name.”
Luke sank into the pillows and heard her leaving his room in quick steps. He waited until she hit the front door hard to finally get up.
“Julie?” he called still sitting on the bed, rubbing his eyes. He felt like he'd taken a beating after being hit by a fleet of trucks. “Julie!”
He got up but a sharp pain in his foot forced him to sit back on the bed. Searching through the floor his eyes caught pieces of broken glass next to what once was a glass Luke muffled a swear word and examined the cut he had probably made the night before. He stood up again putting his weight into the other foot, swerving from the shattered glass, limping into the kitchen. He was about to call Julie again when he saw her sitting on the couch. She had her eyes fixed on the window and the expression as if she was thinking of something very important.
“Julie?" Luke called tentatively.
“Good morning, Luke” She muttered without looking at him.
He raised an eyebrow and went to the kitchen. He came back with a glass of water and sat next to her, who didn’t even flinch. She had her eyes fixed outside the house and seemed aloof.
"What a hangover," he said before taking a sip.
To Luke's surprise, she continued in silence. He turned on the television and leaned his head on the couch, zapping through channels without really paying attention to what he was doing. He just couldn't look away from the girl sitting next to him. Julie continued to ignore Luke's presence, even though he kept staring at her in absolute silence.
"Alright... " he waited for Julie to turn to him, but she seemed determined not to do it.
“You're not saying anything and you didn't give me a sermon about the drink, now you’re giving me the cold shoulder… what happened?”
Julie sighed and turned to him. Luke noticed her dark eyes had lost their usual glow.
"Do you like her the way you liked Carrie?”
He raised his eyebrows and turned off the television, stunned. He could barely remember the face of the woman he had spent the night with. Julie’s face was calm, but…hurt.
"What's it like to love someone like that?” She asked softly.
"I don't know... " Luke replied confused for a second, "But...you are an angel, you should know everything.”
"But I don't," Julie muttered innocently. “The only person I learned to love was you.”
Luke tried to contain the surprised expression, to no avail. Julie gave him a sad smile when he reached for her face, only to stop knowing she wouldn’t feel it and looked back at the window, looking away from the green eyes that were still blown wide.
___________________
The brown hair framed the pale face of the woman who couldn’t keep herself from smile as she saw Luke walk into the bright room. Emily shifted in bed, sitting properly as she reached out to Luke’s hands, bringing them closer to her.
"You look good, sweetie" the woman said kindly. Luke shot a glance at Julie, who watched everything closely. "I'm glad to see you like this, my dear," Emily continued, "Seems like you've found someone who treats you well.”
Luke shook his head biting his lip. Emily had never liked Carrie and always made a point of making it clear.
"We should be talking about how you've improved, right?" Luke asked with his eyebrows raised. “The doctor said that soon enough... “
"I have someone who takes very good care of me," Emily cut him off gently. “Besides your father.” Luke waited. “My guardian angel, who’s been working a lot lately.”
Luke realized that his mother hadn’t noticed Julie's presence after all. It was weird hearing his mom talk about angels now. He had only grown used to it thanks to Julie's presence in his life. He looked away from his mom setting his gaze at Julie, who weirdly enough seemed invested by some conversation with someone he couldn’t see, shaking her head slightly. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched her lowering her head sheepishly, averting his gaze.
"So, when are you going to introduce me to this girl?” He blinked confused turned to face his mom.
"What girl?”
"The one that makes you smile for no reason.” He felt his face warming up and glanced at Julie, who had stopped paying attention to being invisible being in front of her and stared at him. When she noticed he was staring at her, her lips curved in a sweet smile that made his insides twitch.
_____________________
"Who were you talking to?” he couldn’t help but ask when they went back home.
Julie took a few seconds to reply. She took her usual place in the armchair and hugged her legs as Luke opened the closet looking for some sleeping clothes, as he didn’t feel comfortable knowing that an angel would be there all the time.
