Flames

Chapter 19: Will they agree?

"Please, just listen," I plead.

"There better be a hell of an explanation for this," Luke tells me angrily.

"There is," I tell him. I start explaining everything that happened since I left the club with Marcus. They don't interrupt me, they just listen quietly. Luke looks like he's about to kill someone, but Sarah is strangely calm. "And... so that's why we need a place to stay, just for tonight. I promise."

"You're always welcome here, so of course you can stay, but they can't," Luke states staring at Sam.

"They need a place to stay. Please!! I know what happened hurt you, but he was not responsible. He tried to help her and he cared deeply for her," I plead.

"This is ridiculous," Sam sputters. "I'm not going to beg him for anything, let's just go." Luke steps closer to him, anger pulsing through his veins. This is bad.

"Can you two put your pride aside, just for one night, please?" I beg them, standing between the two of them. Lola stands behind Sam. "This is not just about the two of you now."

"Luke," Sarah murmurs. "Adriana would have wanted us to help them."

"Why? He didn't help her," Luke states.

"He did try to help her," Lola defends her brother. "He tried to get her to leave the drugs- get her to leave that life, but she wouldn't do it, she just wanted to stop hurting and feeling so depressed. If you want to hold someone accountable, look for your parents; they were the ones who made her feel that way and the reason she turned into a drug addict."

Luke looks confused and hurt. Sarah touches his arm and gives him a sympathetic look; she knows what Lola is saying is true.

"I'm out of here," Sam says before storming out. Lola follows him.

"He was your best friend and he really cared about your sister. Do you really think he didn't try to help her? That he would cause you all this pain?" I ask him.

"She's right. You know mom and dad are not easy, they were never home and when they were, all they did was push her to do things she did not want. You know how it feels, they forced you to date Bella," Sarah reminds him before going out to look for Sam and Lola.

"You should try to give them a chance. I know it's not easy, but you're being unfair," I tell him and leave him by himself to think it over.

"Hey, my brother may not agree, but I live here too and I get to decide too. You can stay," Sarah tells Sam and Lola.

"Thank you, but I can't stay here. I don't want him hating me even more for letting his other sister help me," Sam tells her.

"It's fine. You can stay," Luke agrees, appearing out of nowhere. "Every person is responsible for their own choices; my sister made hers."

A smile spreads across my face. Sam, Lola, and Sarah look surprised.

"I don't- I don't know," Sam stutters, not really knowing what to say.

"You don't need to say anything," Luke tells him before heading back inside.

"Come, I'll get you settled in," Sarah offers with a smile. We all follow her inside.

We each get separate bedrooms. Lola and Sam are on the same floor, but I'm on the same floor as Sarah and Luke. I call my dad and let him know I'm staying with Sarah. I don't have clothes, shoes or a toothbrush, so I ask Sarah if she can lend me something to sleep on. She lends me some of her pajama shorts and a shirt that fits a bit big. I pull my hair up in a ponytail and head down to talk with Sam. I knock on the door and open it without waiting for him to say I can come in. He's sitting shirtless on the bed, doing something on his phone- his hair is wet from showering. When he sees me, his beautiful green eyes widen but he doesn't say anything. I walk up to him and sit crossed-legged in front of him. We stare at each other for a while without saying anything.

"I'm really sorry I brought you into this mess," he apologizes. I shrug because I don't know what to say. I don't like the situation, it scares me, but at the same time I'm not sorry I met him, I love him. "You should've run away from me when you had the chance."

"I didn't want to," I tell him honestly.

"I bet you don't think the same now. You would run if you could," he says.

I shake my head no. "I wouldn't run," I state.

"Why? You should, after everything that has happened..." he asks, surprised that I told him I wouldn't run if I had the chance.

"Because I love you," I confess. "And I wouldn't change this feeling for anything in the world."

"I always knew you were strong and stubborn, but now I just think you're plain crazy," he laughs. He's taken aback when I move closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder. He tenses a little.

"Was it true what you told your father about the evidence you have on him and about the FBI?" I ask him out of the blue. He still doesn't move.

"Yes," he simply answers. "You know... it was Lucy who called me and told me you were with my dad."

"Seriously?" I ask unbelievingly.

"She's not as bad as you think," he says. "She's not like them. She's mixed up in that life because of her parents, like me; but she doesn't like it either."

"I don't know how parents could be okay with getting their kids into that life," I say.

"Yeah, me neither," Sam agrees.

"What are you gonna do with the evidence?" I bring the topic back.

"I'm going to give it to the police or the FBI. I'm going to turn him in," he answers.

"What will you do when your father's in prison?" I ask again.

"I'm leaving," he responds, looking down at me.

"What do yo you mean leaving?" I ask confused, lifting my head up.

"I'm going away," he says.

"Away? Away, where?"

"I don't know yet," he says. "Look, maybe my father will go to prison, but he still has loyal people out there who would do anything for him, and I'm sure after he finds out I betrayed him, he will have an army after me. I want you to have a normal life not having to worry about anything. I want you to be safe. You and I can't be."

"I can take care of myself," I assure him.

"I know you can, but I can't risk anything happening to you," he tells me.

"Ugh! Why can't you stop pushing me away? I don't need you to protect me."

"For the same reason you don't run away from me after all I've put you through," he answers. "Because I love you, Amanda Cole. And I would die before letting anything happen to you."

"You love me?" I ask unbelievingly.

"How couldn't I?" he answers staring at me.

"Can we forget for a moment everything that's happening and just be?" I ask him, but before he gets the chance to answer, I launch myself at him.

We kiss passionately, not thinking about anything else- leaving our worries and everything else aside. He starts pulling my shirt off and I let him. We continue kissing and one thing leads to another.