Focus |Luke Hemmings|

22.) Miserable At Best

Airica's P.O.V

It's been a week since I figured it out.

Today, I am telling Luke that I almost had sex with Candace, and I hope he doesn't hate me.

"Luke, can we talk?" I asked as he walked in my bedroom.

"Always babe. What's bothering you?" He asked as he sat down next to me on my bed.

I stood up and walked over to the door, locking it and letting out a heavy sigh and shaking my head.

"You're not gonna like what I have to say Luke, but promise me you will listen to everything I have to say before you leave. Okay?" I said. I turned around to look at him and he nodded his head.

"Okay so, a week ago I gave Candace a chance to tell me what her feelings were and it was a mistake." I said looking down at the floor.

"I invited Ashton over so I could vent to someone who wasn't actually involved in this weird love triangle thing that's going on and he was sitting in my room when I went to talk to Candace, and if it wasn't for him, I don't know what would have happened." I explained.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, when I went to talk to her, she threw herself at me. Just like she did to you that day in the woods. I kept telling her to get off of me, and she kept pushing, and pushing, until I finally screamed and Ashton came running in the room stopping her." I said.

I know that isn't the whole truth, but it's enough of the truth for him to believe me and not leave me because of a dumbass mistake that I made.

"So what you're saying is, Candace tried to force you to have sex with her?" Luke asked and I nodded my head.

"She was so close to getting her way because she's stronger than me. If Ashton wouldn't have come to my rescue, I think she would have." I said. I stared down at my feet, to scared to look Luke in the eyes

Luke stood up and walked over to me.

I can feel his gaze on me, and I feel like a sitting duck. I'm just waiting for him to explode because I cheated.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me as close to him as I could possibly get without us becoming one person.

"It's not your fault babe. I know you love me." He said. I sighed with relief and smiled into his chest.

We stood there hugging in silence.

Just hugging.

All I could hear was the sound of our breathing, and the sound of Luke's heart eating in his chest.

I suddenly heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's me. Are you alone?" Candace asked through the door.

I pulled away from Luke and put a finger to my lips, signaling him to be quiet.

"Yeah I'm alone." I said

"Can we talk?" She asked.

"I don't really wanna look at you right now Candace. Whatever you wanna say, you can say from out there." I said and I heard her sigh.

"Okay well, here it goes then." Candace started, and then it fell silent.

"This'll be the first time in a week that I've talked to you, and I feel like I can't speak. It's been three whole days since I've had sleep, cause I dream of his lips on you cheek." She said.

"And I got the point that I should leave you alone, but we both know that I'm not that strong, and I miss the lips that made me fly." She stammered out.

Fly? That's what I said about Luke. So, she really is in love with me?

"Candace, can we not do this? I don't wanna talk about what happened. I just wanna forget that it ever did. I love Luke, not you. I thought I made that clear." I said as I approached the door so she could hear me better.

"Okay but, then you need to stop pretending you're alone. I know he's in there. And he deserves to know what happened." Candace said.

"She already told me Candace. I still love her all the same." Luke said causing me to smile a bit.

"Look Airica, I'm sorry. I've already called my mum and I'm moving back in with her on Friday." She said.

I opened the door and looked at her for the first time in a week.

"I never said you had to leave." I said bluntly.

"I know. I just don't have a place here anymore. I don't have a home anymore." She said.

"Candace-" I started.

"I just wanted to tell you that I realized something." She said.

"What is it?"

"It's that  I can live without you, but with out you I'll be miserable at best."