Rip My Heart Out

Chapter Nine

I leave Calum sitting at the diner to go to my favorite place.

Behind the church into the woods is a small creek, not many people know it's there but Michael and I found it one day before service.

I go there when I really need to escape and be left alone with my thoughts and God.

The church parking lot looks foreign without cars or people littering it.

I take note, no cars, no people, no motorcycles that don't belong...

As I follow the familiar but hardly visible path to the water I replay this mornings events in my mind; my uncle doing whatever that was, me sinning towards my parents, being nice to Calum.

Mother would be so upset if she saw me with him, but yet, after actually getting to know him I don't feel so guilty for being around him.

The creek slowly flowing with the wind, the trees, leaves, and critters all make a perfect song as I sit as close to the water as possible.

I've only been up for a few hours and I'm already so exhausted.

I lay back, staring at the blanket of leaves above my head.

The rays of lights shine in through the absence of shrubbery and warm my face, making it hard for my eyes to stay open.

•

"I've never seen someone sleep so long."

My eyes immediately open with the new sound.

"I mean, it's been about three hours, and god knows how long you'd been here before I showed up."

I jolt up and turn to face Luke who's sitting on a tree stump a few feet away from me.

We watch each other for a moment.

"Did you watch me sleep?"

He shrugs, "I sat here while you slept."

I stand up too fast and my head hurts, leaves fall off of my back. "Look, you need to leave me alone. All you ever do is cause trouble when you're around."

Luke laughs. "You listened to my tape, I'm guessing."

"It's not funny! That almost got me into really big trouble!" Why can't he just understand he's no good.

"Oh, no, what would poor Ashton do if mommy and daddy were mad at him?" He stands and walks to me.

"It's more serious than that. I had to listen to you sin and-"

He scoffs and then smirks, "No one held a gun to your head and forced you to listen to it." The space between us continues to decrease. "You willingly listened."

He's wearing a leather jacket and all I can think about is how warm outside it is to be in such heavy clothing.

"You wanted to listen to it, you did, and you liked it." He's so close that the smell of nicotine hits me in the face with every word.

His boots smother the leaves beneath his feet.

"Ashton."

His lips glisten as his tongue slides across them.

"You liked it."

His piercing blue eyes are fixed somewhere on my face that isn't my own eyes, his body is so close to mine that any sudden movements would bring us together.