Her day had been uneventful for the most part. Sure, she'd gotten mad at her mother, but other than that, it had been alright.

It had been a good day.

She had been to the beach, had gotten a cute boy's number, and the dress she had been fitted with was incredibly cute, she thought. It was a yellow, summery dress that was still smart enough for her parents' tastes, and flared out around her, making her feel like a dancer. It also matched a silver and white purse she had perfectly, and in general, made her feel pretty good.

It had, overall, been a pretty great day, really.

She was looking forward to the party, as well. Almost all of her school friends were going to be there, and she was looking forward to seeing them again.

Luke was almost completely from her mind.

Almost. She couldn't help but remember the last New Years, and how she had felt when they kissed.

She tried to push the thoughts away, but they kept creeping back in.

So she just ignored them, dressed up in her nice outfit, and headed down to where Pete was waiting by the car. It was only 4:30, but her mum wanted her to be there to greet any guests that might show up early, and the venue was about three quarters of an hour away.

Pete greeted her with a smile and opened the door for her. "You're looking lovely, buttercup. I see you're wearing your favourite colour."

She smiles back as she got in. "You like it? I would say I chose it myself, but that's the stylist's job."

He chuckled and shut the door.

Moments later, they were on their way, and K was checking her phone to find a barrage of messages. She went to the first one, which was an all caps message from an excitable friend from school, named Thea. Along with the message, was a link. Confused, K tapped on copied it to her clipboard and opened it in her phone's browser.

It opened to a news website, an article titled Diaz down under?!?!

Her pulse started to race, but she shook her head, and trying to calm her aching heart. With a deep breath, she scrolled down and read an article.

Luke Diaz, international pop sensation, is scheduled to be flying across to the USA for a series of concerts on the west coast across January. After touring Europe for the past few months with his 'Ecstatic' Tour the pop star's fans in America are eagerly awaiting his return.

However, it seems that Diaz' plane has gotten sidetracked, because at midday, his private jet landed in his homeland of Sydney, Australia.Diaz hasn't made a statement on why he has returned, but the guess is to visit his family and friends over New Years.

In any case, Luke is still set to be in the Sunny LA for his kickoff performance on the fifth, so if you're a Californian fan, there is no need to fret!

K's eyes brimmed with tears. She thought back to last year, the promise she had asked him to make.

"Can you promise me that this time, next year, we'll be together. Whatever happens?"

"I promise."

Had Luke come back for her? Was he here to apologise, to get down on one knee and tell her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her?

It was too much to hope for. She knew it. But still, some part of her wanted him to call, come and sweep her off her feet.

She let herself hope, just ever so slightly, that everything would be alright between them. Yet, even though she hoped, she didn't even know if she wanted it to be. She had no idea if she wanted him back. He had hurt her. Badly. How could she just forgive him like that? If she were to see him, she had no idea what she would do. Would she want to punch him, or kiss him?

She didn't know. She didn't know if she wanted to find out.

"Now, your mother has explicitly told me that you're not to leave early, and I think that if I were to disobey her, both you and I would be in big trouble." Pete said, looking over at her with a jokingly sympathetic grin. "She wants to take you home personally after the party is done, whenever that is, so once I've dropped you off, I'm heading home. If you absolutely need to escape, then I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

She smiled back at him, trying to quell her aching heart. "That's okay, Pete."

He glanced at her troubled face and frowned. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, glancing at the picture on her phone. "Luke's back in the country. He arrived at lunchtime."

Pete frowned. "Whoa. Talk about timing. Have you talked to him?"

She shook her head again. "No. I found out from the Paparazzi, can you believe it?"

"Oof. That's rough. Well, whatever happens, just keep in mind that you're better than him." Pete gave her a comforting smile, and she returned it, even though she didn't believe him.

Sure, maybe he had cheated on her first. But she had cheated on him right back, even worse than he had. She wouldn't call that better.

They were close to the party now, driving along the ocean road up to the function centre. K looked down at the ocean, waves crashing wildly against the rocks below. It was a dark, and dangerous blue, surly and mysterious as it swirled with sea foam.

K looked away as Pete pulled into the carpark of the function centre. K climbed out, grabbing her white purse, and pasting on a smile.

"Good luck, buttercup." Pete said, flashing her a grin. She smiled back, hiding the nervousness stirring within her.

