Broken Youth

Chapter 45

Chapter Forty-Five

••Luke••

I've always admired Ash. Even from his days of picking up and dropping off curly haired blondes with red lipstick, or flirting with the brunette's at Old Rock Café. He's always stayed true to himself and his morals, always looked after Lauren so damn well and he's always seen the best in people. Even me.

"You okay?" Harry patted my back, handing me the last suitcase as Ash wondered out.

"Nervous." I smiled weakly, shoving the case next to the others along with the wheel and extra food and drink. "It's going to take a while for her to used to the idea of me being her only companion."

"It's the whole 'you're both still in love with each other thing'; Jess was the same. But she got over it and moved on. We're how we were before we dated and been like this for a long, long time." Ash shut down the floor in place, putting the back seats so they were flat, before putting sheets down, a duvet and pillows and blankets.

"She's not one to hold a grudge, besides, she loves you and one day that will fade to become so small she won't get nervous around you. She'll miss me, hopefully, so that'll be a distraction." Harry shut the boot, sliding his sunglasses on as he did so. It was only 7am, but the sun was bright, however not warm in the slightest.

"It will be fine, Luke. I'm gonna go over the road and grab Ren, Jade and Mali. You need to get Jess and Meg up- Gem's making breakfast." I nodded, following Harry into the dark hallway, Niall's face pale and tired.

"I'm so scared," He took a breath, pulling two suitcases behind him. "Cal's not going to remember her in 40 days. I don't want this anymore." He shook his head, stopping in front of me.

"I feel guilty too, Ni, but it's for the best. He needs to let go and the only way he can do that is by having chemical changes made to his brain."

"But I don't understand; how was this possible for him? How could he change his brain?" Liam came down the stairs, towels limp in his arms. Harry nodded up at him as he took his brother in his arms.

"He's the strongest vampire ever to exist." I whispered.

"And I guess he just proved it." Liam shrugged, leaving us again, whistling on his way.

"I'm gonna go wake up the girls with Luke, you need to finish packing our car and get some breakfast and then we need to go to the hospital and let them know where we are. Louis isn't going to wake up any time soon." Harry gave Niall one last squeeze before nodding at me to follow him.

*

"Ren?" She looked at me, eyes hard. I gulped.

"I love you," Her expression softened slightly as I watched her take a sip of my coffee. "So much." She smiled.

"I know, Luke." I nodded.

"I'm sorry I can't be with you, or hold your hand, or sing you to sleep, or kiss you in the morning. I'm sorry." She rolled her eyes, moving round the table to sit on my lap, threading her fingers with mine.

"I'll be fine. Honestly, I'll get over it. I mean, sure, I'll miss you like hell and I'll be the biggest bitch on camp, but I'll survive." Her voice faltered slightly, making my heart ache. My thumb rubbed gently across the skin of her hand, my lips attached to her neck, inhaling her scent as she sighed into me. I was so relaxed in her arms.

"But-"

"But nothing. Luke, Meg needs you to be strong right now, she needs you to feed her information and relax her. She needs you more than I do." Her eyes were watering despite her confident tone, my heart only breaking more.

"I'm sorry, baby, so sorry." I kissed her, right hand holding tightly to her cheek, making sure she knew how much I loved her. I broke apart only to whisper 'I love you'. Our foreheads touched as I brought her closer, her arms holding me in a hug.

"Go be the hero you are."

"I love you so much, so so much." I closed my eyes.

"How did I get so lucky?" I smiled. "I love you so god damned much, Luke."

And there and then, I knew I'd let go of Megan and everything that came with her; and somewhere deep inside of me, I knew that she had let go too. My shoulders relaxed, for the first time since I first kissed Megan. Finally I was relaxed. And in the arms of my baby. My most treasured possession.

"C'mon, lover boy, let's go." Renée laughed, letting go of me and hopped off, running to Gem with open arms. A grin erupted on my face as I watched the two hug and get excited for a road trip as a group.

I got up, following the two excitable blonde's to the cars outside, Harry and Megan hugging and whispering precious words beside a grinning Ash.

"What's gotten you so smiley, Irwin?" I grinned, punching him playfully as he grinned wider.

"Jade." I rolled my eyes as Calum bounded up.

"You're happy?" Ashton commented, his guard suddenly well and truly on.

"Not really... Just happy that everyone else is." He looked around, his guitar on his back. "Except maybe Harry and Meg." I turned, just in time to see the two laugh at something Gemma and Niall were doing.

"Or perhaps they are, Cal?" Ash winked.

"Did you get a tattoo yesterday, mate?" Calum nodded, opening his arm so we could see the black ink on the inside of his bicep. It read 'Love can touch just one time and last for a life time'. My breath hitched as Ash's eyes filled with water, us both struggling to find words for the quote evidently belonging to Lauren.

"Cal-"

"I know, I know, but at least there's something on me that will remember her. Even if my brain can't." He looked down at his shoes, Ashton glaring over at me, eyes ripped with distraught. "You know she was the first person I ever loved?" I nodded.

"I'm sorry, Calum, really I am." He smiled weakly.

"No I understand, Luke. 'It's for the good of me'. I know." He walked off, separating himself from the group, head low and hands clenched.

"He deserves to remember her like we do." Ashton seethed, shaking his head as angry tears released.

"Remember why we're doing it; either he dies too or she's forgotten." I answered, my head boggling with the amount of emotion we all were showing.

"You lot ready?" Jess yelled. "Get in the cars, boys and girls! 5 minutes until we leave." I nodded, doing as she said.

"C'mon Meg," She smiled at me.

"Let me say goodbye to her?" Her eyes were pleading. I nodded, turning as she ran to Jess, the two hugging each other harder than I've ever seen them do so. Jess was nodding at whatever Megan was saying and trying to not cry. I smiled slightly as they pulled away and waved to each other, Meg returning.

"She's never hugged me for that long before. Ever." I laughed as we got in my classic Range Rover. The oldest version there was; right back from 2015.

"Feel good?" I smirked, her eyes humours.

"Feels good." Meg was silent before she started laughing, and didn't stop until we'd pulled away and were a mile down the road. Of course I joined in.

[Authors Note]

Sorry for the wait... And the shortness of the chapter. But soon will be 40 days of drama and fun. So watch out kids.

For Liv: because she's Ren and Luke and Rem had a cute bit in this chap. And I love her.