Oblivion // Luke Hemmings

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Taylor Tuom

"This just isn't working out for me," I speak with a strong demeanor.

"Why?"

"I don't feel like I'm me anymore," I honestly answer.

"You don't feel like yourself?"

"Correct."

"How long have you felt this way?"

"I think I've felt this way for a while, but I've recently discovered what needed to be done."

"Can I ask why you didn't speak up sooner?"

I close my eyes, picturing a blonde haired, blue eyed boy. I open them back up, meeting dark brown, less comforting ones instead.

"I just needed a little shove in the right direction and I finally got that," I reply. "That's why I'm leaving Seattle, including this college."

"We thank you for your cooperation and consideration in telling us, Miss Tuom."

I nod, standing up from the chair I sat it. I shook hands with the dean, turning around and finally strutting out of the office. Now all that was left to do was quit my shitty, minimum wage job.

///////

"How did Sheryl take it?" Luke asks, blowing on the tomato soup in his large spoon.

"She was understanding," I answer, opening the pack of saltine crackers to my right.

"I'm so happy," he says, dropping his spoon into his bowl.

"Me, too." I grin.

"Have you packed for tomorrow?"

I nod. "I finished just before I left this morning."

"We'll fly back to get the rest of your stuff in a few weeks," Luke states.

"I still have to tell Kaitlyn," I sigh after swallowing the soup and crackers in my mouth.

"How do you think she'll take it?" he asks.

"Good I hope," I reply.

"Tay, I want you to do this because you want to," Luke says, "not because I want you to."

"I want this, too, Luke," I assure him. "Seattle just isn't for me anymore."

"Will you think about moving in with me at least?" he pouts.

I had decided to move back to Australia, yes, but I declined Luke's offer to move in with him. I've planned on moving back into my childhood home until I saved up enough money to get a flat of my own. Luke's offer still stood, but I didn't want to rush things with him and I believe living together would do just that.

"I'll consider it," I promise. "Just not any time soon."

He nods understandingly, taking my hand from across the table. "I love you, Tay."

I smile at my perfect (well, by standards), blonde hair, blue eyed boyfriend. "Love you, too, Luke."

//////

"Where's Luke?" Kaytlin asks as she enters the apartment with an armful of groceries.

"He went to go get some Thai for dinner," I answer, helping her with the bags. "Can you eat that while you're pregnant?"

"Weren't you pregnant before? Why wouldn't you know that?" she laughs, putting a tub of butter into the fridge.

"Well, yeah, but I never ate Thai so I didn't worry about it." I shrug.

"My doctor never said anything about it, so I think I'm good," she replies.

"Alright, good."

"Ready to go back tomorrow?" she asks me.

"I guess," I reply. "I miss my family, so kinda, yeah."

"Well I, for one, cannot wait to see my brother," Kaytlin says.

When he was seven, Kyle (Kaytlin's younger brother), was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. I never could remember the name, but I knew it wasn't any less bad than known forms of the deadly disease. He's been in remission since he was ten, though, now being twelve. That didn't cause the family of four to become any less aware, though, because they were always on alert. Technically speaking, Kyle still has the disease, it's just on pause basically. That was better than death in anyone's book really.

"Hey, so um, I wanted to talk to you about something," I bring up, thinking of how I'm planning to move back home.

"Yeah, I need to talk to you, too," she replies, taking a seat across from me at the small kitchen table.

"You first," I say.

"Since I'm, you know, going to be popping out a baby in less than eight months, I've decided to move back home," Kaytlin says.

"Oh, that's a relief," I breathe out, "because I'm also planning to move back."

"Really? What's your reasoning? Have you got a baby in the oven, too?" she teases.

"Hardly," I laugh. "No. I'm just moving back because I've come to realize that Seattle is no longer the place for me."

"I have a feeling Luke has something to do with this," she prods.

"A little." I blush. "I mean, yeah, I want to move back for myself, but I really love Luke, Kay. I want it to work so much that I'm willing to move back home for him, too," I explain.

"That's good. I'm really glad you're happy, Tay."

I look down at my phone, seeing a text from Luke, a simple I love you displayed on the screen.

"Yeah," I say. "Me, too."

/////

Okay, so I realize this chapter sucks! It was important, though, so it had to be done! The next chapter will be them arriving back home to Australia.

I'm sorry for the last few chapters because they sucked. School's just started back up and shit's been hectic. Junior year sucks ass, so I feel sorry for every other junior out there.

I turned 17 on Monday also! It was super fun. I went to Applebee's with my friends and it was great.

Anyway, byeeeee.

p.s. Alex Ramos is king. 🎩