"Christian, your mother's angel," Julie answered simply.
Luke stopped what he was doing, she could see his worried look.
"She's fine, don't worry," she smiled reassuring him. “He's an angel almost as good as me.” He let out a grumbling and took off his shirt. Julie kept looking at him calmly.
"Almost as good as you?" he asked feigning his disbelieve, "He doesn't show up for her and make others think she's crazy, you mean?”
Her soft laugh made him shake his head as he threw his worn clothes in a pile on the corner of the room.
"He also thought you'd see him.”
"I only saw you talking to yourself," he snickered, “You looked like a crazy person.”
"That’s how people see you when you talk to me.” Julie cackled noticing his eyes blown wide.
He finished getting dressed and swerved away from the pieces of glass that were still on the floor, jumping into the bed. Julie checked on him first and, as soon as she made sure that he was safe and sound on his own bed, she turned back to look up at the sky.
Not much later, Luke heard her humming a melody with the sweet voice he knew it so well and smiled fondly. He had never heard a voice as beautiful as hers. She left him completely stunned by listening to her. She really was wicked beauty and had, risking sounding extremely cheesy and obvious, voice of a literal angel. The melody she sang made him wonder what her full voice was like. He'd gotten used to her presence now, even if it annoyed him sometimes, he couldn’t imagine himself without her anymore. Julie's chin was resting on her knees she was hugging and blinked softly, not realizing that Luke was watching her with an intrigued expression.
_____________________
Luke had spent the entire weekend trying to put words into the hum he heard Julie sing. For some sort of miracle, she wasn’t around him much when he wrote, which gave him freedom and peace to let his words flow through him.
That afternoon he was on a haze, the words just came to him and he tried his best to write it down before faded from his mind. His notebook was a complete mess, but he didn’t care. He was creating the perfect song, a song inspired by Julie’s melody the other night.
Luke didn’t even flinch when Julie hovered over him to see what he was scribbling so passionately. She read the words with a frown, trying to make sense of his mess. She let out a surprised sigh when she finally got it.
“Oh.”
Luke’s head snaped at her, taken aback by her reaction.
“Oh?” He echoed her. “What does that mean?”
“You’re writing a song for my melody”
“Look, for all that’s worth, it is a killer melody” He grinned at her. His eyes twitching, result of his fourth cup of coffee. Julie pressed her lips, her eyes studying his.
“You can’t” Her voice was firm and serious, Luke stopped writing.
“W-what?” He frowned, “I can’t use your melody?”
“No, forget the melody, you can’t write this song, not when you are writing it for…” Her voice trailed off
“Hey, wait, is just a song” He tried to explain, with a fond smile. “It’s just art, you know, it doesn’t have to mean anything more than that.” Luke’s smiled faded as he watched Julie shift nervously and take a few steps back.
“This…this can’t happen, Luke” Julie warned.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.” She retorted giving him a sharp look. Luke stared at her in absolute confusion. Julie took a deep breath. “You know what? It’s ok, if you’re saying it’s just a song, then I believe you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah” She smiled tightly at him and he smiled back. “Go on, do your thing, rockstar” Julie gave him a thumbs up.
“You made it cheesy, angel face” Julie blinked a few times after hearing the new found nickname, then let out a soft chuckle.
“Now you’re calling me angel face, huh?” Luke just shrugged, unaffected.
“If you can’t beat them, join them, I guess” He said, opening his notebook again. “We’re good?” He checked.
“Yeah, we are.”
_______________
Julie was nowhere to be found. After their little banter at the studio and she assuring him everything was fine between them, he just couldn’t find her. She wasn’t there at the room with him, she wasn’t at the car, not even on his front door, waiting for him to come home. Luke ascended the stairs as fast as he could and sighed loudly with relief as he walked in his room and got a glimpse of the long curly hair scattered across his armchair. But as soon as the relieve of seeing her washed his body, it left, turning into anger and he couldn’t help but ask her dryly:
“Where were you? I've been looking for you all day!” She jumped, startled at sound of Luke's tone of voice, but soon turned back again, shifting in the armchair, avoiding his glare.
