Friction || Luke Hemmings

Alli- 56

I couldn't stop looking at him. I was convinced this was all some sort of dream... that the entire past week had just been a roller coaster of ups and downs and I was bound to wake up at any moment. This couldn't be real... Luke definitely didn't fly all the way out here for me... there was no way in hell. 

Yet here he was, my held clasped tightly in his as he rubbed his thumb along my knuckles. His eyes were closed as he rested his head back against the headrest in the back of Jaime's car. Jaime and my mum had not stopped talking since we got in the car, meanwhile Sara passed out almost as soon as she sat down. The only reason I knew Luke wasn't asleep was his constant squeezing of my hand, and movement of his thumb. I could tell he was tired but he was fighting off sleep as long as he could. 

I noticed he tensed any time Jaime had talked to me when we were leaving the airport, but chose not to dwell on it. I just couldn't believe that he was here.

He was here, which both set my nerves to rest and set them on fire. 

I had missed him so god damn much, everyone knew it. I couldn't be more ecstatic that he was here with me, and it felt as though the void that had been missing was finally being filled. Yet at the same time, the fear I had been feeling over the past few days had amplified by a hundred. I had to tell him now, considering my mom was taking me to the doctors in the morning. There was no way I would be able to hide it from him, and that terrified me. I hadn't even completely come to terms with it, and all of sudden I had to be alright enough to be able to tell him. 

I just didn't know how. 

"Are you guys... uh- hungry?" Jaime coughed awkwardly, Luke's body tensing against mine before he lifted his head and opened his eyes. He looked down at me briefly before his eyes were narrowing at the blond driving. I wanted to laugh at his blatant jealousy, but it didn't seem like the right time. 

"I could eat." My mom mumbled, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. 

"Sure." Luke practically spit, my body cringing at the hostility in the simple word. I squeezed his hand tightly, his gaze immediately falling back to me. 

"Chill." I whispered only loud enough for him to hear. Jaime and my mom went back to their conversation, Luke huffing out a heavy breath before answering. 

"I don't like him." 

"I can see that." I chuckled lightly, tilting my head backwards so I could push my lips against his for a moment. "He's just my manager." 

"So... you spend a lot of time with him?" 

"Luke, is this really what you want to talk about right now?" I asked gently, knowing that he had to be tearing himself up inside. I remembered just how broken he had sounded over the phone, and even though he was with me now, I know there were several things he wanted to say to me. 

"No." He admitted, giving me a sad smile. "But that can wait until we're alone." He gave me a sheepish grin before pushing his lips against mine once more. He only allowed me enough time to pucker my lips in response before he was pulling back and closing his eyes once more. 

"When's the last time you slept?" I questioned, my eyebrows furrowing in worry. 

"Honestly? I haven't slept in like two days... but in the past two months I've barely been running on two hours of sleep a night." Guilt shot through me like a million knives at his words. I knew by taking myself away from him that it would hurt me, but I guess I didn't really consider just how much I would be hurting him. 

"I'm sorry." 

He opened one eye to peak down at me, giving me, yet another, sympathetic smile and squeezing my hand reassuringly. "I know. But don't think I'm going to let you off so easy... you have a lot explaining to do."