sunshine | l.r.h

seventeen

chapter seventeen:

no need to take it out on the fruit

"You did what?" Calum questions as he enters the living room. Luke sighs before putting his head in his hands. 

"Natalia told me Luke called things off with Delilah," Ashton fills in. The guilt was already weighing Luke down enough, now he had Calum and Ash to pile onto it.

"Why? I thought you two cleared things up?" Calum inquires, turning his attention to the blonde. 

"I really don't want to talk about this," Luke attempts to brush it all away. He crosses his arms as he stares at the two in front of him.

"What the hell happened to starting over?" Ashton continues. Luke's head is starting to hurt from the constant questions. He turns his focus onto the fruit in front of him. The last thing he wants to do is get them involved. Luke attempts to ignore them until Michael walks in. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.

Michael glances between the three. "What the hell happened?"

"Did you have to do it in that way?" Ashton presses. Luke's eyes roll.

"Ashton, you're acting as if I did something to Natalia," Luke mumbles. Luke's chopping gets slightly more aggressive. 

"They're best friends, Luke," Ashton reminds, "You're probably better off hearing this from me over Natalia."

Luke imagines the words Natalia has for him, despite never officially meeting. Jackson's words have echoed in Luke's head every time he's thought about calling Delilah. Part of him wants to just take the risk as long as she's not pissed at him. Another part would rather her be pissed than in danger. 

"You've been acting off ever since your fight," Mike chimes in, setting his bag on the couch. Luke stops cutting the fruit. 

"Fine," Luke gives in, setting the knife down. "Jackson knows who Delilah is."

"What?" Calum questions, his mood dropping immediately. 

"After the fight, he came into the room and taunted me. He has a picture of her. That was when I knew it was getting too close." Saying it makes a weight lift off of Luke's chest. He feels like the air around him has somewhat cleared.

"Shit," Ashton curses, leaning against the counter.

"What did he want?" Michael asks.

"He wants me to lose our fight tomorrow," Luke admits.

"Are you?"

"I don't know," Luke sighs. He's debated the idea ever since Jackson proposed it. If he wins, he gets the prize money. He doesn't know if Jackson will stay true to his word. Time was running out. The fight being tomorrow makes Luke put his head back in his hands. He runs his hands through his hair as if it would pull out an answer for him. "I haven't lost a fight in months."

"Jackson knows he can't beat you," Ashton's voice rings. 

"The bets will be high tomorrow, fuck," Luke curses. He's trying to sort out a plan but everything is a lose-lose situation. "I don't know if I can risk it."

"The money or her?" Calum mumbles, saying Luke's internal debate. Luke knows the answer. 

"I don't know if staying away from her will keep her safe," he admits. All he wanted to do is make the right choice. Silence falls around the boys.

"Then don't stay away from her," Michael proposes. Luke rubs his temples with a heavy sigh. Michael puts his hands up, knowing the words Luke's preparing. "Staying away from her clearly isn't helping anything. Plus, what if Jackson doesn't keep his word? What if Jackson's not the only one who knows? I'm just saying, she's probably safer with you than away from you, Luke."

"Even if that's true," Luke tumbles over the words, "She hates me right now."

"Eh," Ashton pipes up, "I wouldn't say that."

"And how do you know?" Calum questions teasingly. His eyes narrow at the redhead. 

"Because I talked to her," Ashton shrugs. "Then again, that was before you called things off with her."

"Thanks, Ash," Luke huffs, standing from the barstool. Luke dumps the slightly too cut-up fruit into a bowl before looking at the boys in front of him.

"All I'm saying is you need to talk to her to really know," Ashton steals a piece of fruit from the bowl. "Mike's got a point. She's safer closer to you than away."

"You all sound like self-help books," Luke sighs, shaking his head. Deep down, he knows they are right, though he'll never admit it. Calum takes a piece of fruit and Michael follows. Luke swats their hands away. "And you're going to have no fruit smoothies if you keep eating it all."

"Whatever you say, Rachael Ray," Calum teases, managing to steal another piece of fruit. Luke flips him off as he grins cheekily. "Better swoop in on her soon, mate, Liam's taken a liking to her."

"Liam can go fuck himself," Luke mumbles, grabbing the bowl of fruit. Ashton, Mike, and Cal all share a look. A mischievous glimmer passes behind Calum's eyes. 

"There's this other guy in our Career Pathway class that's just always looking for her," Calum adds on nonchalantly. 

"You just love to get at me, don't you?" Luke pokes, realizing what Calum's doing.

"It's working, isn't it?" He counters. "You're getting jealous."

"I'm about to make you all make your own damn smoothies," Luke attempts to keep a flat face but a grin tugs at his lips. 

"Hey, man, no need to take it out on the fruit," Michael adds to the teasing. Luke laughs lightly before putting the bowl in the center of the counter. Ashton joins his side, patting his shoulder. 

"Just see how tomorrow goes and decide from there," his words are meant solely for Luke as Michael and Calum start diving up the fruit. "But, if it means anything, I think you already know what you're gonna do."

Luke knows Ashton knows him too well. His words prove it. Before Luke set foot into Delilah's studio yesterday. Before he set foot in the door of his apartment, he knew what his choice was. He has to lose the fight. 

Bit of a filler chap but with a bit of teasing from the boys sprinkled in. Hope you all are enjoying this <3.