UNSTEADY 🅰️ LUCAS GOTTESMAN [book one]

LET THE WATER HOLD ME DOWN

...

SITTING before the roaring open fire in the Hasting's home with a blanket wrapped around her shoulder's, Haley stared into the flame without really seeing. All she could see was the lake, the water. Lucas.

"Here's some aspirin." Aria muttered softly as she took a seat beside her, placing the medicine in her hand.

"Thanks."

Hanna rubbed her sister's back from the other side, eyebrow's pinched in concern "You want me to make you some soup?"

"I'm not hungry."

Spencer let out a sigh as she and Emily knelt one the seat from behind "Haley, I know that you might not be ready to talk about this but the sheriff said that they're gonna drag the lake first thing in the morning."

"Lucas isn't in the lake."

"He didn't come up to shore." Emily informed her gently "We waited."

Haley shook her head "He knows how to swim. He went to camp as a kid. He's out there, somewhere."

"I still can't believe that Lucas would help A." Aria admitted.

"Why not?" Hanna scoffed "Jenna did the same thing with Caleb."

Emily nodded in agreement "And A knows Lucas is close to Haley."

"No, I get it." Aria sighed "I just... don't really see Lucas as being that violent."

"He can be."

At her softly spoken words, Hanna looked to Haley "What do you mean?"

"Lucas was the one who destroyed Alison's memorial." She sighed heavily "I found out at the danceathon."

Spencer frowned "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because I promised him I'd keep it a secret."

"Why?" Emily questioned,

"To protect him." Haley scoffed "Like I should've done when Alison was making his life a living hell. God, if he really is helping A... I can't even blame him."

Aria squeezed her arm in an attempt of reassurance "But it was Alison who did those things, to come after us—"

"Don't you get it?" Haley interrupted her "Us standing by and letting Ali do her worst? It's just as bad as doing it ourselves. It wasn't just Ali that blinded Jenna, it wasn't just Ali that called Lucas Hermie or Mona a loser. It was us. She treated everyone like crap, including us and we let her. And Lucas, he's sweet and kind and funny and... look at what we did to him."