The Step Father • lrh

t h r e e

as i got dressed for my date, I contemplated.

do I wear the black dress, or the red one?

I sighed and slid the black one over my body.

I zipped up the side and put my maroon vans on.

I'll dress nice, but there's no chance I'll wear high heels.

I curled my hair and applied my make up.

by the time I finished, it was 5:56.

I texted Ashton, telling him in ready.

Colleen: I'm ready whenever you get here. just text me

Ash💗: okay babe. see you soon

he never responded after that.

ever.

he never showed up 

he got in a car accident. a fatal one.

leaving him dead, and the other driver. the drivers daughter had survived.

I was blaming that guy, but really, it was me.

I was the one who caused him to look at that text.

it was tonight, January 3rd at officially 6:27 pm that Ashton had passed away.

the doctors contacted me, AFTER HE HAD DIED.

I never got to see him.

Luke put up with my emotional breakdown.

I sobbed and sobbed and Luke held me the whole time.

the way his arms wrapped around me made me feel... not alone. I knew he was there. he was always there.

and it tore me apart.

we laid there, in that bed, for what seemed like forever.

the pillow I brought from my room was barely used. Luke's arm and chest was my pillow. his hoodie collected every tear.

his smell filled my senses and felt like home to me.

his arms was the only place I wanted to be.

"what do I do? I can't just live life like nothing happened! Luke, I'm helpless!"

"shh it's okay. I'm here. you'll be okay. I promise it will get better. hey, you helped me when you're mom left, and I'm helping you now that Ashton left."

"but it was her choice! I basically killed Ashton!"

"Colleen. you didn't mean for anything to happen. it's not your fault."

"but it is my fault! if I never sent him that text.."

"Colleen Brown! listen to me. you're not to blame. you didn't mean it. that stupid driver should have paid attention."

"Luke, I go to school with his LIVING daughter. what is she going to say? that her dad killed Ashton, or Ashton killed her dad? she's popular and can get so many people against me."

"the doesn't matter. you're mourning. you wouldn't be able to control it. that driver would have still ran that red at the same time he was in that intersection. Ashton was the one hit. not her father."