NO SHAME

XXXV

"Aspen, love, the doctor is here to check on you," Luke awoke me later that day.

    I stirred and sat up in the hospital bed, Luke lying next to me and watching tv. I let the doctor do everything she needed to do while Luke continued to sit there next to me.

    "Good news, Ms. Miller, you should be good to go home tomorrow," the doctor informed me. "We're going to keep you overnight just to make sure that everything is all good and then you should be on your way."

    "Oh thank god," I exhaled and the doctor laughed before leaving me and Luke alone again.

    Calum, Ashton, and Michael had gone home shortly after I woke up, and I knew that Luke was giving them updates every once in a while. I was really thankful that Luke had stayed with me, even though I knew he wouldn't have left even if I had asked him to.

    "Thank you for staying with me," I whispered as I laid back down on Luke.

    "Of course, love, I'm not going anywhere," Luke whispered back as he rubbed his hand up and down my back to help me fall asleep again.

-

    Calum carried me on his back through the parking lot to Luke's car the next day after I was released from the hospital. I was glad to have all of my best friends there with me that day, because it felt like a celebration when the doctor told me that I could go home. I know it was more of a relief for everyone else, since I had been unconscious for most of my stay, but I was still happy to finally be going home. Not to mention the hospital bill for my week-long stay would be awful.

    The entire drive home, Luke had Youngblood blasting as the two of us sang at the top of our lungs. I knew he was trying to keep me distracted from the car ride and I also knew that he could tell I was freaked out still from my wreck.

    "I'm so glad to have you back here, oh my god," Luke said as we walked into his house.

    "I'm glad to be back," I giggled as Luke pulled me to him. Luke leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my lips before pulling back and rocking us back and forth.

    "Now that I think about it, I notice that you've never talked about your parents before, and now I see why," Luke said.

    "Yeah, I haven't talked to them since I moved. I never really talked to them when I lived in my hometown anyway, but now even less. I really need to get my emergency contact changed or something, because I don't want the hospitals to be calling them anymore."

    "Who would you change your emergency contact to?" Luke smirked, knowing exactly who it would be.

    "Hm, I don't know, maybe Calum," I teased, and Luke pouted. "I'm kidding, obviously it would be you."

    "Can we agree to never fight again?" Luke said suddenly.

    "I mean, I can't promise anything, but I'll try," I joked.

    "I'm serious Aspen, I hated fighting with you, that was the worst feeling ever."

    "All couples fight Luke, it's just about solving the issue and making sure both sides are happy in the end. We aren't going to agree on everything, but if we communicate with each other, everything will be fine. Unless you do something stupid like cheat on me. Then I'd never talk to you again."

    "I would fucking never do that shit to you. Happened to me, I'd never put someone through that."

    "I actually really appreciate that, and I hope you know I'd never do that to you either."

    "I know, you're too kind to do something like that to anyone. I don't think you could ever hurt anyone."

    "You think too highly of me, I literally almost broke your heart a week ago by moving out."

    "That was just me being selfish because I love having my perfect girlfriend living with me. Plus, I won in the end anyway."

    "Very true, I am the loser here. I have to live with a successful musician who also happens to be very attractive and the biggest sweetheart ever. But he would never let anyone know how much of a softy he is because everyone has to think he's a tough asshole," I smirked.

    "I am not a softy," Luke pouted.

    "You so are, don't even."

    "Whatever," Luke grumbled and pulled away from me.

    I followed Luke into the kitchen where he began to make dinner for us and I hopped up onto the counter to watch him.

    "What?" Luke asked as he continued to make us dinner.

    "Nothing," I laughed and began to swing my legs back and forth.

    Luke put the knife he was using to cut a sandwich down, and used his now free hands to hold my legs still so that I would stop swinging them.

    "Stop, you're knocking the drawers," Luke demanded softly.

    I pouted at Luke which caused him to roll his eyes. He moved his hands so that they were on either side of my legs and trapped me between his arms. Luke's face was close to mine as my breath caught and my heart began to race.

    "Don't pout at me," Luke said.

    "But I'm cute when I pout," I joked.

    "Very true," Luke agreed before moving forward and placing his lips on mine for a moment. "Now get off the counter and come get your sandwich."

    I sighed and hopped down before grabbing my dinner and joining Luke at the table. We ate in silence, just soaking in each other's presence, both of us freaked out by the events of the last week.

    "I'm going to go to bed now," I told Luke after I finished eating.

    "Okay, I'll be up in a minute," Luke replied.

    I nodded at him and got up to go get ready for bed. Even though I had basically been sleeping for a week straight, I was still exhausted from everything. Once I was done getting ready for bed, I laid down and went on my phone to wait for Luke. I had a few texts from Cal, Ash, and Mike asking how I was and telling me to let them know if I needed anything.

    After a few minutes, Luke walked into the room and went into the bathroom so that he could get ready for bed as well.

    Once he finished up, he laid down next to me and opened his arms up for me to cuddle into him. I crawled into Luke's arms and let him hold me. It felt nice to be in Luke's arms and I felt very comforted by him.

    I drifted off to sleep in Luke's arms, the sound of his beating heart helping me to fall asleep.