Runaway [cake au] ✔

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Harper passed the baby to Victor and looked me straight in the eye. "Why do you think, Luke? You never loved me! You never got over your first love, and no matter how many times we kissed or had sex, you never felt passion, did you? You didn't want me for me, you wanted me so you could get over him and have a baby."

I scoffed. That was absolute bullshit – no matter how I tried to look at it, I couldn't justify Harper doing something so atrocious. The baby started crying, and that was my cue.

"You know what, Harper, Victor – have a good life, yeah? Oh, and you can keep the apartment, the ring, all the supplies I bought for you using my credit card – I'm done with you guys."

I stormed out, fire raging through my blood vessels as I channelled through the winding corridors and bright lights.

My first destination was the bank. I asked to withdrawal of funds, shoving the bundled notes and coins into my bag. I didn't even thank the banker as I headed back to the apartment, packing whatever clothes I could fit into my suitcase.

Everything I'd done for Harper... this baby... ugh, it pained me to even think about it! There was still some space in the outside pocket of my case, so I slid in a couple of my favourite records even though I couldn't carry the record player. I smashed a couple of photographs of Harper and I, leaving the shards of glass on the floor for them to cut their feet on later.

I changed my sweat-drenched clothes and threw them in the washing machine. Then I put on some clean clothes, making sure I had my passport before leaving the apartment for good.

Dragging my suitcase around, I arrived at the Hi or Hey offices before remembering that Michael was on holiday. I stamped my foot on the ground, walking to the nearest park and sitting on a bench in deep contemplation, wondering how I'd even managed to get tricked in the first place.

I had nowhere to go – it was official. I mean, I could go home, but then I'd have to explain myself. I'd have to face that humiliation... and there was Ashton in California, but there was no life for me there. I didn't want to work with the massive artists and bands over there. Being in New York, Brooklyn in particular, gave me such a great ground for creating the music I wanted to, not what some record label wanted. The whole district was full of art – how could I not get lost in my own creativity?

All of a sudden, I felt something in my pocket, where my hands had been resting for quite some time. I took out a washed piece of paper. Huh? When did this get here?

Then I remembered; I put it in my pocket when I was converting the guest room into a nursery.

The guest room where Calum had stayed.

I squinted, pulling apart the crumpled and crumbling paper, trying my very best to read the words. It was an address – that I could tell, but the specifics were difficult to discern. Was this where Calum had gone? If so, I needed to hop on the next taxi, train, plane, ship whatever – I needed to get to him and tell him how sorry I was and how much I actually loved him.

Come to think of it, Harper probably had a point. I never really got over Calum and she saw that. If only she'd just told me – then things wouldn't have gotten so bad.

I got out the leather notebook Calum had gifted me before he left, and scribbled what I could see. One thing was for sure – the place was in Fiji. So no matter what, that was my first goal.

~

Two stops, three flights and 27 hours later, I wound up in Suva, Fiji looking like a dead man carrying too much baggage (physical and emotional) for his own good. As soon as I stepped into the arrivals hall, taxi drivers and others were milling about, making noise. I shoved a finger in each ear and pushed past them, heading outside where the sun was glistening down as if it was supposed to be a good day.