A/N: sorry I've been so iNaCtivE I'm sorry but 311 views!?!?!?!?! Whaat in the hell?? THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! love to you all, to everyone, really :)
also, !!trigger warning!!: mentions of alcohol poisoning and it's just really sad
it's also a really short chapter but the next one will be longer, I semi-promise!!
12:24 pm
June 11th, Saturday
Santa Monica Pier
"You know, we came here once; me, you, your dad." Alex says, placing a dollar in the tip jar of the ice cream store. I must look confused because Alex says: "You don't remember, do you?
I shake my head. Alex chuckles and smiles to himself. His always messy brown hair seems messier today, his jeans and tank top look like they were just thrown on and he has dark circles under his brown eyes.
"Let's see, you were probably 11 or 12. No, you were 12, it was right before your dad passed," he looks over to me to see if he's stuck a nerve but surprisingly, I'm not crying or tearing up. "Well, one afternoon we all came here and then your dad had to take a phone call and I babysat you for two hours."
"You're kidding?"
"No, I'm not," Alex laughs, "how do you not remember this?"
"I mean, the closer something was to my dad's death, the less likely I am to remember it." I thought back to something Wren had asked me once, 'how did your dad die?' and I couldn't answer her because nobody ever told me and I was too scared to ask.
"Alex," I say, "before we talk about all this record deal stuff... Do you know how my dad died?" Alex tenses up. For a few minutes, we walk along the pier till we get to a place where we can overlook the water. Alex doesn't say anything until we're both staring off into the sea. Alex sniffs like he's crying and wipes under his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Alcohol poisoning," he chokes out. I'm not shocked, I could have died the same way last year. But to think about my mother, not even saying goodbye. Her last memory of my dad being him having his stomach pumped and not being able to do anything as he falls limp and lifeless. Now I know why Henry never told Mom about my reckless actions, he knew how fragile she would have been. I know why he drove me to therapy twice a week for four months. I can't even remember an entire two months of my life because I was drunk for 80% of it.
I did this to myself. Now I am crying, mourning my dad, and myself. It's like I part of me died after I turned 17.
"You're shaking." Alex says, putting his arm around my shoulder. "And freezing, jeez, girl." He unties the flannel around my waist and helps me into it. It's warm, it smells like his cologne, I think it's Armani. My boyfriend is crazy, I'll give you that, what twenty something owns Armani?
"Carter, is that Luke's flannel?" My head turns quickly to Alex, our eyes meet, both with confused and shocked looks.
"What... what do you mean?" How could Alex possibly know Luke? How in the goddam world would he know that?
"Shit." Alex continues to mutter curses under his breath as he pushed off the railing on the boardwalk and started pacing behind me. Finally, after he's composed himself, he waves me over and suggests we start walking. We're just about to start walking down to the end of the pier, to the bait and tackle shop, when flashes of lights start popping. Camera lights; paparazzi.
"Christ almighty." Alex says, grabbing my hand and pulling me in the opposite direction of the cameras. Ugh, this is so not what I want to deal with. We're running, stumbling and laughing as we get chased by the paparazzi until we get to the arcade and security guys keep them at bay. It takes Alex and I five minutes to stop clutching out guts and bending over with laughter.
"You know how many rumors are going to sprout from this?" I say, taking a deep breath but still chuckling at the end. He sighs and shakes his head, about to say something but when he opens his mouth he just starts laughing again.
"Gaskarth," I say, more serious, "how do you know Luke?" His laughs slow down until he's just wheezing a little bit. We're standing over by those fake motorcycle games so Alex sits down on one and I sit across from him.
"You shouldn't ask me. This is something that you and Luke have to talk about, alone." He sighed like he had more to say but didn't know how to say it.
"Is he lying to me, Alex?"
"I don't know. But possibly. Ah, wait, scratch that, yes. Carter, your boyfriend is lying to you."
"You don't have to say it like that!" I exclaimed, slapping Alex on the shoulder.
"Ow! Jeez, girl, calm down. I wasn't done yet!"
"Oh, sorry." I blushed and wiped under my eye with the sleeve of my flannel. There were tears forming even though I wasn't sad. Alex clears his throat,
"Carter Tompkins, you are a wonderful kid- no wait jesus christ you're almost an adult. Point is, you're a great person, you'll do wonderful things in your life. Maybe you'll sign a contract and go into music; or maybe you'll go on tour this summer and love it so much you go into managing. But, babe, people will always lie to you, it's a part of life. I wish I could tell you otherwise but I can't. Sometimes people like to protect people they love. Best guess, Luke's afraid to be honest with you about a certain part of his life. It terrifies him, I know that, and he isn't ready to share it with you. Respect him for that, promise me?" I nodded, then it dawned on me.
"Alex, how exactly did you know this was Luke's flannel?" Alex laughs,
"Cuz the little bastard stole it from me."
YOU ARE READING
coffee boy || luke hemmings
FanficCarter isn't special. At least, she thinks she isn't. Until she meets a slightly shady and very mysterious handsome Australian that makes her question her mindset. Her end goal was to go to a good college and follow in her dads footsteps. His end go...
