The Stepbrother // Luke Hemmings

"do i know you?"

"Luke. He's getting the invites printed, but it can wait. Just call him, tell him I told you to ask." Then he's pressing numbers into the keypad, "It's dialing, here."

I realize that if I don't take the phone I'm gonna have to explain why I don't want to talk to him. Which I can't do. So, I mutter a small thanks, and gently take it from him. He smiles tiredly, and then motions back to my mom, "I should probably ... "

"Yeah," I nod. As soon as he turns around, I press end on the phone. There's no way I'm talking to that asshole. It's been three days since and so far I've been doing a damn good job at ignoring him.

Including, denying the friend request he sent me on Facebook.

Unfortunately, I seriously do need to go to the hospital. So with a sigh, I bring up the texting application and struggle to type out a message with one hand. I end up with a shitty text, that says something along the lines of 'Annie needs to go to hospital. Come'. I delete the sent message from Andrew's history, and I hope that Luke can read beyond my typos.

It's not a minute past before Andrew's phone buzzes in my hand, and I warily look down at the small screen. It annoys me slightly that Andrew has his name saved as 'Son', and I open the message.

Son: what's wrong w her

Sighing, I press the reply button,

Sent: hwer aerm, com,e

Luke doesn't respond, but he doesn't have to because after I've deleted both messages, I look up to see him standing in the doorway, staring at me. I'm embarrassed, to say the least, but I don't show it. Walking forward, I hand Andrew his phone.

"Luke's here, we're gonna go." I say.

"Meet us back at the house, alright? We should done in a few hours." Andrew nods, "You'll be alright, Luke's good at making people feel better."

"I bet," I mumble, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. It's impossible, but I smile, "Thanks, Andrew."

I turn back to face Luke, who's leaning against the door frame looking like ever the bad boy, in a black leather jacket and ripped black jeans. His arms are folded across his chest, and he nods his head motioning for me to come on, before pushing himself up off the wall.

When I near him, I don't stop like he expects me to. I walk right past him, my eyes straight ahead in front of me.

I can hear him sigh, and then he falls in step besides me, "Guess I'm still getting the silent treatment, then?"

You guess right, Hemmings. I hope you didn't think you were gonna accuse me of being what, I don't know, a tease, and then get away with it. Nope, doesn't work like that.

He kicks a rock in front of him, "Silent treatments don't solve problems, Annie. They just create more."

Hm, good one. Where did you get that, Luke? Off of Google?

"I'd rather you yell at me or something, than to ignore me," Luke continues.

Yeah? And I'd rather save my breath.

"Better yet, don't waste your breath," he starts, practically reading my mind and turning so that he's walking backwards in front of me. "You're gonna need it. Because when I finally get my hands on you again, you're gonna be the one begging me to kiss you."