"I was trying to solve this problem.”
"What problem?" he asked in the same tone as before.
“I want to be invisible again," she confessed in a small, but firm, voice.
Luke was ready to jump the gun when he felt a lump in his throat when he heard her, stopping his tracks and took a deep breath. When he spoke, his tone of voice had none of his previous anger.
“What do you mean?”
"I'm doing only what you've been asking me all this time," Julie replied in a pout. He shrugged off his jacket thinking about she said. He hadn't kicked her out for days now, so he was caught completely by surprise by her decision.
"It won't make that much of a difference, will it?" he said at last, "I'll still know you're around.”
“It might not be me anymore," Julie replied vaguely, not realizing that it only confused Luke even more.
"But you are my angel," he stressed the word, trying to make her understand.
She got up from armchair bothered by his words walking away from him, stopping by the bedroom door. Julie took a few seconds to look at him again with a fluttering smile.
"You'll get a new one” Julie bit her lower lip “A less annoying one.”
"I don't want another angel," he said, "I want you.” Julie’s eyes got blown wide when she heard his words and took a step back as she noticed he was coming closer to her.
"I'm sorry I was rude to you all this time," Luke took a deep breath before continuing, "I never meant to hurt you, Julie.”
"You don't hurt me Luke," she gave him another sad smile “nothing you do can make me stop loving you.”
“Then why don't you want to be my angel anymore?”
Luke's question caught her off guard. She was hoping he'd just agree with what she said, and maybe even be happy to know she was leaving. She just didn't expect that.
"It's for the best," she said in a trembling voice before walking through him, returning to her chair, ignoring his presence.
________________
Luke had just gotten out of the shower, running his hand through his wet shaggy hair when his gaze fell directly into the empty armchair next to the window. He didn't remember seeing Julie since he woke up and not seeing her worried the shit out of him, wondering if she had already left.
"Julie?” Luke called out, visibly distressed. “JULIE?”
“Luke.”
He heard the voice coming from the bedroom door and felt the air coming back to his lungs. Julie walked slowly into the room as she looked at him with the curious eyes. As he gone used to it, he then proceeded to open the closet door and looked for his jacket.
"I thought you were gone," he murmured avoiding looking at her.
Julie sat in the armchair and tried to look away from Luke's back. He kept trying to sort the mess in his closet and didn’t notice that his angel watched him closely. Luke pulled some black jeans out of the closet and she tried her best to look away from his still uncovered legs. Julie felt her belly flutter as she watched him putting on his pants, her gaze fixed on his arms, following him in every move.
"Julie... " Luke called her in a low voice.
Realizing that she was staring blatantly at him, he lowered himself until he was the same height as her. Julie shook her head quickly, trying hard to ignore his fresh perfume which was so close to her face and stared at the floor instead.
"Everything ok?” he asked softly.
She nodded, deflecting his gaze and stared at the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the world and waited until Luke was fully clothed to lift her face again. He looked at Julie's concerned expression and frowned, not really sure what was going on with her.
"Are you sure you're okay?”
Julie nodded slightly and sank even more in the armchair as she watched him lower again in front of her. Luke's green eyes lingered on the sad smile his angel had and he guided his hand to hers instinctively. Unlike the other time he tried to touch her, he was not surprised to feel the leather of the couch instead of Julie's skin. She looked at the failed contact. He let out a low sigh at the sight of Julie’s mournful face, but didn’t move.
"I can almost feel it," she murmured sorely as she saw Luke's hand resting on hers, but not really feeling the touch.
___________________
He watched her from afar. They were on the beach again, just like in the beginning. The wind played with her dark curls as she walked along the beach in slow steps. The serious expression on her usually serene face got him worried. He walked towards her, seeing how she lifted her gaze when she saw him just a few steps away. Her brown eyes found his, and Luke realized something was wrong.
