Crash 卌 luke hemmings

Ch 11

PREVIOUSLY

"We're here." The taxi driver held out his hand for the cash. I slapped a 50 into it and jumped out of the car. As he drove away, I just stood there. I didn't know what to do. What was I supposed to say to him? 'Oh yeah Luke I just broke into the school office to find your address to tell you that I care about you so you should tell me about your life and problems.' Yeah that will roll over well.

Before I could even take a step, I hurt a crashing noise coming from inside. My feet started running for me towards the noise before I could even think of what was happening. I threw my fists against the door.

"Luke! Luke! Open the door!"

But Luke didn't open the door. Instead I saw a familiar face and huge body from the night of Luke's accident. It was Charlie.

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卌 Wednesday, October 2 卌

"Well look who it is. The little girl came back for more." His words were sloppy and slurred. I could spell the potent smell of aged alcohol before my eyes even traveled down his arm to the beer bottle hanging between his fingers. He brought his thick fingers to his mouth and took a sip of the poison and chucked it against the wall. His eyes glazed over and he moved forward towards me.

"You did this. You're the reason he can't race right now. This is your fault." I could barely understand the words that mend together despite there volume being very loud. "Now you're gunna pay." His meaty, rough hands grabbed my upper arm yet again. I felt like I was having a flashback of that night. He started to jerk me to the side and a car door slammed followed by the familiar noise of creaking crutches that ran through my ears.

"Annie?" His voice was confused but his eyes widened when he realized what was happening. "Charlie! What are you doing?? Let her go!"

Charlie stared back at Luke but his grip only tightened on my arm. He threw his crutches into the grass and limped his way over to where we were standing. Luke grabbed the man's arm struggling to free me from his grasp but Luke was just too weak from the effects of his accident. His muscles seemed to strain in his arms. This only created a roar in Charlie. He pushed Luke to the floor and pushed me all the way back against the bricks on their small red house with black shutters. I could feel the pattern of the rough stone being indented into my body from the pressure. His arm laid across my collar bone and pushed upwards toward my throat. I felt the air being cut off from the rest of my lungs and felt myself getting dizzy.

Luke was back up on his feet trying to pull his arm away from my throat. "Charlie! Charlie!! Let her go! DAD!!"

Before I knew it, Charlie was on the floor. I felt my body slide down the brick wall trying to catch my breath. My heart was pounding. When I looked up, Luke was towering over both me and an unconscious Charlie.

Luke pulled me to my feet and into a hug. I hadn't realized how much I wanted to cry until now. My eyes drained all water and it seemed they would never stop. I wept on Luke's shoulder as he held me and repeated, "I'm so sorry" 50 times. I felt so comforted by the feeling of his whispered words in my ear and his hands running up and down my back ever so lightly. I found myself wishing I never had to leave. When I finally did, I felt exhausted.

"What are you doing here? How did you even find my house?"

I sniffled and looked at the floor trying to avert my eyes from his. "I.. I snuck into the front office."

He rolled his eyes, turning from me to get his crutches but I beat him to it. "I thought you would be here! I heard something being smashed and I got scared and why weren't you here?"