From That Moment || a.i.

8. Forest of Tears

8. Forest of Tears

He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the house, his bright blue eyes were glossy and his palms were covered in sweat. Or tears?

Luke had just showed up at my door in the darkness of night. Words failed to escape his mouth, instead he just stood there in all black, with a piece of crumpled paper in his hand. His eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks stained with red.

He looked broken.

"Luke?" I could feel his hand shaking against my arm.

He sniffled and pulled me further down my driveway, purposely ignoring his name. His car was sloppily parked outside my house, still running.

"Luke," I put my hand on his shoulder and turned him towards me, tears streamed down his cheek, "Where are we going?"

He looked nervously around, but didn't meet my eyes. He scratched the back of his neck and wiped his cheeks, "I don't really know yet."

Tears rushed to his eyes and I knew in that moment that he needed me. I couldn't just leave and go back to sleep. Something was hurting him, something big.

He looked around in the dark like he was searching for something, someone.

"Luke what's wrong?" He paced frantically across the sidewalk in front of my house, muttering things that didn't make any sense.

"Why would she just...?"

"She couldn't have..."

I walked in front of him and grabbed his shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes, "What happened?"

His mood seemed to relax when he finally looked into my eyes. His chin quivered and his breathing was labored. He couldn't seem to get any words out.

"S-Something happened." He gasped for air and rubbed his hands together. He looked as broken as Ashton did.

I couldn't help but let my mind wander over to the boy that was once again my neighbor. He would know what to do, Luke was his best friend. Not mine.

I looked calmly up at the blonde who had yet to subside his tears, "Why don't you talk to Ashton about this?"

He put his hands on the back of his neck and shook his head quickly, "I-I can't."

I curiously looked into his eyes that kept wandering to the ground, "Why not?"

He nervously rubbed his hands together, not letting a word escape his mouth. Only huffs of air come from him, I knew what I needed to do.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the car, not caring that I was leaving my house at 3 in the morning with nothing but a baggy sweatshirt and some leggings on. My hair probably looked like a rats nest.

"Come on."

He sniffled and hesitated quite a bit, causing me to be standing in one spot trying to pull him. Anyone that was watching could have made a comedy show of this little scene. I was a tiny blonde girl that stood no taller than 5' 4" and he was a towering blonde boy that stretched over 6 feet. Quite a sight.

After a while of coaxing he decided to come with me, I drove the car in silence but couldn't keep my mind off of what was wrong. I never questioned it, just kept driving.

~

"So, don't freak out okay? Just follow me." I demanded the boy to close his eyes and trust me to guide him. He was very resistant, but I convinced him that he can trust me.

I lead him into a forest, not just any forest. A forest I used to visit when my parents had divorced. It's not far from my house, just a few blocks down the street. Whenever I needed to be alone, and I mean completely alone I would come here and sit in the leaves and cry. I have never showed anyone this place, but for some reason I feel like I can trust Luke with this. Something told me he needed this. I needed this. Most of my darkest moments reside here.