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

Chapter 24• The Missing Piece

Leyla's POV

The cold night air hit me, a sharp jolt that mirrored the pain in my chest. I walked away from the diner, from the dim light and the raw truth, and back into the dark. My legs felt shaky, but my resolve was solid. The pieces of the puzzle were all laid out now. The beautiful, hopeful story was a lie. The shattered reality was a painful truth.

Luke wasn't a victim; he was a manipulator. He wasn't a hero; he was a coward. He had not only lied to me, but he had also poisoned his friends against me, turning my best friends into strangers and himself into my only ally. He had used my amnesia, my pain, my confusion, as a weapon to protect himself. The paper airplane in my pocket felt like ash. Every new memory we had made was a fresh betrayal.

A hand on my arm made me jump. I turned, ready to pull away, but it was Xiana. Her face was etched with worry, her breathing a frantic puff of air in the cold. She didn't scold me, didn't ask where I had been. She just looked at me, her eyes searching for the sister she knew.

"I called the diner. They said you were here," she said, her voice a little shaky. "What did they tell you?"

The dam broke. The composure I had held onto since I'd left the house crumbled, and a sob escaped my throat. I couldn't speak. I didn't have the words to describe the pain, the lies, the betrayal. I just leaned into her, my face buried in the warm fabric of her jacket.

She held me, her arms a tight, protective shield, and in that moment, she wasn't just my sister; she was my safe harbor. She didn't try to fix it, didn't offer any empty platitudes. She just held me as I cried, the tears a hot, cleansing stream on my cold cheeks.

After a long time, my sobs subsided, leaving me with a dull ache and a profound sense of exhaustion. She pulled back slightly, her hands on my shoulders. "Let's go home," she whispered.

We walked back in silence. It wasn't the awkward silence of strangers, but the quiet of two people who understood each other without a word. The house, when we reached it, was a beacon of light in the darkness. Inside, the warmth was a comfort, a stark contrast to the cold that had been in my heart.

Xiana led me to the couch and handed me a warm mug of cocoa. The quiet hum of the refrigerator, the familiar scent of home, and the gentle presence of my sister were a balm to my shattered spirit. The chaos of the night, the pain of the truth, all faded into the background. For the first time, I wasn't just existing; I was healing.

The past was still a monster, a horrifying truth that I would have to face every day. But as I looked at Xiana, her eyes full of a quiet understanding, I knew I wouldn't have to do it alone. The old story was shattered, but a new one, a real one, was just beginning. And this time, it was a story of a girl and her sister, and a quiet moment of peace in the storm.

~

The morning air was crisp and cool as I walked to school, the familiar brick buildings and crowded hallways a stark contrast to the quiet solitude of the night before. Each step felt heavy, burdened by the weight of the new truth. The world was still the same, but my perception of it had fundamentally shifted. The girl who had walked these halls before was gone, replaced by someone who knew the truth, and had to decide what to do with it.

As I approached our usual morning spot, a large oak tree near the cafeteria, I saw them. Faith, Jovi, and JJ. Their laughter carried on the wind, a sound that should have felt familiar and comforting, but now felt like an echo from a distant life. I steeled myself and walked toward them, my hands clenching the straps of my backpack.

"Leyla!" Faith shrieked, her face lighting up as she ran to me. She pulled me into a tight hug, her energy a jarring contrast to my quiet. "Where have you been? You completely vanished after the sports fest!"