taken ↠ lrh au [EDITING]

1.5 ✦ realization

- Hanna -

The blood poured out of Andrew's throat and he fell to his side lifelessly. It was quite horrifying to watch; even though you'd think I'd enjoy watching his death. Luke turned to me with tears in his eyes and dropped the knife.

"Let's go," he whispered and walked past me. I put my arm out to stop him, but he was walking too fast. I looked at Andrew again; he actually looked peaceful, if you didn't look at the blood.

Soon enough I followed Luke out and he was standing in the doorway, looking around outside. He heard me shuffle my feet and turned to me.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, because we really hadn't thought this through.

"Somewhere away from here." Luke muttered and started walking towards the car. We were both bloody and bruised with cuts on our bodies but no one was around so we were free to go outside.

He unlocked the car and I sat in the passenger's seat awkwardly as he stuck the key in the ignition.

"Are you okay?" I asked him as he started to back out of the driveway. He flicked his eyes at me but then back at the road.

"Yeah," he said barely above a whisper. I laid a hand on the steering wheel, causing him to stop backing out.

"I'm sorry." I told him and he smiled a little before patting my hand on the steering wheel.

"Don't be," he responded and I took my hand off and let him continue driving. I then floated into my own thoughts.

I started to recap over all that has happened. I was at a party with my best friend, Hayden, he left me. Andrew strolled along and he kidnapped me. He chained me in a room, raped me, then I met Luke. I devised my escape plan, it failed. Andrew came and we moved to Utah. I was chained in another room with Luke, got raped some more, and Luke saved me. Luke told me to leave, but I kissed him, he killed Andrew and now we're going who knows where.

All in a matter of a couple of weeks, I'm assuming. What happened to my once normal life? The one where no one noticed me and no one wanted me? Because now I'm wanted by a lot of people and I don't like it.

I really hope going with Luke was the right choice...but what was I going to do? Let him go to jail because of his father? Sure he played me for a bit but I believed him when he said it wasn't anymore. Maybe it was all in the moment.

Now going a bit into time, the reason I kissed him. I don't even know why I did it, possibly to make him stop talking. But when I did kiss him, it was even more than that. I almost felt a connection and he kissed back. But then Luke tells me that he didn't feel anything...maybe I was just imagining things.

It was my first kiss, besides Andrew's terrible ones. Maybe that's what they're supposed to feel like.

"Luke, are we going back to Las Vegas?" I blurted out not even thinking. I really did want to go back home, maybe call my friends and just tell them I'm okay...

"We can't." He sighed and I looked over at him.

"Can I ask you another question?" I whispered and he huffed with a nod of his head. "Can I call my family and friends and tell them I'm okay?" I asked him innocently and he glanced at me with pain in his eyes.

"No." He said flatly and turned a corner. I could almost hear my heart shatter. Maybe this wasn't a good idea.

"Why?" I asked him even though I knew the answer. I knew he'd probably get mad, but he rarely got mad at me.

"You know why Hanna." He sighed and rubbed one of his temples in stress. "If you call up your parents they'll never stop trying to look for you. If they do then I killed Andrew for no reason." He said and I was sort of offended by the statement. I felt like just a piece to a puzzle and whatever I do is final.

"What about Hayden and Alyssa? They won't say anything. They're trustworthy," I told him and he pulled the car over quickly.

"Why are you backing out on me now?! Why didn't you ask these questions before I killed Andrew?" Luke almost shouted and I press my back against the car door.

"I'm not backing out! He deserved to die!" I shouted, just as loud as he did. He shook his head as if I was a little kid that didn't understand a thing.

"Then why are you bringing them into the picture?! Yeah Andrew deserved to die but he could have suffered in prison!" He screamed and I wanted to punch him in the face.

"Why wouldn't I bring then into the picture? They are the only people I love anyways!" I yelled and he stopped and stared at me for a second. I know I hurt him. "And if Andrew suffered you'd have to, too." I said, a bit calmer.

"They're the only people you love? Then why in the world did you kiss me back there? Were you just playing with me like some toy?" He asked me with hurt in his eyes, I had to look away.

"No, Luke. I kissed you to shut you up, not like you felt anything anyways. Right? Just like you said back there, it meant nothing to you. Don't even try to bring it up." I said and looked forward, wanting him to drive again.

"Hanna I was just in denial. I-it meant a lot." He whispered and I looked over at his shining blue eyes.

"Why were you in denial?" I asked him as if I was uninterested in what he had to say.

"Because of Leah...I think I broke my promise," he said and I looked at him with a confused face. "Promise?" I asked.

"When Leah died I vowed to not love anyone, but her. That was until i met you." He said and I could feel the blood come to my cheeks. "Every time you talked about Hayden it irked me, so I wanted to be like him because of you...you liked him. Not me." He said and my face was just getting hotter.

I didn't know what to say so I just kept staring at him. Is he seriously confessing his love to me? Am I seriously wanting to kiss him again?

I don't know..I've only loved Luke for a couple of weeks. I have known Hayden forever, and I have loved Hayden for years. Ever since we met in the fourth grade, maybe that's why I was so defensive when he said Alyssa was prettier than me.

I didn't even know if Hayden liked me but I think I'm going to give up on Luke's offer. Only because I love Hayden. But what if Hayden doesn't love me back?

Wait.

Why does it matter? I'm never, ever going to see him again. That doesn't mean I'm just going to go head over heels for Luke. I saw Luke as a brother, family. That's what we are now that we'll be living together, we're not a married couple.

"Luke..I-I don't think I feel the same." I said quietly and he blinked a couple times before starting to drive again.

We didn't speak to each other. He probably thinks I'm such a jerk. Kissing him and then telling him I felt nothing.

When and why did love ever have to come into this?

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1308 words.

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--brittany