"What if they don't like me?" I whisper as I cling to Luke's arm as we walk up the steps to his parents' house. It's been six months since he's been here, when his mom kicked him out. But now it's nearly Christmas and Liz has decided to welcome him back into the family. Dozens of Luke's relatives are coming to the huge family party they have every Christmas. I've never been invited before since I'm not actually in the Hemmings family, but now here we are.

"Of course they'll like you," Luke assures me as we step up to the front door. "How can someone not like you?"

Liz throws open the door before he can even turn to knock, hugging each of us tightly. "Glad you two could make it!" she exclaims happily, ushering us inside. "Come inside! Everyone's already here and excited to meet you!"

My eyes widen and I press closer to Luke's side. I don't do well with big crowds and strangers. Certainly not a big crowd of strangers.

He chuckles under his breath, sliding an arm around my waist. He looks good in a long sleeve black shirt thrown over black skinny jeans, a snapback over his hair. But then again, he always looks good. Nervously, I tug down the black skirt I wore over black tights, suddenly self conscious. I want to make a good impression on Luke's family.

"Don't worry, you look beautiful," Luke promises as Liz leads us down the hallway.

I try to smile, but I'm too nervous.

"Luke!" a man exclaims we round the corner, getting up off the couch to come over to us. I step back as he and Luke embrace. "It's good to see you, man, how have you been?"

Luke looks genuinely happy as he replies, "Really good. How about you?"

"Good, good," the man replies, curiously looking over at me. "Who's your gorgeous little friend there, L?"

Luke puts an arm around my shoulders, pulling me forward, tucking me into his side. I nervously hook one of my fingers through one of belt loops on his jeans. "This is Katherine Fuller, my fiancee. Kat, this is my Uncle Charlie."

Charlie smiled down at me and shook my hand gently. "Nice to meet you, Katherine," he says. "I trust you to keep him in check?"

I smile back as I nod.

Luke rolls his eyes at his uncle, but he's smiling. Poking me gently in the side, he says, "C'mon, let's go to the kitchen."

I wave bye to Charlie as Luke pulls me after him into the kitchen, his arm wrapped protectively around me. Two women are standing in the kitchen, arranging food on the counter while they chat. They stop talking when we enter and turn to address us.

"Luke!" the younger of the two says, stepping forward to hug him. She looks to be in her early forties has obviously dyed the gray strands out of her hair. "Honey, it's been so long since I've seen you! How's college been treating you?"

Luke smiles as she steps back, slipping his arm back around me like he has to keep a hand on me at all times. I smile, leaning into his side to rest my head on his shoulder. "Good, good," he replies casually. "It's hard to get back into the workload after summer, but it's ok when my classes are spaced far apart." Turning to me, he says, "Aunt Marjorie, I'd like you to meet Kat, my fiancee. Kat, this is my aunt."

I shyly wave at her.

Marjorie's eyes widen and she sets the drink she was holding down on the counter. "I didn't even know you had someone you were seeing, Luke! How long have you two been together?"

"About six months, but we've been best friends for forever," Luke says, giving me a small secret smile where his aunt can't see. I blush and duck my head. "There isn't a doubt in my mind that Kat's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."

His aunt places a hand over her heart. "Awww, you guys are so cute!" Calling over her shoulder to the older woman she was talking to when we walked in, she says, "Hey, Mom, come here and meet Luke's fiancee!"

The woman who I assume is Luke's grandmother walks over. "Lukey!" she says, stepping forward to squeeze Luke's cheek with her hand. I snicker under my breath and he shoots me a half hearted glare.

"Marjorie says this is your fiancee?" his grandma asks, turning to me.

"Gran, this is Kat," Luke says, blushing.

Luke's Grandma leans forward to pinch my cheeks too and Luke smirks at me. "Such a lovely face! You two better make me some beautiful great grandbabies before I die."

We both blush furiously, looking at the floor.

Marjorie laughs as she sets a hand on Gran's shoulder. "Mom, I think that's enough, why don't you let Luke introduce her to everyone else?" She leads his grandma away from us, winking at us over her shoulder.

Luke squeezes me with his arm, gesturing for me to follow him back into the living room. A tall blonde girl who looks to be about our age is leaning against the wall, chewing a piece of gum. Streaks of her long hair are dyed pink and blue and she's dressed in all black, a black beanie over her head. She looks up when we enter and breaks into a smile.

