ghost of you (luke patterson x oc)

chapter 9

I took a pretty long nap, only to wake up and find myself alone in the studio. I sat up and something on the coffee table caught my eye. It was Luke's songbook. I know I shouldn't snoop, but my gut was telling me to open it. I skimmed through the pages, my eyes catching bits and pieces of his lyrics, all little glimpses into his soul. Luke is insanely talented. But one song in particular caused me to stop – Unsaid Emily. That's the one about his mom.

I read the first few lines written in Luke's messy handwriting before I stopped. This wasn't meant for me to read. It did however, give me an idea.

I found myself on the front porch of the Patterson household, Unsaid Emily in hand. Just as I was about to ring the doorbell, Luke poofed right next to me. The look of shock on his face was evident. "What are you doing here?" he questioned defensively. 

"Look, I know you're hurting okay? And I just wanted to help I promise. I'm worried about you too Luke." "You don't have to be," he mumbled, looking away. 

I gently laced my fingers through his, taking a step closer. "I know things weren't the best between you and your parents. But after listening to what you said before, there's no way I can believe you weren't enough for them. Not the Luke I know. Please, trust me." 

Luke hesitantly rang the doorbell, apprehension filling the atmosphere around us. 

The door opened to reveal a man who looked around 70, thick glasses framing his face. He looked at me in confusion before speaking. "Hi, can I help you?"

"Hi." I said awkwardly. "I believe you had a son named Luke?" Grief embedded itself in the man's features. "Yes, that's right." 

"My name's Riley, and your son's band used to practice in my best friend's garage? I came across this song that he wrote, and I thought you'd be interested." I saw Luke tense out of the corner of my eye.

"Please, come in. I'm Mitch." I followed Mitch inside, gesturing for Luke to come in as well before closing the door behind me. 

Luke's mom, Emily, then came into the living room. "I heard the door?" she asked sweetly. "Yes, this is Riley. Luke and the band used to practice in her friend's garage." Mitch said. 

"I- um. I found a song that Luke wrote. It was about a girl named Emily?" I said. Emily's eyes snapped up at the mention of her name, shock evident. "I'm Emily." she said quietly. 

"Then I think Luke may have written this song for you." 

Luke's pov:

Mom took the song with shaky hands, my own shaking from where I stood behind Riley. They can hear me when I sing right? So what if I- 

I took a deep breath, and began to sing the lyrics engraved in my mind. 

"First things first, we start the scene in reverse. All of the lines rehearsed, disappeared from my mind." The lyrics came out shaky as I saw both my parents tense. 

"When things got loud, one of us running out. I should have turned around, but I had too much pride." 

"No time, for goodbyes, didn't get to apologize. Pieces of a clock that lies broken." Riley reached back and offered her hand in support, offering whatever comfort she could.

"If I could take us back. If I could just do that. And write in every empty space the words I love you i replace, then maybe time would not erase me. If you could only know, I never let you go. And the words I most regret are the ones I never meant to leave..."

"Unsaid Emily." 

My mind wandered back to our last fight before I ran out, the two of us caught in another screaming match.