Between You & Me || Luke & Jai Brooks

Chapter XII - A Familiar Face

*Luke's pov*

My eyes close as I put the phone down. She said she was fine. She didn't need me. She's at a party, almost an hour away, and she didn't even warn me. It hurts more than I would ever admit, in fact it breaks my fucking heart. I'll wait up for her, I'd never give up on her, or leave her in any harm's way.

Jai and Skip suddenly come hurrying down the stairs, Skip still hopping around to get into his skinny jeans. They're clearly going out to party, Jai's done his hair gelled all fancy and Skip would never wear a shirt like that anywhere else. My heart suddenly leaps. "Where are you guys going?" I call to them as they walk past the lounge I'm in.

"Party. Where the fuck else on a Saturday night?" Skip replies.

"Oi, no fucking shit mate, but where's the party at?" I almost yell, infuriated by Skip's attitude. If his rudeness comes between me and my girl, shit will hit the fan.

"About an hour away, down south. Theala's and Chris'." Jai inputs quickly, smoothing the side of his hair down as he gazes into the window beside the door. "Beau's picking us up on his way back from James'. Do you wanna come?"

I'm on my feet in no time. "Yep. For sure."

Jai looks as though he doesn't approve of my attire, but there's no way in hell I'm risking missing Beau to get changed for a party I don't even fucking want to go to. I know for sure that Beau wouldn't wait for me if I wasn't ready and neither Jai nor Skip would tell him to. It's not like I'll be there for long anyway.

Jai shrugs, then quickly opens the door and darts out as Beau pulls up. Beau honks the horn impatiently before he's even been there ten seconds and both Daniel and I have to sprint down the driveway to stop him from pulling out without us. I hop in the car and check my phone anxiously. There are no messages. I just hope that in this case, no news is good news.

*Meghan's pov*

It's only been 15 minutes since Luke ended our call, but already my panic has gone back to its original full-scale level. Tracey is long gone and the amount of people in this room has got to have tripled since I arrived. The lights are flashing and people are completely surrounding me, closing me in. I can't see anyone I recognise, apart from that boy from across the road. That whole situation is scaring the shit out of me. I want Luke.

I fumble with my phone, pulling it from the tight pocket on my skinny jeans. In my anxiety to get it out, I drop it onto the dark floor. Oh, crap. Oh, crap shit crap. I feel on the floor with the toe of my shoe, unable to bend down with my jeans on. People are pushing me from all angles and I can't even see if I'm where I started. Fucking typical. I want to cry.

A faster song comes on and I'm bounced around with everyone, the whole crowd of people are dancing, and there's no way in hell I'm still where I dropped my phone. Well what the fuck am I supposed to do now?! Luke doesn't know where I am, I don't know where I am, I have no way to contact anyone and I'm stuck in a room full of intoxicated strangers. The smoke in the air is making me light headed and I will myself not to either pass out or have a panic attack.

I turn my face to the ceiling in an attempt to get some air into my lungs but I just inhale the cloud of smoke hovering over the group of people. I take three more breaths anyway, just trying to get my brain to function. There's got to be some way out of this.

Why didn't I just stay home with Luke?!

I want him so bad right now. That's the worst bit, that he's an hour away, probably worried out of his mind, but not doing anything about it because I told him I was safe, that he should stay home. Well, now I'm anything but safe. Everything is going wrong.

Suddenly, a hand rests on my shoulder, and I let out a scream that nobody hears over the music. The hand is sweaty but strong, and I'm turned to face the boy that I now know for sure has been following me since the minute I got here.