Disconnected
19
I woke up to hot breath on the back of my neck. Alarmed, I the cover off myself and sat up, flailing my limbs. A familiar groan sounded from beside me.
“Absy, relax, it’s just me.” Luke grumbled.
I looked over his shoulder at the time. 4 in the morning.
“Lu, what are you doing home? You aren’t supposed to be back for 2 more days.”
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, smiling sheepishly at me.
“We decided to come home early.”
“What? Why? You can’t just do that, you have obligations, you-“
“Hey, hey.” Luke put a hand on my arm. “It’s all good. Now please welcome me home properly.”
I rolled my eyes and brought my lips in to meet Luke’s.
“Alright, now come with me.” He said, standing up from the bed and holding his hand out.
“What? To where? It’s 4 in the morning.”
“We have to talk, come on.”
Reluctantly, I stood up, grabbing his hand as he pulled me down the stairs and out the back door, toward the beach. We were both silent as we got to the beach and walked along the sand.
“What’s going on, Lukie?” I asked softly.
Luke pulled me down to sit next to him in the sand, silent for a minute, as his thumb grazed over my hand and I thought the worst possible scenarios.
“Luke, you’re scaring me a little.”
“Abby, I’m sorry.” He blurted suddenly. “I’m sorry I’m an insecure, jealous piece of shit sometimes but-“
“Luke, you are not-“
“Let me finish. I am totally jealous sometimes because you’re here hanging out with your idols and I see them putting their hands all over my girl and I just… I worry you’d prefer them over me sometimes. Ashton told me I’m crazy, but I just… I don’t know. I like you a lot is all.”
“Can I talk now?” I asked, gently moving a stray piece of Luke’s hair. He nodded.
“I told you before that I’m all yours, Luke. You just have to believe me, okay? No guy compares for me. You’re it.”
Luke breathed a sigh next to me and pulled me into his body.
“Also, can we talk about me being ‘your girl’?” I asked, smirking up at him. “Because, Hemmings, you never really officially asked me.”
Luke laughed and pinched my side jokingly.
“I thought it was implied, babe.”
“I don’t think so. I think a gentleman asks.” I joked.
“Alright, Abigail.” He started, letting go of me and kneeling in front of me in the grass. “Will you be so kind and do me the favor of being this gentleman’s girlfriend?”
I laughed and put a finger up to my chin in pretend thought.
“Hmm. I don’t know.”
“Absy.”
“Of course I will, Lukie.”
Luke grinned and tackled me back into the sand in a hug. We stayed cuddled in the sand for a little while in silence, enjoying each other’s company, before I felt the need to be honest with him.
“Hey, Luke?”
“Hmm?” He hummed.
“Uhm, yesterday, my ex-boyfriend paid me a visit.”
Luke immediately sat up and tensed.
“He what? He’s here? He’s why you had a panic attack? I’ll kill him.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head.
“He came here because he wanted to, like, win me back and take me home to go to prom with him. And then he brought up my mom and I just…” I shook my head again and Luke sighed, pulling me back into his body.
“He’s such a scumbag.” Luke growled. “I’m sorry he put you through that, Jesus Christ.”
“Well, I told him to go home and he left. Hopefully he actually went home.”
“I hope so.” Luke sighed.
We laid back in silence again, and the sun began to rise over the ocean as Luke kissed the top of my head. The sound of his breathing and the waves hitting the shore lulled me into an almost sleep. Luke noticed, and I felt him pick me up bridal style and start to walk back home. I laid my head on his chest.
“I’m so glad you’re in my life, Luke.” I mumbled, half asleep and not able to filter my thoughts. He squeezed my leg.
“I’m happy you’re in my life too. And I’m here to protect you. Always, okay?”
My heart fluttered as my eyes closed all the way, the word always ringing in my head.
“Absy, relax, it’s just me.” Luke grumbled.
I looked over his shoulder at the time. 4 in the morning.
“Lu, what are you doing home? You aren’t supposed to be back for 2 more days.”
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, smiling sheepishly at me.
“We decided to come home early.”
“What? Why? You can’t just do that, you have obligations, you-“
“Hey, hey.” Luke put a hand on my arm. “It’s all good. Now please welcome me home properly.”
I rolled my eyes and brought my lips in to meet Luke’s.
“Alright, now come with me.” He said, standing up from the bed and holding his hand out.
“What? To where? It’s 4 in the morning.”
“We have to talk, come on.”
Reluctantly, I stood up, grabbing his hand as he pulled me down the stairs and out the back door, toward the beach. We were both silent as we got to the beach and walked along the sand.
“What’s going on, Lukie?” I asked softly.
Luke pulled me down to sit next to him in the sand, silent for a minute, as his thumb grazed over my hand and I thought the worst possible scenarios.
“Luke, you’re scaring me a little.”
“Abby, I’m sorry.” He blurted suddenly. “I’m sorry I’m an insecure, jealous piece of shit sometimes but-“
“Luke, you are not-“
“Let me finish. I am totally jealous sometimes because you’re here hanging out with your idols and I see them putting their hands all over my girl and I just… I worry you’d prefer them over me sometimes. Ashton told me I’m crazy, but I just… I don’t know. I like you a lot is all.”
“Can I talk now?” I asked, gently moving a stray piece of Luke’s hair. He nodded.
“I told you before that I’m all yours, Luke. You just have to believe me, okay? No guy compares for me. You’re it.”
Luke breathed a sigh next to me and pulled me into his body.
“Also, can we talk about me being ‘your girl’?” I asked, smirking up at him. “Because, Hemmings, you never really officially asked me.”
Luke laughed and pinched my side jokingly.
“I thought it was implied, babe.”
“I don’t think so. I think a gentleman asks.” I joked.
“Alright, Abigail.” He started, letting go of me and kneeling in front of me in the grass. “Will you be so kind and do me the favor of being this gentleman’s girlfriend?”
I laughed and put a finger up to my chin in pretend thought.
“Hmm. I don’t know.”
“Absy.”
“Of course I will, Lukie.”
Luke grinned and tackled me back into the sand in a hug. We stayed cuddled in the sand for a little while in silence, enjoying each other’s company, before I felt the need to be honest with him.
“Hey, Luke?”
“Hmm?” He hummed.
“Uhm, yesterday, my ex-boyfriend paid me a visit.”
Luke immediately sat up and tensed.
“He what? He’s here? He’s why you had a panic attack? I’ll kill him.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head.
“He came here because he wanted to, like, win me back and take me home to go to prom with him. And then he brought up my mom and I just…” I shook my head again and Luke sighed, pulling me back into his body.
“He’s such a scumbag.” Luke growled. “I’m sorry he put you through that, Jesus Christ.”
“Well, I told him to go home and he left. Hopefully he actually went home.”
“I hope so.” Luke sighed.
We laid back in silence again, and the sun began to rise over the ocean as Luke kissed the top of my head. The sound of his breathing and the waves hitting the shore lulled me into an almost sleep. Luke noticed, and I felt him pick me up bridal style and start to walk back home. I laid my head on his chest.
“I’m so glad you’re in my life, Luke.” I mumbled, half asleep and not able to filter my thoughts. He squeezed my leg.
“I’m happy you’re in my life too. And I’m here to protect you. Always, okay?”
My heart fluttered as my eyes closed all the way, the word always ringing in my head.