“What happened?" he asked by stopping beside her. He raised his hand to touch Julie's delicate face, but remembered that it would be impossible. She seemed to wait for the touch just to be disappointed as much as he was a beat later when she saw him lower his hand, frustrated.
“I'm leaving, Luke” she muttered lowering her face and staring at the sand beneath her feet. Luke felt like something was piercing him directly in his chest. “Things are different now.”
“Different how?” Julie looked at him again and Luke noticed her glossy eyes “Are you crying?" He took a step forward, and his hand ready to try to touch her again. “I thought angels didn’t cry”
“Angels don’t cry” Julie gave a small smile as a tear ran down her face. “Unless something changed.”
“And what changed?" Luke asked desperately that he could not comfort her.
“My love for you” she whispered before bringing her hands to her face. She looked down at her wet fingers for a second before looking up at him again. “And I couldn't love you like this.”
He was stunned for a few seconds just feeling the breeze brush his face bringing the sweet perfume Julie had that he liked so much. He was trying to process what she had just said.
“You won't be unprotected” Julie continued in a small voice. “There will be a new angel and I... I'm going to be responsible for someone else.”
"No, Julie," he hastened to say, "I-I need you... Please.” Julie blushed slightly and smiled shyly.
"I know you do” Julie took a step forward and stared at the brown eyes that stared at her eagerly. “That's why I stayed all this time.” Catching his confused expression, Julie's smile faded along. "I didn't know what else to do.” She took a step forward and stared at the white sand beneath her. “You were about to... that's why I showed up.”
Julie shut up and embraced her own fragile body. He ran his hand through his face long, remembering how he felt before meeting her.
"Even when you yelled at me and kicked me out” Julie stared at him, giving him a faint smile. “You needed me, so I couldn't leave. Now that everything's changed...”
"You can't go” he cut her off, unable to withhold the despair in his voice. “I still need you.”
“Goodbye, Luke.”
Luke didn't move, knowing it would be useless to stop her. Julie gave him one last smile before turning her back to him, walking towards the sea without looking back.
____________________
He opened his eyes and found himself in his room. He knew it was a dream —the worst of them all—but he couldn't help but feel like there was something strange in the air. He lit the lamp and glanced, in a hurry, at the armchair next to the window. She wasn't there. His heart began to beat fast and an agony took over his body.
"Julie?" Luke called, waiting to hear her voice or watch her big entrance in the room with her usual warm smile. But nothing happened.
He got up hastily and went down the stairs hurriedly. Even if he was running in the dark, he knew he wouldn't fall. She wouldn't let him fall, even if she was hiding.
“Jules, I know you're here,” he grunted looking around. “Stop trying to piss me off.”
He held his breath when he heard a noise coming from upstairs and climbed the stairs again, trying to get there before she was gone. He looked around the room again, hoping to see her sitting on the armchair with an amused smile on her lips, but the only thing he saw was the wind coming through the open window.
___________________
Luke came back to the studio and closed the door behind him. It had been twoo weeks since he last saw Julie. His empty house only made him even more upset so he decided to go to the studio. He had been going everywhere he used to and still hadn’t found Julie in any of them. He dropped on the chair and let out a chuckle at the sight of his chaotic notebook. He never imagined he’d be missing her endless complaints about his disorganization.
"Julie?" he called when he heard a noise coming from across the room. It was worth the try.
He caught himself calling her whenever he heard a noise or a familiar perfume in the air. It had been even worse than when she was here. He could feel his mind losing its grip from reality every day. Luke burried his face in his hands trying to pull himself together. He grabbed his guitar and opened his notebook at the last page, where Julie was written all over. Luke began strumming the chords of his acoustic, the melody he had burned in his mind.
