Unpredictable (A Lashton Fanfic)

Chapter Fifty-Three - Thoughts.

It was on days like this that I was more than thankful for my vampire speed, because without it I wouldn’t have been able to reach the airport and catch the last plane to Orlando in five minutes flat.

            I didn’t have any suitcases—those had all been left in the rental car that I was assuming was still at Nash and Cameron’s house—and I was deep in thought about why in the world I chose to run instead of steal the car when a tall and dark figure took the empty seat next to me. I looked up, halfway expecting to see Nathan or one of his minions, but instead found myself face to face with Colin. “Kaepernick?” I asked in disbelief. “What in the world are you doing here?”

            “Cody made me promise that I’d meet you at the airport and fly back to Florida with you to make sure you didn’t get hurt,” Colin explained, taking off his aviator sunglasses and stuffing them into the pocket of his gray jacket that looked very expensive and very out of place here in sunny California. “Any more questions?”

            “Yes, actually,” I said. “For one, how in the world did you and Cody know where I was and secondly what are you doing wearing a coat like that when it’s at least a hundred degrees outside?”

            Colin started laughing. “Cody was out surfing and, don’t ask me how, but he could sense that you were in trouble and so he called me. I was in Denver for a preseason game—that’s why I’m in such a warm coat—and I came as fast as I could.”

            I had a hundred more questions to ask him but I wasn’t in the mood for conversation, so I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. I could almost feel Colin’s eyes on me and I knew he was still staring at me with a mixture of worry and confusion, and even though I felt like I should tell him all of what’s happened this past month, I didn’t. I wasn’t quite sure of it myself, to be honest. All of this drama with Nathan felt like a nightmare that I should be waking up from soon. Part of me was hoping one day I would open my eyes and all of this would be over, and I internally scolded myself for being so optimistic. This wouldn’t be over, not for a while, and I just had to learn to deal with the pain because there was nothing, and I mean nothing, I could do about it.

            “Luke,” Colin’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I reluctantly turned to face him once more. “Yes?”

            “You know that if you ever need my help with anything you can ask me, right?” Colin asked, taking off his jacket.

            I nodded. Colin was a very helpful friend and ally, and I was thankful that I had one of the most powerful werewolves in the world on my side instead of against me. “Of course. I’ve known that ever since the first time I met you.”

            “Okay,” Colin whispered, and I was surprised at how doubtful he sounded when he spoke up again. “because sometimes it sure doesn’t seem like it.”

            I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes with the back of my hand. “What are you talking about now, Kaepernick?”

            “I’m talking about how you always try to face Nathan and his crew alone,” Colin replied. “You seem to think you can take him down yourself and you never want to call me—one of the few people who can actually kill them—and ask for help. I’m here for you, Luke.”

            “I never call you because I never have a chance,” I laughed. “It’s not like I go places expecting to meet up with Nathan, he just kind of shows up uninvited. If I could predict where and when I was going to see him then I could call you, but until then I have no other choice but to face him on my own.”

            After a while Colin decided he was done with conversation as well, and so I was able to put on my headphones without the risk of not hearing one of his many questions. Typically and ironically the first song that came on my phone was the newest one by Shawn, and I listened to his voice that I had at one time thought was angelic for a few seconds before quickly switching to the next one. A surge of anger flooded through me at that moment, and I had the unexplainable urge to throw something. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have walked away from the best thing in my life so easily for someone I barely knew?

            The sad thing about all this, though, was that I wasn’t exactly mad at Shawn or Nathan. They were just doing what they did best; manipulating and hurting people was in their nature. The one person that I can honestly say I was angry with was myself. I know I didn’t have anything to do with falling for Shawn—I was under Ariana’s spell and was being all but controlled by her—but I knew what I was doing when I walked away from Ashton.

            Ashton. I closed my eyes, imagining his smile and the feeling of his hand in mine. I missed him. I needed him. I love him, more than I ever thought was possible, and I could only hope that when I got back to Florida, we could pick up right where we left off.

            As I thought about it more I realized I didn’t even know where Ashton was staying, and so I removed one earphone and turned to Colin, who was watching some sort of football video on his laptop. “Do you by chance know where in Florida Ashton is staying?”

            I waited anxiously for his reply, crossing my fingers that he wouldn’t say with Gemma. “I think he’s been at the hotel with Michael and Calum,” Colin replied, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that I still hated Gemma because I didn’t, but whether she knew it or not she was all part of Nathan’s plan which meant I was still suspicious of her. “He’s been really upset ever since you two broke up,” Colin added, and I returned my attention back to him. “for the longest time he was locked up in his room and wouldn’t talk to anyone or anything.”

            I started to say something, but he lifted a finger to stop me before I could. “That is, until I went to talk to him and explained everything that was going on. He was confused at first just like I was, but eventually he understood and sent Cody and I to come save you since he couldn’t do it himself.”

            To say I was confused was an understatement, so I just stared at him blankly, hoping that I could communicate to him without words all of the questions that were running through my mind. “Don’t ask me how exactly I knew something was up,” Colin laughed, leaning back in his seat and closing his computer. “I just knew. That’s the thing about werewolves, I guess, is that we can tell when something’s not right and I knew from the first time I met Shawn that something was off about him. That’s why I knew when Ashton told me about you and Shawn going to Seattle together that I had to protect you. After I landed in Orlando I went to your room to warn you, but by that time you had already left. I decided it was useless to try to immediately fly out there because you were too deep under Ariana’s spell, so instead I went to talk to Ashton and try to explain to him that you couldn’t help what you were doing.” He paused, giving me a few minutes to process what he had just said, before continuing. “After I talked to him I went to talk to the others, and I found out from Cody that you were being held hostage in Los Angeles so I went there as quickly as I possibly could.”

            “Wait,” I finally managed to whisper after a second or two of silence. “You told Ashton that Ariana was controlling me?” When Colin nodded, a smile crept onto my face. “So, he’s not mad at me? He doesn’t think I left him for Shawn?”

            Colin rolled his eyes. “Of course not. Not even a witch’s spell can come between you and Ashton, Luke. I know that, he knows that, and you know that.”

             My smile widened and I stared out the window at the endless blue sky and clouds, barely even paying any attention to the music that was still coming through my headphones. All I could focus on, however, was the tiny hope I had inside of me at that moment that said everything was going to be okay after all.