Haunted

Chapter 51

Songs for this chapter

Tell me a lie - One Direction

A good day for love to die - The Wanted

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you ever felt like your whole world comes crashing down? That's what I'm feeling right now.

"Babe..", I whisper but Ariana brings her small hands up to my chest, pushing me backwards.

"Don't call me babe!", she shouts while more tears stream down her face.

"I love you", I say quietly but she shakes her head furiously. "You don't! When will you stop? I'm in pieces, isn't that enough?!"

"I swear, I love you", I say while I feel a tear escaping my eye. "Just let me explain this. Please hear me out", I beg.

"Don't waste your time, Luke. Just stop lying, stop making up all those stories, stop breaking my heart", Ariana says, I think she doesn't have the power to scream anymore.

"I'm not lying and I'm not making up stories, please just listen to me", I reach out for her hand again but she steps away.

"Don't", she warns. "Don't touch me."

"Let me explain it", I plead. "There's nothing to explain. I thought you love me, let me tell you you're a fucking good actor, but it was all set up", her voice is only a whisper by now.

"I do love you!", I tell her again. "I love you more than anything in this world! You're my everything!", I raise my voice a bit. As if that's gonna help.

"No, Luke. You're my everything. I'm just.. what even am I to you?", she throws her hands up. "My girlfriend", I reply - or kinda ask.

"No", she shakes her head slowly, more tears rolling down her face. "I'm not. I never was."

"You were! All that time I told you the truth!", I'm starting to cry as well. Fuck. She's the only person that can make me cry.

"The truth?", she raises her voice again. "You mean like the time you told me you didn't know Michael's my cousin?! Or the time-"

"I was lying there, I admit it. But it was the only lie", I interrupt her, taking a few steps forward, trying to grab her arm, but of course she moves backwards.

"Are you sure about that? I'd say our whole relationship was a big lie", she spits and I shake my head.

"No, no! I was being honest from the start! I did love you - I still do! More than you can imagine! I've never loved anyone more than you in my entire life!"

"You're 17, for god's sake", she snaps. "I'm telling you this one last time, leave my house now and go get your Oscar, then never come back."

She wipes her tears away, then she quickly grabs her necklace and pulls it off.

"L as in Luke, yeah? More like L as in lies", she sighs and takes my hand, just to give me the necklace back.

I grab her arm and refuse to let go. I feel like if I let go of her arm now, I let go of her. But I won't ever do that. I can't do that.

"Ariana, please,", I say but she wiggles out of my grip. "Don't worry, I won't stop talking just because of this. Your mission's completed, if it sounds better to you like that. For me it's still an act though", Ariana says calmly.