Undone // hemmings

chapter seventeen

Australia was hot. Really hot. Hayden had never experienced heat like this before even in Pennsylvania summers. It was Luke's genius idea to go to the beach today, to get away from the heat. "I've never been to a beach before," Hayden said hesitantly. Besides going to the beach every morning to watch the sunrise, she had really never gotten the full beach experience.

"Are you serious?" He looked at her like she had three heads.

"Yeah, with the situation with my mom, the beach was never really her top priority." She said. Hayden hated opening up to him. She was always so paranoid he didn't care what she was saying at all, and just pretended to be interested because he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

She pulled a beach towel out of the bag they brought and placed it on the hot sand as Luke responded. "I know this sounds super corny and cheesy, and you might hit me after this, but let's just live in the present. We don't need to worry about the past anymore."

I gave him a half smile. "It's hard to do that when your past has dictated your life and made it the way it is today." She laid on the towel, hoping to soak up some sun. Hayden was in much need of a tan considering she had been here for four months and was still pale. She tanned well, but she never had time to go out tanning.

Hayden laid on the ground and began to think about how her past really has dictated her life today. Other normal teenagers could forget about their past and what happened to them, because most of it was just a regular childhood. Having family dinners at the dinner table, going to grandparents houses for holidays, and family vacations were all part of a normal childhood. Hayden had none of that as a kid.

Hayden slowly opened her eyes to see Luke reaching in the bag. Luke had something on his mind, though and she could tell. He looked like he had given up on such a simple task as reaching in the bag and grabbing the sunscreen. "Are you okay?" Hayden asked Luke.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Come on Luke, you sound like me when we were at our first party here. Remember? You kept asking me if I was okay and I told you not to worry about me and do you remember what your response was?"

He looked up at Hayden. "But that's what I do, Andy, I worry."

"I worry, Luke. I care about you a lot, and I just want you to be happy, so if there's something that's bothering you, then own up to it now."

"I just feel like Calum is slowly starting to dislike me because we're dating now. I know he thinks I'm taking his best friend away, he's reiterated that many, many times. I just-"

"Luke, I grew up with Calum for 15 years. I've been with you for only close to four months. He's not losing a best friend, in fact he's gaining one. Him and Michael have been hanging out so much lately that sometimes I feel like he's forgotten about me. You have nothing to worry about and if you really do have a guilty conscience, talk to him. You're fine." Hayden smiled. Luke worrying so much about Calum stressed her out. He didn't need added pressure on him with five new people living in house and taking over his space.

"Let's go in the ocean!" He exclaimed.

He looked like a five year old at Disney world when it came to the beach.

"But Luke..."

"No buts, Hayden, we're going in the ocean," He looked like a sad puppy who was about to start begging for food.

"But I'm so comfortable right here, Luke,"

"Did you hear what I said? No. Buts." He, then, proceeded to pick Hayden's body up off the towel and carry her bridal style into the ocean.