leaked (l.h.)

34

"If you wanted to go to the party," Luke turns to me as I hold onto the straps of my backpack. Emma's arms are wrapped around his bicep, her head laying on him as she gently weeps. As if she and him had been together long enough to justify how upset she is. "You could. I'd drive you home."

"No, no," I shake my head, rocking on my feet as I watch Michael step away from us. He holds his phone to his ear, mumbling something to someone who I assume to be his Mother. That's been happening a lot tonight. "You have fun. I've got to get ready for this week."

"This week?" Luke raises his eyebrow, bringing himself back to lean on Ashton's vehicle. "What's this week?"

"The beginning of rehearsal," I remind him. "But I'll see if I can get out of them-"

"Oh no!" He frowns, his jaw dropping as the realization hits him. "I'll miss your show!"

"Oh, hush," I shake my head. "I'll have more. It's not every day that you'll be touring the world with the world's biggest boyband."

"I hope you'll forgive me," Luke wraps his arms around Emma as she clings onto him. He rubs her back, with one of his jackets around her body to protect her from the stinging cold rain. And I stand here, shivering. My lips must be bright blue at this point. "I'll have to make it up to you."

"You don't have to," I shake my head. "It's okay."

"We should get going," Calum walks over after a long phone call with his sister, Mali. He doesn't talk about his family much, but if there is one person who always catches his attention before anyone else - it's her. "If we want to get there before everyone else does. I want good parking, guys."

"You're still up for it?" Luke whispers down at Emma, and as she nods with her face shielded from the cold I see Luke look up to me. I wish he could hold me that way.

"I'll see you later," I nod, taking a step back when I see how incredibly dark it is. It's scary, usually I try to be home by dark. And the fact that I'm out in the pouring rain past midnight is... terrifying.

"Bye, Grace," Luke smiles softly as he opens the door for Emma. She steps in, and soon afterwards so does he. Michael climbs in beside her, and Ashton in the front seat by Calum. They leave me alone as they drive away, and as I watch their car begin their journey I realize that this is the first of many moments they'll leave me alone in this town of ours.

I turn around to walk the other way, and as I walk quickly I hold the pepper spray my Step Father had gotten me in my grip. My knuckles are white and my jaw is clenched, and I am on high alert. Each sound, each little whisper terrifies me. My heart is pounding, and as I feel my feet go from walking to sprinting I can't help but feel the familiar sting in my lungs from the cold air that finds itself inside of my chest. I feel like an idiot, walking alone this late. But I don't have a car, and I wouldn't want to keep my parents up to drive me home. The boys' all have their own celebrations to attend, and to be honest I couldn't be near Emma much longer without giving Luke any sort of hint that I'm jealous.

It doesn't take me long to get home, probably ten minutes at most. But those ten minutes feel like ten hours, and when I finally make it inside the front door unscathed I feel like collapsing.

"You're home late," I hear my Mother as she sits at the kitchen island. "How was the show?"

"Amazing," I respond, despite how incredibly out of breath I am. And as I walk over to her, her eyes widen when she sees how incredibly soaked I am. "They did amaz-"

"Did you walk home? Alone?" She raises her eyebrows when she sees that Luke isn't with me. "Are you insane? It's almost one AM."

"It's okay," I look at her as she brings herself off of her chair. "It wasn't so bad."