"I guess I'll see you next year." She said, as she shut the door. Pete waved, and drove off. K watched him go, then turned and walked to the front doors of the centre.

She took a deep breath at the door, steeling herself, then headed inside.

Her parents were already there, her mother standing by the window, talking to a familiar-looking woman in a blue pantsuit, and her father was sitting by the bar, looking bored and swishing a glass of liquor.

K's mother pays no attention to her entrance, so K went and sat at the bar stool beside her father.

"Hey, Brooke." He said, with a worn smile.

"Good evening." She said, tiredly. She dragged her eyes from her mother's bright red dress and to the bartender, that was standing vacantly, wiping the bench beneath the bar. "Can I get an apple cider?"

Her father looked at her horrified for a moment, then as she pulled out her ID, his face softened. "Sorry, Brooke. I sometimes forget how old you are."

"Almost nineteen, dad, so thanks for the concern, but I am allowed to have a drink." She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

He just makes a mumbled apology, and looks over at his wife, who seems to be forcibly laughing with the secretary woman. In any sense, the woman doesn't notice the show of theatrics.

"Is she in a good mood?" Brooke asked her father, under her voice.

He shook his head ever so slightly. "She was upset by your phone call. It's not your fault though. She's been stressing all day over tonight. She regrets inviting your friends. Think's they're gonna encourage gatecrashers, or something. Turn this into one of your teen parties."

K sighed, annoyed, but not surprised. "That's not going to happen. The people from school aren't like that. At least, not anymore."

Her dad just shrugged, and finally drank the last mouthful of his glass, and looked to the door. "The Hooper's are here. Come greet your cousins."

K had just been given her bottle of cider, but silently left it there and stood, following her father and pasting back on her own rehearsed smile. Just like her mother, she acted as though everything was funny, and she was a friendly and charming hostess, even though, underneath, all she was thinking about was the bleach-blond boy who had promised her a ring this time last year.

She greeted cousins, aunts, uncles, people she hadn't seen since her grandparent's funeral. She also welcomed her parent's business partners, as well as her own friends, some of which she hadn't seen since graduation. By the time her father gave her the nod to go, someone had stolen her drink from the bar, and the room was filled to the brim with people.

She spot a group of her school friends over in the corner of the room, by the windows and glass door out to the balcony area that looked over the ocean. She didn't bother get another drink, instead deciding to stay sober, and headed over to the group of bubbly girls.

The girls greeted her, complemented her outfit, asked her how she was doing, and all the other pleasantries before they settled back into their conversation.

She stood, not actively a part of the conversation, but just kind of there. She kept subconsciously checking the door, then catching herself and feeling guilty.

After a little while, she just tuned out to the conversation entirely, and looked down at the waves crashing against the rocks below. They

Suddenly, she heard her name, and turned to see the group staring at her, looking concerned. "You okay, K?" A curly red head asked. It was Thea, who the excitably friend that had sent her the link to the news article earlier.

She nodded, dazed. "Oh yeah, no. I'm alright. Just thinking."

"About Luke?" A short girl said bluntly. Her name was Cassie, and she was never one to fluff around with words.

Brooke nodded uncomfortably.

"What about Luke?" A clueless blonde named Ally asked.

It was Cassie that replied. "Oh, he's in the country again. Landed earlier today, and it was leaked to the press."

"Oh, that's great news!" Ally said, brightly. "When was the last time you saw him, K?"

The rest of the group gave her warning glares, but K just sighed. "We've haven't even been on speaking terms these past few months, let alone seeing each other."

Ally looked shocked. "Really? What happened?"

Thea cleared her throat abruptly. "Hey, Ally, how about we talk about it later. I don't think K really wants to talk about this."

K gave Thea a thankful smile. Thea was closer to her than most of the other girls. K had talked to her first after Luke had posted that photo. Thea had always wanted the two of them to work it out, but respected the fact that it was complicated. K was glad when the conversation returned to the latest romantic comedy that some of them were raving about. She didn't tune completely out again, but rather just only half payed attention to the conversation, and looked out at a boat which was bobbing along the ocean a ways out from shore.

It was a party boat, and she wasn't particularly captivated or interested by it, it was just something moving she could focus her eyes on.

"Hey, do you guys wanna dance?" Someone suggested in the group behind her, to an enthusiastic response.

