Inferno Part 3

~91~ Help

YOU GUYS............

First, I'm posting a double update today, because after this chapter, I'm hoping to remain in your good graces. 😬 Plus, it's a shorter one..

However...

I'm stubborn in my real life. I'm 'Ellie Freeman' stubborn. Once I get my mind made up, I CANNOT change it. I've tried, my friends. I've been begging myself to change it. But I'm so freaking stubborn, that I CAN'T 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Trigger Warning is now in effect. I'm so sorry in advance. This one is a doozy, so message me if you need more info.

I'm going to go in hiding now, and wait for the rock throwing 😭😭😭💔💔

Taylor's POV

It's been another week, and I haven't heard from my son at all. Nothing. He won't return his mom's calls, he's been skipping out on lunches when he's at the school, and he won't talk to Emma.

I don't know what to do, but I'm about to break his damn door down and give him a spanking...or an intervention...I can't decide which yet.

I'm on shift, and I can't get him off of my mind. I miss him, and something deep in my gut is telling me he's not ignoring Ellie and Emma because of me. When he first moved out, he still talked to both of them.

It's just been these last few weeks that he's completely shut them out. I don't even know at this point.

It's around 7pm, and it's been a quiet shift. I'm sitting in my office, working on paperwork.

Suddenly I hear someone walk in, without knocking. I'm half expecting it to be Greene, so I finish writing something before I look up. When I do, I'm completely stunned. It's Luke.

His face is bad—Bad bad bad.

I immediately stand up and go over to him, shutting my door.

"Lucas, what's wrong?" I ask as I grab his shoulders and look at him hard.

His face immediately scrunches into pain, and he collapses on the ground. I'm able to catch him so he doesn't hurt himself, but he still goes to the ground. I sit next to him, cradling him as he sobs.

My poor boy. Not knowing what's wrong is complete torture. Seeing him suffer is complete torture. It's a form of hell that you only get to experience when you're a parent.

"Tell me buddy," I say once he's quieted down some.

He puts his knees to his chest and rocks back and forth.

"Are you and Shay broken up?" I ask with a pit in my stomach. I love that girl as my own.

He just shakes his head as he continues to sob.

Relief washes through me.

"Is she pregnant?"

Again he shakes his head.

I decide to just be quiet, and quit asking questions. He will tell me when he can.

Finally he takes a huge breath and opens his eyes, staring at the wall as tears pour like torrents down his face, dripping onto his shirt.

"I really need you," he finally gets out.

I take his hand and squeeze it. "I'm here."

He looks at me finally, and starts to cry again. "I'm so sorry, dad," he wails in a high pitched sob.

I bring him to me and he folds into my chest, sobbing so hard my shirt is soaked.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You had every right to be mad," I say, my tears dripping on his head.

"I need help," he finally gets out, his face still pressed against my chest.

"You've got it."

When he looks up, his eyes are almost empty. Like he's got no fight left; Like he's giving up.

"Tell me, Lucas," I say, my heart beating so hard, my ears are pounding. I almost feel like I could pass out from the adrenaline coursing through me.

"It's Shay....." he sobs

"What about her?"

He sits up again and sniffs, taking the bottom of his shirt and lifting it up, wiping his eyes.

"We were having sex a few weeks ago, and we were, well, damn...."

"It's ok, buddy. Just tell me."

"I noticed one of her boobs felt weird...like, a lump or something," he says, getting choked up.

Oh no. I feel like I'm going to be sick.

"It really freaked me out, so I begged her to go to the doctor. It's breast cancer, dad. It's so bad, she has to go through chemo. She's going to....." he can't even talk. He just folds back into me and cries a cry I've never heard out of him before.

"Going to what?" I get out, fighting the sobs coming from me.

"She's going to lose her breast for sure. But, it's so bad....they don't know. Stage 3... she's going to lose her hair. She's going to be so sick. She could die!"

"Luke," I whisper as I cry with him, holding my kid. This is just......I just need Ellie here.

"Her parents?" I ask after we both calm ourselves down.

He shakes his head. "They live in England now. Her mom is going to make the trip for her surgery to remove her breast, but she can't stay. She's going to go through chemo without her parents."

That pisses me off. I don't care if I was living in a gutter. I'd find a way to be there for my kid.

"Come home. Please, let us help."

He looks me dead in the eyes, tears falling again. "I need help. I need you. I'm so sorry, dad."

"It's ok, kid," I whisper in his ear as I kiss his hair.

I hug him as tight as I can. What a horrible tragedy to bring us back together. I get my son back at Shay's expense. What a horrible, horrible thing.

"I can't lose her," he cries.

"How is she?" I ask after a few minutes.

"Scared," he sniffs.

"Devastated. She's losing her breast. She's afraid she won't feel like a woman anymore. That I won't find her attractive anymore. She's completely broken about losing her hair. She's a complete mess."

"Have you told anyone else?"

He shakes his head. "You're the first person I wanted to tell...needed to tell."

Tears fill my eyes again as I stand up and pull him to standing. I hug him tight and give him all the strength I have. "I've missed you," I cry.

He nods. "Please forgive me. I was so messed up. The whole Ben thing...it just brought me right back there and I lost my mind. I'm sorry. We HAVE fixed our relationship."

I nod as I kiss his cheek. "Yes we have."

He sits on the edge of my desk, trying to get his bearings.

I sit next to him, my mind racing.

"Luke, come home. Let us help you guys. Let mom help Shay."

"What if I lose her, dad?" He cries, hanging his head.

Man that's when I lose it too. That girl is my daughter. I love her so damn much.

"I don't have that answer, Lucas."

He looks at me and wipes his eyes again. "We can come home?"

"Yes"