Reality || L.H.

Chapter 18

I open my eyes, yawning. It's still dark, streetlights flying past on either side of me. Frowning, I look over at the person driving the car. 

Of course.

"Why am I here?" I ask Blake, sighing heavily.

"You fell asleep," he explains quietly as he turns onto a different street. "So I put you in my car and found Calum and told him that I'd take you home. You looked like you were done partying."

I scowl. "Thanks," I say between my teeth.

He grins infuriatingly. "You're welcome." He drops the smile as he looks at the different street signs. "It's this turn, right?"

"No, Luke kicked me out of the apartment. I'm staying at my parents' place. You remember the way right?"

Blake at least looks guilty when I bring up Luke. Nodding, he murmurs under his breath, "Yeah. Yeah, I remember the way."

An uncomfortable beat of silence passes where neither of us say anything anything. What is there to say? We used to tell each other everything, but that was all broken the night I caught Piper in his room, her lipstick smudged all over his face. It's like we don't know how to act around each other any more.

"Did your mom ever get that cat she was trying to convince your dad to get?" he asks tentatively as we come to a stop at a red light.

This could be just another late night date. We could have been coming up on our four year anniversary. That night with Piper, those months with Luke... They all could have been one big, crazy dream. I could forget all about the beautiful, broken blond blue-eyed boy who healed my broken heart and taught me how to love again.

Easier said than done.

"No," I say, trying to hide my smile. "She didn't. She gave up after awhile and never asked again." After a pause, I ask, "Did your sister ever get a date with that guy she used to stalk on Instagram?"

Blake laughs and I'm taken back four years, reminded of all the reasons why I was so happy that day he first asked me out. "She did, actually. But he turned out to be not as perfect as she hoped so she ditched him in the bathroom and climbed out the window to take an Uber home."

For the first time in a long time I truly laugh. I remember all the nights I used to spend over at Blake's house, being loud and obnoxious while we made fun of him and baked all kinds of random shit when we probably should have been asleep. I hadn't realized how much I missed that.

Blake comes to a stop in the driveway of my parents' house, putting it in park as he looks over at me with a smile. "Thanks for giving me a second chance," he says softly, giving me a real, genuine smile. "I know I don't really deserve it, but thank you."

I give him a small smile. "Thanks for the ride." Gathering my stuff, I shut the door behind me and walk up the porch to the house.

If you asked me where I thought the night would have gone, between that picture of Luke and that girl, and Blake and our unexpected kiss...

God my life was fucked up.