In a matter of seconds, K was being dragged from the window and to the dance floor on the other side of the room. A soft ballad was playing over the speakers, probably something her mother had picked. One of the girls went straight over, pulled up some Katy Perry or some other pop artist on her phone, and wrenched the aux chord out and into her own. The party was shocked at the sudden change in soundtrack, but after a moment, K's youngest cousins squealed and started dancing wildly on the floor, and everyone laughed and went on with their conversations.

K was pulled into a circle of her friends dancing, and soon enough, other people had joined in, and it was far from a rave, but as she danced surrounded by aunts, uncles, and tight fitted business associates, her heart seemed to melt into something resembling content.

Whoever it was that had put the music on was playing a playlist of singalong, dance hits, and with each one, it seemed that more and more people were joining in, throwing away care, and getting in on the fun.

K noticed her mother watching with a disapproving look from the corner, but she didn't care. These people were having fun. She was having fun. So who cared if her mother wasn't?

They danced through song upon song, until they were donned with smiles, and laden from head to toe with beads of sweat. Breathing heavily, she and Thea wrenched themselves from the dance floor and collapsed at the bar.

Thea reached over and filled each of them a cup of water from the tap beside the bar, handed K hers with a shaky hand, then skulled her own, and filled it up again.

K giggled and sipped at her own. "Ooh, Thea is thirsty." She said, in a joking tone, drawing out the y sound of thirsty.

"Oh, shut up. What are you, 12?" Thea said, with a grin.

"I know you are but what am I?" The two erupted in giggles, and K went back to sipping her cup of water. After a moment she asked, "How long is it until midnight?"

Thea tapped her apple watch, to reveal the time. "11:27. So roughly half an hour now. You looking forward to the new year?"

K shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. I just feel like I don't have any direction in my life at the moment. I need something to kick me into gear. You know what I mean?"

Thea nodded. "I felt like that for a little, do you remember? Toward the end of exams last year, I just feel like I was a fish out of water, floundering around, trying to figure out how to get back into the ocean and keep swimming."

K nodded. She did remember. Thea had basically had an existential crisis over her purpose in the midst of the exams that are supposed to be the most important ones in your life.

K did well in those exams. She could do anything she wanted to, really. The problem was, she didn't know what that was. So she took a gap year. But she still hadn't applied to any Uni's that year, and she still didn't have a job, and she didn't know what to do.

Along with not having a career path, she had lost her boyfriend, and didn't know if she were to find another anytime soon.

With a sigh, she drank the rest of her glass of water in one go and painted her smile back on. "Come on, I don't want to think about this right now. Let's go dance again."

So they did. Yet, even though nothing had really changed, it seemed as though the fun had been lost. Now her mind was thinking about her future, and the upcoming year, wondering if she were ever going to find something she wanted to do, or if she was just going to waste away, the rich people's kid, adding nothing to the world she lived in.

Laden heavy with these depressing thoughts, K slipped away from the dance floor, and excused herself to the bathroom. Inside, she found herself staring at the mirror, looking at her reflection, and wondering if that was all she was.

After a few minutes, someone knocked on the door, so she fake flushed the toilet, washed her hands, and headed back into the party.

She didn't go dance, again, though. Nor did she try and find a conversation to be a part of. Instead, she went to the window, and looked down at the crashing waves.

"Brooke." Said a voice behind her. Her mother. K went stiff, then turned to face the woman.

"What is it?" She asked, tiredly.

Her mother shook her head. "Manners, Brooke. I came to ask how you've been."

K shook her head, and gave her mother a tired look. "What is it you really came over for?"

Her mother rolled her eyes. "Any stranger wouldn't know that I raised you. Honestly, Brooke, what's gotten into you?"

K looked down at the hem of her mother's dress, and gave an exasperated sigh. "Mum, did you come over to lecture me? Because if so, could you do it another time?"

Her mother huffed, and muttered about how ungrateful she was. Then she cleared her throat, and asked what she really had come over to ask. "Have you been accepted to any universities?"

K lifted her face to look in her mother in the eyes. She'd never told her that she had even applied for Uni, her mother had just assumed. "No." She said, in a cold voice. "And I doubt it's going to happen."

Her mother pursed her lips. "Alright. Then I am taking you on as an intern."

