Cigarettes

Chapter 24

"Michael?" I blurted out and instantly felt unsafe. Michael always looked threatening to me and to be alone with him at four am didn't really come to me as a happy adventure.

"Layla." He finally realized who I was and turned his head to the side, like he was hiding from me.

How did he know my name? I don't think we've formally met or anything.

I couldn't help but wince when I remembered Michael was the one who beat up that guy at the beach. And now I was all alone with him.

I started breathing faster and already thought another panic attack was coming when I saw Michael rub his eye. He was still looking away from me but I heard him sniff.

Is he crying?

Staring blankly at him I switched my balance to my other leg not knowing what to do. What do I do with a boy who is capable of killing someone using just his fists but who is currently crying in front of me at 4 am on an empty street?

"I'm sorry-" he sniffed again and wiped his cheeks.

"Uh... It's um.. It's okay." I mumbled confusedly when he suddenly leaned forwards and leaned his forehead on my shoulder.

My eyes snapped open in surprise as I kept staring over Michael's shoulder, my posture as stiff as a pole.

Sniffing a couple of times, Michael let out a few more sobs before he leaned backwards to his previous position.

"Are- Are you okay..?" I smiled awkwardly.

"Don't worry, this is not new." Michael's eyes sparkled due to the tears still in them. "Don't tell anyone you saw me, okay?"

I nodded distractedly and Michael clenched his eyes tight. Then he nodded as well and walked past me, leaving me taken aback.

This was pretty weird.

I shook my head and continued my walk. I walked all the way to the local playground where I sat on a huge swing to rest for a bit. Remembering how Luke took me to that playground once, I smiled and looked at the swing next to me. He was like a child, happy and carefree. Even though later it all fell to the water when we left Anna's and he became all dark and rude again. But that didn't matter now.

I took my phone out of my pocket just to check the time.

Seeing it was 5:46 I decided I should get back home.

Walking back I was thinking about what could've possibly happened to Michael to make him that sad, seeing he wasn't really a person to actually get this emotional. He was always really stern and serious and intimidating.

But the most serious people have the most emotions playing in their mind, and Michael's were going insane.

He was just trying to hide it.

I realized there could be much worse things to happen to someone than people getting into a fight or someone actually saving me from being bullied.

Things so bad you'd have to wander off on an empty street crying and not even remembering what your personality was just so you could at least push the pain away.

And in that moment every doubt of me not knowing if I should be mad at Luke or not was gone.

I fastened my pace, ready to get home and do what I was supposed to do yesterday.

With a little running and actually jogging and hurrying my way back home, I came to our front door with my jacket taken off. Who knew a little jogging and fast walking could get me this warm.

I unlocked the door and first thing I did when I walked in was checked if it wasn't 8 am yet, because then Luke would've already been gone; just like every day.

It was barely half past 7 so I still had some time.

I kicked my shoes off and ran to my room to throw my jacket on the bed and when I was about to run out through my bedroom door I bumped into a shirtless and sleepy Luke.

"Ouch." Luke mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the outside of his fist.

Why do I keep bumping into people today?

"Luke!" My smile couldn't be restrained and I jumped, hugging Luke over his shoulders and bowing him down a bit since I'm shorter.

"H- Hey." Luke smiled confusedly as he hesitatingly hugged me back.

I squeezed Luke around his neck as hard as I could because that's just what I felt was the right thing to do. I didn't really know the reason besides that I was thankful that he made Harry break up with me and took care of me back when he still didn't even know me. But that was the good enough reason for me to hug him.

Luke then picked me up a few centimeters from the floor and swung me left and right.

"Thanks, Luke." I breathed quietly and smiled into his neck.

"You're welcome, Lay." Luke whispered and I wasn't surprised he knew what I was talking about. "Why are you suddenly so chirpy?"

"Michael's just helped me realize some things." I sighed and Luke put me back down on the floor.

"Michael?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion and making an adorable face on his way of doing so.

"Oh, shit. I shouldn't have said that." I slapped my mouth and tried to turn around but Luke caught my hip and twirled me back to face him.

"I ran into him when I was taking a walk. I couldn't sleep so I decided to clear my head." I explained, realizing he's not going to let me go until I do.

"Was he a wreck again?" Luke's eyes fell to the floor and I could see his mood has fallen a bit.

I nodded. "He asked me not to tell anyone." I said in an apologetic tone and blushed because I'm such a bad secret keeper.

"It's okay, I knew about it." Luke shook his head and then brought it back up, a smile replacing his previous frown. "Anyway, I have to go get dressed if you don't mind." Luke pointed to his room and I realized he's done talking about Michael.

Just when he was about to leave, he stopped and examined me. I thought he was doing it because he always does it but then I realized I was staring at his bare torso and being completely shameless while doing so.

My eyes snapped from his chest to his face that was threatening to blow up in laughter and I felt the blush explode on my cheeks.

I wanted to cool them off with my cold palms but then I see Luke jump towards me.

"Oh!" he put his palms on my cheeks, making me stumble backwards and blush even more.

"Outran you." Luke winked and I put my palms on his forearms in order to gently put them down. He was way too distracting right now.

"Stealing my beanie now, aren't we?" Luke then asked and I looked up at my forehead as if I was going to be able to see something.

"I thought it was mine." I whispered and smiled innocently.

"It's okay, you're cute." Luke sighted and pulled the top of the beanie over my face.

"Luke!!" I moaned in laughter and pulled the beanie off of my head. Luke was grinning at me happily and then messed my hair up.

"Right, I'm really gonna go and get dressed now or else I'll be late again." Luke scratched the back of his head and blushed.

Did he blush? Did he really blush?

"Are you blushing?" I couldn't stop myself before the question escaped my mouth. I could already see Luke's smile falling and it being replaced by a dark gaze but that didn't happen this time.

He just chuckled embarrassedly and left to his bedroom, leaving me standing in the hallway with the weirdest smile on my face.

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A/N: this was really short and boring a bit and nothing actually happened but I wanted to update and I hope you guys like it :(( <3<3