CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

THIS IS HOW YOU FALL IN LOVE — JEREMY ZUCKER & CHELSEA CUTLER
This is how you fall in love
Let go and I'll hold you up

OLIVIA LOVED HER friends, but if any of them ever asked her to go to a wedding that wasn't their own, her answer would be a stone cold no.

The ceremony was long and boring, the minister's voice was drawling, and the happy couple didn't even write their own vows. If Olivia was excited for anything other than the dinner reception, it was the vows. She wanted to see what two people who loved each other would say. But instead of grand descriptions of love and promises of forever, she got the standard 'in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer'. Don't get her wrong, those vows are great (after all, they're standard for a reason), but she wanted to hear something more heartfelt. Perhaps it was just the hopeless romantic in her.

Cocktail hour consisted of hors d'oeuvres and socializing with Bobby's new extended family. Jenny seemed to be the youngest of her family, so the six teens were subjected to a lot of adults wishing to relive their youth by questioning them about things like their love lives or what they planned to do when they were older.

After dinner was served and the speeches were given (Bobby's best man speech receiving the loudest applause, curtesy of his bandmates), the dancing ensued.

Bobby had blackmailed one of his cousins into supplying him with alcohol from the bar which meant that he and Reggie were drunk off their asses. Alex refused to touch another drink, still traumatized by his tabletop performance on New Years, and Luke was driving so he was sober as well. Olivia wasn't drunk, but she did have a shot of tequila after Bobby persuaded her to. All the adults turned a blind eye at the teenagers underage drinking. It was a wedding after all, no need to cause a scene.

"Hey," Luke said to Allie, placing a hand on her arm and leaning closer so she could hear him over the music. He glanced over at his friends on the dance floor. "Are you sure you're okay to drive them home later?"

Allie gave him a look. They've gone over the plan countless times, but Luke's nerves still haven't settled. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "I'll take care of your boys. You take care of your girl."

He smiled gratefully before leaving her side and making his way to his bandmates.

Olivia's eyes lit up when she saw Luke walking towards her and she reached out for him. When he was close enough, he took her hand and spun her around. Her dress flared out around her legs and brushed against him as he pulled her in. Her back was pressed against his front and his arms locked around her chest. His chin rested on the top of her head and she could practically feel his smile.

"We're gonna head out now," Luke said to the other boys.

Reggie scrunched his eyebrows. "Leaving so soon?"

"Where are you going?" Alex questioned.

Bobby gave him a suggestive look, already knowing the plans Luke had for Olivia. "Have fun, kids." He wiggled his eyebrows at them.

Luke rolled his eyes and let go of Olivia. He left Alex and Reggie's questions unanswered, figuring that Bobby and Allie would fill them in on his plan to take Olivia out on their first date. He took her hand and pulled her away, guiding her through the venue towards the exit.

"Where are you taking me, headache?"

Olivia's heels clicked against the tile floor of the banquet hall's lobby, the sound dampening as they stepped out into the late summer evening. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the city.

"It's a surprise."

A smile spread over her lips as they walked through the parking lot. "The date," she mused in realization.

"Well, I did say it would happen after the wedding, did I not?" Luke unlocked the side door of his dad's station wagon and opened it for her.

Olivia was about to get in, but paused once she spotted Reggie's candy wrappers in the back seat. "What about the others?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing as she straightened up. "You drove them here. How are they going to get home?"

"Allie has the keys to Bobby's car, she's going to take them home later." Luke leaned against the open door and looked down at her. "Trouble, don't worry. Everything's taken care of, now get in the car."

"Alright, boss." With a sarcastic salute, she got in.

Luke shut the door and jogged around the front of the car. As he backed out of the parking spot, his arm rested on the back of Olivia's chair. He didn't notice her playing with the dials of the radio.

"So," Olivia said after finding a suitable song, "what are we doing?"

"It's a—"

"Surprise, I know. Can't you tell me anything?"

The car stopped as they approached a red light and Luke looked over at the girl beside him. The sunset had passed its golden peak and the sky was now painted in a lilac purple, just like the dress donning Olivia's skin. She was waving at the dog in the backseat of the car next to them and he admired the way her hair flowed as the breeze from the open window came about.

The corners of his lips curled as he tore his gaze away from her. "I couldn't think of anything that would top our night at the pier," he confessed, choosing not to answer her question outright. "I even asked Allie to ask you what you thought the perfect date was."

Olivia turned and raised a brow at him. "Really?"

"She said no because I'm your best friend and I should know you better."

She gave him a smirk. "And do you?"

The light turned green and the car started to move again.

"I like to think I do." He nodded.

Olivia was a hopeless romantic. She loved poetry and cheesy romcoms, picnics and long walks on the beach. She liked the romance of grand acts, but Luke knew that the big things weren't as important to her as the little things. There weren't many things more romantic than good conversation. Conversation leads to a connection like nothing else can. Anyone can buy flowers or take you for a walk, but a date would be incredibly boring if they had nothing interesting to say.

