Remember to Forget

Chapter 9

Luke's POV

“Luke, are you alright?”

Why can't I just be alone?

Delilah comes and sits beside me on the cold tiled floor. She looks at me with wide eyes. She seems scared and worried.

I move over a little so she's not so close.

“What happened? Did someone do something to you?” she whispers. She's talking as if anyone could hear us, but there's no one around.

I shake my head no, not looking up at her.

She notices my abnormal breathing and my shaky hands as I reach up to fix my hair.

She leans her head against the wall and turns her body so she's facing me. “Why are your hands shaking? Luke, what- Oh my God, you're having a panic attack, aren't you?”

I slowly nod.

She speaks quietly, barely audible. “I'm really sorry. I honestly thought it was just a few people. Ashton said it was just some of his friends hanging out. He didn't say it was this. If I had known it was gonna be like this, I wouldn't have come either. It's sorta overwhelming. I hate stuff like this.”

Delilah seems like she's being truthful, and I believe her for some reason. There's just something about her words that makes me believe she's not lying.

“Do you need anything to stop it? Are you going to be alright?” she asks concerned. "I can go get you some water or something."

I give her a thumbs up to indicate I'll be alright.

We sit in silence for a minute or two. The only sound is the muffled noise from outside the bathroom. I can still hear the music and people screaming. It makes my head pound just thinking about it.

“Do you want to leave?” she asks, looking over at me.

I look at her for the first time and see the sincerity in her eyes.

It's not pity like I thought it was earlier. It's empathy.

I nod slowly.

She stands up and reaches down to lend me a hand. She smiles a little and nods slightly, as if she's saying it's okay.

I hesitatingly accept it.

“Just follow me. If you get nervous, let me know. I just need to find Ashton,” she tells me as we leave the bathroom. She's still talking quietly, and I like it for some reason. It makes me feel like I can trust her, like she'll keep this all a secret. She's not treating me like a child or getting upset with me like everyone else. She's just acting natural about it. “Are you okay now?”

I nod.

She weaves in and out of the crowd of people as we move through the house. I focus on Delilah, careful not to lose her. I try to ignore the many people surrounding me. I don't need more anxiety.

We make it to the kitchen to see Ashton chugging a beer with a few other guys. There's already multiple drinks around him, I wonder if they're all his. When he's done, he slaps the beer down on the counter top and licks his lips.

He notices us and waves.

“Well, hey guys!” he screams. “We're just... I won... and the beer... so good...” he slurs. He is so drunk.

Delilah puts her hand to her temple and takes a deep breath. “Luke and I are leaving!” she shouts over to noise.

“Have a dandy time,” Ashton says, wiggling his eyebrows.