Bruised// l.h au

Chapter Forty

Luke;

When I was younger, with a mop of blonde wavy hair and crooked teeth my mother would always send me to sleep with stories I found myself engrossed with. One night, she tucked me into my bed and talked about how the sun loved the moon but the moon didn't love the sun back so that's why both could never be shown at the same time. I called her silly and she explained how the sun knew this information so it did anything it could so the moon never felt uncomfortable. I found myself captivated by her story even when I couldn't fully wrap my head around it and her crystal blue eyes would glisten with gratification. It was when I grew older and found myself breaking through the wall my parents put up so the real world wouldn't damage me I comprehended; we do crazy things when we're in love.

With Blaze, I twisted my back just to make sure her feelings didn't sink her. I lost innumerable hours of sleep from cradling her quivering body while she whispered the words that sounded like a trigger to a head. I dropped everything just to make sure a grin was engraved onto her pastel face and the melody of pure delight left her mouth.

It was last weekend, when the dimness of the morning sky wrapped around Blaze's glacial room and I went back and forth with Michael that I processed how oblivious I had become to everyone's suffering other than hers. It sunk in how much I did for a girl who probably didn't even know the strong feeling of loving someone. It all hurt, I was mad and when Michael finally promised me he wouldn't hurt himself and her eyes fluttered open I raged on her.

This afternoon, I stood weakly, majority of my weight pressed down on my left foot while my puffy eyes stared at a crappy bulletin board plastered with tacky sayings. My head threw itself back on the wall, my fingers fumbled with the straps of my bag while I waited for the maddening sound of the bell to fill the empty hallways. I released a shaky breath from my chewed on bottom lip when the chime of students racing to lunch happened and I walked towards Blaze's class.

My eyes found hers quickly, she laughed with Ashton who left the moment I saw him.

I jogged over to her, touching her back lightly. "Hi."

Blaze jumped, a gasp leaving her pink lips while her aqua irises expanded, searching my face. I smiled apprehensively while her fingertips played with the ends of her chocolate curls. I took in her appearance, a maroon knitted sweater fell off her pale shoulders and her thin legs were hugged by the leggings I knew she loved. Finding myself in a trance I blinked, grinding my teeth on my lip while I reached out for her hand.

"Blaze we need to talk." I informed her, leading her through a crowd of people and into a vacant classroom.

Entering it, I let her cold hand go and lifted myself on a stained, drawn on wooden desk. "Are you okay?" I asked, attempting to shed some of the awkwardness that bounced between us.

Blaze leaned against a blank white wall, her head pushed back while she laughed. "Luke don't make this awkward."

"It's been a week." I pointed out and she sighed. "I've missed you."

I was waiting for her to admit the same thing and fall into my arms, but she didn't. "Yeah I've missed you too Luke, but you - you did this. You lashed out on me and we both knew you were making no sense but you kept pushing, leaving me in a puddle of hot tears."

"Yeah but you could of t-"

"No Lucas." She cut me off, her words sharpened. "It wasn't even my place to tell you. Look, I get it, you expect me to tell you everything but I can't sometimes. And Luke you can't just come in and out of my life it isn't fair for either of us."

Blaze spoke the truth, I wasn't going to agree with her though because the words tasted sour so I dropped my head and focused on my fidgeting fingers.