Save Me

Chapter 8: Comfort

Lucas

It was sometime between mid to late afternoon and I was lying down my bed, lazily strumming my guitar along to the music playing on my speakers. I had to admit, I have a pretty sick guitar-playing playlist.


My phone buzzed next to me and I unlocked it to see a text from Erika.


From: Ricky

It's Blair. Come to Erika's house now.


To: Ricky

Why?

From: Ricky

Connor's on his way for you right now


I shut off the music and put on my sneakers, not caring that I'm wearing a pair of basketball shorts and an old t-shirt. I heard Connor's horn blow and, making sure my phone and keys were in my pocket, I rushed out of the house. I hopped into the passenger seat and buckled my seatbelt as he drove off without hesitation.


"What's wrong with Erika?" I asked. Connor said nothing and turned on the radio and the pop culture channel came out of the speaker.


And in other news, Florida's beloved Erika Kingsley was attacked by the paparazzi today in hopes of uncovering more information about her dad's new lover, yikes! She had nothing to comment on the issue, unlike her mother, who said:

'I don't care much for this new girl. If Marcus wants to stoop that low, go ahead.'

Ouch! Cassandra is firing shots at this woman, who we've come to find out is named Isobel, who is actually his personal assistant.


Connor turned the radio off right after the radio host said the mystery woman's name.


"Damn," I said, not being able to say anything else.


"Yup. And she was having such a good day with her hot friend."


"Excuse me?" I glanced at Connor, my interest piquing at his word choice.


"Blair and Erika came by to TGI today. And Blair is hot," he noted seriously.


"Does my best friend have a crush?"


"Ew, no. Crushes are for ten-year-old girls."


"And you're not one?"


"No, not since the last time I checked." We pulled into Erika's driveway, and the security guard immediately let us in. We parked in the garage and knocked on the back entrance. Mr. and Mrs. Terrick opened the door.


"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Terrick," I said, waving.


"Hey, Lucas. And please, it's Sophia and Terry. Who's your friend?" Sophia smiled softly, nodding to Connor.


"I'm Connor, Lucas and Erika's friend." He shook hands with Terry and Sophia.


"Well, come on in, guys," Terry said, stepping aside as we walked into the kitchen.


"Is Erika okay? We were told to come and see her."


"She's with Blair upstairs in her room. Erika's still a little shaken-up," Sophia replied sadly.


I thanked them and gave a small smile then made my way towards the stairs, Connor trailing behind me. We went to Erika's door and I was about to knock when I heard the girls talking. Leaning myself against the wall, I craned my neck to hear better.


"Luke, what are waiting–"


"Sshhh!" I whisper-shouted and I put my ear up to the door again.


"Erika, everything is going to work out fine. They'll have this story and move on to the next thing."


"It's going to filter back to me. It always will. It's like I'm the Florida version of Kylie Jenner."


A tired sigh of exasperation.

"You have to trust me, sweetheart."

"I do trust you. It's them I don't trust. They like to build someone up just to take them back down. They take minor things and turn it into something big. They rob you of your privacy, charity, and honesty. They love to say the worst things in your times of weakness. They've done it once before and they're doing it again."


She let out a shaky breath rather loudly and I heard the bed frame creak. They've done it once already, and they're going to treat her like this again? I took that time to knock on the door, pushing aside the questions buzzing in my head for now.


"Who is it?"


"The most handsome person in the world." I said confidently.


"Nick Bateman?"


"Try again."


"It certainly isn't Lucas, because he isn't handsome."


"Ouch, that hurts, Ricky, right here." I said, holding my heart, letting myself in.


"Where? In your boob?" She asked, joking.


"Ha ha. Very funny."


"What are you guys doing here?"


"Someone told us that a special someone needed a little comforting." Erika turned to Blair, and Blair just smiled, not making a comment like she normally would.


"Thanks guys," Erika said, laughing lightly, making more tears flow.


"Don't cry, Erika. It's going to be okay," Connor said, sitting on the other side of Erika and putting his arm around her shoulders.


Erika just sniffled and looked at me. "Luke, you're wearing your glasses."


"I wear them when I'm at home, where I was."


"Well, they look adorable. And I love your outfit," she added as an afterthought.


"Shut up. Do you want some tissues?"


"Yes, please."


I grabbed the tissue box off her desk, and knelt down in front of her, holding it out for her. She gladly accepted one and rubbed her forearm, which was bruising.


"What happened?" I asked, reaching for her bruised arm, but she yanked it away. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, looking into her eyes sadly.


She closed her eyes, breaking our connection, and shook her head no.


I scowled a little in my mind, because I really wanted some answers. But her feelings and wellbeing take priority. Still, this situation just adds more to the mystery of Erika Kingsley. Every time I feel like she wants to tell me about what truly happens, she just stops and changes the subject. More questions popped into my head, most of them vague but I knew she trusted me to wait until she's ready and I'm not going to let her down because that's what real friends do.

But that doesn't not make me worry about what she has rattling in that head of hers.