It's Just Not That Easy

Chapter 18: Again

We got home, and he sat with me all night until the morning. I wasn't tired, mentally maybe but physically I just wanted to be around him. It was time for him to leave, he was leaving again, supposedly for 3 days this time. He stood up and straightened his top out. We had been sitting on the couch, his legs on the middle table and me with my head on his stomach.

"Right I've got to go" He spoke looking at me. I nodded at him, letting him pull my waist as I stood up into him. I rested my head on his shoulder like I always did when I hugged him. He sighed softly, making me frown.

"You okay?" He turned his head so it was into my neck. I lightly drew patterns on the back of his neck, as he made a noise which supposedly was meant to reassure me. I pushed him back, making him look at me. "What's up?" I mumbled. He looked tired as he smiled sweetly and shook his head. I rolled my eyes because I knew he weren't telling the truth. I stepped up smirking, quickly kissing his cheek before hugging again. He groaned as he squeezed my waist into his body, making me laugh. "I hope you're not lying to me..." He hesitated for a while before looking at me.

"I'm alright, stop worrying" I raised an eyebrow, not believing him in the slightly. Did he think I was stupid? He grinned really big trying to persuade me, but it did nothing but make me smile. He looked down for a moment, keeping his arms around my waist. He only looked up when he leaned in to kiss my forehead. Straight after, he sighed and looked down again, leaving me slightly confused.

"You've got to go, you're going to be late" I said. I didn't want him to leave, I just wasn't going to make him stay. He nodded his head but he didn't move. If I was to ask him what was wrong again, he would definitely start getting annoyed. He stood looking at me for at least a minute, blinking a few times and licking his lips before he spoke.

"You'll call me if you need me, won't you?" He scrunched his eyebrows together, making me smirk.

"What would I need you for?" I asked tellingly, tilting my head to the side. He quickly tilted my head up with his hand, before telling go of me whatsoever and stepping back.

"Absolutely anything, Katie..." I smiled sweetly at his kindness. "You call me" He nodded, raising an eyebrow before slipping off without another word from him, leaving me standing there dumbfounded. Well that was sudden.

I got home from university the next day, slamming my door and throwing my bag to the floor. I threw myself on the couch, tensing up in a ball letting all my tears and anger flow out of me. I had argued with my mum again, she wanted me to come home but I thought I was doing fine! I felt like she didn't trust me when we had arguments like this, it was all just unnecessary stress I didn't need. I breathed in, wiping my face, knowing for sure my mascara was going to be in scribbles across the whole of it. I snatched my phone from underneath me, dialling the name I needed to see all so well, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

"Luke: Katie?" His voice flowed through the phone, making me pout.
"Hey, are you busy?"
"Luke: No, I'm just about to get into bed, what's up?"
"Nothing, just wanted to hear your voice before I slept..."
"Luke: You alright cutie?"
"Mhmm, you?"
"Luke: I'm fine, hey, what's wrong?"
"I'm okay"
"Luke: You're not, what happened?"
"I'll cry if I talk about it, can I tell you tomorrow?
"Luke: Just take your time..."
"It's not important I'm just over reacting as per usual"
"Luke: You know I don't care about levels of significance, it's important to me if you're upset... I know I tell you a lot but it's okay if you cry, you know it is..."
"It's okay, you can go to bed, I really just wanted to hear you before I slept, sorry for bothering you"
"Luke: Okay you're bothering me by not telling me; don't shut me out when I'm not there to get the answer out of you"
"I'm not shutting you out I think I'm done crying for one night Grogan"
"Luke: Babe you can't tell me you've been crying and expect me not to want to know why all I'm going to do is worry for the next two days till I see you again"
"I just argued with my mum that's all, she doesn't listen to me Luke" I started crying again.
"Luke: Hey hey hey, calm down for me"
"Can you stay on the phone for a bit? Or do you have to go?"
"Luke: I don't have to go anywhere... Two more days till I see your beautiful face again" The conversation I had with Aodhan flicked into my head.
"How are you and Dana?"
"Luke: Uh, what?"
"You and Dana..."
"Luke: Oh, well I don't really know, haven't really- You know we weren't a thing at all to be honest"
"Oh, Aodhan told me you were getting somewhere that's all" He sighed.
"Luke: Okay, you can't believe a word the lads tell you about my relationships"
"Uh, okay, why?"
"Luke: They don't agree with me leading you on so-" My heart almost stopped, as my breath hitched in my throat.

...

"Leading me on?"