Fall.

Chapter 31.

"Stella? Stella?" Michael called, waving a hand in front of my face.

"What?" I said, looking up. But I already knew what he was going to say to me. I was spacing out, again. I had been like that all day. I was just so excited, Luke was coming back home today.

We were in our last class of the day right now, which also happened to be geometry. Michael and I were pretty hopeless in that class, so usually he tried to goof off a little to pass the time. Thankfully we didn't even have to do any work today because we had a substitute teacher, I could sit and stare off into space as much as I pleased.

"I was just trying to tell you a story but you even weren't listening." Michael pouted.

"I'm sorry, I've just been really distracted all day." I sighed.

"Right." Michael rolled his eyes. "What time is Luke coming back?"

"Not until later tonight, I might not even see him until tomorrow." I said, repeating what Luke had told me over the phone last night. He was having a good time in California, and after the few days that he spent there I could tell that was definitely where he wanted to go for college.

"What if he ends up graduating at the end of this year and then he goes off to college while we're still stuck here?" Michael asked, which only made a nervous feeling appear in my stomach.

"We'll make it work." I shrugged, trying to stay as calm as possible.

"There are lots of other girls in California, and lots of other boys in New York." Michael shrugged as well. I could tell he was just trying to get me to see all the possibilities in this situation, but it was only making me feel worse.

"We'll make it work." I repeated, a little harsher this time.

"Do you really love him?" Michael asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" I questioned.

"Nothing, it just seems like it kind of happened fast. One minute you were telling me that he probably hated you because of what you did and the next minute I could hear you guys having sex above me." Michael explained, and I could feel myself blushing at the mention of Luke and I having sex.

"Well, I loved him before that." I said, to but it bluntly.

"Did you?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm pretty sure a few months ago you were convinced that you loved Ashton."

"And look where that got us, he cheated on me." I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"With Luke's ex-girlfriend." Michael added, and I wanted to punch him. I would rather not be reminded of this whole thing right now, but I guess that's what you get with Michael. He really didn't have a filter.

"With Luke's ex-girlfriend!" I repeated.

"And I know all about him hitting you, Stella." Michael said, his voice becoming more serious.

"How?" I asked.

"Well, I guess Luke told Calum and then Calum told me." Michael shrugged. "It's not really a big deal now but it was a pretty big deal when it happened. You should have told someone."

"I broke up with him the next time I saw him." I said quickly, trying to make up for the fact that I hadn't ever told anyone else that Ashton slapped me.

"It's pretty serious, Stella. Boyfriends aren't supposed to hit their girlfriends." Michael looked concerned, and I was thankful that he cared so much about me.

"I know, and that's why I ended things with him. And Luke would never hit me, no matter how mad at me he gets." I said, hoping that I was speaking the truth.