That Voice

Chapter 35

Luke’s P.O.V.

Chapter 37

The guys were silently staring at me as I dropped the chain in my hand and picked up all of the small daisy charms that were once attached to it.  They reminded me of her, so I put them in my pocket so I wouldn’t have to be reminded of what I had done.

Mike shook his head in disapproval and stormed back on the bus.  Cal was looking at me with a look of disappointment.  I honestly could not feel anything anymore.  When she looked at me that way and said those words, my heart went numb.

Ash stayed with me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders in a comforting way.  I leaned into him, and felt my lip quivering.  He saw and pulled we into a hug.  I buried my face into his neck and let out a loud sob, my breath erratic and my face turning red from crying so hard.

“I can’t g-go back to l-living without her again, Ash.  I just c-can’t.” I sobbed as he rubbed my back and cooed to me.  

“I know, buddy.  Don’t worry.  It’ll all work out in the end.  Let’s go.  She’ll be at the hotel, right?”

I nodded and reluctantly piled onto the bus where I went straight to the sleeping area.  More tears slid down my cheeks when I saw her unmade bed and unfinished book thrown haphazardly on the sheets.  Instead of crawling into my own bed, I climbed up to hers and laid across the short mattress.  I put my head on the pillow and breathed in her scent.  It made a sob build up in my throat and the saltiness of my tears imprinted with the smell of her shampoo in the pillowcase.

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I awoke to panicked whispers.  I squinted when I noticed that it was morning.  I stank of sweat and tears and blood.  I pressed my face into the pillowcase and inhaled again, sitting up and swinging my legs off the bed.  

I followed the noise over to the kitchen and saw Mike, Cal, and Ash huddled together with worried looks on their faces.

When Mike noticed me, he immediately walked out of the room, brushing past me.  I grabbed his forearm and he yanked it away.  “This is your fault!  You drove away the only sister I had! She’s gone because of you!” he cried and I saw tears welling up in her eyes.  He wiped his nose and turned to briskly walk into the sleeping area.  

“What?” I asked and my hoarse voice cracked.  “She’s gone?”  I instantly felt more awake and looked around the room as if she was hiding there somewhere.  

“How do we know she wasn’t kidnapped?” I frantically asked.  

Ash sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  “We asked around and they said that they saw her yell at a pay phone and jump into a cab.  She’s okay, but…we don’t know where she is.” he said and looked up at me cautiously.

“But—“ I was cut off when a manager burst through the door and announced that we had an interview in half an hour.  She didn’t even notice that Sage was missing.