Toxic - Luke Hemmings

Chapter 8

"Just leave me alone." I pushed him off again, turning around and buttoning up the top as I walked back into the house.

I couldn't get back to my building fast enough. If I weren't such an emotional mess I would have cared that Casey was on the hunt for Luke and me, but luckily, I didn't run into him on my walk back. I went straight into my room, taking off the stupid flannel and replacing it with a sweatshirt. After tonight, I was done with all this social bullshit. I was doing just fine on my own, not talking to people and definitely not getting assaulted. I couldn't sit around and take all the hushed talking and dodging questions anymore.

I definitely couldn't take any more of the pity friendship Luke and I suddenly had. He felt bad for me, that's all it was. He felt guilty that he made my life shit for the two weeks leading up to that night. I got carried away since he was the one who helped me, but the more I thought about the more I wondered why he even helped. It was his way of apologizing without having to say sorry, and though I can never repay him for that service, I can't forget the hell he put me through.

It was only the third week of the semester and I already needed a break. I didn't want to be in class with any of them, and I especially didn't want to spend 5 hours every Wednesday with Luke. He should take this as an easy way out. He didn't have to put on this act anymore, he could finally brush me off and call it even.

It was past midnight, but I put another bag together with what I had left. The one I packed earlier was still in Michael and Ashton's dorm so I gathered whatever I could and pulled my car keys off the hook on the wall. It was only a 20 minute drive to my friend's house, and I knew she would take me in an instant. I didn't bother calling to let her know, I just turned off all the lights and walked out the door, making my way down the hall and out of the building.

Luke's POV

I watched as she walked away. Once she disappeared into the house I grabbed the shirt off the ground and just stared at it. All I was trying to do was help. I didn't want anything else to happen to her, so much already had and it'd only been a few weeks. A huge portion of it being my fault.

"Luke." I heard Calum call out to me from his seat around the firepit. "Let her go. We'll check on her when we get back." I turned to face the group again, giving them all empty stares.

"She just needs to cool off, you know she has a short fuse." Michael assured me, trying to get me to relax and get back to our night.

I sat down without a word, watching as everyone slowly started getting back into conversation. The last thing I wanted was to let her walk off like that, but they were probably right. If I went after her now we'd get back into again. We spent another couple of hours here, going back into the house a little after that outburst. They tried to get me involved in the fun, but I would zone right back out.

By the time it was 2 am I was itching to leave. We'd given her plenty of time to calm down, and now I was more concerned to see if she was okay than getting another drink. We walked back to our building where I grabbed Izzy's bag from Michael and Ashton's room to bring up to her. I knocked on her door, not getting an answer like I already expected. I called out to her, knowing she'd hear me and hopefully open up to talk this through. When I had been waiting for 10 minutes, I got fed up and went to jam on the door handle to get her attention more.

To my surprise, it was unlocked. I walked in to a pitch-black room, the light from the hallway illuminating enough for me to see her bed was empty. I flicked the lights on and confirmed that I was the only one in there. I pulled my phone out and called her, but she declined it almost immediately. I tried a couple more times, but it was more of the same.

Her keys were gone from the hook they usually hung from, and I knew she left campus. I didn't know where she would go or who she would see, and I doubt Michael did either. She never talked about home, and she gave off the vibe that she didn't really want to. I threw her bag on her bed and walked out, hoping she'd be back in the morning. When I got back into my room I figured I'd let Michael know.