Crash Course

Chapter 14

I sat on the curb of my driveway, gently rubbing my neck. "You're going to have a nice bruise there." Liam said. I rolled my eyes at his ease and casualness.

"What do you want, Liam?" I pushed again.

"I didn't handle you well." He said, I lifted my eyes from the ground to look at him. "I didn't handle your truth well, I didn't handle asking you about it, but most of all I didn't handle you well." I sighed. "I shouldn't have taken you there." My heart tensed at the thought of the cliffs. "I should've told you the truth from the start, but that place was so important to me, and I wanted you to be important to me." I stared at him. "You're not anymore."

"What?"

"Not important to me. I just, got swept up in the mystery of you, I had to figure you out. I know now that it would have never been anything." It hurt a little, hearing him say it. "Matt reached out to me." I almost choked. Just hearing his name gave me chills.

"Why?"

"He wanted me to spy on you. Get information on what you are doing, and with who. Get revenge." Liam said. "I'm not doing it. I just thought you should know." It felt weird, having someone I could talk to about my real life. "You should know I'm not going to say anything to anyone. It's your business. Not mine."

"Thank you, Liam. I do appreciate it." I replied softly. He nodded, staring at the ground. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Take me there." I elaborated.

"I wasn't thinking. I haven't thought straight since it happened. It's, there are no words, for what I saw, how it made me feel. You remind me of her so much, you even look like her. When I took you there it was like I got to relive the best parts of her." Liam said. "I loved her, and I was so cruel. She died thinking that I was an awful person, and with you it felt like another shot."

"I look like her?" I asked. He nodded, typing on his phone quickly and handing me a picture. It was almost shocking, the resemblance. Her face was more heart shaped and her eyes weren't as round but we could easily pass for sisters. "Is this why you were so interested? I'm Makala 2.0?" I was suddenly questioning everything, Liam, Luke, my friendship with Kristy. Was I nothing to these people but a replacement for a lost loved one?

"Honestly, yes. I had to know you. To understand why fate was so cruel as to put you in my path so soon." Liam said, studying me. "You aren't Makala though, and everyone can see that now." I stood slowly.

"Thank you, for coming here today, and for being honest with me." Liam stood next to me.

"Thank you for letting me."

"I hope you find peace Liam." I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. He tensed, but relaxed in my familiar grip.

"I hope you do too, Mighty Mouse. No one deserves peace as much as you do." With that, he was gone. My heart hurt. How was this fair? How could he mess with my head and become full on unstable and still manage to hurt me as he walked away. I stood outside for a while, staring at the road, until I felt a hand on the small of my back.

"Hey." Aimee said.

"Hey."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I shook my head, and rested it on her shoulder. She stood in silence with me for a few minutes before gently saying "nothing hurts like letting go, but nothing feels as good as the relief that comes later." She kissed my hairline lightly, before tugging me back inside with her. Andrew sat on the couch, beer in hand. He looked aged, like life was wearing on him in ways it shouldn't. Aimee flopped down next to him, laying her head in his lap and letting him play with her hair.

"I'm so sorry Bella." Andrew said, staring at my neck.

"It's okay Drew, I'll be fine." I replied. Aimee just looked tired.

"Luke's in your room." She said. "Talk." With that she and Andrew went back to watching the TV while I climbed the staircase. Luke stood in the corner of my room, observing a photo collage of pictures from my past. I quietly sat on my bed and watched him for a minute. Perfectly sculpted, immensely serene, ridiculously smart, what a deal of a man. He turned and smiled when he caught me staring.

"I'm sorry." He said, sitting next to me. "I overreacted. I didn't mean to explode like that." I laid back on my bed.

"I know."

"He just gets under my skin."

"I know."

"And I care about you so much." His eyes pleaded with mine.

"I know, Luke, I know." I whispered, running my hand along his cheek. "I'm not upset. We talked, and he gave me the closure that I needed, and I think I gave him the same thing." I explained. Luke looked relieved. "Go home, get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." Luke grabbed my hand in his, kissing it lightly.

"You are amazing." He said, pressing his forehead to mine. I was still sad, I still felt like something left with Liam, but I tried to push it all back.

"Bye." I whispered.

"Bye, baby." He stood and closed the door behind him as he left. I wandered over to my window, watching him walk to his Jeep with Andrew. They talked for a minute, before saying their goodbyes. Aimee wandered into the room, throwing herself down on her bed.

"Wow." She muttered, I laughed climbing in next to her. "You're life is actually crazy." I nodded, curling up next to her. "Want me to make it better?" She asked, I nodded again. She passed me her phone, messages open on instagram. Ethan was messaging her. I watched them text back and forth, talking mindlessly, Aimee was good at this. Before I knew it I had drifted off, Aimee and I jumped awake at the sound of the alarm clock. "Oh god." She said, looking at her makeup covered face in the mirror. "Fuck."

We scrambled to get ready and make it to school on time again. Andrew was lucky that police seemed nonexistent in Dayton because he was easily going twenty over in a school zone. Luke stood at the entrance, looking calm and collected as Aimee and I sprinted from the car. "You guys are really struggling at the moment, huh?" Luke asked with a smirk. I was practically panting as I kissed him.

"We are a mess without our mom." I said. Aimee nodded, hands on her knees.

"Come on." Luke entwined his fingers with mine and just like that the day started.