The Last Chance- l.h ®

14: You Broke Me

"Come on, Addie," Ashton begged. "It's been three weeks. The poor guy hasn't come out of his room. Just talk to him."
I had gotten this far. Outside of Luke's apartment. Ashton had pulled me out of my dormitory and gotten me here. I stood frozen in front of his door. "Just talk to him." I rolled my eyes and knocked on the door. Ashton could have let me in but was making me knock.

"Here's a twenty-" Luke paused. "Addie?" His voice was barely a whispered. His body looked pale and his hair wasn't spiked up like it usually was. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy.

"Hi." I felt a light push from Ashton so I walked in.

"I've got a three-o'clock class so I'm gonna go," Ashton stated before running off.

"I guess you were expecting pizza," I nervously laughed.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Let's sit." We walked over to the couch and sat relatively far from each other.

"I'm so sorry."

"Luke, you broke me. I'm still broken."

"I know-" was all he could get out before he began to sob. I wanted so badly to go over to him and stop his tears but I couldn't. He did this to me and I hadn't come to forgive him.

"Luke, I came here to compromise." He looked up at me, his eyes all red and puffy.

"I know it's just I can't believe that I hurt you like this." He began crying again. I felt bad but why? I was angry at him. He betrayed me. "I hate myself, Ad! I hurt you! I caused you this undying pain. I'm the reason you're so mad and upset."

"Luke-"

"No, Ads! No!" He violently stood up and began pacing the room. "I am the worst human being in the world."

"You could have done worse?" I added.

"Ads, just stop. Stop trying to see the positive in this situation. I love that about you. How you make every situation all good but not this time. Ad, I deserve this. I deserve this agony and pain." He looked directly into my eyes and it was as if he saw right into me. "Do you still love me?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. This was his only hope. If I said I still love him, then he would have hope. I at least want him to have that.

"Of course." I reached out and grabbed his hand. He was startled by my actions but eventually relaxed.

"You do?"

"Yes Luke. I'm not going to just stop loving you because some girl did this to our relationship. I'm in love with you and there's nothing that can change that." A weak smile spread across his face. "But I'm not over this yet. Yes, you've caused me a lot of pain but I'm not just going to give up on us. Just give me some time and I'll figure this all out."

"How much time?"

"I don't know yet. I'll know when I'm ready." He slowly nodded before kissing my cheek.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you."

//

"Ready?" Caroline asked. I nodded. Caroline drove to JWU from Clemson so we could take off from here and go back to Charleston. "Okay, let's go!"

Finally: a break from school for Thanksgiving. We walked outside and went to her Land Rover.

"So, how's the sorority?"

"Great! The girls are amazingly sweet and excepting."

"That's good!" She nodded as we pulled out of the parking lot.

"How are you in Luke?" I winced. It's been another two weeks since I last talked to Luke.

"Fine. We're still healing." She nodded and put a smile on her face.

"He really loves you, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know." We finally pulled up into my driveway.

"Call me, okay?" I nodded and she drove off after I got my luggage out of the car. I walked into my dad's house and was disappointed that he wasn't here. He must still be at the diner. I put my suitcase in my bedroom before going into the kitchen to find something to eat.

I came across some microwaveable Mac and cheese so I settled with that. I pulled out my phone to see three missed calls. One from my mom, one from Luke, and one from... Ashton? That one caught me by surprise so I decided to call him back.

"Hello?" He groggily answered.

"Hey Ashton, it's Addie. Did I wake you?"

"No, no," he lied. I scoffed. "Well yeah but it's fine."

"Did you need something?"

"Oh, uh, no. I was just calling to check in. How are you and Luke." I groaned. Why was everyone so interested.

"Fine."

"Ashton?!" I heard yelling in the back ground.

"Shut up, Luke! I'm on the phone."

"With who?"

"Uhh, Briana."

"Liar. Who is it?" Ashton sighed.

"Addie."

"Addie?! What?! Let me talk to her!!"

"No, she'll call you if she wants to talk." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I heard a door slam signaling Luke's exit. "Sorry."

"It's okay," I chuckled. "He's just mad that it's been five weeks."

"Five weeks?!" Ashton whisper- yelled.

"What?"

"You do realize that he hasn't left the apartment once, right?" I gasped.

"What?"

"No, he always makes me get the groceries and its pissing me off."
I laughed.

"I'm sorry but I'm not ready. We're steal healing."

"Does it really take five weeks?"

"Ashton..." I scolded.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. Listen I gotta go so just call me later."

"Okay."

"Bye Addie."

"By Ashton." I hung up and set my phone on the counter as I put the delicious 'cheese' in the noodles. I stirred it up and grabbed my phone before heading into my living room to watch some T.V. I turned the channels until I landed on Parks and Recreation.

I watched probably three episodes before there was a knock on the door. I wasn't expecting anyone so I wasn't sure who it was. I went to the front door and opened it to see a very pitiful boy.