back to you • lrh

51

Chapter 51:
"Hand me the bottle, Bigfoot."

Eloise-Anne

Through the drive home, I've felt nothing but anxious and somehow betrayed. As strong as I wanted the betrayed feeling to be, the fear rose up in my chest as soon as we stepped outside the building. I had no clue if the guy had left or if he were somewhere to wait for me. Just literally anything so this night could end up the way he likes it to be.

"Hey, don't worry so much about Luke," Michael tells me, his hand resting on my thigh in a comforting way. "It's nothing to worry about probably." There's a crack in his voice, something he always has when lying.

"You're a bad liar, do you know that?" I tell him. "I'm just afraid that one guy finds out where I live or worse.." I sigh at the end of the sentence.

"I can install an extra lock and security systems?"

"It's not worth your money if we're gone here in two years. You better save that shit, maybe after that you and Tammy find a place." I smile weakly. His eyes light up at the words. Maybe by that time Luke and I aren't even together anymore. Maybe he's found a girl who gives him more than I will ever be possible off. Maybe has more knowledge in bed and out. Knows how to treat him properly. Maybe by the time he's forgotten about me. "Do you think he's gonna break up with me?" I ask him.

"What?! No! Of course not." Michael says. "He loves you, El." He parks the car, but when he's done that he keeps on sitting behind the wheel. "What makes you think he's gonna break up with you?"

"He's done with uni in a few weeks, he has to move out. He's gonna start a fully mature life outside campus. He is leaving everything behind and I'm afraid it includes me." I tell him. "Lately all he ever does is go to his internship or hang with you guys. And I get it that he does the things he loves, but he doesn't do me." Michael snorts out a laugh at my failed attempt to joke. "What I'm saying is, I always say that he should be with you guys whenever he's texting me and hanging out with you, but whenever I want to hang out with him, he doesn't have the time."

"El, he's crazy about you. Whenever we're hanging out you're all he ever talks about. I've heard more things about you that I definitely did not wanna know." I frown at the words. "Oh, you want an example? He told us when you two were still secretive how you got into subspace because he fucked the living shit out of you." He chuckles. "He's just very busy right now."

"Yeah, I figured," I mumble. "I'm just a burden to him, Mike." My voice is barely above a whisper. "Luke deserves someone who's better for him."

"Jesus, El. You know that's not true." There it is again, I said it out loud. "I think the two of you should talk. You clearly need reassurance I can't give to you." We both step out of the car and walk into our house. "How about you stay with me tonight?" Michael says. I nod at him and change myself into comfortable clothes. "Oh snacks," Michael says, walking towards the kitchen. "Do you want candy as well?"

"Definitely," I answer him from upstairs. "Bring the bottle of vodka with you as well."

"I was thinking more classy, Bailey's?" He calls from downstairs. I giggle and make my way downstairs to see him looking in the fridge. "You in for Bailey's?" I nod and grab some iced tea as well.

"If there are crumbs in my bed, we're sleeping in your bed," Michael says sternly. I grab the bags of chips and candy while he carries the drinks upstairs. I settle everything on his bed, with a blanket underneath it, while he undresses. "I know I can't say shit, but he just has a surprise planned for you. I don't want you to worry about it."