tongue-tied and heartbroken ||mashton||

Chapter 15

*Luke's POV*
Everything fell apart when Michael was in that coma. I didn't have my best friend. I didn't go to school. Savanna tried to be there for me, but even she was having a hard time. I knew I was being difficult. I knew I was pushing everyone away. But my best friend was in a coma. A coma that his father put him in. However, nothing could've prepared me for what would happen.

Michael wasn't answering his phone, or the door. I knocked and knocked. I called and texted. I yelled for him. No answer. The door was unlocked. I went inside. Up the stairs. Knocked on the bedroom door. No answer. Called his name. No answer. Turned the knob. Locked. My stomach dropped, and my heart beat faster, blood rushing in my ears. I knocked hard. Pushed against the door. Yelled more. Nothing. I kicked the door as hard as I could. More than once. Finally, it opened. And there he was.

His phone was in his hand, opened to Ashton's instagram on one of his pictures. A note was on the desk, tear-stained. Michael was on the floor, eyes closed. And my world was over.

Blood was everywhere. His wrists sliced deep. I held back my vomit as I tried not to cry. He wasn't breathing, wasn't moving. I checked his pulse. Nothing. I was too late. Michael was dead.

My heart hammered as I walked to his desk, picking up the note written in his scrawled handwriting.

Luke,

I'm sorry. You were the best friend I have ever had. I love you, mate. But I couldn't do it. And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you. I'm sorry for everything you have to go through because of me. But I just couldn't do it any longer.

You probably want an explanation. You're probably asking yourself why I did it. Why you weren't good enough to help me. But you were. You were good enough, Luke. The problem was that I wasn't.

While I was in a coma, I had a dream. Such a vivid, beautiful dream. I was with Ashton, and we were happy. He was everything to me. And I was everything to him. We were supposed to be together forever. But it was all just in my head. None of it was ever real. I just couldn't go on, Luke.

He was never mine, but losing him broke my heart.

I stared at the words written on the paper, repeating them in a low whisper as tears rolled down my cheeks.

"He was never mine, but losing him broke my heart."