Step into my world… bittersweet love story about a girl
Shook me to the core
A smile creeped out his lips as he plucked a few chords, remembering how she hummed the melody, looking up the stars above her head, so perfect
Voice like and angel, never heard before
He went on, letting his fingers bring his feelings to life, playing as if she could hear it, hoping she could hear it, from wherever she was.
He played a few more times, feeling his chest full with love and heartbreak. The annoying chime of his phone made him stop playing, letting out a grumbling before he answered it, vexed.
"Luke?”
"Doctor Christine?" he straightened himself up in the chair. “I was thinking of calling really...”
"Great," the woman answered kindly. “I called to see when you will go through your initial tests so we can start your treatment.”
Luke closed his eyes and remembered the tests the doctor had requested at the end of his first appointment. They were tests that would show if he still had some sanity left, after all, she saw him staring at his hallucination throughout his session. He bitterly regretted going to her. If he'd known how much he'd miss Julie, he wouldn't have sought medical help.
"Doctor...” he trailed off “I don't see her anymore.”
“You don't see her anymore?”
"Julie left," Luke admitted in a low voice, "For good, I think.”
"Isn't that good, Luke?" she asked tentatively. “Didn't you come to me because you wanted her gone?”
"This was all a big mistake," Luke took a deep breath, resigned “I was an idiot for wanting to get rid of the most beautiful thing that has ever happened in my life.”
Luke walked into the hospital with a shred of hope. If he was being honest, he expected Julie to be by Emily's bedside, talking to other angels and smiling. When he opened his mom bedroom door and only saw the brunette woman sleeping peacefully, he felt his heart drop. He felt it every time he walked into any familiar place and didn't see her there.
"Luke?” The gray-haired doctor approached him with a friendly smile, holding a tablet as usual. "Why the long face, my dear?” she looked at him over the rectangular glasses. “The surgery will be a success, I’m sure of it.”
"Surgery?" he asked confused "Is she finally gonna get her surgery?”
"Later today," the doctor raised her eyebrows, "I thought Emily had told you about it.”
"No," Luke replied quietly, "I didn't want to wake her”
"Don't worry," Dr. Turner said when she saw his face “it's only a matter of time before she gets better.”
Luke nodded slightly, not actually paying attention on what the doctor was saying. His gaze was set at the end of the hall, where a dark-haired woman walked quietly toward the hospital exit. Her curly hair was kind of messy, and her clothes were a bit dirty.
"Julie?" Luke called out with hopeful tone in his voice.
He felt his heart beating faster and faster as he approached her, outside the hospital. The woman kept walking unaware of the person running towards her.
"Julie," he smiled as he approached her.
Realizing Luke was talking to her, the woman turned around and looked at him confused. Luke's smile soon disappeared when he realized it wasn't Julie.
"I'm sorry, I think I mistook you for someone else.” He quickly apologized. The expression of disappointment on his face was so clear that the woman gave him a sympathetic smile before walking away.
Luke stood there in the middle of the street, watching the low traffic near his house, he didn’t want to go home just yet, but still didn’t go back to the hospital, so he decided to take a walk there trying to not think about his mom surgery. He needed to pull himself together before he could see her.
His eyes scanned the street and chuckled sadly when he realized he started to look for Julie unconsciously. He walked back inattentively, just a few feet away from his house, hearing the rooming of the cars. He didn't bother with the snoring of the engines, until a loud horn caught his attention. He recognized the woman who had just crossed the street a few feet away carelessly and felt something cold coming down his spine.
He'd been looking for her for so long, he thought he was delirious. She kept her arms wrapped around her body, protecting herself from the cold wind of the evening and walked slowly down the street, looking around befuddled. It was then when she caught Luke’s eyes from across the street and stared at him with curious eyes, immediately stopping her tracks. He could see her brown eyes staring at him in a mix of fear and disorientation before she looked away. The girl started to walk again but Luke was faster and approached her in quick steps. He wouldn't lose her again.
"Julie," he whispered, flabbergasted by the sight of her.
