Fire on Fire [L.H]

forty-three

(3 Weeks Later...)

 I rubbed my face, completely drained from the hour in a half cry I let out. I reached for my phone as I took a deep breath. Finding Luke's number, I hit the phone button and the phone began to ring. Placing the phone on speaker, it rang a few times before it finally stopped. I let my phone sit on my chest as I covered my eyes, breathing the best I could.

"Hello?" Luke answered.

"Luke, I-"

"Dani, what's the matter?" Luke asked me concerned.

"I'm having a rough time right now and I don't know if I can be alone right now. I don't know what to do," I cried to him.

"Okay. Let me change and I can come over. Just calm down please," he insisted. I took a deep breath and rubbed my temple as the headache was absolutely killing me at ten in the morning. "Can you tell me what's wrong?" Luke questioned as I heard shuffling.

"Twelve years ago, I got Jet from this Rescuing Organization," I told him. "I haven't cried over Jet in months, and now it's hitting me again and it hurts so bad."

My heart was hurting. Something about his birthday just struck me in a different way. Nothing could fix the pain. At least not today. This was the first mentally struggling day I've had since my coping days. And I'm too scared to be alone.

"I understand that that is difficult for you. I'm on my way to you okay. Just get out of bed at least. Because I know you haven't," he said, which broke me into a chuckle. "Well at least I made you laugh so we're already making progress!" I could see the enthusiasm on his face and it made me roll my eyes as I snickered to myself. "Just please get out of bed. I'll be there in like seven minutes."

"Okay," I said. We hung up the phone and I attempted to do what he asked me to. It took me a good two minutes to even pull myself out of my room, but I was able to. Since I didn't have a whole lot of time before Luke got here, I figured I might as well shower in three minutes, since I've done it before. I grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants and a blue tank top and walked out of the room, down the hall to the master bathroom.

I was able to jump in and out of the shower, despite how badly I wanted to sit there in the warm water and just cry. But I forced myself not to.

I brushed my hair and left it natural just so I could get out of the bathroom. By the time I left the bathroom, I heard the door bell going off. I walked down the stairs and unlocked the door, opening it. Seeing Luke stand there in a white skin tight T-shirt and some blue jeans, I allowed him in. He walked through the door and closed it behind him, taking off his black jacket he had over his T-shirt.

"You alright?"

"I've had better days," I told him. My eyes begging for a hug, look threw his jacket onto the hook next to the door and wrapped me in a hug. Taking in the comfort without breaking down, Luke rubbed my back.

"I've seen you have better days, to be honest. You look horrible."

"I feel as horrible as I look," I told him as he let go of me.

"Have you eaten breakfast at all?" I shook my head no. "Have you written anything?" I shook my head no again. "Go and get your notebook and meet me in the kitchen. I'm gonna make you some breakfast." Listening to his orders, I walked to my home office to grab my notebook when I heard him from the kitchen. He said, "I'm starting you off sooner than later. We are not reliving this nightmare again." I smiled at that comment.

"Then don't question why I called you," I responded back, leaving my office. I walked down the small hallway and entered the kitchen through the second door I had that led to my dining room. I walked to my island and sat down. Luke was already turning on my stove top and putting oil on it before he went rummaging through my fridge and freezer. I opened up my notebook and started to write out my emotions from the second I woke up to now. Apparently I had a lot to write about because it took up three pages. I wanted Luke to understand what was going on in my head, so I just gave him the notebook to read it while I ate the breakfast he made me. Luke set the notebook down and reached over to me, hugging me again.