Another Life (Sequel to Toxic) - Luke Hemmings

Chapter 10

After our last game, Mike hopped up to throw his shoes on. I had only tried bringing Val up one more time over the few hours we played, but it was only more of the same. He never really wanted to stay on the topic. I went over to my window to pull the blinds down and saw, yet again, Luke walking up to his car with a duffle bag. I didn't even realize I was fixated on it until I felt Mike put his hand on my shoulder.

"What's going on out there?" He laughed, clearly hinting that I was spaced out and ignoring him.

"Nothing." I rushed, going to pull the blinds down before he could realize I was staring at Luke.

"Not nothing." He grabbed the blinds and pulled them back up, sighing when he finally saw it. "That's not nothing." He said matter-of-factly, making me sigh back.

"He's boxing again." I said plainly, not looking for this to be a conversation at all.

"You say you're over him, but I keep catching you doing shit like this." I lifted his arms in frustration, but I could tell he was trying his best not to let it all out.

"He's boxing again, Mike. I saw him leave the other night and come back with new bruises. It reeks of Jaime." I got quieter as I spoke the last part, even though I definitely wanted him to hear it. I didn't want him to think I was actually bothering myself with Luke's life.

"I thought Jaime was gone." He changed his demeanor immediately and let me off the hook.

"Luke said he was dead." I said quietly again.

"What Luke says and what the truth is are totally different things." He didn't mean to make my skin crawl, but he did. I didn't want to think about if Luke was lying, and I hated that he brought it there.

"I don't really want to think about that." I told him, watching as the realization hit him.

"I'm sorry, I just... I just don't trust him." He told me with more caution.

"And you think I do?" I asked, chuckling ever so slightly.

"I don't think anyone does anymore." He said, making me nod slowly in agreement.

I said bye to Mike, and as soon as he went out the door I couldn't help myself. I ran back to the window and saw that Luke was still messing around with something in his trunk. I didn't even waste any time, I just threw my shoes and jacket on and grabbed my keys. I knew it was probably a ridiculous idea to follow him, but I needed to see for myself that Jaime wasn't involved.

I stuck my head out my dorm door as carefully as I could to make sure that Mike wasn't in the hallway anymore. I knew he took the elevator, so I ran for the stairs instead. When I got out the lobby doors and around to the back of the building, I hid behind the corner and looked to make sure Luke wasn't looking around. All I could see was the top of his torso hopping into his car, so I ran the short distance to mine.

I knew he was always on high alert because of the drug dealing, but Calum said he wasn't dealing at all anymore. I was hoping that would mean he wouldn't pay attention to a car following far behind him. I tried to convince myself I could be a good tail, but once I turned out of the parking lot I started to get more and more nervous.

By the way he was driving, it looked like he didn't think anything of it. Usually when you think you're being followed you start to take turns out of nowhere, and there wasn't any of that. I tried to pay attention to the drive so I could know how to get here if I wanted to come without following him, even if the chances of ever needing that information were slim to none. Soon enough he was pulling off the road about 500 feet in front of me, so I slowed down and made the turn a little bit after.