K thought she didn't hear correctly at first, and stared at her mother, in shock. Then, once her mind had processed what the woman had said, she blinked. "What? An intern?"

Her mother nodded. "Yes, an intern for the company. You aren't doing anything, Brooke, and it is not good for our reputation. So I'm giving you a respectable job, in the family company."

Brooke shook her head, frowning. "What if I don't want to work for the company?"

Her mother clamped a hand down on her arm, and stepped closer. In a hushed whisper, she said angrily, "Don't be ridiculous. You need to. I won't let you live off my wallet for eternity, squabbling away, forever ungrateful. You need to work for yourself, Brooke. You're not a little girl anymore."

"Don't you think I know that?" K said, exasperatedly. "You made it perfectly clear when you kicked me out and shoved me in my own apartment the moment you could. I'm not your kid anymore, and I'm only your daughter when you want me to be."

Her mother's face went dark. "You're so ungrateful." She spat.

K rolled her eyes. "That seems to be your favourite word tonight. I'm oh so ungrateful for your money, and your apartment, and your respectable internship. Well, guess what, mother. I never wanted any of those things. So go ahead and cut me off. Kick me out of the empty apartment that you shoved me in. I didn't want it in the first place. You knew exactly what I wanted, exactly, but you couldn't give it to me. The one thing that should have been the easiest thing to do you couldn't even try."

Her voice was breaking, and her mothers steely face seemed to be cracking. K took a deep breath, and spoke in a hard voice.

"It's been over six years, mum. Six years. And I'm sorry. I always will be. But a parent is supposed to love their child unconditionally. So maybe I'm ungrateful. But you never gave me what I needed."

Her mother was silent, and K wrenched her arm from the woman's strong hold and gave her a glare. She then spun, opened the glass door out onto the balcony, and stormed out into the warm summer air. Her mother didn't follow her.

Tears in her eyes, and heart aching, K walked to the glass bannister that encompassed the balcony, and looked out at the ocean, and the rumbling clouds that hand over the horizon that were rolling ever closer to the shore.

Outside, the air still, the sound of waves crashing beneath her, and people chatting mutedly behind her, K began to cry.

No one could hear her. Her mother didn't come to comfort her. Her father was no where to be seen.

Alone, she cried. Then she heard the door behind her sliding, and the familiar footfall of someone behind her. She went silent, and they wrapped their arms around her in an embrace.

"What are you doing here?" She said, her voice tired and worn, as his familiar scent overwhelmed the sea salt.

"I wanted to see you." He said, his voice more husky than she had last heard it.

She sighed, then breathed in deeply. "I wanted to see you too." She said, and she knew that she was telling the truth. She did want to see him. She wanted him to do what he had just done, show up like a night in shining armour, and fix everything. But as the waves crashed beneath them, and he actually was there, K realised that it wasn't that simple.

"Why did you come back?" She asked, quietly.

He kissed her lightly beneath her ear.

"I missed you. I know I stuffed up. Big time. But we've both made mistakes, and I'm ready to forgive and forget."

She shook her head, her mind becoming foggy as his lips work down her neck. "Why now, Luke? Why are you suddenly running back now?"

He continued kissing her, but between each one, he whispered onto her skin. "Because I don't think this should be over. We were so good, baby, and we can be good again."

His lips hit the sensitive spot on her collarbone and she shivered, took a deep breath, and though it was hard, asked, "What do you mean? How? You're never here, Luke. We haven't seen each other for months. And you and I have both discovered that distance hardly makes the heart grow fonder."

His hands were running over her skin, and she wanted ever so badly to stop them, stop him from kissing her flesh so softly, and turning her mind to mush. At the same time, she didn't want him to stop. She hadn't felt anyone like that in so long, and she craved it. She wanted his touch oh so badly.

"I know, baby. But I don't want to be distant from you anymore. I want to be with you. That way we can keep each other in check." He said this into her ear, his voice a whisper that sent chills down her spine.

She couldn't think straight. She shook her head. "What do you mean, Luke? You can't stay here, you have fans, and a tour to give."

His hand reached up to cup her chin, then he stepped back and slowly drew her away from the glass fence, and spun her around gradually so she was facing him.

"I know I can't stay here." He said, softly, then leant in and whispered in her ear, "I wan't you to come with me."

Her mind cleared as she heard this, and she froze for a moment, before shaking her head. "Wait, what? Go with you? As in, on tour?"

