NO SHAME

XXXIV

Aspen

    My head was pounding, and I had no idea where I was. The last thing I remembered was getting in a fight with Luke and driving to Calum's. It suddenly comes back to me. The loud scraping of metal on metal, the squealing of brakes before I felt the impact. I was laying on the road surfing in and out of consciousness the last I remembered.

    "Luke?" I asked quietly.

    "Aspen?" A familiar voice called out. It was one I knew, but not one I wanted to hear.

    "Where's Luke?" I asked as I turned to look at my mother who was approaching me.

    "I'll get him Aspen," another familiar voice reassured me. Calum.

    I waited until I heard Calum leave the room before I turned my attention back to my mother.

    "What are you doing here?" I demanded.

    "We were called when they brought you to the hospital. We're your parents, Aspen," my mother responded.

    "What did you say to Luke? I know him, he wouldn't have left this room if he were allowed in here."

    "That boy is not allowed in here. A singer? Really, Aspen? Your father and I have paid for you to get the best education there is so that you can be a successful young woman, and you go and mess that up by dating a musician. What happened to Jake? He was a nice boy."

    "Yeah sure, when he wasn't screaming in my face and hitting me. And Luke is not messing anything up, he's the reason I still have my job. Besides, he's successful too, his band is famous, mother."

    "Fame does not-"

    My mother was cut off by the door flying open and someone bursting into the room. I looked at the door to see Luke standing there and smiled.

    "Oh my god, Aspen," Luke breathed out as he made his way to my bed.

    "Hey," I whispered once he was next to me.

    Luke breathed out before bending down and pulling me into a hug.

    "Aspen, I'm so so sorry about everything that happened that night," Luke whispered into my hair.

    "I know Luke, I know," I reassured him. "It's okay."

    "Aspen-"

    "Mother, leave. I don't want you here anymore. Go home." I interrupted whatever bullshit my mother was ready to spew.

    "Do not talk to your mother like that young lady," my father scolded.

    "Get out!" I yelled and my parents finally did as they were told.

    "Your parents really don't like me," Luke chuckled after they had left the room.

    "I knew they wouldn't," I sighed.

    "Why not?"

    "Because you don't work an office job. Also because you aren't Jake. They love him."

    "And do you? Like me that is?"

    "Oh my god, Luke, yes," I frowned and grabbed his face. "I will always love you, Luke. I know you didn't mean what you said. You are my best friend, and the best thing that has ever happened to me, so yes Luke, I still love you. And this wasn't your fault either."

    "No, I know-"

    "I know you, and I know that you blame yourself for the accident, but it wasn't your fault. I was going to give you some space whether you asked for it or not."

    "I know, I was just so scared." Tears were streaming down his face now.

    "Baby, look at me," I softly demanded and used my thumbs to wipe the tears from under his eyes. "I'm okay. I am okay, I'm right here, and I'm okay, do you understand. Everything is okay, it's okay. We're okay."

    Luke started crying even harder and I pulled him into a hug, letting him cry on me. I rubbed his back and whispered to him to calm him down. After a bit, Luke had finally settled down and he pulled away from me.

    "Please don't move out, Aspen. This last week without you has been miserable, I can't handle you moving out. I love having you live with me, I love you, I love spending time with you. You've made my life so much more fun, please don't leave me," he begged

    "Luke, I can't even afford an apartment anymore, not after the hospital bills. You're stuck with me dude," I told him.

    "Good, because I genuinely can't live without you. I haven't even been able to sleep without you."

    "I'm not going anywhere, Pretty Boy," I smiled, causing Luke to give me a smile in return.

    "I love you so much, Aspen, and I'm going to start saying that so much that you're going to get tired of hearing it."

    "I love you, Luke."