"Luke!" she cries, crossing the room to give him a hug. "It's so good to see you, little cuz," she adds, messing with his snapback.

He tries to scowl, but he's smiling too much. "You're only two years older than me," he points out, "but at least I'm a foot taller than you."

"Oh shut up," she snaps playfully, still grinning. Rolling her eyes at her cousin, she turns to me. "I'm Mandy, by the way. I'm Luke's cousin." She holds a hand out to me and I shake it nervously.

"Kat. I'm his fiancee."

Mandy's eyes go wide and she turns to him. "Is this the girl you were talking to me about last Christmas?"

I raise my eyebrows as Luke's face turns about as red as a tomato. He awkwardly shifts his weight from foot to foot.

"Oh my god it is her!" Mandy exclaims, covering her mouth with her hands. Her blue eyes wide, she says to me, "He wouldn't shut up about you. He said that he thought he was in love with one of his best friends and he didn't know what to do about it. Kept making side notes about you the entire night, about all the stupidest little things, it was kind of sweet though. He-"

"All right that's enough of that," Luke cuts in sharply, steering me away from his cousin.

"You talk about me, Lukey?" I tease, tilting my head back to look up at him as he drags me to a different room. "You said you've liked me for a while but I didn't know you've liked me for so long."

The blush on his cheeks becomes more pronounced. "That's exactly why I didn't specify."

I dig my heels in so he's forced to stop just on the edges of a new room. "How long?"

Luke won't meet my eyes. "Look, there's Jack and Celeste," he says, trying to change the subject.

"No, Luke, I wanna know how long," I whine, sticking my lower lip out in a pout.

He sighs and finally looks at me. "Since halfway through senior year," he says so quietly that I almost miss it.

Halfway through senior year? That would make it...

"Two years?" I repeat.

Luke plays with his lip ring, his blue eyes strangely nervous. "I told you I've been in love with you for a long time." He doesn't give me any time to reply, dragging me over to his middle brother and his sister-in-law.

"Kat!" Celeste almost yells, cutting off in the middle of her sentence when she sees me. She throws her arms around me so tightly that it rips the breath from my lungs. Luke smiles at us as he moves on to talk to Jack and an older man. "I'm glad you're here!" Celeste gushes.

"You too," I say sincerely. "I needed a familiar face."

She chuckles. "I know just what you mean. The first time I met Jack's family, I was so nervous. But they're really all very sweet people. Did you meet Mandy yet?" she adds with a laugh.

I nod. "She seemed nice."

"She's amazing," Celeste says with a nod. Looping her arm through mine, she pulls me over to where Luke and Jack are talking to who I'm assuming is their grandfather.

Luke steals me from Celeste as we enter their conversation, leaning in to kiss my temple. "Are you hungry yet? I think people are starting to get food," he murmurs.

I nod and we peel apart from the group to head back to the kitchen, where a line is forming to get food.

Mandy slides over to us when she sees us, a smirk on her face. "You left before I could tell you all the other embarrassing things I know about Lukey Pookie here."

He makes a face at the nickname, smiling slightly as he tries to quickly move me away from his cousin. "It's ok, Kat doesn't need to know whatever dirt you have on me."

"Oh, but I want to," I say, grinning as I duck under his arm and get in line next to Mandy. "I'm ready to hear everything you have," I say to her.

She grins back at me. "You better strap in, it's a long ass story."

Luke looks like he wants to die as Mandy speeds through dozens upon dozens of embarrassing stories. The time her family's cat attacked Luke when they went to her house for Easter and he ran around the house screaming like a little girl. The time Mandy spit her gum in his hair and he had to cut it out with a pair of scissors. The time when they were swimming and Luke's swim trunks fell down.

Halfway through her recounting of every dumb thing that's happened to him since birth, I feel Luke's eyes on me. He's not blushing or whining about the fact that his cousin's ratting him out. He's looking at me like I'm the most fascinating thing on the earth, like I'm his whole world.

I stare back, smiling softly.

Who knew that it was always meant to be me and him? My best friend, the boy who's been in love with me for two years and I never even realized. But he's the best thing that's ever happened to me.

xx

(this chapter kinda sucked, i'm sorry)

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I have some new things planned for you guys that I'm super excited about!!

Vote and comment, please! <33

- A