Again (PUBLISHED!)

Chapter 7.

Devon's brutal words were pounding hard in my head and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get rid of them. The tumult in my conscience was difficult to deal with and restlessness bore into every inch of my flesh. The pang within me was growing every passing minute.

Is that what you do? Blame someone else because you don't have the guts to face the truth....

I squeezed my eyes shut. I hate you, Devon Parker. I hate you for doing this to me!

I tried to call up Luke numerous times when I got back from school but all was vain. His phone was switched off. There were no calls or messages from his side.

Like every night, I dropped him a sweet good night text but he didn't revert. This wasn't something new though...he never replied to any of my love messages....

So what if he didn't? Luke surely read my messages daily and smiled. And even if he didn't, it was okay. Because I won't give up on us just like that. I'll continue to hold us together because I believed there were beautiful things to come our way. And I've always learnt to never give up on relationships no matter the trying times....

It was exhilarating to play soccer with my Daddy on that bright sunny day. His loud cheers when I kicked the ball across at him filled my heart. And his funny footwork to score a goal always got me into peals of laughter.

"It was so much fun, Daddy!" I grinned widely as we sat down on the grass when the sun sank below the horizon.

"Same here, honey," he smiled lovingly at me.

"I cannot wait to do this again with you! Do you think tomorrow will be great for another round of soccer?" I asked eagerly.

"No, kid. Tomorrow will not be great. Rather, no other day will be great."

"What does that mean?"

"Today was the last time I played soccer with you. I'm going away forever, Eleanor. I'm leaving you. Don't try to see me ever again."

That crushed me. "W-Why? What-What happened? Did I....Did I hurt you in any way?"

"You hurt me since the very moment you were born. I stayed around with you longer than I should have. It's time to finally give up on you."

My face paled when he rose to his feet and started walking away.

"No, Daddy, Please!!" I screamed after him, tears gushing down my eyes, "Please don't go!! I'm sorry!! Come back!! Daddy, NO.....!!!"

I sat up bolt upright on my bed in that dark room with a pounding heart.

I got out of bed and went downstairs to the kitchen. Taking a box of Ferrero Rocher out from the freezer, I sat with it at the counter. Unwrapping one round chocolate at a time, I savored them very slowly.

Daddy loves you, Eleanor. He will never leave you, no matter what. Your head is a factory which produces shit. There's nothing to be worry about.

I stacked the box of Ferrero Rocher back into the freezer and went back upstairs to my room. This time I was greeted with a sound sleep the moment I hit the bed.

Clad in a pair of blue denim jeans and a white tank top, when I stepped out of my house the next day to go to school, I happened to see the front door of the house adjacent to mine open too. And out stepped Devon. I was unprepared when our gazes met.

The memories of the previous day flashed in my head and I looked away. I was glad that around the same time Adam pulled up outside my gates along with Stef and Josh. I got into the car with my friends and we drove past Devon to school.

But Devon blocked my path in an empty hallway in school. I didn't look at him and tried to walk past him but he took my hand and caged me between the wall and him.

"You're crossing your line, Devon," I said fiercely when our gazes clashed and so did our breaths.

"No, I'm mending my mistakes," he said in an assertive tone, his rugged breathing fanning my face, "I'm sorry for what I said in the Locker Room yesterday. I've no intention of taking my words back but the way I spoke to you could surely have been civilized."

I stared at him in outrage and disbelief. "Are you sure you're apologizing 'cause it doesn't sound like one?!"

"I don't know how to be respectful but---"

"And you don't even know what a meaningful apology is."

"I'm trying!" he pointed out, his eyes piercing intensely into mine, "I suck in expressing myself but I'm genuinely sorry. I won't tell you this won't happen again but I can tell you I'll be better at apologizing the next time. "

"You know what? I don't care a damn what you say to me since it doesn't affects me a bit," I said, releasing myself from him, at the same time wishing that my words were indeed true, "So you can go about saying whatever shit you want and then present your so-called apology, I couldn't be bothered."

I walked out of there with my nose in the air.

Damn Damn Damn!!

I cursed myself throughout the length of the corridor I walked to get to my class. I was that fucking annoyed with myself. I didn't know why Devon's words had been screwing me so much. And now that he apologized for it, I was feeling relieved from the ache.

He didn't even apologize properly for God's sake and still it oddly makes me feel better.

What the effing is wrong with me?!

In that vagueness of my mind, I heard a voice call out my name from behind. My hands curled into fists and I yelled as I turned around.

"Stop following me you---" I stopped midway realizing the person wasn't Devon as I thought.

"Luke?" I blinked blankly. "W-When did you come?" I fumbled.

"Right Now?" he raised an eyebrow, studying me with curiosity. "Who's following you?"

"N-No No No No one," I shook my head vigorously.

"Uh..actually.." began Luke, shifting uncomfortably on his toes, "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure.." I said.

He looked relieved and took me aside where there was privacy. "I'm sorry, Eleanor," he said guiltily, "I didn't want to hurt you..... Shouldn't have reacted the way I did. Shouldn't have lost my cool over such a petty issue. This won't happen again, I promise."

"I understand, Luke. It's okay. " I said, giving his hand an assuring squeeze. "It's a hard time but we're gonna get out of it."

"It's not a hard time. That Parker dick is nowhere close to me. He can only dream of replacing me as the quarterback," he said, refuting his insecurities, "but you know what the best thing is?" he said, snaking his hands around my waist and pressing me to him.

"What?" I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"You're the best girlfriend in the world," Luke whispered on my lips. We were just about to have a liplock---

"You're not kissing her, Thomas."

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