She liked being comfortable. She liked when there was no pressure to act a certain way. She liked when there were no awkward moments. It was the nicknames, the laughter, and the good conversations. Above all, Luke knew that Olivia just wanted to be herself with the comfort of knowing the other person wanted that too.

Luke continued, "You like big romantic gestures, but you love the little things because they add up. Stolen moments and doing nothing with the right person."

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, so you do know better."

He smiled at her and shrugged. "You'll like what I have planned, I promise."

She shook her head with a grin and turned her gaze to the open window. If Luke refused to tell her where they were going, then she'd figure it out herself.

At first she thought they were going to Sunset Curve since they drove past it, then she thought they were going to the beach, then she thought they were going bowling since they were near The Lucky Strike. Eventually, she gave up and turned to bothering Luke. They bickered for a while before he turned into a nearly empty In-N-Out parking lot.

"What are we doing here?" Olivia asked, her head tilted to the side. "We ate at the reception."

Luke glanced at the clock on the dashboard and pulled into a parking spot. "We've got some time to kill, so I figured you could practice your driving skills."

"My... driving?"

He tugged his tie loose from around his neck and tossed it in the backseat. "Did I stutter?"

"Luke, I'll crash your car."

"No, you won't. You were good at driving the last time, you know, before Alex scared you." He got out of the car, leaving his door wide open for Olivia. "C'mon."

She sighed and seconds later, she was walking past Luke and getting into the drivers seat. Her nerves made her jittery and she feared that she'd wreck the car by accident. Emily would be pissed.

Luke slid into the seat next to her and shut the radio off. "No distractions, Olivia Juliette," he said in a firm tone, reaching into the back seat for his video camera. He looked around for any oncoming cars before turning the camera on and pointing at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, keep driving."

"You really are a headache, huh?"

"You're saying that now, but wait until you see what I have planned."

He guided her through backing out of a parking spot, his tone calm and level. Check your surroundings, signal, check them again, back out until your front wheels meet the back wheels of the car next to you, turn the steering wheel, swing out. He wanted to tease her for going so excruciatingly slow, but decided against it since she was so anxious.

When she was successfully out of the parking spot and straightened out, Luke did his best to contain his pride. "Good job, Livy," he grinned with a clap. "Okay, switch gears and we'll go around that pole up there."

Olivia nodded and did as she was told. After driving around the parking lot a few times and not crashing Mitch's station wagon, she and Luke switched places again. Her good mood was infectious and Luke promised that he'd take her driving again after Sunday lunch.

"Now what?" She asked, bouncing in her seat as Luke drove away.

"Relax, Liv," Luke laughed. He turned into a sketchy back alley and parked the car, ignoring the strange look Olivia was giving him. "Come on."

The moment the pair got out of the car, a door to their right opened and revealed a guy wearing a headset with a clipboard in hand. Light streamed into the alley and Olivia turned to Luke heavily suspicious. He shook his head, telling her that they weren't in any danger, then walked around the car to take her hand in his.

"Hey, Tommy," Luke greeted, tugging her along.

Her eyes analyzed the man. He seemed familiar, she just couldn't place where she's seen him before.

"Hey, man. Come on in." Tommy held the door wider for them and they stepped through the threshold. "Down the hall, take a left, and the door's on your right."

"Aight, thanks."

Luke followed Tommy's directions, guiding Olivia through the jungle of what seemed to be the backstage of a small concert venue. The crew were bustling around like worker bees, making her mind reel with possible explanations as to where they were and why they were there.

Her questions were answered when Luke pushed open the door on their right to reveal the inside of the Orpheum. It dawned on her that they were at the Wicked Things concert, an all-girl indie band that she was a big fan of. She had tried to get tickets for the show weeks ago, but they were sold out within a day.

The area was empty of fans, only occupied by the tech crew and the band's roadies.

She turned to Luke with a questioning look, but he only gave her a smug smile. "I noticed their poster on your wall and Tommy owed me a favour," he revealed, pleased with how the night was turning out.

Her furrowed brows and confused expression melted in realization. Tommy looked familiar because they had met before. "He's the sound guy from that gig we played last month at Club Tempo. You helped him with the soundboard."

"I did." Luke nodded. "Come on, let's meet the band."

Olivia's eyes widened. "The... The band?"

"Yeah, they're setting up now." He squeezed her hand and pulled her to the edge of the stage.

A redhead plugging her bass into an amp looked up, thinking that the pair was from stage crew. When she realized who they were, she smiled and placed the guitar on its stand. "No way." She got the attention of her bandmates. "Guys, it's Sunset Curve."

She made her way over to the edge of the stage and sat down, her legs hanging off the side.

Her bandmates joined her side while Olivia gaped at them, utterly starstruck. "You know who we are?"

The drummer, a blonde named Hailey (Are all drummers blonde?), crouched down beside the redhead. "Of course, we were at Battle of the Bands. You should've won, you were really good."

Olivia gave her a meek smile, still feeling guilty about freezing on stage that night. "Sorry I never got to hear you play. I left right after our performance," she said. "I had a... family emergency."

