Chapter Twenty-Six
"So, will I get to meet this Luke fella before your mom and I head back home?" My dad was sitting next to my bed in the chair that Katie sat in yesterday.
My parents had arrived last night, and were by my side immediately. It was just a black eye and mild concussion, but mom and dad knew how much I needed them right now.
Once they got here, Katie and the girls went home to get some sleep, and my parents stayed with me at the hospital over night.
Katie was on her way back over to the hospital now, and I was going to be discharged in just a few hours.
"No, I don't even think I'm going to be seeing Luke anytime soon," I said.
"Well, honey, it sounds like you can't avoid him forever. Especially if he lives across the street from you!" My mom said, sitting on the other side of my hospital bed.
She was right, though. I'm sure I was bound to see Luke at some point. Honestly, I was so emotionally exhausted from all of this, I couldn't even think about it. I just shrugged my shoulders, feeling a little defeated.
"You don't need boys, anyway! Come on, Chels, the only guy you need in your life is sitting right here!" My dad exclaimed, with the dorkiest smile on his face. I couldn't help but giggle.
"Great, thanks dad," I said sarcastically. I really missed having my parents around. I was sad that they had to leave to get back home and back to work, but I knew that it was probably best for things to return to normal. I was just going to focus on my screenwriting class, and have fun with Katie and the girls.
Katie walked into the room and handed each of my parents a cup of coffee. "Thank you so much, sweetheart. Chelsea is so lucky to have such a great friend," my mom said to Katie, giving her a little wink.
"We're probably going to head out soon. Our plane takes off in a few hours," my dad said as he looked at his watch.
"We're just going to double check that the bill is taken care of, and that you're definitely okay to leave after the doctor's final evaluation," my mom said as she and my dad stood up. "We'll be back to say goodbye," she said with a smile as they left the room.
Katie smiled at my parents until the door was closed, then immediately rushed over to the chair next to my bed.
"Okay, don't be mad at me, but when I went home last night, I accidentally told Ashton you were at the hospital. He and Luke were waiting on our doorstep. I mean, come on. I told Luke to go home, and he did, but Ashton stayed and drilled me with questions, and he started getting mad at me because I wasn't giving him any answers, and I didn't want to fight again, so I briefly told him about what happened and I told him he had to swear to me that he wouldn't tell the rest of the guys, and he told me not to worry about it, but clearly he did tell them because Luke's been blowing up my phone-"
Katie was talking so fast, so I put my hand over her mouth.
"Katie, it's fine. Relax. It's not like they're going to come to the hospital," I joked. And just as I said that, we heard a knock at the door. God, this was like a fucking movie.
"Chels?" My dad poked his head in.
"Yeah..?" I was very suspicious because he wasn't opening the door all the way, and he was whispering.
"Luke's out here" he mouthed, trying to be sly. I shook my head vigorously.
"Don't let him in," I quickly whispered. I was panicking. I didn't want to see him.
"I'll take care of this," Katie said firmly as she got up and left the room. As she went out, my parents came in to say goodbye.
"You call us if you need anything else, and we'll be back out here as soon as we can. Okay, sweetie?" My mom said as she brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
"I know. I love you both," I said as I pulled my mom in for a giant hug.
"Hey, want me to kick that kid's ass?" My dad said in a low whisper as he gestured towards the door that Luke was on the other side of. My mother rolled her eyes at my father, but I smiled.
"No, daddy. But that was nice of you to offer." He laughed and kissed the top of my head.
"Have a safe flight," I said to them as they exited the room. I could tell my mom was trying not to cry. When they left, they left the door open a crack. I could hear what they were saying outside.
I heard my dad's voice. "It was nice meeting you, Luke. And hey, whatever my little girl says, you listen to her. Are we clear?" He was talking in a stern voice, but still being polite.
I smiled to myself. My father has been extra protective of me ever since he found out about Cam. I was thankful for that.
I focused back in on their conversation so I could hear Luke's response to my dad. "Yes, sir. Believe me, this won't happen again. You can trust that I'll take good care of her."
I felt a pit in my stomach as I listened to his voice. He has such a good heart. But I know we have to go our separate ways.
I could tell that my parents had left, and it was only Katie and Luke out in the hallway. Katie's voice was quiet, but stern. "No, now's not really a good time. I think you should just go home and give her some space."
Tears started to fill my eyes. I didn't want to see him right now, but at the same time, I wanted nothing more than to hug him and feel him against me.
My head really hurt, and trying to hold back sobs only made the pain worse. I choked out a couple of sobs, but managed to do it quietly because the door was still open a crack.
This was the first step towards moving on from Luke. If I were to stay with him, and build a relationship with him, there's no doubt that something like this will happen again. Right? I'm right. I know I'm right.
"Are you fucking serious right now, Katie? Just let me in. I just want to see her." There was something in Luke's voice that I'd never heard from him before. He always acts so nonchalant about everything, and tries to be so laid back. But right now, I was hearing such desperation in his voice. Such determination. It was breaking my heart.
"Go home, Luke," Katie said clearly, but her words were laced with sadness.
Then, the door opened slightly, and she walked in and shut the door behind her. She turned the lock, just incase, but the door handle didn't move. Luke listened to Katie, and he left the hospital.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: thanks for reading! please don't forget to comment and vote for this chapter.. thank you :)