forbidden love ❥ lashton

epilogue ❥ closed case

June 14, 1999

My palms were sweaty as I patiently waited for the sheriff in the waiting room of Sydneys police department. If I remember correctly, I was Lucas Hemmings' emergency contact for everything, they had called me first with new information on a closed-case, that was five years ago. They informed me it was re-opened and since I locally lived around the area, they wanted to speak to me as soon as possible. I've heard that the Hemmings family moved to America, for a new start, they shouldn't be living happily without Luke.

All I know is that I am unable to love again. I am incapable of trusting, loving, and living. I loved Luke in a way that I've never known before, they love I felt for him was like no other. I wanna love like he made me feel when we were eighteen. Questions soon filled my head, why'd they re-open the case?

"Irwin, Ashton? The sheriff is ready to speak to you." The polite secretary smiled at me. I nervously nodded.

You could walk out right now, Ashton. "Come on, Ash. This will give you the closure you need, the answers." My close friend, Michael patted my back. I smiled warmly towards him before I got up and walked towards the door that the secretary pointed me towards. My knees were weak as I slowly made my way to the door. I knocked and pushed the door opened, I was greeted by two males. One that was around my age, and a much older one.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Irwin. I'm the sheriff, David Hood, please sit." David, who was sitting behind the big piled desk spoke. "Ignore my son, Calum, he's training and is here just for that purpose." The sheriff added.

"No problem, sheriff Hood." I carefully sat in the seat in front of his desk.

"Please, I'm fine with David. Thank you for coming quickly on such short notice." David spoke while scurrying through files on his desk, "I'm always in the neighborhood." I informed him, he just nodded.

"Ah, here we are, Lucas Hemmings suicide case. I'm sorry for your loss." He pulled out the papers from the file, it pained me just as much as I first heard the news. I clenched my arms, "no need to be sorry, sir. He's gone." I spoke quietly as I looked down.

"You are, to my understanding, Luke's former boyfriend?" David questioned me, I just nodded. "Can I have a bit of a backstory of your relationship, just for a better understanding?" David asked.

"Our love story was like no other, we wanted to make it through society's put-downs and become a couple that was broken free, we wanted a story to tell our grandkids. I have loved him since we were eighteen, long before we both thought the same thing. To be loved and to be in love."

I took a deep breath and looked from Mr. Hood to the files on the table before continuing, "even though we lived in hell, he made me feel like I was in heaven."

"Woah, that, that was deep." Calum, from the corner, spoke his thoughts out loud. "That was. Do you have any contact with his family?" David asked.

"No, they weren't fond of us together. Liz, his mother, blamed me for his death. They've all moved to America, to my belief." I answered him, he nodded in response.

The tension in the room was greatly thick, we could cut it with a knife. I gulped, "we couldn't reach them, and we have no contact with them, unfortunately. That also means we cannot inform them of this shocking new news." Mr. Hood looked almost saddened.

"Continue, please." I pled.

"As soon as I became the new sheriff, it was my duty to re-open the cases that have new information to. This particular case that was closed five years ago has struck something in my mind. I went over many documents, along with the hospital and autopsy." David carefully stated. "Lucas Hemmings case was re-opened because I carefully read over everything and with my research I've discovered something that is truly, I don't know what the right word for it is." He added.

"In the autopsy x-ray, the way his neck was shown to be snapped, could've only snapped in that way, or snapped in general, from a higher level of falling. In his case, the item used to hang himself should've only blocked his airway, and not snap his neck." With every word he spoke, and every sentence he stated. The way his tongue rolled off from each word, panicked me.

I wasn't really understanding why he was explaining the backstory, I didn't understand it. But I also didn't want to interrupt as I wanted to hear what I came here for. There was a reason why they reopened this case and I'm sure what he was going to say next isn't going to give me closure, but details for an answer.

"Mr. Irwin, I've called you over to inform you that Lucas Hemmings suicide case isn't in fact a suicide, as it was said to be. That we also have a lead on his case." David spoke each word with carefulness.

He looked me directly in the eye, which made my heart race and palms sweat, before continuing.

"His case was a staged suicide, Luke was murdered."

the end of the ending