"It's okay. You're here now." Hailey's eyes flickered between the pair. The satin dress Olivia wore and Luke's disheveled dress shirt weren't the usual go-to concert outfit. "Though, a little bit overdressed. Where's the rest of your band?"

Olivia and Luke glanced at each other before turning back to her. "A wedding," they replied in unison.

"Ah, a day in the life of a rockstar, huh?"

Wicked Things and the two members of Sunset Curve talked about the music industry until it was time for the front doors to open. They spoke about playing the Orpheum, how hard it was to get there, and potentially collaborating in the future. Olivia felt like she was in a dream.

When their show started, the smile on her face was something Luke would never forget. The way she looked over at him under the coloured lights made his chest ache in the best way possible and he never wanted it to stop. In a sea of people, all he could see was her.

About half way through their set, the lead singer paused between songs. "We've got some special guests here tonight," she said, her eyes searching the crowd for Luke and Olivia. She smiled softly when she found them in the second row. Olivia was standing in front of Luke, her hands holding his arms as they locked across her chest. It was obvious the pair was on a date and Wicked Things was glad to have a part in it. "If you haven't heard of the band, Sunset Curve, you're missing out. This songs for them."

Their next song was a ballad, the type of love song that people put their lighters in the air for. Slow and steady, just like the heartbeat of a person at peace. Coincidentally, it was Olivia's favourite song of theirs.

Luke's chin rested on the top of Olivia's head as they swayed back and forth to the music. His heart was beating so fast that he was certain she could feel it against her shoulder blades.

He could hear her singing along and a fond smile made its way onto his face. Her voice was warm and sweet like honey. He knew he'd never grow tired of her.

When he was younger, his mom would tell him that when it came to relationships, what came easily was usually what was right. He never understood what that meant and whenever he asked for an explanation, she would smile softly and say, "You'll know when you know." As a kid, that answer was extremely frustrating. He was impatient and he didn't want to wait. But he was glad that he did, because he knew now.

With Olivia's head resting on his chest as she sang to the words of one of her favourite songs, he understood what his mom was trying to tell him. Love wasn't easy. Sometimes, it was complicated and messy. Sometimes, you would have to fight for it. But falling in love with your best friend? That was as easy as it came. Falling for the right person made all the trouble worth it. That was what his mom was talking about. Friendship was the foundation of a strong relationship.

Sitting on her rooftop and watching the stars as she talked about her fears was easy. Writing songs about her ex and his ex-best friend was easy. Sharing a microphone on stage and forgetting the rest of the world was easy. Giving away pieces of his soul and collecting pieces of hers in return was easy. Falling in love with someone he knew inside and out was easy.

Loving Olivia Montez was easy.

She was symphonies and guitar solos and perfect harmonies. She was the sun and moon, breathing life into him and shining in his darkest hours. She made the bad days good and the hard choices easy. She was the North star, forever guiding him home. She was his home.

What's easy was right and Olivia was never wrong.

As they slowly swayed from side to side, he realized that this, this is how you fall in love. With the person of your dreams in your arms and the starlight of cheap lighters surrounding you. At peace and at ease.

Luke was in love with Olivia, and what a wonderful thing it was to be young and in love.

"Hey, trouble?"

"Mhm?" Olivia turned in his arms. She was just as content as he was and there was a feeling swelling in her chest, though she couldn't quite put a name to it yet.

He didn't say anything as he let his shaky hands trail up to her cheeks. It was now or never.

The sound of the band melted into background noise and the crowd around them was nothing more than a blanket of fireflies. His sole focus was her. It always was.

It happened slowly then all at once. Luke leaned in, his head ducking down to account for the height difference until his lips met hers.

This was their defining moment. Their perfect, delicate, crucial moment.

It didn't feel like a first kiss, as they knew each other too intimately for it to feel like that, and it wasn't a last kiss, as they've just begun. This was the type of kiss people wrote songs about, the type of kiss that people spent their whole lives waiting for. It felt like fire and rain and sunshine. It felt like the sustain of a piano and playing a guitar riff perfectly on the first try. And after his middle school crush and months of pining from both parties, it was long overdue.

Olivia pulled away, slightly dizzy and out of breath. After collecting her thoughts, she let out an airy chuckle.

It took them long enough.

Luke pressed his forehead against hers. "Be my girlfriend," he whispered, his words almost drowned out by the singing crowd around them. He kept his eyes closed, scared that if he opened them, he'd see a horrified expression on Olivia's face. "I like you and you like me, so let's do it." When he gathered enough courage, his eyes opened and what he saw was far from an expression of horror.

Olivia's eyes held a twinkle of awe and her lips quirked into a small smirk as she gave a soft nod. "No regrets, right?"

RAE SPEAKS !
IT TOOK THEM LONG ENOUGH! Ugh, I love them. I love Luv.

Luke realizing he's in love with Olivia and them having their first kiss and becoming an official couple within the span of ten seconds has everyone like: