Project Publicity || l.h

Chapter 27// Mistaken

OKAY this chatper's kinda intense

I reread the letter about three times, then scrunch it up into a tight ball and shove it into my drawer.

It's pretty clear: Luke doesn't realize that I know his secret.

I begin to pace my room for a few minutes, my breath coming out short and fast with anxiety. When I start having the urge to rip out my hair, I have to force myself to sit down and paint something out of the back of my mind. It calms me down a little, and then my paint strokes turn from firm, stressed lines to smooth ones.

My phone rings eventually, and I put my art away to the side.

It's Hailey, and she starts yelling right away. "What was that today? Why did you defend Ash?" She demands.

"Because our revenge plan is over," I tell her.

"I know that!" She huffs. "But the plan is ruined. Luke's on your bad side. You're with Logan and he's with Tiffany. You're moody, you don't eat, you don't hang out with us. Could you please tell me what the fuck is going on?"

I can tell, that after supporting me for so long, she's frustrated beyond words. She wants to know everything. And I know that I have to tell her.

So I start from the beginning, ever since the first time I've met Luke, to the day of my father's confession, and how I found out Luke's teamed up with Ashton, and when Luke appeared by my house to beat up Logan. And how I was upset, and both of them left with cut lips and bruises on their fists.

Hailey lets out a long whistle by the time I'm finished. "Ohhhhh, holy jesus. Your life is one fucked up movie."

"Tell me about it," I groan.

"Are you ever going to tell Luke that you know? About your parents?"

"Not anytime soon." I pause. "But, if by any chance I leave this shit town, I want you to deliver the message."

"Leave? Why?!" She exclaims.

"I'm just saying. If I'm incapable, could you give him a letter? I'm writing one tonight. To reply to the one I found."

"Okay..." Hailey replies. "By the way!" She blurts excitedly. "You said you found Luke's letter, right?"

"Yeah. I'm guessing he misplaced it in the pile of stuff he gave me."

She hums thoughtfully for a few seconds. "Well, find some more," she suggests. "It's the only way you'll get a confession out of him!"

"What?!"

"You want to read more, right?!" She exclaims.

"But isn't that like, an invasion of privacy....?"

Hailey sighs. "Its for the best. Plus, if the letters are about you, you deserve to know," she tells me. "Luke just called me up and told me he's playing for a festival tonight. He's supposed to be gone for another two hours, so....gogogogo!"

"Okay, okay," I say, balancing the phone on one shoulder and heading to the door. My mother spots me and mouths: 'Where are you going?' I give her a small shake of the head and mouth: 'Be right back.'

Then I get to my garage, and climb into the car within two minutes. "All right. What am I supposed to do?" I ask into the phone.

"Put me on speaker and drive to that shithead's house," she says excitedly.

I do as I'm told. The car sputters to life, and I drive it down the street, Hailey yapping orders at me and cracking jokes. I finally arrive at Luke's house, gliding into his driveway.