You're All I Have Left

the devil at my doorstep

I wake up to a million text messages from Luke seeing if me or Ari had gotten any messages from the hospital, I reply no sorry, I go up to go see Luke. Alex opens the door and greets me, "Hey C, his out there but I wouldn't disturb him..." I give her a confused look as she nods me inside, I go around the corner so I can see out onto the balcony to see Luke on the sun chair although he isn't lying down he is sitting up legs apart, feet on the floor, head in hands and crying. "He has been in the same position for 8 hours straight," Alex says looking back at Luke "I will go have a chat with him," I say giving a reassuringly look to Alex and walk over to the door and take a deep breath in then out, then I open the door "hey bro" I say in a gentle voice as Luke quickly wipes away his tears and stands up "come on bro you don't have to act all tough around me, I know how it feels remember, so cry, cry your heart out" I say holding back tears myself as I see my best friend in pain not being able to talk to anyone. Luke walks forward and grips me in a tight hug pushing the air right out my lungs but I don't mind, I pat his back "she is going to be ok" I tell him "How do you know" He says pulling away and sitting back on the chair. "hey you know that Bec would want you to get up and get your self together and go to the gym or go for a run and do what you normally would want to do" I say sitting down "you know what I am sick of just crying and you're right she is probably perfectly fine" he says standing up and walking back in, I let a deep breath out as weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Alex gives me a weird look as She watches Luke walk into his room then walks out with clothes and then goes into the bathroom, "what the hell did you say to him" she says in shock "I told him what Bec would want him to do which is be himself and act like nothing happened" "WHAT! that's all you had to do!" I nod "yeah" as she sighs. Luke walks out of the bathroom with a towel drying his hair and then a towel around his waist and then he walked into his room and came out in his workout gear, filled up his water bottle and went downstairs to start jogging and then went to the gym. I wave bye to Alex as I head back to me and Aris apartment I tell her everything "thank goodness his alright" she says with a sigh and goes into the bedroom to get ready for the day. We were going to go down to places famous for being a good place for a photo, so I go put a leather jacket on over my plain white top and black jeans. Ari comes out in a biker outfit and a backpack with other outfits and makeup in it, "we ready?" asks Ari smiling "we are ready alright" I say putting my arm out for Ari to hold onto. We walk down to this lane with the walls full of graffiti bottom to top. Ari goes in front of the wall and I start to snap some photos. We went to the next location which is back to our room, Ari wearing a grey baggy jumper and big gold brim glasses and fairy lights in a dark-ish room. then we go down to the beach where Ari wears her Ripcurl wetsuit and makes her hair wet. then the last one where Ari was wearing a Stussy white and black t-shirt, an all bout eve denim jacket, and Cheap Monday jeans. with her penny board and the location was on the streets. We start to head back when we feel it starting to spit and then we started jogging when it started to pour down with rain. once we get back into the lobby and jump into the elevator I look at my phone for the time and see its like 7:00 so when we get up to the apartment, get changed and everything we go and sit on the couch in the living room. I put on Riverdale and then Ari calls pizza hut, we lose all our focus on the show so when the doorbell went we jump out of our skin. "coming!" I yell out as I run towards the door expecting the pizza guy "oh hello Charlie" but instead of seeing the pizza guy it is..... my dad! I stand there and look him up and down, I look back and laugh "what the hell are you doing here!" Ari comes running over and then I think she presumed who it was, he was all recked up and his eyes were bloodshot. "Is that the way you treat your old man after not seeing him for how many years?!" He says aggressively "well no, that's how I treat a murderer!" Ari put her hands over her mouth as I slam the door letting tears roll down my face. I slide down the door as Ari runs over to me and sits beside me comforting me, I wrap my arms around her as I start crying uncontrollably, "shhh it's ok he's gone now" she says as her fingers go through my jet black hair. I feel her kiss the top of my head and then say "come on let's go to bed" she says helping me up "do you want anything?" she asks "no thank... yeah ok I'll have a hot chocolate please" I ask her sitting up in bed as she nods and walk around the corner. She comes back with a perfect hot chocolate whip cream and all. "Thanks, Ari" I kiss her as she sits in the bed "no problem babe" she smiles.

*a few hours later*

I finished my hot chocolate and placed it on the bedside table, Ari was still awake just focused on her book. A whole heap of thoughts just hit me, why did he come back, how did he find me here, what did he want, where did he get the money, what gang is he apart of, etc. Once I lost the train of thought and went back to reality I soon realised I was crying and twitching and jerking around and Ari was out of her book and the lamps were on "babe?" Ari asked worriedly, I could hear her but I couldn't speak at all "Charlie?" she said shaking me, then I realised I could move "charlie breathe for me babe breathe" she repeatedly said calmly to keep me calm and a few minutes passed which felt like 5 hours to me and I started to mumble words "C?" Ari asked "yeah," I said exhausted, It was crazy it felt like I was asleep that whole time. "babe how are you?" "I'm confused but mostly tired," I say smirking, Ari just lets out a breath of relief, then laughs and shakes her head "only my Charlie would say that after something like that happened". "Good night babe," I say rolling over to kiss Ari on the head "night, love you" she replies as I roll back over "love you more" I yawn.