therapy | luke hemmings a.u

:: Thirty One

:: T H I R T Y   O N E ::

1 WEEK LATER

"You have no idea how much I want to stay here," Ellie said as she folded a t-shirt, her back turned to him.

She was packing up her things, getting ready to leave and Luke had dropped in with sadness lacing his features. He was slumped on a chair facing her, watching her every move as if she might disappear if he blinked.

"Well it's your future, El, you can't ruin it," he whispered with all the courage he could muster, hiding the fact that his heart was slowly breaking on the inside.

"But you're my future too," she said as unstoppable tears streamed down her face, dropping the t-shirt from her limp hands and slumping to the carpeted floor.

She buried her head in her hands and cried, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Luke felt a huge lump in his throat that no amount of swallowing would reduce. He walked over to her, sitting down on the carpet next to her before wrapping an arm around her with tears brimming in his eyes.

The feeling of dejection in the air was palpable but there was nothing either of them could do about it. They knew that they would make it work but not seeing each other for almost a year was heartbreaking.

"It will be great there, El!" Luke said with feigned enthusiasm. "You'll meet a whole bunch of new people," he said with a cheerful voice but with a blank stare which Ellie couldn't see.

"Do you want me to go?" she asked, hurt evident in her voice, and looked up at him with tear stained cheeks and reddened eyes.

"No," he said suddenly and tightened his grip around her. Ellie buried her face in his chest as Luke placed his chin on top of her head. "No," he said much more quietly this time. "I just want what's best for you, El. That's all."

-

-

"Elaine, hurry up!" Ellie's mother yelled up the stairs as she looked at her watch. They had a short time left to get to the train station before the train left for Paddington.

"I'm here," Ellie said as she descended the last few steps, dragging her suitcase behind her noisily.

"You've got everything you need?" Jane asked and when Ellie said yes, she continued with the questions. "Did you print out the schedule they sent? Did you write down your dorm room number? Did you —"

"Mum!" Ellie cut her mother off, a look of exasperation and half amusement on her face. "I've got everything," she said as she let go of the suitcase's handle and walked closer to her mother. "Calm down, okay?" she said softly, placing her hands on Jane's shoulders and shaking her slightly.

Jane nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just so worried and excited," she said sheepishly.

"Worried and excited would be me as well, mum," Ellie laughed before grabbing the suitcase handle once again and walking out the door to car with her mother trailing not far behind.

Ellie could see Luke leaning against the car, throwing a ring of keys up and catching them over and over again. He straightened up with a slight blush on his cheeks when he realized Ellie had been staring at him with a suppressed grin.

Ellie laughed and ran over to him, dragging the suitcase behind her, her hair flying in the wind wildly. Luke grabbed the suitcase and put it in the car boot which was wide open before slamming it shut.

"For a minute you looked like zombie ready to attack me," Luke joked and Ellie scoffed. "Wait, no. You looked like one of those Cranks in Maze Runner!" He said with a frightened expression on his face making Ellie punch his arm hard.