the boxer // lrh au

twenty seven ; THE luke hemmings

"please don't kill me." were the first words coming out of my mouth as i enter tyler and i's apartment.

"where were you?" tyler asks. the look on his face was the most serious i had seen him in a while. calum was in the room as well, a few feet behind him. he was giving me an encouraging smile but it didn't help my nerves. it felt like i had committed a crime.

"ok so you know how i've been getting swimming lessons right?"

"yes, bella but what does that have to do with anything?"

"ok well, i went swimming yesterday. that's why i snuck out. and the person i was with was..." i look at tyler and calum, biting my lip.

"luke." i finally say, letting out a breath of relief. i hated keeping that from tyler.

"luke? luke hemmings?" calum says, breaking the silence for the first time in what felt like hours. i slowly nod my head in response.

"so, you've been spending time with someone i specifically told you not to hang out with and then lied about it?"

"it's not like we did anything!" i raise my voice to match his tone.

"then why'd you lie about it? huh?" tyler had pushed himself off the stool he was sitting on earlier and his fists were clenched.

"because you said it yourself! you wouldn't let me hang out with him."

"for good reasons bella! but if you don't want to listen to me, then don't come to me when you see why i wanted you to stay away from him. don't come to me because i'll just say i told you so."

i frown at his words as tyler stomps out the door.

calum turns to walk away and comfort tyler but then turns back to me. looking conflicted, he turns back away and jogs to tyler's room. 

i know i shouldn't have lied to tyler and calum about hanging out with luke but it's not like they would have let me hang out with him anyway. without him, i wouldn't have learned to swim or feel more confident in general. 

and to my knowledge, luke didn't seem that bad anyway. 

though, on the bright side, through tyler's rage and calum's worry, no one noticed my limp as i walked in. luke had lent me a pair of sweatpants so neither of the boys could see how swollen my thigh was or the gauze around it. 

sighing, i sit down on the couch. my whole life leading up to last week was drama free. i was just getting ready to go back to school after winter break and hanging out with michael. i filled out all my college applications and now i had more things happening in my life than ever before. 

my phone starts ringing in my hands and i notice it was from michael. i also had a few messages and calls from luke but i ignore them. something tells me that talking to luke would only make the whole situation worse. especially if tyler ended up coming out of his room while i was on the phone with him, though i doubt that will happen. i pick up my phone in hopes that he can calm my nerves down.

"oh my goodness bella, i am so sorry! i had no idea that tyler thought you were at my apartment and i was half asleep and couldn't think straight please forgive me!" 

"hey michael, it's okay. i'm kind of glad that i don't have to lie to tyler anymore." i bite my lip as a habit and wait for michael to say something. 

"well, you're going to probably also want to forgive me for what i did and where i'm at."

i huff in annoyance, knowing michael did something i probably didn't want him to do. 

"what did you do mikey?" 

"well, i panicked because i thought you were mad at me and so i went to luke's house and now he wants to talk to you."

i frown at his words. it seemed like i was doing a lot of that lately. 

"michael i don't think that's a good-"

"bella." i hear luke breathe out from the opposite line.

"michael clifford i am going to kill you," i mutter under my breath. i didn't want to seem rude so i didn't hang up. 

"yeah?" i ask, uncertain as to why he wanted to talk to me so badly. i'm surprised he didn't get the hint that i didn't want to talk to him from not picking up his calls or not returning any of his messages. 

"why didn't you call me back? i was worried."

i smile at his words but consider them also. this luke isn't anything like the luke tyler told me to stay away from. so who's wrong about luke? me or tyler?

"please, the luke hemmings never gets worried." i hear michael say from the other side, emphasizing the 'the'.

"shut up michael. one day together and you are already getting on my nerves."

"don't talk about mikey that way," i say, slightly offended. 

"sorry." luke mumbles. 

"it's fine." michael cheerily responds. i don't think luke realizes i can hear michael clearly because he reiterates what he says. 

"why did you call me?" i ask, coming back onto the topic. 

"i wanted to know if tyler didn't kill you. also, i know they were supposed to come to my match tonight but that's probably not going to happen, right? it's not as big as the last one but it'd mean a lot to me if they came. they're still my best friends." luke seemed genuinely worried and i felt bad that i was the cause of them being mad at luke. 

"i can ask calum." i softly say. "also, i think it's for the best if we don't talk anymore. i don't want you to lose your best friends and i don't want to lose mine." 

i shut my eyes and wait for a reply.

after a few moments of silence and clearing his throat, luke finally responds. 

"uh yeah, i agree."

a/n 

school is kicking my butt i'm sorry for not updating as often