Boy Next Door 2 | l.h [completed]

Chapter 12

So, yeah. I gave Luke a third chance. I'm just hoping that he won't mess it up. My mind is telling me that I made a good decision, letting Luke back in my life. But, my heart is telling me I made another mistake because it wants Ashton.

Right now, it's probably in the middle of the night and I can't sleep. It's been hours since I let Luke back in. We're laying down in my bed, my head is resting on his chest. The only sounds is his heartbeat. It's quite soothing.

I can't help myself from smiling when all I really want to do is cry. I have mixed emotions right now.

Loud noises came from the hall or the kitchen or from somewhere outside the room. Surprisingly, Luke didn't wake up to the noises.

Instead of waking up Luke and calling the police, I walked out of the room in search of the problem.

My feet went cold instantly as they touched the wooden floor of my room.

I didn't mind it afterwards as I got used to it, so I continued my little adventure.

The hallway was dark but I was so used to the house I could map it out, blind.

I extended my arms and tried to find the wall so I didn't bump into anything. I could hear shuffling and more noises coming from the living room or kitchen. They were both next to each other so it was difficult to tell where the noises were coming from.

One of my hands opened the nearest door and it turned out to be the guest room where Matthew is staying in.

I didn't need to turn on the lights because there was enough light in the room from his night-light.

My heart slowed down when I approached Matt. He was smiling while he was sleeping, probably from a good dream. Then it hit me. Do babies even have dreams?

 A creaking sound came from behind me. I froze in my spot, scared of who just came in the room. "Emma?" a familiar voice called out.

My body turned around quickly and Ashton was now standing in front of me. "Ashton?" I asked for assurance.

"What are you doing here Ash?" I asked. No response. "I came to talk to you. The door was unlocked" he whispered.

Remembering that Matthew was asleep, I now whispered. "What about?" I swallowed the lump that was in my throat.

"Luke" he said after a short silence.

"What about him?" I asked. "You know" he said quickly.

"I don't know" I crossed my arms over my stomach. "Yes you do. Why are you with him?" he asked, sniffling.

It was cold, that's probably the reason why he is sniffling. Ashton isn't much of a crier so I'll just assume he's cold.

"Because. I want to give him another chance" I shrugged. I acted like everything was fine when nothing was fine. Still, I wanted to be with Ashton.

"After what he did to you?" he asked, another sniffle.

"Yes. I forgave him" I whispered. My voice cracked a bit.

"Emma. Don't you get it? I am trying my best to prove myself to you. I want to be with you, raise a family maybe if you let me. I'm just trying my best and it's like you don't care" another sniffle.

"Ashton-" he cut me off. "Don't Ashton me. I can't believe you. I've been trying my best to be a better person and you. You don't even care, do you?"

"I do care Ashton. I just wanted to give him another chance" I whispered. Please, don't let him you love him, I thought.

"I'm done with this. I'm the father of this child and I demand to be the fath-" now, I cut him off. "I'm in love with you Ashton!" I yelled. My knees started to tremble and tears strolled down my cheeks when I said that. I tried my best to deny that I was actually in love with him. But now that I said it, I can't take it back because I know it's true now.

"What?" he asked. "You heard me. Don't make me repeat it" I chuckled lightly and sniffled. "Emma. Your with Luke" he choked at his own words because I know he doesn't even like saying that I'm with Luke.

"I know. But I can't help having feelings for you" I, once again, sniffled. "Emma, can you promise me something?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Promise me that when Luke hurts you again, you'll come to me?" he asked.

"I promise" a smile etched at my lips.

Then, Ashton left.

Matthew started to cry. My body turned around swiftly. He was wide awake, crying in his crib. Like any mother, I straddled him in my arms.

"Shh" I whispered to him, rocking him back and forth.

Minutes passed of him crying but he finally stopped. Looking down at him, scanning him head to toe, I noticed his one leg.

Memories came through my mind of the day he lost the leg. Luke and I were so scared that day. He held onto me and made sure I was okay. It's funny, I just then noticed that Luke puts everybody first before him. He makes sure everyone is happy. He'll do anything to see a smile on someone's face.

Luke is an amazing person. He's caring, nice, and loving. That's why I fell in love with him. But how could everything go back to the way it was after tonight. All of me just wished that everything would go the way it was when I first met Luke. When I fell in love with him and Ashton was no where to be seen. If Ashton was out of my life, I would still be with Luke and still in love with him. But no, Ashton has me being in love with him. Not Luke.

 A few knocks were heard from the closed door. "Come in" I whisper-yelled. Luke came in.

"H-Hi" I stuttered. "Hey" he whispered. "Why are you awake?" I asked. A long pause.

"I couldn't sleep" he turned on the lights. My eyes went blind for a second before it got used to the light.

"Me too" I said. Luke sat down at the rocking chair next to Matt's crib.

"I heard" he whispered. "Heard what?" I stopped rocking Matthew.

"I heard your conversation with Ashton" he said. "Luke-" he cut me off. "Don't Luke me. First of all, I'm not going to hurt you again. And second, if you want to be with him, be with him" he rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and his forehead in his hand.

"Luke. I want to be with you. It's just, everything changed after I found out about you and Natalie" It hurt me even more than him that he did what he did.

"I know everything changed. All I want is everything to go back to the way it was" he snapped.

"It can't" I whispered.

"Yes it can Emma. I almost lost you once, and twice. I'm not going to let it happen again" he stood up, facing me. Our faces were only centimeters apart. Matthew started to cry again. I put him down in his crib and he soon calmed down.

"I love you and nobody and nothing will change that" he whispered. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, yet he wasn't crying nor was he close to it.

"I love you too" I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me quickly. I wasn't going to let go of this hug because I didn't know if this would be our last or one of another million.

"I'm not going to leave you again" he whispered into my ear. "Please don't" I cried.

He held onto me tightly, and I knew he wasn't going to let go soon.

I realized then that Luke was special, he wasn't worth leaving. He was worth more. Maybe I shouldn't be with Ashton, or maybe I was meant to be with Ashton. But I'll never know because my place is to be with Luke. To raise a family with him.

My life is like a mystery. Nobody knows what is going to happen, then it reveals itself slowly.