short skirts ➳ l.h.

t w e n t y - t w o

t w e n t y - t w o :

We both froze like rabbits in the headlights. This was not going to be good.

"Maddie." Luke says, sitting up and walking up to her, "I can explain."

"I truly hope that you can Luke." She replies, looking from me to Luke and back again. "I honestly don't know what to think right now."

I lay my head back into Luke's bed and let fat tears roll down my cheeks. This is where I lose Luke. Just like I lost my mother only a month earlier.

I was going to lose the only family I had left because I was a horny teenager and couldn't control my hormones for my stepfather. Just because I wanted to fuck my stepfather.

I should have just chosen Ashton.

Things would have been so much simpler.

But I have never been one for choosing the easy path. I've always loved the challenge. And Luke was a challenge.

"I don't know what to do," Aunt Maddie says her eyes flickering into the hallway, "I don't know what to think."

I use her looking away as an opportunity to quickly pull on my underwear and sweats, before tugging my sweatshirt over my head.

Luke comes over to me and places a kiss on my forehead, "I'm gunna go talk to her, stay here okay?" He whispers to me.

I nod, afraid that any words that I try to say will result in me crying.

I sit up and get off his bed as he closes the door, muffled voices instantly starting up. I pace around the bed, stopping at each bedside table to look at the photos. The ones that contain my mother are placed downward, but he hasn't done anything else.

But something catches my eye on his dresser, it a crumbled up envelop with my name scribbled on it with my mother's loopy handwriting.

I wonder if that's the note she left me before she jumped.

I take it and walk back to the bed, snuggling myself underneath the puffy comforter, letting my finger slide under the seal, breaking it before taking out the piece of notebook paper, words scribbled all over it.

I can feel tears drip down my cheeks as my eyes scan through the words.

Lottie,

I am sorry for the way things turned out. I'm sorry for pulling out of your life these last few months. I don't know why, but I feel different, and not in a good way. I've become quite sad, and again, I don't know why. I wish I did, that way I could fix it.

Take care of Luke, he's going to blame himself but I don't think that he could have done anything to make things worse. He did his best.

I know he's young, but he's amazing and id one of the best people that I've ever met. I know that you remember a time when it was just you and I and I know that you remember how hard that was. He made our lives so much better.

Your father never wanted to be in the picture, but Luke at age twenty was willing to help raise a twelve year old young lady. That showed me how much he cares for us both.

I know that at first, without me, things are going to be hard, but it will get better.

But there is a reason that I'm doing this.

I cheated on Luke. More than once. Quite a few times. And if he reads his letter, he'll know too.

I cheated on him with Steven Irwin. I believe that his son goes to your school. When I tried to break it off with Steven after a couple times, he showed me a tape and threatened to spread it around, blackmailing me with it. That tape could have ruined my career, my relationships, my life. I didn't want to end like that.

Instead, I wanted to be in control. And so I'm ruining my life this way. Jumping out of my office.

I'm going to miss you Lottie, I really will. And Luke too. But you're my baby girl. I love you, and I want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you. I hope that you don't think any less of me now that you know the truth.

Take care of Luke and I know he'll do the same for you.

I'm sorry.

Lots of love, hugs and kisses.

Love,

Mom [Bailey Nicole Hemmings]

I choked on my tears and a lump in my throat. She left because she was cheating on Luke with Ashton's father.

I don't know what to think.

"But I love her." I hear a muffled Luke's voice through the door, they're getting louder and louder.

"I know you love her, but its unhealthy to love her like that Luke, she's seventeen." I hear Aunt Maddie say.

"She's about to be eighteen." Luke counters.

"She's your step daughter. Think about her when it comes to what would happen if eventually you two were an actually thing. It would ruin her. She doesn't see it now, but you are no good for her Luke. I'm trying to help you both. As your sister and as her Aunt, I want nothing to protect you both. Luke this isn't going to work."

I want nothing more than to scream out, 'Luke, please don't leave me, don't forget about what we have.' But I don't need to.

"Maddie, I know this will be hard to understand, but I'm willing to take chances. I don't know why, but I love her. I've never loved anyone like I love her."

I can hear Maddie sigh through the door as I lay into Luke's bed. It smells like him and the familiar scent is comfortable.

"Luke, I just don't want you to get hurt when she leaves you. Because one day, she'll come to her senses, and she'll dump you."

"I trust her. I love her."

"But the real question is Luke," Aunt Maddie says, "Does she really love you?"

(A/N)

 

Yeah so schools been a bitch sorry for the late update.

 

Plus it doesn't help that I'm depressed af and want nothing more than to crawl in a ball in my bed and die.

 

So sorry for the sucky chapters.