accidental | l.r.h

viii

"Cassidy." Michael says my name when everyone is gone. I look at him in response. His green eyes look sad and as if they have been lost.

"I just.." He takes my hand and pulls me closer. "I really like you. I've liked you for a while-"

I don't let him finish. I don't want him to lure into my head. Luke needs me, I need to be the one to save him. I remember how it felt to be the ray of sunshine to his life.

I yank my hands out of his grasp and I grab my backpack and open the door.

"Sorry, Michael." I say as sincerely as I can, and fling my bag over my shoulder to go into school.

When I walk down the halls, they aren't as silent as I expected. And when I reach my locker, Luke is not there as I expected.

Honestly, I miss him. There is no denying it. I never felt the way he made me feel last night. I need to hear his voice...

Throughout the day, I search for him. Maybe he's just skipping.

I don't sit at Calum's table today because of Michael. His head has been down all day and he isn't as loud and funny as he was before. He's quiet and dull.

When I sit alone, Alexis slides in the seat right next to me.

"What's wrong?" She asks and turns to me.

I shrug and poke at my food. "A lot has happened in the last few days. I think back to last night and a smile begins to inch onto my face.

"Oh yeah? What are you smiling about?" She lifts her eyebrow.

Then I told her. I told her how I went up to Luke at the park, I told her how he grabbed my hand, I told her his plot of life, and I told her our kiss. And where it happened.

It took up the whole lunch period, but we continued to sit there, taking in what I just said. Her mouth was open.

"You know," she says after a moment of silence. "I think I accidentally hooked you up with the love of your life."

I smiled but my eyes drifted when I thought about loving him. Do I love him? It's a strong word and a strong feeling. They say hate is a strong word, but love is stronger.

"Yeah," I breath. "Yeah, you might have..."

+++

After school, Alexis was trying to get me to ride with her Calum, Ashton, and Michael again. I insisted I wanted to walk alone. I also was hoping that I'd find Luke somewhere as I head home. I haven't seen him since last night, and I feel like I need him or I won't be content.

"C'mon, you've walked home alone for the past few days. Please ride with meeee." Begs Alexis.

"Not today, just..." I look at Michael who looks at me in the rearview mirror. I break eye contact immediately and look back at Alexis. "Not right now."

I could tell she took the hint when she saw me glance towards Michael. That's the things about best friends, you can have a conversation without saying a word. Just glances and facial expressions.

She nods and I give her a small smile before I leave. When I walk away, I feel like Michael is watching me. I feel a pair of eyes on me out I don't dare to look back.

When I walked by the park, he wasn't there. When I went through the woods, he wasn't there. I wasn't happy when I got home. I feel like there is something wrong. This isn't right. I mean, surely if he went somewhere far away he would tell me, right? Or even take me. But no, he is no where to be found, without telling me.

I text him multiple times but I get no reply.

I call him multiple times but I get no answer.

Later that night I get a call from Michael, it took me a minute before I actually answered. I just stared at my phone screen that flashed with his name. I finally answered when I accepted the fact that I had nothing else to do.

"Hello?" I sigh.

"Cass, listen I know you don't want to talk to me right now, but I need to explain something. Meet me at the café by weight-lifting..."

I hesitate. "I..I don't think-"

"Please, I beg you baby-"

"Don't call me that." I spat.

"Please."

I think for a moment before I grown an "Ugh, okay." and then I hang up. I don't know what I'm about to get myself into. I just don't know a lot of things. But I do know one thing... I miss Luke.

I grab my hoodie and slip on my Chuck Taylors and I stuff earphones into my ears before I was out the door. When I am walking down the sidewalk, I look into the park, hoping to see Luke. I stop in my tracks when I see his flannel laying on the ground at the edge of the woods. I know it's his because it's the only one he wears and the only one I've seen. When I run up to it, it's ripped up as if he got angry and tore it apart...

I pick it up. It smells like him. His fresh cologne, almost like the smell of the earth after it rains.

I look into the woods where it laid. This is most likely wear he is.

I rush into the woods, calling out his name. I push away every branch that gets in my way like they are nothing. I call his name over and over, letting his name take over my lips.

I run deeper and deeper into the forest, when out of no where I hear his voice and it makes me scream.

"Go."

I stop dead on my feet and fling myself around to where the voice came from. His flannel is grasped in my hands. I stand, trying to catch my breath. But my jaw is dropped to the wood's floor.

Luke has a gun to his head.