voicemail 》hemmings

31 》Luke

13/4/13
12:01am

Luke paced the room furiously, his phone pressed to his ear. The shower was still running, meaning Macy wouldn't be interrupting him anytime soon.

"Pick up, pick up." Luke mumbled as the phone rang loudly in his ear.

Finally, the call connected as someone answered on the other side.

"Andi?" Luke held his breath.

"Yeah." Her voice was weak.

"Shit, thank god. Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Are you lying to me, Andrea?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong?"

Finally, Andi broke down into tears. "E-Everything, Luke. Just everything."

"Hey, hey. Don't cry." Luke felt like crying as he heard her sobs through the phone.

"I can't do it anymore. It's all too much, Luke. I hate this - I hate everything. Everything's wrong."

"Andi, please. You can't."

"I'm sorry, Luke. I love you."

"And I love you Andi, that's why you can't do this."

"You're never around anymore. You're going to leave me eventually, just like everyone else."

"I promised you I wouldn't leave."

"So did everyone else."

"I'm not going to leave you, Andi. I love you."

"No you don't. You love Macy."

"I love you more."

"Stop it. You're lying."

"Andrea! Listen to me!"

"You're lying, you're lying, you're lying." Andi knew that Luke's words were poison. He was trying to trick her.

"Andrea." Luke knew it was bad. She wasn't listening to him, even when he used her full name.

"Stop it, stop it."

"Andrea, please!"

"I can't do this, I can't do this. I can't do this."

"Andrea, don't do it. Please, don't do it."

"I can't do this."

"I'm coming home." Luke decided suddenly. He couldn't leave his best friend like this.

"What? No."

"Yes. I'm coming home. Tonight."

"Luke, stop. No. You're not coming home."

"Andi, you can't do this without me. I'm not leaving you like this. I'm coming home. I'm already packing."

"Luke, you can't come home."

"I don't care about my dream anymore, Andi!" Luke found himself yelling into the device. "I don't care if I throw it all away! I don't want to be here anymore! You have no reason to argue anymore."

Andi knew that Luke was lying - he wanted to be living his dream. And she couldn't be the person who stopped him from doing that, no matter how much he insisted that he wanted to help her at all costs. She wouldn't let him throw his dream away.

"You can't come home, Luke." Her tone was softer now.

"You can't stop me. I'm coming home to be with you, Andi."

"I don't want you to come home, Luke." Andi swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying."

"Andrea."

Andi could feel tears pricking at her eyes. She hated what she was doing to him. "I'm not lying. I don't want you to come home. I don't love you anymore."

"Andrea." Luke's voice wavered.

"You've changed, Luke. Fame is changing you. You're living this new life, and I don't want to be a part of it. I've tried making this relationship work but it just won't. You're selfish, and stubborn. I don't love you anymore." Andi knew that Luke wouldn't speak to her, and that it would kill her. But she didn't mind as long as he got to live his dream. This was the only way to get him to stay.

"Y-You're lying. You're lying. You do love me. You're lying."

"I'm not lying, Luke. You're just too naive to see."

Tears streamed openly down Luke's cheeks, his voice cracking with every word he spoke. "Y-You're l-lying. S-Stop lying to m-me."

"I don't love you anymore. I don't want to see your face ever again."

"B-But I l-love you."

"But I don't love you."

"A-Andi-"

"Goodbye, Luke."

"N-No!"

Andi laid back on her bed and let the tears fall freely down her face. She had just broken her best friend - but she knew that it was for the greater good. There was no other way to keep him from leaving it all behind. Being alone would kill her. But at least Luke would live his dream.

Luke fell to his knees, curling into a ball and drenching his clothes in salty tears. He didn't know what he'd done wrong, or why Andi had decided to leave him. But he knew that he needed her, and he wouldn't be whole without her.

The shower water stopped. Luke was in silence.