Control » l.h

Chapter Sixteen

I woke up in the middle of the night. It was completely dark in the room, the only light coming from the moon shining through the only window in the room. I sat up, my head spinning. I still felt dizzy and groggy from whatever it was Luke made me inhale, but I still tried to crawl off the bed anyway. I almost fell flat on my face once my feet hit the floor, but I wobbled to the door anyway. Luke wasn't anywhere in the room and I wanted to know where he was.

I twisted the knob, but it wouldn't turn. It made me think of when Luke first kidnapped me. We were doing so well and I went and screwed everything up. Well, more like they did. Or maybe it was me. I couldn't make sense of my thoughts then or now because of the drugs I inhaled.

"Luke," I said, pulling at the door. "Luke."

With each time I said Luke, I became more frantic about it. Like if I stayed up there any longer by myself, I'd go insane. It got to the point where I was kicking and punching at the door, yelling for Luke at the top of my lungs. Unfortunately, he never answered.

I backed up away from the door and ran at it with everything I had. The door burst open. It was probably weak from when Luke slammed it shut. With the door now open, I crept down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. I went through the tiny closet and down the hall to the stairs.

"Luke?" I whispered. I wanted to find him, but I couldn't even figure out why. "Luke, where are you?"

I found myself in the living room even though I didn't even remember walking in there. I waddled over to the couch and sat down, looking blankly around the room. I suddenly found myself staring at the ceiling, lying on the couch. After that, I remembered nothing.

~*~

The room was still dark when I woke up. I didn't even remember going back to the room. I sat up and looked around. Something tugged lightly at my wrist. I yanked away from it, almost screaming.

"Jemma," Luke's voice came from next to me. It was rough from his exhaustion, but it wasn't too groggy. "Go back to sleep."

"Where were you?" I questioned him, looking down at him lying on the bed.

 He sighed, sitting up. I could hardly make out his face. "The boys and I had to go out and get a few things."

"So late at night?" I pressed.

"We can't go out during the day," he said. "Someone could recognize me or Mikey."

I nodded. That was understandable. "Why'd you lock me in?" I asked, squinting at him.

Luke got quiet and wouldn't answer me. "Go back to sleep, Jemma."

"Not until you answer me." I insisted.

He sighed again and laid back down. "We'll talk in the morning."

He was frustrating me so I blurted, "I'm not sleeping near you."

Luke jolted up, surprised by my outburst. But he didn't protest against it. He just took his pillows and crawled off the bed. He walked over to the couch, tossing his pillows against one of the arms. He used the throw blanket folded over the back of the couch as his blanket.

"Goodnight, Jemma." he said before going back to sleep. Within minutes, his snores filled the room.

~*~

I didn't sleep good that night at all. I didn't like sleeping by myself after being so used to sleeping next to someone for the passed who knows how long. That, mixed with the effects of whatever Luke made me inhale, and the fact I still couldn't make any sense of my own feelings towards Luke and the other boys kept me up all night. I was still sitting up against the headboard when Luke sat up and stretched, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He got up and began walking towards the door. He locked eyes with me halfway there.