Vapor // l.h. #Wattys2016

Oh, Calamity! - Chapter 16

Going into the music shop now felt a little different to Luke. Everytime he walked in, he would see Jaylee humming the song blaring through the store speakers as she checked out a customer or on her knees sorting out some new CDs that were sent in. He would think about the last time she was on her knees for him or when he was balls deep in her pussy. But this Thursday she was absent.

The similar warmth from the cup of coffee he bought from the next shop over was burning into his hand, and it felt good and constant, despite the fact that he considered scolding hot as warmth. A song by Jaylee's favorite band invaded his thoughts, reminding Luke of her, not that he needed any reminding. The bass rumbled through the dainty ceiling speakers and it seemed like the rhythm might'vd broken them.

The store felt empty to Luke even though at this point in the day, it was the busiest. Her usual spot at the register was taken by an employee that Luke didn't recognize. And they were in every aspect, not Jaylee. Everything felt dimmer and duller and he found that if Jaylee wasn't even there, what was the point of being in the shop. It's like his interest of music was being associated with his lust and yearning for Jaylee. He couldn't enjoy music, or anything, if she wasn't there with him.

He could feel himself slipping away, as he sat on the balcony of his apartment, toying with the blunt he had in his hand. He had smoked about half of it, but the whole time he was looking at his phone waiting for calls and text messages that never came. The only calls that did come were from Michael and Calum, two of his best friends that were constantly worried about him. They also asked about Ashton's whereabouts considering they hadn't heard from him either. Coincidently, Ashton had disappeared around the same time Jaylee subtly did and Luke hadn't notice until now. Luke's trust in Ashton was slowly wavering and it started when Ashton tried to tell Luke what was good for him. Luke wasn't a child, he didn't need what Ashton thought he was giving him.

He did know what was good for him. Jaylee. And she wasn't here with him, milking the blunt he had hanging from his thin, pink lips. Luke felt physically sick to his stomach again, though he had no reason to be. It was clear to him Jaylee had no emotional ties to him. She probably left town and planned to never see him again. She probably even hated him. But he could never hate her and that was crazy because he didn't even know her last name.

Now the next few nights turned into weeks and when Luke sat on his balcony again for how ever many weeks in a row, the sky was dark, darker than usual. The smooth smoke drifting from his lips disappeared into the night sky. It was quiet except for the faint noise of thunder in front of him and the music playing from his apartment behind him. As Luke inhaled again, the end of his blunt lit up orange and the earthy taste tainted his tongue again. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back while gritting his teeth and letting the smoke pass by them. He was feeling mellow and almost at peace with everything until his phone buzzed in his pocket. A call from Ashton lit up his phone. It took some contemplation but he eventually ignored the call and took another pull at the blunt between his fingers.

Luke should've realized how persistent Ashton was, he was his best friend after all. After a few more missed and ignored calls, Luke finally answered. Not because he wanted to, but because he wanted Ashton to stop calling.

"What?" He hissed, smashing his blunt into the balcony table and making his way back inside his apartment, closing his balcony door behind him.

"Luke." Ashton sounded worried, paralyzed. "Jaylee's in the hospital."

"What?" Luke repeated, only in a more gentle tone. And at that moment, the rain started beating against his apartment. He could hardly hear his own thoughts.

Grabbing his keys, Luke ran outside to his car, dodging through the rain unsuccessfully. He fumbled with his keys because mind going a mile a second and he could hardly concentrate on pressing one button. Once he got his car started, the air blasted through the vents in his car and almost freezing him to death considering he had gotten soaked from the rain. His windshield wipers were working hard, but not hard enough, he could hardly see and it was a miracle he even made it safely to the hospital without a scratch. He wasn't thinking about anything else in the moment he made it up to Jaylee's floor.

As the elevators doors opened, Luke could see Ashton sitting in the waiting room across from the elevator with his face in his hands. His soft curly hair fell over his fingers and his elbows were propped up on his thighs. Luke walked in quietly, feeling like every person sitting in the waiting room was watching his every move. He made it over to Ashton after stepping over bags and feet, giving Ashton a fake smile as he looked up from his hands. His eyes were red and wet, giving Luke the impression that something bad was really wrong. Of course, Luke was still in an unforgiving mood and still didn't feel completely right with Ashton but this wasn't about them. It was about Jaylee.

Luke waited for Ashton to say something, they had been sitting in silence for a few minutes now and Luke was growing impatient. Just as he turned his head to say something to Ashton, Ashton spoke first, "She's probably gonna kill me for even telling you she was in the hospital."

Ashton chuckled lightheartedly at his own joke which Luke didn't find too amusing and luckily Ashton picked up on that, his demeanor changing slightly.

"So," he cleared his throat, "She's fine now though. If you wanna see her."

Luke nodded, standing up and following Ashton to Jaylee's hospital room. He zipped up his jacket as he walked down the chilling hallway, taking a turn behind Ashton into Jaylee's room.

Luke's figure was the first thing Jaylee's laid her eyes on when the two men walked in, Luke looking small despite how much he towered over Ashton. He looked back at her, his eyes brimming with tears even though they had no reason to be, he didn't even know why she was there. He stepped past Ashton and closer to Jaylee which she in turn, turned her head away, as if she didn't want to face her problems. Not here and definitely not now.

Luke felt awkward sitting uncomfortably in the chair next to Jaylee's hospital bed. He didn't know what to say or do. After all they weren't really friends or even acquaintances. He didn't really know what they were. Ashton was leaned against the wall next to Luke, drumming his fingers against the wall through the silence. Until he couldn't take it anymore. And he knew Jaylee wasn't a big talker, especially when it came to talking to Luke. She found him her weakness despite how she treated him. 

"She miscarried." Ashton mumbled with his head down, his stringy hair covering his face but Luke was 100% sure he was hiding his distress. Jaylee looked over to Ashton in horror, partly not wanting to relive the nightmare and partly because she wasn't going to tell Luke anything, not even if her life depended on it.

"What?" Luke's jaw hung open, looking from Ashton to Jaylee and then back to Ashton and back to Jaylee and back again. He wanted to be upset, and he was, but also he wanted to be sympathetic. But... fuck that. 

"You- you were pregnant? When were you going to tell me?" He fumed and this time he had every right to be upset. 

"Never..." Tears started to prickle her eyes. "I couldn't have taken care of this baby anyways. Especially not with you."

Luke's teeth sinked into his bottom lip at Jaylee's last few words. She didn't mean that. She couldn't mean that. He racked his brain trying to thing of something to say, anything to say but...nothing. He just stood up, pushing past Ashton as he tried to stop him. Ashton followed him down the hall, saying things to him but Luke's thoughts clouded everything else around him. Its like everything around him was happening in slow motion. 

Ashton followed him all the way down to his car in the pouring, cold rain with his arms crossed over his chest begging Luke to come back inside but he pushed Ashton out of the way to close his car door. The cold air blew through the vents once again as he started his car, chilling Luke's face and lips but he didn't bother turning the heat on.

The rain was beating down harder than before when he first left his apartment, it was coming down so hard it was almost as if the raindrops were about to shatter his windows. With the rain pouring like it was, he could hardly see 10 feet in front of him. He wasn't thinking though, he just drove and drove, not stopping at any stop signs or blaming running a red light on the lack of visibility the storm gave. Until he wished he'd been more careful. And when everything turned black, it was too late to think.