You Might Be The One (A Fan Fiction) - Luke Hemmings

Chapter 17• The Reckoning

Leyla's POV

The truth was a heavy, suffocating weight. My past wasn't a blank space; it was a ghost, a version of me that Luke and Jasmine knew, that JJ had been hiding. I thought I was mad at Luke, but now, a fresh wave of fury rolled over me, directed squarely at my sister. How could she keep something so huge from me? My whole life had been a lie, built on a foundation of secrecy.

I stood up, the white gown feeling less like a costume and more like a symbol of a life that wasn't mine. The world around me, the loud music and the cheering crowds, seemed to blur into a meaningless background. All I could see was Luke's face at the bleachers, his eyes full of a pain I now understood. The kiss with Robin felt tainted, cheapened by the fact that it wasn't a new experience, but a moment stolen from a past I couldn't remember.

I walked back to the booth, my steps heavy. Faith and Jovi were still there, bickering over something trivial. They stopped as I approached, their smiles fading when they saw my face.

"Hey, you're back," Faith said, her voice a little too cheerful. "Everything okay?"

I shook my head, unable to form the words. I pulled off the flower crown and the veil, throwing them onto the table. "You guys," I started, my voice cracking, "I... there's something you need to know."

Jovi's face softened, and she took my hand. "Leyla, what is it?"

"I had a car accident when I was ten," I said, the words a bitter taste in my mouth. "I was in a coma, and when I woke up, I had amnesia. I forgot everything that happened before then. And... Luke was there. He was my best friend."

Faith stared at me, her mouth agape. "No way. You're serious?"

I nodded, feeling the hot tears welling up in my eyes. "He was in the car with me. He's been trying to get me to remember him for years. That's why he was so mad about the kiss. He said I 'gave away' something that was 'supposed to be his.' He wasn't talking about my first kiss. He was talking about our history."

Silence fell over the booth. The festive atmosphere felt miles away, replaced by a dense, suffocating sorrow.

"Oh, my God," Faith whispered, finally. She looked at Jovi, who was just as stunned as I was. "Why didn't anyone tell us?"

"Because JJ wanted to protect me," I said, the anger returning. "She thought it would be too hard for me to deal with. So she just... kept it a secret."

I felt the tears finally spill over, hot and salty against my cheeks. My life wasn't just a story; it was a puzzle with missing pieces. And the boy who I thought was just a recent friend was actually the most important person in my past.

My mind raced. I couldn't just stand here. I had to go find him. I had to apologize for being so blind. I had to tell him... I didn't even know what I had to tell him. But I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't let him walk away.

I looked at Faith and Jovi. "I have to go. I have to find him."

"We'll be here," Jovi said, her eyes full of understanding.

I turned and ran, the hem of my gray gown catching the wind, my heart set on finding the boy who had been there all along. The cold shiver that had run down my spine now felt like a desperate plea, a plea to my past to find its way back to me.

I ran through the sports festival, the sounds of cheering and music fading as my heart pounded in my ears. The gray gown was a nuisance, the long skirt an obstacle as I pushed past strangers. The frantic energy of the crowd didn't match the desolate feeling inside me. All I could think about was finding Luke, of seeing him and telling him I knew. I had to make him understand that I wasn't the selfish, oblivious person he thought I was.