She turned and blinked disheveled in Luke's direction. She licked her dry lips and embraced herself, feeling the cold wind hit her body which was covered by only a white summer dress. Luke put his hands on hers and smiled relieved as he felt her brown skin touch his. It was warm and incredibly soft, like silk. The girl took a step forward before her eyes closed and her small body softened, falling on his as he held her in his arms for the first time.
_______________________
He couldn't look away from the woman lying on the couch in front of him. He had brought her home desperate to take care of her. He was so lucky to they were so close to his house. The black jacket he was wearing earlier was now over her shoulders, warming her up like a blanket. Luke held her small hand between his, stroking lightly over the soft skin of her knuckles.
His gaze fell to their joined hands and something inside him shuddered. He thought he could never feel it. He thought he'd never know what it was like to touch her, it wasn’t like anything else he had felt before. She was delicate, little. The glowy brown skin looked like it was made just so he could caress and kiss and made Luke's heart beat fast every time he touched it. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes slowly, blinking several times.
“Hi, Julie” Luke murmured barely holding his smile. She smiled in response and her gaze fell on the hand he held and caressed.
“Hi” she said with a faint voice after a few seconds of silence. He missed that voice so much. “Who are you?”
“Luke Patterson” he answered without letting go of her hand. Somehow, he was ready for that.
She frowned guardedly. She felt he wasn't a stranger. She somehow remembered that hoarse voice, and his perfume was also familiar to her. But at the same time, she couldn't remember anything concrete on her own. Not even her own name.
“And who am I?”
Luke took a deep breath and approached her gingerly. Her brown eyes stared at him with an almost palpable curiosity.
“You’re the woman I love.” Julie blinked a few times, confused by that statement, but something inside her made her smile. For some reason, incomprehensible, she expected to hear that.
“And I’m assuming we were...” she searched for a right word, failing miserably. “Something?” Luke smiled.
“You were my angel.”
Julie sat on the couch and felt the jacket slipping down her shoulder. Luke reached it to put it back on, but froze the instant he felt Julie’s warm fingertips on his face. She slowly traced his jaw with her fingers, lingering on every streak of his face as if trying to remember what had happened to her. Luke clutched her other hand as her thumb grazed his lips gently. She pulled her hand back red-faced, but Luke just beamed at her.
"I dreamed of you," she murmured, locking her eyes in his "but I was leaving... Why?”
His breath hitched as he felt the sweet perfume close to him once again. Julie came in closer not at all realizing the effect she had on him. She just simply wanted to be close to him feeling she’d been away from him for too long.
"You left because you thought I didn't love you.” Julie stared at him in silence. She gnawed at her lip and took a deep breath, mustering the courage to finally ask.
"And do you? Love me?” Her eyes were bright and warm.
He didn't have to think to answer that. It’s true that he’d been stubborn since the beginning and even rude a few times, simply because he knew she was just too good for him, afraid to let her in, but he could finally admit to himself and to everyone else he was definitely better after having Julie in his life.
"More than anything," Luke watched her sweet brown eyes glisten.
Julie leaned in to his face slowly, feeling her breath shudder, just like his. Her hands found its place in Luke's nape and pressed her lips to his softly. A tingling took over his body making him shudder. What he was feeling was unlike anything else. It was as if the world around him had stop, and the only thing that really mattered was the woman in his arms.
_________________________
Luke just couldn’t pull away from Julie, completely in awe every time her angel face blushed at his remarks. They spent the whole night talking, kissing, and cuddling. He told her their story and how shitty it was the time she wasn’t around. Julie was taking it all like a champ, he must say. She would always have a sharp remark about their banter to which Luke didn’t had much to respond, his initial shock as fading as they talked and he realized it was the same Julie he called angel face a few weeks ago.
They were still discovering things about themselves and talking was the best thing to do it.
