Drive//L.H.

~23~

Camari's POV

I was really shocked to see Ashton at my doorstep and to hear him out of all people ask for my help just added to it.

"Help with what?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest. I can tell my insistent attitude is riveting him. I watch him shift his weight from foot to foot. I'm deeply satisfied and amused at his uneasiness but I'm intrigued to know what he needs me for.

"It's Luke-"

"And I should care why?" I say raising my eyebrow to him.

"Because he's seriously fucked up and it's my fault and I promised him I would fix it and now I'm trying to fix it." He says with a tone in his voice that he's begging me. I don't know why he expects me to help him clean up the mess he made, especially when I was one of the broken pieces in the aftermath.

"Then maybe you shouldn't make promises you can't keep." I say starting to close the door.

"No! Wait!" He yells urgently. He manages to stop the door from closing and I know it's taking every once of him to not push his way inside.

"Give me one good reason why I should you fix whatever it is that you need help with?"

"Because I can't do it by myself and you're the only person that can get through to them. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important and we both know that. I know that you hate me and I understand why but I'm begging you to help me." He says urgently. His eyes have started to water and I'm almost one hundred percent sure that if I told him to beg on his knees he would.

"Ashton I don't hate you, I hate who you've become." I whisper. That was the final crack that broke the dam. Before I know it he's crying nonstop and trying to keep himself together-but he's failing.

"Ashton shh look at me. It's gonna be okay. I'll help you this one time. If it doesn't work then I'm done and you're going to have to move on." I tell him, trying to be gentle about it. He nods frantically as he begins to calm down some.

"Thank you so much." He sniffles.

"What's the first thing I have to do?"

"First we need to help Luke. He's so heartbroken and I can't see him like that." He whimpers. I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. This is the biggest fucking mess.

"What even made you do this in the first place?" I ask him.

"You need to ask Luke." He says with a scratchy voice.

"Well I'm asking you so tell me." I say not putting up this constant blame game. I want answers and if he wants help I'm going to get them. He sniffles and tried to get himself together.

"I really think you should ask Luke. It's not my place to tell."

"Oh but it was your place to make it worse? Dammit Ashton just tell me!" I snap.

"I was jealous okay?! Luke gets everything! The perfect family, the perfect grades, the perfect girls! And he had all that. He had you and you loved him so much and he was going behind your back! I'm so sorry Cami. He was sleeping with Kaelyn this whole time. A-and I found out and I was going to tell you. And Luke got so angry. He threatened to tell everyone my secret." He whispers, no longer making eye contact with me. My eyes get the familiar stinging sensation and I'm trying not to cry. I'm more surprised that this truth still hurts, even though I knew something wasn't right with him. We've been broken up for a few months now and it still hurts.

"What secret could be so bad that you needed to record and share a video of Luke touching me like that?" I ask hurt.

"I didn't share it Camari. It wasn't supposed to be seen by anyone else!"

"Bullshit! Then what was the point of taking it?!"

"Blackmail! It was stupid blackmail." He whimpers.

"Then tell me the whole thing. From the beginning." I say standing my ground.

"Okay but after we see Luke. I'll tell you everything. Every secret, every detail, after we get Luke. That way you can ask him questions I don't have the answer too." He says. He wipes his eye making his face even more red.

I sigh giving in. "Fine. Let's go see Luke." I mumble. I don't really understand what is so bad with Luke that has to happen so urgently.

We show up to his house and I notice that his moms car isn't in the driveway.

"Shit." Ashton mumbles under his breath as he gets out. He partially trips over his feet running to the door. I walk, still not understanding the urgency. I walk through the door that Ashton left wide open. I make my way up the staircase assuming Ashton went to his room. I can hear them talking behind Luke's closed door. I open the door and all hell breaks loose.