Float || Luke Hemmings

C h a p t e r // S e v e n ➸ ❝I'm fine❞

“Come on, Rayne. It’ll be fun. I promise, it will be fun. I’ll keep you safe.” Chills danced up and down her body, causing her body convulse. The hairs on the back of her neck were on end. Rayne reached a trembling hadn to her face, attempting to bring herself back to reality. It didn’t work. The voices continued. “I’ll keep you safe. I’ll keep you safe.” Her vision blurred, her head started spinning. “Stop! Please don’t hurt me!” She screamed her breathing becoming more and more rapid. The chills coursed through her; she could feel her airways constricting.

  And then her knees buckled until she could no longer stand. She collapsed to the solid concrete floor, her vision swarmed with images of the pool. “Rayne? Rayne?” Voices shouted at her, all of them merging into one. She couldn’t sense who was speaking, she had no idea who the voices belonged to. “Shit, she’s having a panic attack.”

“Michael.” She coughed, spluttering for oxygen to reach her lungs. But it was useless. Her mind wouldn’t allow the unpleasant memories to leave her thoughts. “We need to get her to the car.” Rayne felt her weight being lifted as she struggled to breath. “Don’t do this, stop it, please!” She could feel herself slipping into the darkness as she clawed to find her way back. “Don’t close your eyes, Rayne.” But it was too late. She was already gone.

   As soon as the cold air hit her, Rayne felt herself gaining consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open. She was lying on her back, staring at a dark roof. She couldn’t see much, there was no light, everything was just shadowed shapes to her. I’m…what am I doing in a car? “Luke! Dude, come on before they call the cops.” Police? Here? Oh god, was she in a police car? Was he back? Rayne shot up in her seat, and in that moment everything came crashing down. She’d passed out, had a panic attack. Was she surprised? Hardly. Seeing a swimming pool was definantely going to spark something inside of her. Fear.

 “Rayne? You awake? You okay?” Ashton fired questions at her from his seat behind the wheel, making her jump. She hadn’t realised she wasn’t the only one in the car. Rayne wanted to reply with yes, say that she was fine. Fine as in, she was no longer having a panic attack. But okay? Rayne was far from okay. “I don’t know. I just…I need to get away from here.” Ashton nodded, understandingly. He rolled his window down, calling on the others. “Guys, hurry up. We need to get Rayne out of here.” Michael climbed in next to her, pulling Luke in after him, whilst Calum climbed in the front. “Rayne, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I knew we shouldn’t have gone. I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t know.” Michael babbled, clutching Rayne to his chest.

“I know you didn’t, Michael. I’m so sorry for ruining it for you all.” She sniffled, burying her face in Michael’s sweater. She messed everything up. “Don’t. Rayne, I’m being serious, don’t you dare apologise,”

“But I ruined-“

“Rayne, seriously, don’t fucking apologise.” Luke snapped. In the darkness, she could see hhim rubbing his hand, and a thought occurred to her. “Before, you said they were going to call the police. Why? What happened?” Rayne asked, looking up at Michael. Calum scoffed from the front of the car. “Luke.” He chuckled, to which Luke grumbled.

“Rayne? You want to go home?” Ashton asked, glancing at her in his mirror.

“N-no. I-I don’t want to be alone tonight.” Ashton nodded; Michael squeezed her shoulder. “I know we’ll talk about it when we get to Ashton’s anyway, but you’re okay, right Rayne?” Calum reached back, squeezing her hand. She didn’t want to worry him, she didn’t want to worry any of them. Rayne almost laughed at herself. Worry? As if any of them would worry about her. “I’m fine.”

My computer broke so this update is really overdue, I'm sorry D: I hope you enjoy this chapter, if you do, don't forget to comment & vote and hopefully I'll be updating more regularly from now on :)