Beside You - Sequel to Unpredictable

17

Maddie's P.O.V.

My phone has been blowing up for the past week. I haven't answered any of the calls or texts. I don't know what I would say to them. I do feel bad for taking off like that, only Michael knew I was leaving.

I just needed to go. I still have no idea where I'm going. So far I've made it a couple cities over. Maybe I'll find a hotel to stay in. 

I bend down to fix my boots, looking around. It's dark, cold and there's nothing and no one around me. Just a road. All around me is desert and a few trees here and there. 

My mind wanders off as I walk, trying not to think about how sore my feet are or how cold my face is. I think back to when Luke and I first met. 

How my heart stopped at the sight of the tall boy with a deep voice. Oh god, his voice. Especially when he would sing to me when I was upset over the hate mail I got or missing my family.

I sigh to myself, shaking my head, hoping to shake the thoughts from my mind. 

Why is it so hard to forget him.

Because you're in love with him. My subconcious reminds me, making me groan aloud. I hate this. I hate him. No you don't.

Sometimes I wish that things were different. Maybe we could have worked things out? No, no we couldn't. 

My phone buzzes in my pocket, for the tenth time this hour, signaling someone is calling me. I pull my phone from my pocket and look at the bright screen, hesitating over the answer button. It's Luke..

Maybe I should answer it just once... He deserves to know I'm okay. Okay.. I take a deep breath and answer the phone, bringing it up to my ear.

"Maddie?!" 

"Yeah, It's me Luke." I sigh, biting the inside of my cheek so I don't start crying.

"Maddie, please come home? We're all so worried about you. You don't know what happened. I didn't ch-" I cut him off.

"Luke, really? That's all you care about? Is telling me another lie? I've been gone for days and that's all you can think of?" I sigh again.

"No- No Mads, that's not what it's like. I just, I want you back." His voice sounds despararte and I can tell he's been crying a lot.. No, I cannot fall back into his trap.

"I'm sorry, Luke, I can't. But i'm okay. And I'll be home.. Well I don't really know. But i'm safe." I bite my lip hard as I hang up, wiping my eyes. 

I need to go back. Now. He is not my boyfriend. Anymore. But he is still mine.

I see a pair of head lights in the distance, heading the way I need to go.

Luke's P.O.V.

I need her with me. I wish I was beside her. She's my fire. And I'm her ice. Together we make steam. Everytime my phone goes off, I hope it's her.

It's been a few days since talking to her. Sleep doesn't relive my exhaustion anymore. I've refused to even leave my room. I reach under my bed and grab the small box I was looking at last week, opening it and looking at the inside of it, biting my lip.

I shove the small box into my pocket before getting up and shrugging on my coat and grabbing my keys. I need a drink. Badly. 

Michael looks up at me as I pass by him. He's sitting on the couch playing video games with Everest. "Luke, bro, where are you going?"

"Out." I mumble and fix my hair.

"Oh, um be careful."

I drive to the bar as fast as I can go, impatiently tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. I need to be a little drunk so I can give this to her.. As soon as I park I get out and go inside the dark bar, ordering a few drinks.

The bar smells of smoke and alcohol. Like every bar. 

It's very dim inside and almost makes me more sad as I sit on the uncomfortable stool.

Almost an hour later I'm drunker than I wanted to be. Oh well, this will work well enough. I sit at the bar, taking the box from my pocket and opening it, looking at the ring. It was only a week away.. I can't wait any longer now. I don't know where she is, but I need to get this to her before I leave. 

I hold onto the box as I pay for my drinks and make my way through the dark bar to the door, stumbling out and finding my car.

In my drunken state, driving around until I can find her seems like a great idea. So I get into the car, starting it and taking a deep breath. I hope I can find my Maddie.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, but I only ignore it. In the next ten minutes of me slowly driving around, my phone has rang eight times. Maybe I should answer it?

What if it's Maddie? 

It's not. She hates me.

But I love her.

I hit the steering wheel, driving faster. The houses around me look familiar, but it's too dark to be sure of it. The only way I can see the road ahead of me is the headlights shinning on the ground and the tall street lamps.

The car swerves and I'm suddenly glad I didn't drink during the day. So many people would have been out and I could have hit someone. 

My eyes wander to my lap where the small box sits, biting my lip. The car swerves again towards the other lane, making me look up quickly just in time to see my car collide into another.