Better Left Unknown | Luke Hemmings

two;; protection

It's hard to hear your name when I haven't seen you in so long.

Luke.

I felt awful about leaving. I didn't want to. I didn't want to leave my family and friends, but I had no choice. He said that he would leave them alone if I did what I asked. So I did. I didn't really have another option. I knew I was putting them through hell with my disappearance, but it was for the best.

Out of everyone I was protecting, I knew Charlotte was affected the worst. She was my best friend after all, and I left without even saying goodbye. It made me feel like shit, but I had to remind myself it was either her or me, and I'd rather it be me who faces the consequences.

Of course I had been watching from afar. That's how I knew how upset Charlotte was, and it broke my heart. Actually, it more than broke my heart. It felt like somebody had ripped it out of my chest with their bare hands and then ran it over with a two ton bulldozer. It hurt so fucking bad. I knew that we were just friends, but sometimes I couldn't help but want more. The way her brown hair was a curly mess in the mornings, and the way her blue eyes would twinkle when she got excited were only two of the things I loved about her. She had such a kind heart but was also never afraid to speak her mind. Sometimes she took things to heart and would wind up upset, but I would always try and make her smile again because that smile was something I couldn't describe in words. If the whole world could see that smile, it'd stop the wars. And her laugh. Her laugh was contagious, and you couldn't help but to laugh with her.

I just missed her so much.

Why did he have to force me away from her? If I wasn't so terrified of him, I would kick his ass so hard that he would no longer even be recognizable. But since he scares the shit out of me, I had to hide away like a little coward. I hated it.

"Luke, you can't keep doing this to yourself," Ashton said sitting down on the couch next to me. "You just need to at least let her know that you're okay."

"I can't do that, and you know it," I rested my elbows on my knees and set my head in my hands. "I don't want to put her in any more danger."

"Well, maybe you could indirectly tell her," Ashton suggested. "You know, like, leave her a clue or something and hope that she figures it out. She's smart, I'm sure she'll get it."

"No. No, no no. Then she'll come looking for me," I said sitting up a bit. As much as I would love to see her again, I couldn't let her do anything that dangerous, and knowing her, she'd get herself into some deep shit.

"Too late for that, mate. I talked to Michael yesterday, and he said that she was already planning on looking for you."

"What?!" I shouted jumping up from the couch. "Did Michael try to talk her out of it?" I demanded. He better have or I would literally kill the little fucker when this was over with. Of course Michael didn't know where I was— Ashton was the only one who did. But, he knew how much I actually liked her, and how I want her to stay safe. A long time ago, before he was after me, I made Michael promise me that he would protect her if anything happened to me. She meant too much to me to ever have her any danger.

"He tried, but you know how stubborn she is." That I did know very well. When she set her mind to something, it was almost impossible to get her to back down. And trust me, when she had a goal, you did not mess with that girl. Her small 5'3 frame could actually become pretty intimidating during those circumstances. "Michael agreed to go with her at least, so you know he'll keep her safe." I sighed and nodded. I still didn't want her to do it, but I most certainly didn't want her to do it alone.

"Why don't you go get some rest now? You look exhausted," Ashton said while standing up and laying a hand on my shoulder. I silently agreed and trudged to my room, falling asleep the second my head hit the soft pillow.