What Should Have Been #wattys2015

Chapter 16

A/N Thank you guys so much for reading and voting, it really means a lot. This chapter will be shorter than usual.  Anyway, I'm going to be writing in Luke's point of view for the first time, hope you enjoy!

Luke's PV

Ashley just left my house with Ryan, I thought they had broken up. What happened? Did they never break up? Are they still back together? He said he loves her but she didn't say it back. I've honestly been thinking about her way too much lately. At first I thought it was nothing but now she consumes my thoughts every second of everyday. Those few hours with her in the hotel room. The feeling of her skin as I zipped her dress. The way she tingled at my touch. Maybe she felt it too. None sense she loves Ryan, not me. I don't love her, I can't love her. So what the thought of her clouds my mind? So what that instead of working on balancing equations in chemistry I'm thinking about her and her kind big brown eyes and her beautiful smile. It's not like I've been falling to sleep to the thought of her every night since I've met her. Just because I dream about her doesn't mean I love her, right? I love the way she smiles, the way she gets so passionate about everything she talks about, how she always takes the animals side in an attack because she believes animals shouldn't be domesticated and anyone who tries to was asking to be attacked. She claims that animals can't speak for themselves so someone has to, and she's that someone. I remember how mad she got at the dinner table when my dad claimed bulldogs to be vicious creatures. 

"With all due respect Mr. Miller but it's not the dogs fault. They were trained to be violent, they have to be violent in order to survive. The bulldog was once bred for the sport of bull-baiting, a cruel sport popular in England in the 1600s. Hence the name, and why they're so violent." She had said to my father and before he could say anything she continued. "If you captured a snake and it bit you, would you blame the snake?" 

"No, I knew it was a snake when I captured it." He said to Ashley. 

"Exactly, sir." She said and pushed her plate away. 

This is the girl I can't stop thinking about. Ever since I kissed her that one night, I can't stop yearning for her. Staying in the same hotel room as her was torture. All I wanted to do was kiss her. To grab her waist and press my lips against her, but I couldn't because she's with him. I've been thinking about asking her out since I heard she and Ryan broke up but then he showed up at my house with her and I realized that just because they aren't boyfriend and girlfriend doesn't mean they don't love each other anymore. It doesn't even matter, Dad would never allow me to date her, considering the circumstances. 

"Luke, come in here and bring Daniel with you." Said Dad. Daniel is one of dad's employees, he used to work with Ashley's brother. My father didn't completely lie, he did deliver and pick up documents for my father but you have to admit, my father is insanely rich and you don't get that rich working as an accountant. He would blackmail powerful people in exchange for money and Ashley's brother would handle the whole process. Unfortunately his curiosity got the best of him, he looked at a document and confronted my father, next thing you know he's dead. 

"She's too close." He said, "She didn't buy it." 

"What do you mean? I heard her say sorry and then she left." I said. 

"Luke you twit! Have I taught you nothing? Are you telling me she didn't want to know where I saw her brother arguing? No, she left because she realized she wasn't getting anywhere with me. She knows I'm lying and I want you to get rid of her Luke. She trusts you." He said to me and I swear my heart stopped beating. He wants me to kill her. 

"Yes father." I said while thinking how in the hell I could fake Ashley's death.

"Of course Daniel will be available if you need help." He said hinting that whatever stunt I tried to pull wouldn't work. If I didn't do it, he would. 

I smiled at my father to reassure him and walked out of his office into the kitchen. I was about to go on my phone to call Ashley but I realized how suspicious that would look to my father so I just made myself a sandwich. I can't kill her. I knew this day was coming, that my father would ask me to do this eventually but I had no intentions of falling in love with her, and now that I have I can't kill her. I did my best to play it cool and them I called my friend and asked him if he wanted to go for a ride as a decoy of course. I just needed my dad to think I was with Travis when I was really trying to help Ashley. I gave Travis one hundred dollars and told him to tell my dad that I'm with him if he calls. He didn't seem to mind earning one hundred dollars by simply lying so I drove away and left Travis behind.  I was halfway to Ashley's house when it came to me. Ashley will think I'm trying to divert her from my father so I tell her lies so she stops. KATE. I still have her number from when we went to the beach together. Knowing my father he can track who I call so I go to a payphone and call Kate. One ring, no answer. Two rings, no answer. Three rings, no answer. Come on Kate answer. 

"Hello?" She finally answered. 

"Kate! It's Luke. I don't have much time. Tell Ryan to meet me near the pony rides at Griffith Park." I said to her in a hurry. 

"W-what's going..." 

"No time. Tell Ryan." I said and hung up. 

Ryan finally came at 2 in the afternoon. I was hesitant and first but I had to tell him. 

"My dad wants me to kill Ashley and I can't tell her because she'll think I'm messing around and I want to help you get her out of here. Out of the country." I said before I could think about what I was saying. 

"What?" Was all Ryan could manage to say.

"My father killed her brother and now he thinks Ashley is onto him so she has to die. We can't let that happen." 

"You want to help us? Why?" He asked me.

"Her. I want to help her because I love her." I said before I could stop myself. Here we are two guys standing in front of each other both in love with the same girl. 

"Shouldn't we be talking to her parents if we're considering getting her out of the country?" He said ignoring the fact that I just confessed my love towards Ashley. 

"Tell her parents but no one can know where she is going, not even you." I said to Ryan. 

"Are you kidding me? Why so you can go to her and be her savior once again while I'm here sitting on my ass doing absolutely nothing?" He said with anger. 

"Don't be ridiculous. You can't know because if my dad finds out you know he won't hesitate to torture you until you tell him but he won't torture his own son." I said. 

"Fine, lets go to Ashley's now." He said to me. 

"I can't come but give this to her and tell her to be careful and to not bring attention to herself. No turning back. Nothing. Only take what is necessary. Don't forget to throw away her phone." I said to Ryan as I gave him Ashley's plane ticket and a burner phone. 

I didn't let Ryan say anything I just walked away. If I stayed any longer one of Dad's men would surely find me.