Julie was beyond excited when he told her he wrote a song about her. She immediately wanted to hear it, so Luke played for her for the first time, watching her every reaction. It was so different from the first she knew about it. Her gaze fixed in his fingers on his acoustic guitar, raising slowly to his mouth, then his green eyes, feeling every word, every chord. After he finished, he caught her humming at the melody and his chest fluttered.
“What’s the name of the song?”
“Perfect harmony” He replied, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes were glossed with tears, smiling widely at him.
“I love it.” She said, closing their distance. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I had a good inspiration to drawn from” He smirked, making her grin.
At some point of the night, when they were both cuddling in the same couch they were when he brought her, he heard her stomach growl and laughed when she looked at him embarrassed.
“You’re hungry, angel face” He pointed as he stood, bringing her with him to his kitchen. “C’mon, let me put some food in you.”
Julie just sat there on the counter where she had been so many times before, babbling about his breakfast choices were questionable, only now she was alive and could actually try his bacon waffle and syrup. Luke stared at her in complete wonder as she took the first bite.
“Hmm, well, I can see the appeal” Julie said, still trying to get used to the mixed flavor. “But maybe next time drop the syrup.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be craving this in no time, just wait and see”
“Oh, is that right?” She said, tilting her head defiantly as Luke have seen time and time again. He smirked back, leaning into her from the other side of the counter.
“Oh yeah, it’s on.” He pecked her lips softly feeling the sweetness of the syrup on his now. “We have all the time in the world” He whispered to her lips, locking eyes with her, feeling her smile on his skin.
___________________________
His arms were now around Julie's waist as he guided her down the hospital hall to Emily's room. They talked about her meeting his mom at some point last night and Julie seemed oddly excited to meet/see her. So as soon he got a text from his dad saying that her surgery had gone perfectly well and she was resting in her room, Luke took Julie by the hand and headed to the hospital. Neither Julie nor Luke slept but they honestly didn’t even notice. As far as they were concerned the time around them had just froze for a moment, for their moment.
"You don't like dark clothes...” Luke said, counting the items in his free hand. “And there's an armchair in my room that you spend most of your time.”
Julie beamed when she felt him kissing the top of his head fondly. They stopped in front of Emily's room door and she felt Luke's arm tightening around her.
"So, she doesn’t know me?" Julie double-checked.
"She was already here when I met you," he replied taking a quick glance at her “so, no” Julie nodded lightly.
Luke opened the bedroom door slowly and caught his mom looking absently at the ceiling. When she noticed Luke’s presence, a wide smile took over her face and immediately reached for the bandages in her head. His father was nowhere to be seen.
"Don't even think about touching that bandage," Luke scolded her with a grin.
"But I should!" Emily retorted, but shot him another smile when she realized that Julie stood timidly near the door. “You decide to introduce me to your girlfriend just when I’m straight out of surgery and all ugly!”
Luke cackled as he saw Julie get flustered and pulled her back into his arms. She sheepishly lowered her face and Luke kissed her temple. Emily watched all that unable to contain her excitement.
“Where did dad go?” Luke asked, coming closer to her bed.
“He went home grab some clothes, he should be back soon.” His mom replied, now focused on Julie. “Let her go for minute, Luke” she pleaded seeing how the curls covered Julie’s face. Luke let her go slightly, clearly displeased. His hands were still around her waist and she was smiling at his mom. “It’s so nice to finally meet you…”
“Julie” the girl trailed off, shooting a glance at Luke, suddenly feeling embarrassed at the realization that she didn’t remember her last name.
“Julie Patterson” he claimed kissing her flustered face again.
Emily raised her eyebrows, looking from Luke to Julie, then let out a light chuckle which turned into a laugh when she saw her son's eyes glittering towards the curly haired girl. Luke couldn’t remember when it was the last time he heard his mom laugh so carefree like that.
“I’m glad you guys found each other.” Emily said delighted. “Julie, you look like a...” she smiled when she found the right word. “An angel.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been told” Julie beamed at Luke through her lashes watching him stare back at her in amazement.
Fin