The Only Reason

Chapter 15

Maybe I should have seen it. Maybe I should have read in between the lines and saw what was there. Maybe I shouldn’t have thought that something like this wouldn’t happen. Maybe I should have said something.

But I didn’t think he would ever keep something like this from me, either.

And I didn’t like what him keeping it from me seemed to mean.

Because I didn’t know what to do if he wasn’t there.

*****

I was sitting next to Luke on the couch as he ate his cereal. I had my feet resting on the coffee table, my arms resting on my legs as I texted Madison. Being that it was just past nine, it was just past six PM back home. I had woken up to a bunch of messages from her and I knew she was going absolutely crazy in Brisbane. 

Oh my god I am about to fucking flip shit. I’m facetiming you.

I read the message and didn’t even have time to reply before I got the notification for the call. I yawned and then answered it, trying to say hi through my yawn. Once I was able to see her face clearly, I furrowed my brows.

“What’s wrong? Why are you about to cry?” I asked her, noting the tell tale bright red cheeks she had. My words alerted Luke and he turned to me, concern on his face.

“I’m so fucking mad. Where are you?” I could see a bulletin board behind her, so I knew she was in her bedroom at her grandparent’s house and probably on her computer.

“I’m in the living room with Luke.” I told her. I glanced at him and he bit his lip before turning back to the TV.

“Okay.” Madison nodded before taking a deep breath. “Troy proposed to Shelby.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”

Shelby, Madison’s twenty-four year old sister, had been dating Troy for as long I could remember. I had become friends with Madison when I was fifteen and I remembered her dating him then.

“Nope. Which, good for them. He’s good for her because he’s the only guy in the world who’s fucking stupid enough to marry my sister, but that’s not it.” She said, tears welling up in her eyes. “You know the first thing my grandmother said after congratulating Shelby?”

I closed my eyes, bracing myself. “What?”

“You know Madison, if you were more like Shelby you’d probably have a boyfriend and soon you’d be getting engaged.” Madison spit out bitterly before letting out a sob. “I can’t fucking win with this goddamn family. I hate them.”

My jaw dropped and I brought my head up to look at Luke who was staring at me in shock and anger. I turned back to the phone to watch Madison place her elbows on her desk and lean closer to her computer as she rested her face in her hands.