Uncontrollable (Punk Luke Hemmings)

Chapter 22

Andy:

I wake from a fitful sleep to nothing. My hand reaches out, stretching across the sheets, searching for him. My body aches in protest, the feeling of bruises echoing everywhere. He'd promised he would stay. He has to be here. He wouldn't just leave me after last night. But I find nothing. Luke is gone.

It takes a minute to sink in, but when it does, it hits me like a bus. The events of last night come rushing back-the party, AJ accosting me, running away, Luke coming, my ill fated and ill thought out attempt to seduce him, his turning me down, promising to stay and not go after AJ, falling asleep in his arms. But it's obvious by the fact that I'm alone that he's broken his promise. My chest feels like it's caving in on itself. Luke lied. He broke his promise. And right now, he's out there, looking for AJ, or he might even have found him.

The thought makes my breath catch in my aching chest. Luke is not going to do this. As fast as I can, I pull on a pair of pants lying on the floor, shoving my shoes on my feet as I stumble towards the door. But the doorknob is resolute beneath my fingertips, unyielding. A wave of fury rolls through me, blocking out the pain in my body.

My hands slams against the door in protest. If Luke thinks he can just keep me locked in here while he destroys his life, he has something else coming to him.

I don't spare a moment to consider how much I'm hurt. I just stride to the window, throwing it open. If Luke can climb out my window like a god damned spider monkey every day then I can fucking do it. My fury and hurt and determination to stop Luke is fueling me, and before I really contemplate what I'm doing, I climb out, taking hold of the trellis outside. I'm not sure how he does it, and now that I'm actually clinging to the side of my house, I realize how dumb this was. I didn't even contemplate the huge height advantage Luke has. Another foot of leg or arm might come in handy right now. I grit my teeth, ignoring the dull ache in my sides, and continue to shimmy down. It all starts to blur together and when my feet touch ground, I almost kiss the grass beneath my beat up converse. I'm already done and I haven't even started yet.

But my shaking limbs will have to wait. I race to my car, glad that I can at least run. I'm already in the car, speeding down the street before I realize I don't even have any idea where I'm going. My phone rings shrilly from where it had been carelessly shoved, and I answer, still focusing on the road in front of me.

Calum's voice is anxious on the other line. "Where are you?"

My fingers clench on the steering wheel. "Going about 60 down main. Where's Luke? I know you know where he's going right now."

"Andy, please come back. I'm at your house, Luke asked me to come watch you. He will kill me if anything happens to you. He knows what he's doing, just let him be." Calum pleads.

My voice is tight when I finally respond. "I don't need a babysitter. And Luke just can't go try and kill somebody. Now tell me where he is, Calum. I'm not coming back, just spit it out."

He sighs deeply. "Shit, Andy, AJ tried to fucking rape you, and you're trying to stop Luke from stopping him from ever doing it again?"

"Not like this. AJ will get what's coming to him, but not like this.He can't do this, he promised me. Please, Calum, trust me."

I can feel his struggle from across the line. His desire for AJ to be hurt as much as possible versus knowing what Luke's trying to do is wrong. But he gives in, rushing out directions with a tinge of regret in his accented voice. "He found AJ down at a beach past that little shop downtown. He was waiting to get him alone. Go fast. I'll send Mikey and Ash over in case-"

With a click, I hang up, tossing the phone into the seat next to me, pressing the gas pedal a few degrees harder, finally having a destination. My body is tense, wound up like a bomb about to explode. All I knew was that I had to find Luke before he did something really stupid and threw his life away for no reason. I wasn't a good enough reason for him to take someone else's life. He had been dead serious when he told me he would kill AJ. The steadiness in his voice, infused with fire, the tightening of his body left no doubt. Luke would really try and kill him. I didn't know much about what else Luke had done before, but I had no doubt in his abilities to follow through on the threat. Which is why I was so desperate to get to him.