Teenage Runaway (A Luke Hemmings Fanfic)

Part 22

*Zorinda's POV*

"So how are you Rindy?" Ashton asked as I stared at the cold cup of coffee in front of me. He'd just gotten back from a roadtrip with his friends and I hadn't seen him for 2 weeks. It wasn't like anything had changed in the time he was gone, but I couldn't bare the awkward silence that had fallen on his little apartment.

"I'm good" I replied with the fakest smile plastered on my face.

"No you're not, love. I know you. You haven't touched your coffee, even though it's your favorite. You look like you haven't showered or slept in days. You've been pushing me away everytime I try to talk to you. And the biggest giveaway that you're not okay...you haven't painted since you got here. What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

He looked at me with a father-like tenderness that I hadn't seen in a long time. His eyes were filled with kindness and love which I needed. Suddenly I started to feel guilty for the way I'd been behaving. The whole time I've been here he's been nothing but kind to me, and I returned the favor by being cold and distant when I knew he just wanted to help me. It was time that I told him what was really wrong.

"You're right Ash, I'm not okay. I'm not okay at all." I said as the tears spilled from my eyes. "I miss my family. I haven't talked to them since I left with Luke and I feel awful. All they've ever done is love me and care about me and I abandoned them when they didn't agree with my choice. They warned me about Luke and I didn't listen. I'd give anything to hear them say 'I told you so' but I don't even know if they'd be willing to talk to me anymore. I'm angry with Luke for screwing me over like he did. Everytime I think about that night my breath catches in my throat and my chest aches with betrayal. I tell myself time and time again that I'll stop crying over him but I can't. And I wonder how something that used to make me so happy could leave me feeling so empty. But I think most of all, I miss who I was before all of this happened. I lost myself in him and I don't know if I'll ever get her back."

Ashton stared at me pensively for what felt like forever. I didn't know if he was trying to think of what to say or if he was waiting for me to continue on. But the longer we sat in silence the more my past mistakes were swallowing me whole and I began to breakdown more than I had been before. Strangled sobs erupted from my throat and I started to feel like I couldn't breathe. And before I knew it, I was hyperventilating. The last thing I heard was Ashton yelling my name before I blacked out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I woke up in the guest room where I'd been staying at Ashton's house. I heard snoring and looked beside me to see Ashton sleeping peacefully. I smiled and tried to sit up when the pounding in my head hit me. I immediately laid back down. Ashton began to stir and woke up.

"Hey love, how are you feeling?" He brushed the hair out of my face tenderly

"My head hurts. What happened?"

"You had a panic attack. It was scary Rindy. I was so worried about you."

"I haven't had a panic attack since I was 13."

When I was a kid, I was bullied severely. We didn't move around as much back then and I was in the same school from kindergarten to 2nd grade when my parents decided to move. The school tried everything to get the kids to stop but it just wasn't letting up. As a result, I developed a panic disorder as well as depression. My parents put me in therapy once we moved and it helped me a lot. I'd had minor anxiety attacks over the years but never a full-blown panic attack. Up until now, I guess.

"I know. Rindy, I think you need to mend things with your parents. They'll help you to move forward with your life. If you're going to find yourself, you need them to support you."

"Ash, I can't. I haven't talked to them in months and they haven't tried to contact me either. They don't want me in their lives anymore."

"Of course they do Rindy, you're their daughter. Now, give me your phone so I can call them." I was hesitant. I didn't know if I could bare more rejection from my parents but I trusted Ashton. So I handed him my phone and he clicked my mom's contact. While it was ringing he handed me my phone. I gulped and took it from him. My mom picked up after the 4th ring.

"hi mom.." I stuttered.

"Rindy! Baby, hi. How are you?" Hearing her voice automatically made me feel a thousand times better. Then I remembered what happened the last time we spoke and my heart dropped again.

"I miss you. Mom, I'm so sorry."

"No honey, your dad and I are sorry. We should have trusted you to make your own decisions. We didn't even give him a chance and that wasn't fair. If he makes you happy, then that's all that matters."

"No mom, you were right. Luke and I...we're not together anymore."

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. What happened?" I knew I should tell her but at that moment, I couldn't will myself to explain the situation again. Not while the wound was still so fresh. So I answered in a vague but honest way.

"He just didn't turn out to be the person I thought he was."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that. When will we get to see you again? There's still a lot we need to talk through."

"About that mom...I'm in Washington with Ashton. After the breakup, I just needed to get away and find myself again. So I'm here for now and I don't know how long I'm going to stay."

"Well then we'll come to you."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*Luke's POV*

I groaned in frustration as I tried to book a flight to Seattle. All flights were full or cost an arm and a leg and I wanted to leave as soon as possible. I couldn't shake the feeling that the longer I waited, the faster she would forget about me. Or the more she realized how much she really did hate me and I was losing her even more. The only thing guiding me right now was the hope that she did still love me and there was still hope for our relationship. But clearly the universe had other plans.

"Fuck!" I shouted in defeat as I searched another travel agency with no luck.

"What's up?" Calum asked.

"I want to go to Seattle to get Rindy. But it's impossible to find a flight right now."

"I have a friend who can hack the system and get you a ticket."

"Calum, that's illegal. And how would that even work?"

"You basically take over another passenger's ticket so that when they go to check in, their ticket is fraudulent. Do you want to get your girl or not?"

"Yeah, I do. But Calum, she's already pissed at me. What if I got in trouble for the ticket fraud and she found out? She'd never forgive me. I'm trying to prove to her that I'm a better person now."

"I promise you won't get caught."

Something in the sly grin that crossed his face told me that I could trust him. And that scared me more than anything.

"Call your friend, Cal."