452: MESSED UP IN THE HEAD

ARIEL'S POV As Luke stood before me, his presence flaunted this remorse, but crap, I still had conflicting emotions revolving around me. Anger hurt, and disappointment all mingled with a flicker of hope, the faintest glimmer of possibility, perhaps. Perhaps I shouldn't even be thinking about that right now. Screw the positive feelings at the moment. The soft part, gentle for reconciliation, is to crop those nonsense out. This man truly had a profound impact on me just moments ago. Now, there he was, approaching me with that expression. Yes, I may love him, but I wasn't going to take this messed-up attitude. "What nonsense do you have to say now?" I quizzed, and obviously, he could discern the coldness, frustration, and irritation in my utterance. "Are you happy with yourself, Luke? Are you happy now?" I went on. Luke's expression softened, regret etched into the lines of his features. "Ariel, can you please just let me..." But before he could continue, I held up a hand, cutting