He started touching her again, nodding, but she stopped him.

"Hold on, Luke. Just- Hold up for a second. We need to talk, and I can't focus when you're..." She trailed off, and looked in his eyes. He stopped running his handover her hips, and stood still, though his eyes told her he didn't want to stop.

"Come, on, baby. Come with me." He said, drawing closer.

She shook her head and scrunched up her eyes. "No, Luke. I can't. You-" She broke off, trying to find the words. Anger seemed to be filling her, frustration now that she could think straight.

"What about me, baby? What's holding you back? You don't have to stay here. So what is it?" He said, his voice husky, and low.

K shook her head again. "You can't just come back here, whisk me across the world, and suddenly make everything right, Luke. That's not how it works."

For the first time, his cool demeanour seemed to crack. "Why not, baby? Why can't you at least try?"

"Because it's not that easy." K said, staring at him, the frustration and exasperation building up inside her. "That's not how life works. It's not how love works. Love is cruel, and though it may grow strong, it can be shattered in an instant. You broke me, Luke. You hurt me so bad that I'm still putting myself back together. I can't just forgive you for that, then waltz off as though nothing ever happened."

Luke looked confused, and seemed to be starting to get annoyed. "Brooke, please-"

"Don't call me that! For christ's sake, Lukas, don't call me that."

He was taken aback by this. "Fine, then, K, would you just-"

"Don't call me that either!" K said, feeling helplessly frustrated. "You can't call me that like you know me, like you have been here for me this past year?! Where were you when I was struggling with my own identity, when I felt that no one knew who I was, not even me. You weren't here for why I started calling myself K, so don't."

Luke rolled his eyes and raised his hands in indignation. "Fine then, what do you want me to bloody call you, Ms Keller???"

This stopped her in her tracks and a lump rose in her throat. In a soft voice, she spoke, looking him in the eyes. "What about Mrs Diaz? Whatever happened to that plan, Luke?"

It was as though the fire she'd felt towards him moments ago was suddenly gone, and all she felt was regret.

"You know-" her voice broke, but she kept going. "You know, one year ago, you promised me that you would marry me. One year ago, you said I was your forever. Whatever happened to that plan?"

There was hurt in his eyes at that. His own remorse. "Nothing happened to the plan, babe. You can still be my forever. I can be yours. Please. This year will be better. You just need to come with me."

He grabbed her hand, delicately, holding it in his own and looking at her with hopeful eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek.

She didn't know what she felt. She could see the remorse in his eyes. She could see how much he wanted her as they looked into each others eyes.

She gave him a small, broken, smile. He smiled back at her.

She noticed how close they were.

Behind him, the room suddenly went silent, and people started to countdown.

They didn't call the numbers. They just stared at each other, a million words needing to be said between them, but none even making a sound.

She didn't know what she felt. Elation at the new year? Joy that he was here with her? That he wanted her back?

It had been such a long year.

She wanted to be optimistic. She wanted to think that he was right, and this year would be better. She wanted more than anything for the two of them to work out.

Yet he'd let her down. She couldn't trust him anymore.

She didn't know what to feel.

She didn't think she was supposed to feel scared. She didn't think she was supposed to feel like she had earlier that day, surrounded by water and completely and utterly alone.

"Are you ready?" Luke asked her, with shining eyes.

She stared into the eyes she used to love and tried to conjure an answer. It seemed that the seconds stretched on forever, the countdown lingering on each number as though no one wanted to let go of the year, or the past.

She heard the call of two reach her ears and she opened her mouth. At one, she whispered a single word.

"No."

Yet as the new year spread through them all, his lips came down on hers, and she didn't have the chance to push him away.

Fear gripped her sides. She knew what she felt.

She felt scared.

Luke's lips on hers, the world crashed in around them. K saw immense white, and then, the heat, and the explosion, over took her, and everything went dark.

Authors Note

Hi there my unexplainable readers. You are still here. That's cool.

Hey guess what?? I've found a website I can successfully self publish, and turn this thing into an actual book. Would you buy it? I still gotta finish and edit it, but now its a serious possibility. What do you think, dude?

Yeah, pretty cool. Let me know what you think if you're there. Also vote and comment and all that jazz that authors usually say in these.

See you next Tuesday, or in a comment, or later on if you're reading this after.

Amelia