outlines ✰ l.h.

chapter thirty

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A few blows to the face and a twenty minute car ride sobered Luke up. For the most part, at least. A loud stereo and the windows down drained the alcohol from his blood. Yet the blood was still draining out of the split above his brow and down his nose.

"I can get out by myself," he grumbled, pushing my helping hand away from him as he climbed from the car.

We stood shivering in his driveway. Still, the weather wasn't as cold as his words.

I reached in my purse as we trudged towards his home, grabbing the flask Ashton had prepared and given to me "just in case". I took a swig, wincing at the cheap vodka that burned through me. Hopefully, I would only be needing one of these tonight. But something made it seem like he should've packed me two.

I was surprised that he let me into his home. Luke was the type to change his mind. He didn't sit on the fence, didn't gamble his choices. He knew what he wanted in times like this. And usually he always got it.

I set my purse down and kicked my shoes off by the front door. Luke tossed the bloodied, now dry rag, onto his kitchen counter. It hadn't done much for his injuries. In a way, I had felt just like that tossed aside cloth.

"Do you want me to get you some ice?" I kindly asked, watching as he sat down heavily on a barstool. He simply glared at me. His eyes spoke a thousand more words than his lips did.

I searched around his kitchen for a new rag and wrung it out under cold water. I shivered at the icy temperature of the droplets and soon goosebumps prickled up my forearms. Luke's stare was heavy on me. I knew it was there without having to turn around. The thickened air sat mercilessly on my shoulders and the tension became nearly unbearable.

I wandered around the granite island to get to him. We met eyes a moment before I reached him and I was stopped by his firm hand on my sternum. I glanced down in confusion, then met his irritated stare.

"What?" I asked, a gentle shove being felt on me. His hand fell from my chest and he stood up slowly. His shadow towered behind him and himself over me. He resembled more of a silhouette with these lights off. Intimidation was what he was good at. And I was good at falling for it.

"You can leave now." He mumbled. His words were hard to process, half being because I couldn't understand him and the other half being the confusion, as he had asked me to come home with him.

"I'm not leaving you by yourself, Luke." I shot back. He leaned in closer to my face. The fire in his eyes burned brighter after each slow second.

"You have once before, who says you won't do it again?" He pushed past me, making his way towards the staircase.

"I've never left. I've always been right here." I raised my voice as he became further away from me. He spun on his heels and stepped backwards slowly up the stairs.

"That's why you never bothered to talk to me in the past few weeks, right?"

"I thought you wouldn't want to hear from me," I said, staying put. I peered around the empty home. "And communication works two ways." I crossed my arms over my chest as he rolled his eyes.

"Well, now you can go home and fuck your new boyfriend."

"I don't have a-"

"Oh, have you guys not made it official? Okay, then go be with your," he brought up his cut hands to create air quotes, "best friend, who you hooked up with while we were together."