The Way We Were

2.15

Chapter 15 

Ariel's POV 

Aimee's information was unsettling. My stomach was churning the whole time I drove home. When I got back to the apartment, Zoey's car was parked in her parking spot. I parked next to her and rushed inside, sure of where I was going but not sure of why. Why did I care so much? Why did I feel the need to be by his side? If he didn't want his girlfriend, there with him, he sure as hell didn't want me. Especially after the way I'd treated him. 

But I had to make sure everything was okay. I had to make sure that he was okay. 

"Ariel? What are you doing?" Zoey stands in the doorframe of my room as I hastily throw clothes into a suitcase. "I'm going to Seattle." I tell her. 

"What? Why? Is everything alright?" she asks and then disappears. She returns with my toothbrush, shampoo, and hairbrush and puts it in a toiletry bag. "Here." she says before sitting on the edge of my bed. I take a second to breathe and explain to her my conversation with Aimee. "And you think something's wrong?" she asks. I nod. 

"Okay, but why are you going?" she asks. 

"That I don't know. I feel like I have to." I tell her. 

"What if nothing's wrong?" she asks. I stop again and look up at her. "Then I'm going on vacation for a few days." I tell her.

 "I'm coming with you." she says.

 "Why do you want to do that?" I ask. "Because I've never been to Seattle before, and I need to make sure you don't get into any trouble." she tells me with a smile and then disappears into her room to pack. 

When I'm done, I go downstairs to wait for Zoey. I open my computer and search Luke's parent's names and the city, and sure enough their name and address comes up under a White Pages link. I'm writing down the address as Zoey comes down the stairs. "You ready?" she asks and I nod. 

I drive us to the airport and we get in line for two tickets to Seattle. When we board the plane, I let out a sigh of relief before panic finally sets in. What am I doing? Why am I chasing after him, if you could even call it chasing? He didn't know I was going to see him. Part of me hoped that something was wrong so I didn't feel like a complete idiot if I got there and he was just visiting his parents.

 I didn't know what I would do when I got there, or if he'd even be at his parent's house. I had to hope. 

I fall asleep during the ride, and Zoey wakes me when we land. "We're here, Ariel." she whispers and I open my eyes. "Thank you for coming with me. I don't know what I'm doing, to be completely honest with you." I tell her and stand up, grabbing my purse from the overhead compartment and walking off the plane.

 We regroup outside the gate, and I tell Zoey to meet me by baggage claim while she gets in line at Dunkin to get us coffee. I'm exhausted even though I slept, and I need to be awake if I'm going to go see Luke. 

After I grab my bags, Zoey and I wait outside for a taxi. I tell the driver the address of the house and then proceed to have a panic attack in the back of the cab. Zoey has to calm me down and tell me that Luke will be happy to see me, if anything, and I try to ask her what she means by that. Why would Luke be excited to see me when I've treated him so poorly? 

I don't get to ask her my question. The driver pulls up in front of a wide two story house above a garage with a long staircase leading up to the front door. The lights are on outside, and someone is moving around in one of the windows. Good. Someone's home. I know Luke's parents, they'll be happy to see me. I hope everything's alright with them. 

 I look over at Zoey and she puts a hand on my knee. "You'll be fine. You're not doing anything wrong. Luke will be surprised since you don't do stuff like this, but it's okay. You're fine." she says. I nod my head and open the door. Before I get out I hear Zoey ask the driver to take her to the nearest hotel. She says she'll text me where it is later.